These orange muffins are soft, tender, and packed with real citrus flavor from fresh orange zest and juice. The combination of melted butter and sour cream gives them a rich, moist crumb, and a light orange glaze adds just enough sweetness to make them perfect for breakfast or a snack.
Why These Muffins are Great for Winter
This orange muffin recipe came out of my love for citrus season and finding ways to use more citrus. I wanted a muffin with unmistakable orange flavor, not just a hint, but a burst of it in every bite.
To get that flavor, I used 3 lots of fresh zest and freshly squeezed juice, which delivers way more flavor than most recipes. The muffin base is adapted from my lemon poppy seed muffins recipe. If you like citrus, you might also enjoy my lemon blueberry muffins or my buttery orange cream scones
Recipe Development Notes
- Measured zest for consistent flavor: This recipe uses 3 tablespoons of orange zest, which is more than most recipes and ensures bold, consistent citrus flavor in every batch. I provide the weight in grams to ensure you have enough.
- Zesting into sugar boosts aroma and taste: Zesting the oranges directly over the sugar captures the essential oils as they’re released. Rubbing the zest into the sugar infuses the sugar with a deeper, more pronounced citrus flavor that carries through the entire muffin.
- A hint of cinnamon adds depth: Ground cinnamon complements the orange without overpowering it. It shows up as a warm, subtle finish. It's now one my favorite flavor combinations.
Orange Muffins Ingredients
- Fresh Orange Zest: The orange zest delivers the flavor for these muffins. Use fresh oranges that have a slightly shiny skins. Orange just with dried, dull looking peel won't deliver the same amount of zest or flavor.
- Ground Cinnamon: I like trying different flavor combinations, so I pulled out my Flavor Bible for ideas and that's I how I came with the idea of adding cinnamon. It's not a lot, but it adds a subtle warmth and spice that pairs well with the orange.
- Orange Glaze: The glaze is made with fresh orange juice, powdered sugar, a little salt (to balance the sweetness), is easy to make but optional.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Orange Muffins from Scratch
Step 1: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
Step 2: Zest the oranges into the sugar in a small bowl.
Step 3: Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it turns orange and your kitchen smells like oranges.
Step 4: Add the eggs and whisk them into the orange sugar mixture.
Step 5: Whisk in the cool melted butter until thoroughly combined.
Step 6: Whisk in the sour cream, orange juice, and vanilla.
Step 7: Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. This rest will give more time for the sugar to dissolve and help create a more tender muffin.
Step 8: Fold in the dry ingredients in two batches.
Step 9: All the flavor should be mixed in, but the batter should be lumpy.
Step 10: Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffins cups.
Step 11: Bake the muffins at 400°F, then 350°F until the internal temperature registers at 200°F.
Step 12: Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
The muffins can be eaten warm by themselves or with a little butter. If you prefer them with the orange glaze, let them cool completely before add the glaze.
Tips for Muffin Success
- Weigh the ingredients: To avoid muffins that are dry or sink in the middle, weigh your flour. I also weigh my the butter, because while butter in the U.S. comes in sticks that are supposed to weigh 113 grams they very rarely do.
- Use room temperature ingredients: This helps everything blend smoothly and gives you a more even texture. Take out the eggs the night before and measure out the sour cream about an hour before you're ready to start baking.
- Zest first, then juice: It’s much easier to zest whole oranges than ones you’ve already juiced.
If you make delicious orange muffins with cinnamon please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Orange Muffins with Sour Cream and Cinnamon
Ingredients
Orange Muffin Batter
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups (250 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (18 grams) orange zest about 4 oranges
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (240 grams) full-fat sour cream room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) orange juice fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Orange Glaze (Optional)
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar sifted
- 4-5 teaspoons orange juice fresh squeezed
- 1/16 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place muffin liners in a 12-cup muffin pan.
Make the Muffin Batter
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat and cool until it is barely warm. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl for 30 seconds to thoroughly combine.
- Place the sugar in a small bowl and place it on a kitchen scale. Zest the orange into the same bowl on top of the sugar until you have 18 grams. Use your fingers to rub the orange zest into the sugar until the sugar turns orange and takes on a sandy texture.
- Juice the oranges until you have 1/3 cup of juice.
- Place the orange sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and whisk until lighter in color, about 1 minute. Whisk in the cooled melted butter. Next, whisk in the sour cream, 1/4 cup orange juice, and vanilla extract. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.
- Add half of the flour mixture and fold it in with a silicone spatula until incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and fold it in until no streaks of flour remain.
Bake the Muffins
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
- Bake the muffins at 400°F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 10-12 minutes.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then move the muffins to a wire cooling rack. If you are adding the orange glaze, let the muffins cool completely.
Make the Orange Glaze
- Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the salt. Add 3 teaspoons of orange juice and stir, then add the orange juice 1/2 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved. For this you want a thin glaze so it flows over the muffin top.
- Add about 1 teaspoon of glaze to the top of each muffin and spread it across the top.
Store the Muffins
- The muffins can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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