This recipe makes these delicious orange muffins that are perfect to enjoy as a sweet breakfast or as an after-dinner treat. They're fluffy, light and moist with a super orangey flavour.
These orange muffins are so good and this recipe has been developed to ensure the muffins have a strong orange flavour. For these muffins, I use a combination of orange juice, orange zest and orange extract to ensure the orange flavour is intense and bold. If you prefer a more subtle orange flavour then you can omit the extract and use the orange juice and orange zest only. Once baked, the muffins are topped with an orange flavoured glaze and some extra zest for even more flavour.
This recipe makes orange muffins that are not overly sweet and each muffin only contains around 235 calories so you can enjoy them as part of a balanced diet. If you want, you can also add some chocolate chips or some cranberries to make them a little more interesting but bear in mind this will increase the calories in the muffins.
This orange muffin recipe is quick and easy so you can have these delicious muffins ready in under 40 minutes.
Ingredients for Orange Muffins
For the full list of ingredients and measurements, scroll to the recipe card below.
- Orange - use a fresh orange. You’ll also use the zest from the orange.
- Orange extract - this is optional for a super strong orange flavour.
- Flour - I use self-raising flour which includes baking powder to help the muffins to rise better.
- Raising agent - use bicarbonate soda to help the muffins rise.
- Salt - I use fine sea salt but use any type of salt.
- Cinnamon - use a little ground cinnamon to flavour the muffins.
- Baking spread - I use stork. You can use butter if you prefer.
- Sugar – I use caster sugar also known as superfine sugar.
- Oil - use an unflavoured oil such as vegetable, sunflower, canola or rapeseed.
- Eggs - use room temperature eggs.
- Vanilla - you can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Yoghurt - use natural or plain yoghurt.
- Icing sugar - also known as powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar. Use to make the orange glaze.
How to Make Orange Muffins
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 180oC then line a 12-count muffin tin with 12 muffin cases and set aside.
Zest and juice the orange
Remove all the zest from the orange using a citrus zester and add the zest to a container. Cut the zested orange in half crosswise and use a citrus squeezer to squeeze as much juice as possible from both halves.
Combine the orange juice, zest and orange extract
To a bowl, add and combine all the juice, half the zest and the orange extract. Set aside the other half of the zest to decorate the muffins later.
Remove some of the orange mixture to make the glaze later
Remove 2 tablespoons of the orange mixture from the batch and refrigerate in a small container to use later for the glaze. Set the rest of the orange mixture aside for the muffins.
Prepare the dry ingredients
Add and combine the self-raising flour, bicarbonate soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
Cream the baking spread and sugar
Cream together the baking spread and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
Add in the wet ingredients
One by one, mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, yoghurt and the orange mixture.
Mix in the dry ingredients
Fold in the dry ingredients then combine well until you have a smooth batter but try not to over mix.
Add the batter to the muffin cases
Spoon the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cases.
Bake and cool the muffins
Bake in the centre of the oven for 24 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the muffin tin on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. After this time, remove the muffins from the tin and place them directly onto the cooling rack to completely cool.
Prepare the glaze
To a small bowl, add the icing sugar then add in the 2 tablespoons of orange juice you set aside earlier and mix well until smooth. If the icing is too thick to drizzle then add a drop of water to make it thinner.
Drizzle the glaze onto the muffins
Drizzle the icing glaze on top of the muffins then sprinkle the leftover zest on top of each muffin. Allow the icing to set then serve.
Recipe Tips
- For this recipe, you’ll need a citrus zester.
- You’ll also need a citrus squeezer.
Storage
Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The muffins can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before consuming.
Nutrition
Nutrition based on 1 muffin - Calories: 236kcal | Fat: 8.4g | Saturates: 2.7g | Carbohydrates: 36.3g | Sugar: 21.1g | Fibre: 1.0g | Protein: 3.9g | Salt: 0.3g.
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Orange Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 large orange
- 1 teaspoon orange extract optional
- 250g self-raising flour
- ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 110g baking spread such as Stork
- 150g caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 140g natural yoghurt
- 75g icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/350oF/180oC/160oC fan then line a 12-count muffin tin with 12 muffin cases and set aside.
- Use a citrus zester and remove all the zest from the orange then add the zest to a small bowl. Cut the zested orange in half crosswise and use a citrus squeezer to squeeze as much juice as possible from both halves.
- Add the juice to another small bowl along with half the zest and the orange extract then mix them together. Set the rest of the zest aside to decorate the muffins later after you glaze them.
- Remove 2 tablespoons of the orange mixture from the batch and refrigerate in a small container to use later for the glaze. Set the rest of the orange mixture aside.
- To a mixing bowl, add the self-raising flour, bicarbonate soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk them together and set the bowl aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the baking spread and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs then the vanilla followed by the yoghurt and the orange mixture. Add in the dry ingredients then combine well until you have a smooth batter but try not to over mix.
- Spoon the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cases then bake in the oven for 24 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the muffin tin on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. After this time, remove the muffins from the tin and place them directly onto the cooling rack to completely cool.
- Add the icing sugar to a small bowl then add in the 2 tablespoons of orange juice you set aside earlier. Mix well until smooth. If the icing isn’t loose enough to drizzle then add a drop of water to make the icing thinner.
- Drizzle the icing on top of the muffins then sprinkle the leftover zest on top of each muffin. Allow the icing to set then serve.
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