Orange Cranberry Muffins (Panera Copycat Recipe)
Delight in homemade Orange Cranberry Muffins, a perfect balance of zesty citrus and sweet-tart cranberries, just like Panera’s beloved recipe.
These copycat Panera cranberry muffins are ideal for pairing with fresh orange juice on a crisp fall morning. These fluffy homemade muffins are full of tart cranberries and orange flavor – a combination that is to die for!
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These delicious bakery-style muffins make the perfect fall breakfast during cranberry season, or any time of year really! The moist texture and flavour of fresh cranberries with warm spices make this easy muffin recipe one that you’ll want to have on repeat.
This copycat recipe is as close to the original Panera cranberry orange muffin as you can get. Add these Panera muffins to a delicious breakfast spread!
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Supplies:
- Stand mixer or hand mixer – this white KitchenAide stand mixer is the one that I have.
- Bamboo sliding mat – okay, this isn’t needed for this recipe specifically but if you have a stand mixer it makes manuvering this heavy piece of equipment way easier!
- Large bowl – these Pyrex bowls are my favorite.
- Piping bag – I try to have these on hand but a large freezer bag works in a pinch.
- Muffin pan – use what you’ve got.
- Muffin liners – these ones from Wilton are a good value.
- Small cookie scoop – or a muffin scoop!
- Wire cooling rack – this tiered one is great if you’re doing a lot of baking and stores flat.
Servings: 12 muffins
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
Start with a few simple ingredients from the grocery store to make these muffins.
Filling
- 8oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp orange extract
Topping
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Muffin Batter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 tsp orange zest (peel from one orange)
Instructions:
1. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ferenheit.
2. In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and extract until smooth. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag and set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine topping ingredients and set aside.
4. For the muffin batter, cream together milk and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
5. Add egg and oil, mix well.
6. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.
7. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until a thick batter forms.
8. Fold in cranberries.
9. Use a cookie scoop to fill each of the muffin tins with batter right to the top.
10. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the topping mixture on the top of the muffin.
11. Snip the tip of the piping bag and squeeze two tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the center of the batter.
12. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the muffin tops are golden brown.
Substitutions:
- Dried cranberries may be used instead of fresh of frozen.
- Brown sugar may be used instead of white.
- You could play with the topping mixture and use slivered almonds, chopped pecans or old fashioned oats too.
- Vanilla extract can be substituted for the orange extract.
- Omit the cream cheese filling and top with a sweet orange glaze instead.
Notes:
A large ziplock bag may be used instead of a pastry bag to pipe the cream cheese filling into the batter.
Muffins may be stored in an airtight container, covered in plastic wrap for 3-4 days.
More muffin recipes:
- Starbucks Pumpkin Muffins
- Saskatoon Muffins
- Blueberry Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins
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Orange Cranberry Muffins
Ingredients
- Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp orange extract
- Topping
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup butter cubed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Muffin Batter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 tsp orange zest peel from one orange
Instructions
- Line muffin tin with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ferenheit.
- In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and extract until smooth. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine topping ingredients and set aside.
- For the muffin batter, cream together milk and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add egg and oil, mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until a thick batter forms.
- Fold in cranberries.
- Use a cookie scoop to fill each of the muffin tins with batter right to the top.
- Sprinkle a tablespoon of the topping mixture on the top of the muffin.
- Snip the tip of the piping bag and squeeze two tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the center of the batter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the muffin tops are golden brown.
Nutrition
