Cranberry Orange Muffins

I have made cranberry orange muffins before, but this recipe from Bridget caught my eye.  There was very little to modify, to make these muffins clean eating approved.  While I loved the first version I made, I definitely appreciated not having to experiment with it to adjust the recipe to my current lifestyle. 
The first adjustment I did have to make on this recipe was the sugar. Given the nature of these muffins, I knew that I would easily be able to use either agave nectar or sucanat. I tested this recipe with agave nectar, since I knew I would have to adjust the liquids as well. Obviously, I went with vegetable oil instead of melted butter, but that was already written into the recipe.  Another option here would be to try applesauce in place of oil, which I will do the next time I make them.  I skipped the glaze, and I honestly don't even think the muffins need it!

These muffins turned out fabulous!  They are a great choice for any cranberry lover.  There was a perfect balance of sweet and tart, along with the nutty goodness of whole wheat flour and, well, nuts. 


Cranberry Orange Muffins
Source: Adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles / King Arthur Flour
Yield: 12 muffins

1½ cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup quick-cooking rolled oats
¼ cup buttermilk powder or nonfat dry milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon orange zest (finely grated orange peel)
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
2 large eggs
⅔ cup sucanat or maple syrup, or 1/2 cup agave nectar
¾ cup skim milk, or ⅓ cup milk if using maple syrup or agave nectar
⅓ cup vegetable oil or unsweetened applesauce


1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick vegetable cooking spray or line with muffin liners.

2. Whisk flour, oats, milk powder, baking powder, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk egg until broken up. Add sugar and whisk until combined. Whisk in oil or applesauce and milk.

3. Add cranberries and nuts, if using, to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add milk mixture and fold with rubber spatula until batter comes together. Do not overmix.

4. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack.


Nutritional Information, per muffin (numbers below use agave nectar, but differences with sucanat are negligible)

	Oil/Nuts	Applesauce/  no nuts
Calories:	215.7	138.0
Total Fat:	10.5	1.5
Sat. Fat:	1.4	0.3
Poly Fat:	5.8	0.1
Mono Fat:	1.8	0.1
Cholesterol:	36.3	36.3
Sodium:	198.4	198.4
Potassium:	88.2	73.8
Carbohydrate:	27.8	28.1
Fiber:	3.0	2.8
Sugar:	11.6	12.3
Protein:	5.0	4.3