Have you heard? After Thanksgiving, cranberry is the new pumpkin.
Oh and peppermint is the new sweet potato. Trust me, that’s coming too. I’m pretty obsessed with the chocolate peppermint combination, so it’s only a matter of time. But for now, I’m in cranberry land.
Let me just say, I’m usually pretty skeptical about any type of “muffin” that doesn’t include flour. I’m a girl who likes her bread. Thick, doughy, gluteny bread is a staple in my diet, and I’m not ashamed.
I had my reservations about just using almond meal. I thought they would come out dense and brick-like. I didn’t think there was any way I could have a perfect fluffy muffin with no flour.
Turns out, almond meal muffins are basically perfection. Soft, fluffy, hearty and filling! I hate when you try to eat a “muffin” for breakfast-and by muffin I mean a glorified cupcake that’s missing the frosting-and 5 minutes later you’re hungry again because you just ate the equivalent of a bowl of ice cream for breakfast. These muffins could actually serve as an on-the-go breakfast. That is, if you’re not me and don’t feel the overpowering urge to eat half your calories before noon.
I don’t know what it is, but I always wake up feeling like a ravenous beast. You know those people who skip breakfast? I DON’T GET IT!! So, you know, I’d probably pair one of these up with, like, half a dozen eggs, but if you’re a normal human, you could just grab one on your way out the door, and be good to go.
The sweet and tart orange and cranberry flavors meld perfectly with the hearty nutty flavor to make the perfect breakfast treat that you can share with just about anybody!
Orange Cranberry Almond Meal Muffins
yield 10-12 muffins
adapted from Bran Appetit
- 2 cups almond meal
- 3 tbs corn starch
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- dash salt
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup honey or agave
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond meal, corn starch, baking powder and salt. Stir in almond milk, honey/agave, orange juice and extracts until combined. Fold in dried cranberries.
- Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
confession: i’ve never baked with cranberries! ah! this recipe looks so good!
I can’t believe how addicted I’ve become! 2 years ago I wouldn’t have touched anything resembling a cranberry! Once bake your first recipe, I swear you’ll be hooked for life!
You never fail to amaze mene your recipes! Crab orange is my moms favorite combo and I def plan to make these for christmas eve breakfast! Thank u!!! Spa <3
So sweet!! Thanks Jenna! You’ll have to let me know how you like them
I love this! These look so easy to make too! Bonus for me they are both Gluten Free and Vegan! SPA <3
They were suuuuuper easy! Thanks Shannon
I just bought some almond meal so this is great!
Awesome! If you make them, let me know what you think!
Mmm, orange and cranberry is such a great flavor combination! I have some friends who are gluten-free and vegan who would love these! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Emily!
Hello! Just tried these out! Is there supposed to be 3/4 cup of milk? I made them as you listed and the batter was soupy and they certainly did not have the lovely look that your muffins did. They smell great though!
There is–1/4 cup to every tablespoon of cornstarch = 1 egg. I’m not sure what might have gone differently in your case? I don’t recall exactly what the batter looked like, but what happened with the look of yours when they baked? That might be able to help me figure out the problem!
They sunk! They didn’t really set up at all.
That could be a couple of things. First I’d check the expiration date on your baking powder–it actually does expire and can be the culprit in baked goods not setting up. The other thing it could be (and this has happened to me about a million times) is you may not have baked them long enough. Every oven is different, and I’ve even made the same recipe and had it take longer or shorter the next time. Make sure the toothpick comes out completely clean. Also, how many did you make from the batter? If you made less and made them larger, they will take longer to bake. I hope that helps!
I baked 12 for about 25 minutes, but you’re right. They probably could have gone longer. Thanks for the help!
Any time!!
I found this by googling “almond meal muffins” and I was excited because I love love love cranberry orange! They’re in the oven, and I’m very excited to see how they turn out. I just made some almond milk, which resulted in almond meal left-over and this seems like a perfect way to use both of them.
YAYYYY!!! Let me know how they turn out!
What is the yummy-looking stuff drizzled on top? do you have a recipe? Thanks
Take a heaping 1/2 cup or so of powdered sugar, and slowly about 1 tbsp at a time stir in fresh orange juice until it’s your desired consistency. So easy. It’s good, but I actually prefer the muffins plain