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Home » Copycat Recipes » Panera Bread

Panera Cranberry Orange Muffins

Published: Oct 8, 2021 · Modified: Oct 8, 2021 by Emma · This post may contain affiliate links, which can earn us a commission.

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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 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.

half of a cranberry orange muffin stacked on top of two muffins
Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipe

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Ingredients

glass bowls of ingredients for Panera cranberry orange muffins

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.

How to Make

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together until blended.

dry ingredient mixture in a bowl with a whisk

Whisk the eggs, oil, sugar, milk, orange juice, and vanilla together until well combined.

eggs and other wet ingredients in a bowl with a whisk

Rinse and pick through the fresh or frozen cranberries, discarding any bad ones.

rinsed frozen cranberries in a metal sieve

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir with a spatula until combined. Be careful not to overmix!

muffin batter in a bowl with a spatula

Gently fold in the fresh or frozen cranberries and the orange zest.

bowl of muffin batter with cranberries and orange zest

Put ½ cup of batter into each jumbo muffin cup and sprinkle a pinch of turbinado sugar on top.

a pan of six jumbo muffins before baking

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.

six baked jumbo Panera cranberry orange muffins in the pan

Let the muffins cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, then enjoy!

half of a cranberry orange muffin on its wrapper

Recipe FAQs

Does Panera have cranberry orange muffins?

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.

How many calories are in a Panera cranberry orange muffin?

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.

Are cranberry orange muffins healthy?

Not really! Like many other baked goods, it's best to enjoy these treats in moderation.

How do you store cranberry orange muffins?

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.

Other Panera Copycat Recipes You'll Love

  • Panera Black Bean Soup (Copycat Recipe)
  • 8 Panera Bread Copycat Dessert Recipes
  • 11 Panera Bread Copycat Soup Recipes
  • Panera Mac and Cheese Recipe

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Recipe

half of a Panera cranberry orange muffin on its wrapper

Panera Cranberry Orange Muffins

Enjoy a delicious batch of Panera cranberry orange muffins with this easy copycat recipe.  These light and soft jumbo muffins have the sweet and tangy flavors of cranberries and orange zest.  Vegan and gluten free friendly.
5 from 6 votes
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Course: Muffins
Cuisine: American
Keyword: jumbo muffin, Panera cranberry orange muffins, Panera cranberry orange muffins copycat recipe
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 9 jumbo muffins
Calories: 389kcal
Author: Emma

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
US Imperial - Metric

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

Calories: 389kcal (19%)Carbohydrates: 61g (20%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 43mg (14%)Sodium: 552mg (24%)Potassium: 102mg (3%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 31g (34%)Vitamin A: 109IU (2%)Vitamin C: 7mg (8%)Calcium: 110mg (11%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
« Panera Mac and Cheese Recipe
Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese Recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jan

    March 04, 2022 at 2:57 pm

    It’s not christmas and no one has fresh, or even frozen cranberries. Is there any way to use dried cranberries, like the Craisins?

    Reply
    • Emma

      March 05, 2022 at 7:23 am

      Yes, you can definitely use dried cranberries instead. I'd recommend soaking them in boiling water for a few minutes to soften them and to give the muffins a better texture.

      Reply
  2. Patty

    December 18, 2021 at 8:32 pm

    Dumb question.... Do I just turn the heat down on the oven and start timing again, or do I need to remove the muffins until the oven cools some?

    I can't wait to try this recipe!!!

    Reply
    • Emma

      December 19, 2021 at 7:27 am

      Keep the muffins in the oven the whole time; if they are removed during the baking process, they'll collapse. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Linda R

    December 14, 2021 at 9:23 am

    5 stars
    Hi, I love Panera's Cranberry orange muffins and really wanted to try making my own. I saw several copycat recipes online but in the end tried yours because the picture looked the most like Panera's.
    These are fantastic, and very similar the ones at the restaurant. Mine came out looking just like yours, which I was so happy about! (The only thing I'd change is to possibly add more fresh orange zest.
    I also boosted the orange juice to 1/2 cup to hopefully make them more orange-y.) This will be my new go-to cranberry orange muffins!

    Reply
    • Emma

      December 14, 2021 at 3:42 pm

      I'm so glad that you enjoyed the muffins and the photos, Linda! One can never go wrong with more orange zest. Enjoy!

      Reply
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