Orange Muffins
Easy Orange Muffins – Sunshine in Every Bite
Fluffy, zesty, and bursting with sunny citrus flavor—these easy orange muffins are the kind of treat that brightens your whole day. Made without butter and whipped up in no time, they’re soft, moist, and have that irresistible bakery-style texture we all crave. And the best part? I’ve added a splash of LorAnn’s orange cream flavor to the batter, giving them a dreamy creamsicle twist that takes them from “nice” to next level. Think orange popsicles from childhood, but in muffin form. You’re going to love them.
Ready to bake a batch of sunshine? Let’s dive in!
These muffins are just as perfect for a cozy breakfast with a coffee as they are for packing into a lunchbox or serving as a sweet midday pick-me-up. I love pairing them with a homemade lavender latte or even topping them with my lavender buttercream for a cupcake-style spin—yes, that’s a thing, and yes, it’s magical! If you’re in the mood to mix and match, you’ll find those recipes in my lavender roundup.
Coming up soon: the full cupcake version—fluffy orange muffins + a swirl of lavender frosting = floral citrus heaven.
But first, let’s bake the base. These orange muffins are where the magic begins!
🥘 Ingredients
- Large eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Milk
- Sunflower or canola oil
- LorAnn’s orange cream flavor – Just a few drops bring that dreamy orange popsicle vibe!
- Orange zest – Fresh is best for a real citrus pop, but pre-made zest works fine too.
- Cake flour
- Baking powder
See the recipe card for quantities.
Tip: Cake flour gives these muffins their soft, fluffy crumb—just like your favorite bakery muffins!
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners. I like using the cute ones with citrus patterns—just for fun!
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until they’re light and frothy. Gradually add the sugar while mixing, and keep going until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. This takes about 3 to 5 minutes and gives you that lovely soft muffin texture.
Step 3: Add the milk, oil, orange cream flavor, and zest right into that bowl. Mix until everything is happily blended together—it should smell like summer already!
Step 4: In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder. Then slowly add the dry mix to the wet one, stirring on medium speed until just combined. Don’t overmix here—your muffins will thank you for it.
Step 5: Fill each muffin liner about ⅔ full. I always use a big cookie scoop for this—makes it neat, quick, and (nearly) mess-free.
Step 6: Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until your kitchen smells amazing and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Step 7: Let the muffins cool in the tin for a couple of minutes before moving them to a wire rack. Then, hands off until they’ve cooled completely… or at least try to wait. 😉
🌡️ Storage
These muffins stay deliciously soft for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Want to save some for later?
Wrap them individually and pop them in the freezer—they’ll keep beautifully for up to 2 months. Just thaw at room temp or give them a quick warm-up in the microwave for that fresh-baked feel.
🍽 Equipment
- Hand or Stand mixer
- Muffin tin + muffin cups
- Large cookie scoop
- Cooling rack
💭 Top tips
Once you add the flour and baking powder, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make your muffins dense instead of light and fluffy—and we’re all about that soft, dreamy crumb!
Other Recipes for You to Try
- Dried Apricot Muffins
- Fruit Cake Muffins {small batch}
- 3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Lavender Lemon Muffins
- Red Velvet Cupcakes without Buttermilk
- How to make Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4th of July Cupcakes
- Baileys Salted Caramel Cupcakes
- How to make fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Ricotta
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If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. This would be awesome! You can also sign up for our Newsletter or follow me on Pinterest or Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @combinegoodflavors and hashtag #combinegoodflavors, so I don’t miss it.
Quick & Fluffy Orange Muffins
Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer
- Muffin tin + muffin cups
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs large
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Milk
- 1 cup Sunflower or canola oil
- 6 drops LorAnn’s orange cream flavor
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 1½ cups Cake flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking powder
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 2 Eggs until frothy.2 Eggs
- Gradually add 1 cup Granulated sugar and keep mixing until the mixture becomes light and fluffy (about 3–5 minutes).1 cup Granulated sugar
- Stir in ¼ cup Milk, 1 cup Sunflower or canola oil, 6 drops LorAnn’s orange cream flavor, and the Zest of 2 oranges. Mix until everything is well combined.¼ cup Milk, 1 cup Sunflower or canola oil, 6 drops LorAnn’s orange cream flavor, Zest of 2 oranges
- In a separate bowl, sift together 1½ cups Cake flour and 1 tablespoon Baking powder.1½ cups Cake flour, 1 tablespoon Baking powder
- Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix!
- Fill the muffin cups about ⅔ full. A large cookie scoop makes this super easy.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
⛑️ Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For further information, check Safe Food Handling – FDA.
Oh my gosh, YUM! They turned out great and my kids loved them. We’ll be making these all summer!
I really love homemade muffins and these muffins are delicate and full of orange flavor!
These are so good, and so pretty! I really loved them.
These orange muffins were fluffy and just the right amount of sweet! Loved them!!
This really is sunshine in every bite! So good! Thanks for sharing!