Name: Cranberry Orange Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour; 1 Tbsp Cornstarch; 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder; 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda; 1/2 Tsp Salt; 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil; 2/3 Cup White Sugar; 2 large Eggs; 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract; 1/2 Cup Buttermilk; 2 Tsp Orange Zest; 1 1/2 Cups Dried Cranberries (divided); 2 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar

My wife asked me to try and make the Cranberry Orange Muffins she gets at Panera and this is what I came up with.

I typically would call this a copycat recipe but I took more liberties than I usually do and didn’t think it was right to label this recipe a Panera copycat recipe. Nothing wrong with these cranberry orange muffins at all, just not a true copycat recipe.

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Ingredient Substitution

To make a turbinado sugar substitute: Blend half brown sugar and half white sugar to replace the full amount of turbinado sugar.

For one, I used a regular muffin pan instead of the jumbo kind Panera uses. I used dried cranberries while Panera uses fresh cranberries so I am told. I know it doesn’t sound like much but to me it is.

Buttermilk Substitution

If you don’t have Buttermilk on hand, you can use this trick as a substitute: Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup. Add milk and fill to the 1 cup measurement line. Stir the mixture together and let sit for 5 minutes. Since this recipe calls for 1/2 cup you will need to adjust accordingly.

Another option is to use a cultured buttermilk blend. All you need to do is add water. I was very skeptical at first but in a pinch it works great!

These muffins tend to bake pretty quickly so I suggest you start checking for doneness around the 18-20 minute mark. If a toothpick comes out clean then you know you can safely pull it from the oven.

As you all know I pride myself on publishing recipes that use simple ingredients and realize that the Turbinado may not be considered a simple ingredient that everyone has on hand but do yourself a favor a get yourself a small bag. You won’t regret it.

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Gather your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this Cranberry Orange Muffins recipe (see recipe card for quantities): All Purpose Flour, Cornstarch, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Vegetable Oil, White Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla Extract, Buttermilk, Orange Zest, Dried Cranberries and Turbinado Sugar.

How to Make Cranberry Orange Muffins

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oil and sugar until well combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time then mix in the vanilla extract.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the large mixing bowl with the oil and sugar mixing after each addition.
Fold in the fresh orange zest and dried cranberries. Fill each muffin liner with the batter. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top of each muffin.
Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool slightly, then move the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

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