Cranberry-Orange Muffins with Streusel Topping
The streusel on top of these blue-ribbon cranberry-orange muffins bakes into an irresistible crackly, buttery crust.
By Yankee Magazine|Aug 17 2026|
Cranberry-Orange Muffins with Streusel Topping
Credit: Joseph Keller/styling by Catrine KeltyHere’s a recipe from first-time blue-ribbon winner Alexia Lemon of Concord, New Hampshire. Both of Alexia’s debut entries at the Deerfield Fair—lemony white chocolate chip cookies and these cranberry-orange muffins—won the top prize last year. “I’ve loved baking since I was around 12,” says Alexia, who was inspired by an uncle who owns a bakery in France. “I started by learning to follow recipes from packages and cookbooks, and over time developed into being able to create my own homemade goods. I decided last year that I wanted to enter something into the fair to see how it got judged, and I’m currently trying to decide what I want to bake for this year!”
For these muffins, the frozen cranberries should go straight from the freezer into the batter—no thawing needed. The streusel on top bakes into a crackly, buttery crust that makes it worth the extra five minutes of effort.
This winning Cranberry-Orange Muffins with Streusel Topping recipe first appeared in “Blue-Ribbon Buffet” in the September/October 2026 issue of Yankee.
Yield
12 muffins
For the streusel
Ingredients
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2½ tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and set a rack to the middle position. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
First, make the streusel: Whisk together flour, both sugars, and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle in melted butter and stir lightly until the mixture forms clumps. Set aside.
For the muffins
Ingredients
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
¾ teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups frozen cranberries
Instructions
Next, make the muffins: Whisk oil, eggs, and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until combined. Add buttermilk, orange juice, orange zest, and salt and stir to combine. Add baking powder and baking soda and stir briefly, then fold in flour until just combined (a few streaks are fine). Fold in frozen cranberries.
Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups; they will be nearly full. Top each with a generous spoonful of streusel, pressing lightly to adhere. Bake until the streusel is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
