Winter Orange-Cranberry Almond Muffins (Lower-Carb, Gluten-Free)
Tender almond-flour muffins studded with tart cranberries and bright orange for a lower-carb winter breakfast.
Best for Lower-carb antioxidant breakfast
These wintery muffins balance almond flour richness with fresh cranberry tartness and warm orange zest for a bright, lower-carb breakfast. Psyllium and ground flax add structure and moist crumb so the muffins stay tender without wheat. Make them the night before: the batter benefits from a short rest that improves texture and keeps tops neat when baked.
Ingredients
- 250 g blanched almond flour
- 30 g Ground flaxseed
- 12 g psyllium husk powder , about 2 tablespoons
- 8 g Baking powder , about 2 teaspoons (gluten-free)
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 40 g erythritol or preferred low‑calorie sweetener , adjust to taste
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
- 120 g unsweetened full-fat Greek yogurt , or skyr
- 60 ml neutral oil or melted coconut oil , melted and slightly cooled
- 1 orange , zest of 1 medium orange and about 30 ml juice (use same orange)
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 140 g fresh cranberries , if using frozen, keep frozen and toss briefly with 10 g almond flour to prevent sinking
- 25 g Sliced almonds , optional for crunch (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
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1
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease wells lightly. If using frozen cranberries, keep them frozen until folding into the batter.
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2
Whisk the dry ingredients: in a large bowl combine almond flour, ground flaxseed, psyllium husk, baking powder, erythritol and salt until evenly mixed.
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3
In a separate bowl whisk the wet ingredients: eggs, Greek yogurt, melted oil, vanilla, orange zest and 30 ml orange juice until smooth and slightly frothy.
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4
Pour the wet into the dry and fold gently with a spatula until mostly combined; stop when no large streaks of dry remain. Fold in the cranberries (if frozen, fold gently to avoid purple streaking). Let the batter rest 10–15 minutes so psyllium and almond flour hydrate — the batter will thicken slightly.
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5
Divide batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin (about 12 portions). Smooth tops, sprinkle sliced almonds on the muffins you want to crisp, and bake at 180°C for 20–24 minutes, until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs but no raw batter.
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6
Remove muffins from oven and let cool in the pan for 8–10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Muffins are best within 48 hours stored in an airtight container in the fridge.