These healthy orange muffins are made with simple, wholesome ingredients like almond flour, coconut oil, and maple syrup for a gluten-free, naturally sweetened treat that you’re going to love! Make a batch of these breakfast muffins at the beginning of the week and enjoy them for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack.

WHY I MADE THESE ORANGE BREAKFAST MUFFINS

As you may have noticed lately, I’m on a bit of a tear when it comes to healthy breakfast recipes that are easy to prep, and delicious! I think my Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe and Banana Oat Blueberry Cookies recipe both fall solidly in that camp, and I’m happy to add one more to it today!

These healthy orange breakfast muffins are the perfectly citrusy, bright, floral, and lightly sweetened snack that makes summer mornings just feel a lot more special. I got the idea for this one after trying to think up something fun to do with a bag of mandarin oranges that I bought at the store on a whim, and making them into muffins just seemed like an idea that was too good to pass up.

I love incorporating orange flavors into my spring and summer bakes, and I especially love how beautiful these muffins look when you slice up a few mandarin oranges and press the fresh orange pieces on top. That step is optional but definitely encouraged! It adds a really nice touch, in my opinion.

I hope you all love this recipe as much as I do. As always, I’d love to hear what you think! Go ahead and leave a rating and comment after you try this recipe out. I can’t wait!

MY EASY ORANGE MUFFINS RECIPE

The full instructions on how to make these easy orange muffins is in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post, but here’s a quick overview of how to make it.

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom to view the full recipe and get all of the measurements and instructions!

• Prepare the oven and the pan: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners.
• Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
• Add the orange juice and zest: Whisk in the orange juice and zest.
• Add the dry ingredients: Add the almond flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and stir everything together until you have a smooth, even batter.
• Fill the muffin liners: Divide the batter evenly between the muffin liners, filling each one mostly to the top.
• Add the sliced mandarin oranges on top (optional): Gently press a few slices of peeled mandarin orange on top of each muffin for a beautiful finishing touch.
• Bake. For about 20 minutes.

ORANGE BREAKFAST MUFFINS KEY INGREDIENTS

The full ingredients list is in the recipe card below, so make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see what you need to make this recipe!

Here is a quick overview of what you need to make these orange muffins at home:

• Coconut Oil: Keeps the muffins moist and tender. It also helps bind the ingredients together and contributes to the muffins’ golden exterior when baked.
• Maple Syrup, or Honey: Our natural sweetener alternatives! You can pick which one you want to use. Both maple syrup and honey add moisture to the batter. Note that honey will give these orange muffins a slightly floral note, while maple syrup offers a more subtle sweetness.
• Eggs: Provide structure, moisture, and act as a binder to hold everything together. Using room temperature eggs helps them incorporate more evenly into the batter. Since this recipe uses almond flour instead of all purpose flour, the eggs do extra work to give the muffins their lift and shape.
• Orange Juice: Necessary, for obvious reasons! Orange juice adds a fresh, bright citrus flavor to the batter.
• Orange Zest: The orange zest contains the essential oils of the orange peel, which pack even more citrus flavor–much more than just the juice alone.
• Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the overall flavors without overpowering the citrus.
• Almond Flour: Replaces traditional all purpose flour to make these muffins gluten free and grain free, too, while also giving them a naturally moist, dense, and tender crumb.
• Mandarin Oranges: Purely for presentation, these thin orange slices add a beautiful, bakery-style finish to the tops of the muffins.

HOW LONG DO THESE GF ORANGE MUFFINS TAKE TO MAKE?

This healthy, refined sugar free orange muffin recipe has a few different components to it, but they all come together quickly and easily.

The full recipe is below, but here’s the gist of it:

• Prep time: 15 mins
• Bake time: 20 minutes

In total, this easy orange muffin recipe will take about 35 minutes total to make! Not bad, if you ask me.

HOW TO STORE THESE GLUTEN FREE ORANGE MUFFINS?

Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days, or refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze these tasty orange muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before consuming.

ORANGE BREAKFAST MUFFINS FAQ

1. Can I substitute the almond flour with something else?

Almond flour gives these muffins their moist, tender texture, but if you need a nut-free option, oat flour may work, just note that the texture and baking time may vary. Avoid using all purpose or whole wheat flour. They will not work in this recipe.

2. Can I use bottled orange juice instead of fresh?

Fresh orange juice is recommended for the best flavor, but bottled orange juice that is 100% oranges (no added sugar or preservatives) will work in a pinch. Avoid using orange juice from concentrate, as it can be overly sweet.

3. Are these healthy muffins also dairy free?

Yes, they are! This recipe contains no butter, milk, or dairy products of any kind.

4. Is this recipe vegan?

Unfortunately, no, it is not. This recipe does contain eggs. Since this recipe calls for 4 eggs, which provide a lot of structure and moisture, another egg substitutes may not work in this recipe.

I haven’t tried it, but flax eggs may work as a vegan alternative (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg). Note that this will change the texture of the muffins, though.

5. Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?

Absolutely! Honey will add a slightly warmer, more floral flavor than maple syrup, which I really like.

6. Why did my muffins sink in the middle?

This can happen if the batter was overmixed, the oven temperature was too low, or the muffins were underbaked. Make sure your oven is fully preheated to 350°F and bake until the tops are golden and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

Note that because these muffins are topped with fresh orange slices, the moisture from the orange slices will cause the batter underneath to sink a bit, too. You can avoid this by using candied or dehydrated oranges instead.

7. How do I store leftover muffins?

Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days, or refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze these tasty orange muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before consuming.

8. Can I skip the sliced orange topping?

Yes, the topping is completely optional. It makes for a beautiful presentation but doesn’t affect the flavor of the muffin at all!

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If you love this recipe be sure to leave a review! And feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments via my Contact page. You’ll hear back from me soon!

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