This Raspberry Orange Muffins recipe yields moist, orange-scented muffins studded with raspberries and topped with a raspberry orange glaze. These pink muffins are perfect for a galentines brunch or valentines breakfast. They’re also a great recipe to use up raspberries and oranges.
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These muffins were inspired by a recent trip to the thrift store! I found an older professional baking textbook with tons of large-scale recipes. The first one that piqued my interest was for plain muffins. So I took that recipe, scaled it down, and modified it for maximum raspberry and orange flavor. I took decoration inspiration from these Blood Orange Scones from Fresh Bean Bakery.
I used the glaze recipe from my Cherry Almond Scones to get the natural raspberry color. I also used this technique for my Raspberry Cream Scones, if you are interested in another raspberry bake.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- This is a great recipe to use up raspberries or oranges.
- The pink glaze and zest garnish is a pretty visual cue for the flavor inside.
- These muffins use a combination of butter and oil for flavor and moistness that lasts.
Ingredients
- Raspberries and oranges bring flavor to the muffins, and flavor and color to the glaze.
- Whole milk and vegetable oil bring moisture to the muffins.
- All-purpose flour provides a tender crumb to the muffins.
- Eggs bind the batter.
- Baking powder (aluminum-free) provides lift.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the muffins and powdered sugar sweetens the glaze.
- Kosher salt and vanilla bean paste balance the overall flavor profile.
- Unsalted butter adds flavor and fat to the muffins.
- Sour cream adds richness to the batter.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here’s how to customize these muffins to your liking:
- Milk powder — add 1 tablespoon of milk powder to the dry ingredients.
- No orange — omit the orange zest in the batter and replace the orange juice in the glaze for water, milk or cream.
- Another fruit — swap raspberries for blueberries or blackberries.
- Fresh raspberries — If using fresh raspberries, freeze in a single layer for at least one hour before using.
- No butter — swap for an equal amount of more oil. Omit the butter in the glaze.
- Different glaze — omit the glaze or make a simple orange glaze by combining orange juice and powdered sugar.
This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make raspberry orange muffins
Step 1: In a large bowl, rub together the granulated sugar and orange zest to express the oils of the zest for more flavor. Remove 1 tablespoon of the flour to a small bowl with the frozen raspberries. Toss to coat the berries. Set aside. To the zesty sugar, add the rest of the flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Whisk well to combine.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, whole milk, sour cream, vanilla, melted butter, vegetable oil and orange juice. Whisk together.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. Add the flour coated-raspberries and mix gently just until combined. Let the batter rest 30 mins to 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Fill each muffin cavity ¾ full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Step 4: Combine the orange juice with the raspberries. Mash the berries to release the juice. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Combine powdered sugar, the orange juice raspberry mixture, melted butter and vanilla bean paste. Whisk until combined. Dip each cooled muffin into the glaze, shaking off the excess, and top with orange zest.
Hot tips
- If using fresh raspberries, freeze in a single layer for at least one hour before using.
- I like to spray my muffin liners with a bit of oil to prevent sticking.
- If you use baking powder that is not aluminum free, it can react with the acidic raspberries to cause discoloration and a metallic taste. Whole Foods sells an aluminum-free baking powder.
Recipe FAQs
Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Yes, wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap before placing in a freezer bag or airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before eating. Store up to 3 months in the freezer.
Yes, use 2 tablespoons more cake flour than you would all-purpose.
More recipes you’ll love
Lastly, if you make this Raspberry Orange Muffins recipe be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
Raspberry Orange Muffins
Ingredients
Raspberry orange muffins
- 150 g granulated sugar (¾ cup)
- 2 tablespoon orange zest
- 300 g all-purpose flour (2 ⅓ cup)
- 3 teaspoon baking powder aluminum free* (12g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 81 g whole milk room temperature (⅓ cup)
- 129 g sour cream room temperature (½ cup + 2 tsp)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 53 g unsalted butter melted (¼ cup, ½ stick)
- 67 g vegetable oil (¼ cup + 1 tbsp)
- ¼ cup orange juice (60g)
- 120 g raspberries frozen**
Raspberry orange glaze
- 30 g raspberries thawed from frozen or fresh (2 tbsp)
- 2 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar or more depending on how thick you want the glaze
- 1 tablespoon orange zest for garnish
Instructions
Do ahead
- Grease a 12-cavity muffin pan and/or fill with muffin liners. I like to use muffin liners and grease them lightly.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Mix the dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, rub together the granulated sugar and orange zest to express the oils of the zest for more flavor.
- Remove 1 tablespoon of the flour to a small bowl with the frozen raspberries. Toss to coat the berries. Set aside.
- To the zesty sugar, add the rest of the flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Whisk well to combine.
Mix the wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, whole milk, sour cream, vanilla, melted butter, vegetable oil and orange juice. Whisk together.
Combine
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. Add the flour coated-raspberries and mix gently just until combined.
- Fill each muffin cavity ¾ full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Make the glaze
- Combine the orange juice with the raspberries. Mash the berries to release the juice. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
- Combine powdered sugar, the orange juice raspberry mixture, melted butter and vanilla bean paste. Whisk until combined. Dip each cooled muffin into the glaze, shaking off the excess, and top with orange zest.
