These fluffy Orange Muffins are a perfect way to start the day! Packed with citrus flavor and a little bit of crunch, these mouthwatering muffins will be a huge hit!

Orange Juice Muffins

Whether you’re looking for a delicious treat on busy mornings or a sweet afternoon snack, you have to try these amazing Orange Muffins! Made with both orange zest and orange juice, these tasty muffins are packed with fresh orange flavor. 

Orange juice has always been a staple with breakfast. You have your morning cup of coffee and a great breakfast with a cup of orange juice, right? It’s just always around. 

That said, you don’t see a lot of orange zest muffins around. You see combinations with orange in them at grocery stores, but they often have orange extract and aren’t typically made with real oranges. At least not the ones I’ve seen. 

That is where these yummy muffins come in! A great way to brighten up your day, these are made with simple ingredients that you can get at any grocery store.

You don’t have to be a professional chef to make them and they’re so versatile that they are perfect for serving at a baby shower, Mother’s Day brunch, on Christmas morning, or before school. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• Juice from fresh oranges is a key to this recipe, so don’t use refrigerated orange juice unless you have to. 
• Make sure to add the milk and orange juice separately (per the instructions below) to avoid any curdling. 
• Allow your ingredients to be at room temperature so that everything mixes smoothly and evenly.
• Letting your batter rest while you heat the oven will allow your batter to rise and give you the dome shape for your delicious muffin tops.  

How To Make Superfine Sugar Out Of Granulated Sugar

While you can substitute granulated sugar for superfine sugar in this easy recipe, you can make your own superfine sugar very easily instead. All you need is a food processor and a little extra granulated sugar. 

This Orange Muffins recipe calls for 1/2 cup of superfine sugar plus 2 tablespoons to use for the top of the muffins. Because 4 tablespoons equal 1/4 cup and you’ll need some extra sugar when you grind down the larger particles, measure about 3/4 cup of granulated sugar into your food processor.

Give it two or three quick pulses. At this point, you’ll have superfine sugar. If you pulse it longer, you’ll end up with powdered sugar, and you don’t want that. Be conservative with the pulsing!

How To Make Fresh Orange Muffins:

Fresh Orange Muffins Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed

Supplies Needed:

Large muffin tin
Muffin liners
2 large mixing bowls
Electric mixer
Large whisk
Rubber spatula
Wire rack
Wooden spoon (optional)

Directions:

Step 1: Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. Grease the liners generously with butter and set them aside.

If you don’t have any butter available, you can use nonstick cooking spray as a backup. 

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of white sugar together using an electric hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture turns creamy. This should take 2 – 3 minutes.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set your dry ingredients aside. 

Step 4: Moving back to the large bowl with the sugar mixture – add the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest, and beat on medium speed until everything is combined and the mixture is smooth. 

Step 5: Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the dry mixture into the wet ingredients along with 1/2 cup of milk and mix. Make sure that you only mix until the flour disappears. Do not overmix.

Step 6: Continuing to use the spatula, add the remaining half of the flour mixture along with 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice. Again, make sure that you only mix until the flour disappears. Do not overmix.

Step 7: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and let the batter rest while the oven heats.

Step 8: Pour your batter into each of the muffin cups, filling them almost to the top. Tap the muffin pan gently on a hard surface to help remove any air.

Step 9: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the superfine sugar on the tops of the muffins.

Step 10: Bake at 425 degrees for 6 minutes, and then – keeping the muffins in the oven – reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the muffins start turning golden brown and the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Pro tip – If you leave the oven at the higher temperature, the tops and bottoms of your muffins may burn, so don’t forget to reduce it! 

Allow the sweet muffins to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before serving or moving them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

How To Store Leftover Orange Muffins

Store any leftover orange muffins in an airtight container on the counter for 1 – 2 days or in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days for best results. 

Can I Freeze These Fresh Orange Muffins?

