Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Muffins – No Flour, No Sugar & No Fat

These naturally gluten free cranberry orange muffins are light, fluffy and loaded with tart, fresh cranberries and sweet orange flavor! The best part… the recipe is made with no refined sugar, no fat and no special flours or hard to find ingredients. Try making these orange cranberry muffins and see how simple and delicious healthy muffins can be!

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Cranberries are my go-to winter muffin add-in.

Do certain flavors remind you of different seasons? In my mind apples and pumpkin are perfect for autumn while cranberries and citrus are best suited for the cold winter months.

Cranberries and oranges are a match made in heaven. The cranberries are tangy and tart while oranges are refreshingly sweet. Put the two together and YUMMMMMMMMM the perfect flavor combination.

Healthy Grab and Go Breakfasts

Unfortunately most of the muffin recipes I find are loaded with enough sugar and fat to make a decadent dessert

… but that’s not what I’m looking for in a muffin.

When I make muffins I’m looking for low sugar, whole food ingredients that I can feel good about feeding my family.

Why?

At our house a batch of muffins always turns into a grab and go breakfast buffet. My kiddos (and hubby) grab a muffin, a banana,  and a few slices of oven baked turkey bacon and they’re out the door on the way to school, work, or activities.

I love having muffins on hand for just that reason. They’re the perfect breakfast solution for a mom (aka me) who is not exactly bright eyed and busy tailed in the a.m.

No Flour, No Sugar & No Fat Muffins

This recipe makes gluten free cranberry orange muffins that contain no refined sugar, no flour, and no added fat. While this may seem like a disaster waiting to happen, don’t worry! I’ve added a few key ingredients that make the muffins light and fluffy!

• Baking Powder – Is a common leavening agent used t in muffins. It helps the batter rise to create fluffy texture.
• Baking Soda and Vinegar – Baking soda and vinegar cancel each other out when used in green cleaning solutions, but they make the perfect combo in baked goods. The acid in the vinegar reacts with the baking soda which fills the batter with CO2 creating an airy, fluffy muffin.
• Corn Starch – I love using oatmeal in my gluten-free muffin recipes because most people have it on hand. However, using 100% oatmeal produces dense muffins. Adding a bit of cornstarch makes more tender muffins that are lighter in texture.

4.75 from 4 votes

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Amazing Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Muffins (No Flour, No Sugar & No Fat)

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

These naturally gluten free cranberry orange muffins are light, fluffy and loaded with tart, fresh cranberries and sweet orange flavor! The best part… the recipe is made with no refined sugar, no fat and no special flours or hard to find ingredients. Try making these orange cranberry muffins and see how simple and delicious healthy muffins can be!

Course: Muffin

Cuisine: American

Servings: 22 muffins

Calories: 77 kcal

Author: Bren

Ingredients

• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1.5 cups orange juice
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (quatered)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (outer orange rind grated, no white pith)
• 3/4 cup mashed banana (about 2 medium bananas)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking tins with paper liners or grease well. (Use parchment baking cups to prevent the muffins from sticking, no greasing needed.)
2. Stir together orange juice and oats in a small bowl and allow to soak for 20 minutes. The soaking time softens the oats and makes a smoother batter.
3. Cut the cranberries into quarters, place in large bowl and add maple syrup, vanilla extract, orange extract, orange zest, ginger and cinnamon. Stir to combine and set aside. The soaking time allows the cranberries to absorb a bit of the sweet maple syrup.
4. Add soaked oats to blender with banana, eggs, salt, and vinegar. Blend until smooth. (I run my blender on the smoothie setting, stir and scrape down sides, then run on the smoothie setting again.)
5. Pour batter over cranberry mixture, sprinkle with the baking powder, baking soda and cornstarch then stir gently until combined. Do not over mix!
6. Scoop batter into tins filling nearly to the top. (I use 1/3 cup of batter per muffin.)
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (A toothpick inserted in the top should come out clean and the tops should be lightly browned. My muffins are perfect at 28 minutes, you may need to adjust for your oven.)
8. Allow muffins to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes.
9. Cool the muffins completely on a wire rack or counter then store in an air tight container. The muffins will last on the counter for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also wrap them well in plastic wrap then seal them in a bag or air tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts

Amazing Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Muffins (No Flour, No Sugar & No Fat)

Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)

Calories 77 Calories from Fat 11

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1.2g 2%

Cholesterol 14.5mg 5%

Sodium 137.8mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 15.2g 5%

Dietary Fiber 1.6g 6%

Sugars 5.7g

Protein 2.2g 4%

Vitamin A 1%

Vitamin C 17%

Calcium 6%

Iron 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

4 Tips for Making Perfect Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Muffins

These helpful pointers will help you get the best gluten free cranberry orange muffins:

1. Use dried cranberries for sweeter muffins. You can use fresh cranberries or dried cranberries in this recipe. I love the tart tangy taste of fresh cranberries, but sweetened dried cranberries will make the muffins taste sweeter. If you are not a fan of tart cranberry flavor go for the dried cranberries.
2. Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar. Gluten free baked goods are often dense because they’re missing the protein that gives traditional baked goods their fluffy texture. The acid in the vinegar helps the muffin batter rise and get extra fluffy. I promise you can’t tell that the muffins have vinegar in them when you taste the finished product. Don’t substitute vinegar! Apple cider vinegar is made from apples (as the name suggests), it is sweet compared to other vinegar which is why it works well in this recipe.
3. Get the muffin batter into the oven as soon as possible. Once you stir in the baking soda and baking powder the batter begins to rise. The more quickly you get the muffins into the oven the more fluffy they will be.
4. Use parchment baking cups. Gluten free muffins have a habit of sticking to the baking cups and muffin tins. Parchment baking cups will prevent them from sticking, no greasing needed.

MORE HEALTHY MUFFIN RECIPES TO TRY

Love healthy muffins? You'll love these 5 healthy muffin recipes which contain no flour, no sugar, and no oil… Jackpot!

1 – No Flour, No Sugar, Dairy Free Pumpkin Spice Muffins – Pumpkin puree, spices, and a bit of maple syrup  tempt your taste buds.

2 – Healthy Zucchini Muffins Recipe – Zucchini and spices give the muffins classic zucchini bread flavor. Enjoy a fall favorites with no guilt!

3 – Apple Cinnamon Blender Muffins – This easy recipe mixes in the blender for no mess but lots of cinnamon apple flavor. Kids love 'em.

4 – Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Muffins – The classic combo of peanut butter & chocolate gets a healthy makeover. Your family will be huge fans.

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