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Easy vegan orange muffins that are soft, fluffy, full of fresh citrus flavour, and made without cranberries. They’re moist and light, and you only need a handful of simple ingredients to make them.
They’re also dairy-free, egg-free, and can be made gluten-free if needed. Perfect with breakfast, at snack time, or tea and coffee time!
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Orange isn’t used as often in baking as flavours like lemon or chocolate, which makes a treat or dessert feel a little extra special when it's the star, like in these vibrant vegan orange muffins.
They’re quick to make (like all of my vegan muffin recipes!), use simple ingredients, and are perfect when you’re in the mood for an afternoon snack or want something a little different to add to a brunch or breakfast table.
They have a bright, fresh orange flavour, and because there are no cranberries, the orange flavour really gets to shine. Since there are no competing flavours, it's 100% orange!
So, if you're craving a muffin that's irresistible and a little different from the usual muffin flavours, or if you just want a good orange muffin without cranberries, let’s get started!
Everything You'll Need
Key Ingredient Info + Swaps
(NOTE: Only ingredients with special notes are listed below. The full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card.)
Flour - I developed this recipe with all-purpose white flour and the specific gluten-free blend mentioned below.
For vegan gluten-free orange muffins: I tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in the BLUE bag, and it worked beautifully (don't use their gluten-free flour in the red bag!). You’ll find all the details on this swap in the recipe notes.
Dairy-Free Milk - These muffins are made with vegan buttermilk, which contributes to their moist, soft, and fluffy texture. Unflavoured, unsweetened soy milk makes the best vegan buttermilk, but if you don’t have soy milk, another dairy-free milk can be used instead.
Lemon Juice - An acid is needed to make vegan buttermilk, and lemon juice is what I use. I tested by using orange juice instead, but it was not acidic enough to curdle the milk, so stick to lemon juice, and if you don't have it, apple cider vinegar or white vinegar will work, too.
Oil - These muffins are made with oil, not vegan butter, to keep them soft and moist. Use a neutral-flavoured oil (like safflower, sunflower, etc.).
Orange Juice, Zest, and Extract - These ingredients work together to create the muffins’ bright orange flavour and aren’t interchangeable. The zest and juice are essential and cannot be left out. The orange extract is optional, but I tested the recipe both ways, and I really like the extra layer of orange flavour it adds, so I highly recommend using it.
Here's How to Make Them
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
Mix the sugar and orange zest until it looks like wet sand. This releases the orange oil from the zest and will give the muffins a stronger orange flavour.
Combine the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls, then combine them.
Orange Zesting Tips
- A microplane grater makes zesting quick and gives you a very fine zest.
- Zest the orange before you juice it, it’s much easier that way.
- For the best flavour, zest the orange right before you start the recipe so it doesn’t dry out.
- When zesting, use only the outer orange layer of the skin and avoid the white pith underneath, that part is bitter and will affect the flavour of the muffins.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.
Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of each muffin before baking, this step is optional.
Make Them Your Own
These muffins are meant to be made without add-ins, but you can add some if you’d like! If you enjoy chocolate and orange together, stir ½ cup of mini vegan chocolate chips into the batter. You can also try adding 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds, or ½ cup of chopped walnuts for a little crunch. And even though this recipe skips cranberries, if you really want them, you can add ½ cup if you’d like.
Bake. Be careful not to over-bake them, or they'll be dry and crumbly.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the muffins rest for a few minutes.
Muffin Hack: Parchment Liners
I recommend using parchment paper liners for muffins (cupcakes, too!). I love them because they peel away effortlessly and keep the muffins from sticking.
After a few minutes, transfer the muffins from the pan to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely, or enjoy them slightly warm.
Have them with a glass of your favourite plant milk or with a hot mug of coffee, tea, or a homemade almond milk latte.
A Few More Tips Before You Make Them
- Measure all your ingredients and have them ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. Please read my article about how to measure flour correctly. I highly recommend using a scale and my weight measurements to make this recipe. (See the "Suggested Equipment" section in the recipe card for the scale I use and recommend.)
- Use room temperature ingredients. This will help give your muffins the best possible texture.
- Only use fresh baking powder and baking soda. If they aren't fresh, your muffins won't rise properly and will end up dense, flat, and gummy.
- Don't overmix the batter! Overmixing will develop the gluten, resulting in tough, dense muffins.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve shared my tips gathered during testing so you get everything right. Also, read through the full recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
If You Give Them a Try...
I’d love to hear how these egg-free, dairy-free orange muffins turned out for you! Share your thoughts with a comment and rating below, and/or post a photo of them on Instagram and tag me so I can see. (I'm @delightfuladventures on Instagram).
Fluffy Vegan Orange Muffins (Without Cranberries)
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
For Vegan Buttermilk:
- 1 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (unflavoured, room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For Muffin Batter:
- 2 ¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour **please see important notes about the gluten-free option below**
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (12g) orange zest
- ½ cup (125ml) oil (plus extra for greasing muffin pan, if liners are not being used)
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- ½ teaspoon orange extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- coarse sugar (optional, for sprinkling on top of the unbaked muffins)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C).
- Line a muffin pan with liners or generously grease the inside of each cup with oil.
Make Vegan Buttermilk:
- Pour the dairy-free milk into a measuring cup or bowl.
- Add the lemon juice to the milk and stir. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Make Muffin Batter:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Mix them, occasionally pressing the back of the spoon against the mixture to help release the oil from the zest. Mix until both ingredients are well combined and look like wet sand.
- Add the vegan buttermilk, oil, orange juice, orange extract, and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and mix together until blended.
- Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined, don't overmix.
- Using a spoon or a large scoop, divide batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups.
- OPTIONAL: Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of each muffin.
Bake & Cool:
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the largest muffin comes out clean.
- Remove the muffin pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them and place them on a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the info above and below before making this recipe.
- If you're making the vegan gluten-free version, use 2 ¼ cups (333g) of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the blue bag, NOT the red bag. Gluten-free flour blends vary by brand, so if a different one is used, your results may differ. This recipe won’t work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour.
- Storing: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
- Freezing: Once they've cooled completely, tightly wrap them individually, store them in a container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to two months. Thaw them at room temperature.
- The nutrition info listed below is based on one of 12 muffins made as written, with no coarse sugar sprinkled on top. The muffins made with the gluten-free flour blend have a rough calorie count of 230 per muffin. Info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
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