Yes! Allow the warm muffins to cool completely on the wire rack to room temperature while still in the paper liners. Place the fluffy muffins in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze in a single layer for up to 3 months for best results.

When you are ready to eat the frozen muffins, either warm them in the microwave (for 30 to 45 seconds) or let them thaw at room temperature.  

Do I Have To Use Whole Milk In This Orange Muffin Recipe?

You do not have to use whole milk, but you will want to use the highest fat-content milk that you have available in your house. The lower in fat the milk you choose, you’ll find that your muffins are comparatively less flavorful and less moist. 

What Can I Add To These Moist Orange Muffins?

The original recipe for these tasty treats is excellent just as it is, but if you want to switch things up for next time, there are a few delicious options. If you want to turn these into Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins, you can easily add the chocolate chips of your choice to the orange muffin batter once it is fully mixed. 

If you don’t want to stray from the fresh fruit aspect, you can turn these into Cranberry Orange Muffins by adding some dried cranberries or fresh cranberries to the batter.

Fresh cranberry muffins are a great twist on this recipe – and it would be incredibly easy to make some orange and some with an added component at the same time. Get some regular Orange Muffins poured into the muffin pan and then stir your cranberries or chocolate chips into what’s left of the base recipe to add a second variety. 

Are You Looking For More Delicious Quick Breakfast Recipes? Here Are Some Of My Favorites:

• Easy Muffin Tin Sausage Quiche Cups
• Red White And Blue Breakfast Bowl
• Easy Berry Green Smoothie
• 2-Minute Omelette In A Mug
• Easy Mushroom And Spinach Quiche

KitchenAid Universal Mixing Bowls, Set Of 3, Aqua skyGood Cook Classic Set of 2 Silicone SpatulasGood Cook 6 Cup Muffin PanAmazon Basics Nonstick Muffin Baking Pan, 12 Cups – Set of 2Wilton Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack for Cookies, Cake and MoreChef Craft Classic Cupcake Liners, 50 count, White

Yield: 14 Orange Muffins

Orange Muffins With Fresh Orange Zest

Print

These fluffy Orange Muffins are a perfect way to start the day! Packed with citrus flavor and a little bit of crunch, these mouthwatering muffins will be a huge hit!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 38 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed

Instructions

1. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. Grease the liners generously with butter and set them aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of white sugar together using an electric hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture turns creamy. This will take 2 - 3 minutes.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set your dry ingredients aside. 
4. Moving back to the large bowl with the sugar mixture, add the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest, and beat on medium speed until everything is combined and the mixture is smooth. 
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the dry mixture into the wet mixture along with 1/2 cup of milk and mix. Make sure that you only mix until the flour disappears. Do not overmix.
6. Continuing to use the spatula, add the remaining half of the flour mixture along with the 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. Again, make sure that you only mix until the flour disappears. Do not overmix.
7. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and let the batter rest while the oven heats.
8. Pour the batter into each muffin cup, filling them almost to the top. Tap the muffin pan gently on a hard surface to help remove any air.
9. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the superfine sugar on the top of each muffin.
10. Bake at 425 degrees for 6 minutes, and then - keeping the muffins in the oven - reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the muffins start turning golden brown and the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
11. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before serving or moving them to a wire rack. Enjoy!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Watkins All Natural Original Gourmet Baking Vanilla with Pure Extract, 8 fl. oz. Bottle, 1-Pack
• 
  M KITCHEN WORLD Silicone Spatula Set - 4 Piece Heat Resistant Rubber Spatulas for Cooking & Baking - Nonstick Spoon Set for Kitchen Utensils - Orange
• 
  7 Piece Mixing Bowls with Lids for Kitchen, YIHONG Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls Set Ideal for Baking, Prepping, Cooking and Serving Food, Nesting Metal Bowls for Space Saving Storage

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

14

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 132mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 4g

This calculation is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a doctor or dietitian. This calculator is a guide, but makes no guarantee of being exact or fully accurate.