Some of my favorite flavors are cranberry and orange, and these delicious copycat muffins from Panera really celebrate this delightful pairing. Whip up a batch of these Panera cranberry orange muffins, and the whole family will be enjoying their soft texture and delicious flavor.
If you love Panera's bakery items, you'll definitely want to try our copycat recipes for their pumpkin muffins and cinnamon crunch bagels. Don't miss our collection of 8 Panera copycat dessert recipes, too!
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Ingredients
Fortunately, these cranberry orange muffins don't require any fancy or hard-to-find ingredients. Although fresh cranberries are a seasonal item that's only available in November and December here in the US, you can use frozen or dried cranberries.
- Cornstarch: A tablespoon of this ingredient lightens and softens the texture.
- Orange: A generous amount of orange zest and a little orange juice adds the delightful citrus flavor we love about this dessert.
- Cranberries: Using fresh or frozen cranberries here is ideal, but if you can't find them, use 1 cup of sweetened dried cranberries instead. If you're using frozen berries, there's no need to defrost them first; simply rinse and drain them well before adding to the batter.
- Decoration: These muffins are adorned with a sprinkling of turbinado sugar on top of each one. Demerara sugar would be great, too.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together until blended.
Whisk the eggs, oil, sugar, milk, orange juice, and vanilla together until well combined.
Rinse and pick through the fresh or frozen cranberries, discarding any bad ones.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir with a spatula until combined. Be careful not to overmix!
Gently fold in the fresh or frozen cranberries and the orange zest.
Put ½ cup of batter into each jumbo muffin cup and sprinkle a pinch of turbinado sugar on top.
Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes, then bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. The muffins are baked when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, then enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, Panera sells cranberry orange muffins year round. According to their website, each one costs $2.99, but prices may vary depending upon the location.
Each one of Panera's jumbo muffins contains 480 calories, 19g fat, 360mg sodium, 72g carbs, 2g fiber, 41g sugars, and 6g protein.
Our copycat recipe contains 387 calories, 14g fat, 425mg sodium, 61g carbs, 2g fiber, 31g sugars, and 5g protein. For the full nutrition facts, please scroll to the bottom of the recipe card.
Not really! Like many other baked goods, it's best to enjoy these treats in moderation.
Leftover muffins will keep at room temperature for 3-5 days, but they'll stay the freshest if they are frozen. Seal them inside of a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the microwave or at room temperature.
Expert Tips
- Measure the ingredients accurately; especially with the flour and rising agents. Using a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups helps a lot.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter, or the muffins will be tough.
- Rinse and drain the fresh or frozen cranberries well before adding them to the batter. There's no need to defrost frozen berries before using them.
- Can't find jumbo muffin liners? Use squares of parchment paper instead.
- Calibrate your oven with an oven thermometer to make sure it's baking at the correct temperature.
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Recipe
Panera Cranberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a jumbo muffin pan with liners or squares of baking parchment.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together until well blended.
- Whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, milk, orange juice, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to form a batter.
- Fold in the orange zest and the cranberries.
- Scoop ½ cup of batter into each jumbo muffin liner and sprinkle a pinch of turbinado sugar on top.
- Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes, then bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Let them cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Measure the ingredients accurately; especially with the flour and rising agents. Using a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups helps a lot.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter, or the muffins will be tough.
- Rinse and drain the fresh or frozen cranberries well before adding them to the batter. There's no need to defrost frozen berries before using them.
- Calibrate your oven with an oven thermometer to make sure it's baking at the correct temperature.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Kate
Excellent muffin recipe…love them….
Emma Fajcz
We're so glad you enjoyed them, Kate!
Karen
Love cranberry orange muffins! Anxious to try this recipe! Had one at Panera on the weekend. It was SO good! I must point out though that because this recipe has egg and milk in it these are not vegan friendly.
Emma
Thank you, Karen--we're so happy you enjoyed these muffins! For some reason, we forgot to put in a vegan variation in the post, but this is very easily made vegan. Use plant-based milk and swap the eggs for applesauce, flax egg, or a vegan egg replacer.