Glazed Orange Muffins are a sweet way to brighten your day! Made with fresh orange juice and zest, they’re tender and soft with just the right amount of sweetness. These scratch-made muffins are ideal for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack.
These muffins served with Ham and Cheese Hashbrown Casserole, Pimento Cheese Grits, and Sunshine Fruit Salad make breakfast at home extra delicious!
In This Post
Several years ago, one of my best friends, Robin, asked me to recreate an orange muffin recipe, like her Mom used to make. I have the BEST memories of being at Robin’s house, watching Sylvia whip up one of her fabulous dishes. She was an outstanding cook, and everything she made was delicious.
These Orange Muffins are like a burst of sunshine in every bite! They are a great, sweet treat to add to a lazy weekend breakfast or brunch. I like to enjoy them for lunch with Southern Ham Salad, and they are perfect with a cup of coffee in the afternoon when It’s time to take a break.
What You’ll Need To Make Orange Muffins
- All-purpose flour- This is the flour I always use in baking.
- Baking Powder- Classic in any baking recipe, this ingredient helps create the perfect rise in the muffins.
- Salt- Used to help enhance flavor, preserve the balance of moisture, and keep the muffins from being overly sweet (or tangy).
- Sugar- Adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Butter – This is another flavor-enhancing ingredient that helps with texture and maintaining moisture.
- Egg- This small but powerful ingredient acts as a binding agent, leavening agent, and moisture booster, all needed to make the perfect orange muffins.
- Sour cream- If you’re wondering why these muffins are so moist and rich in flavor, you can thank the sour cream.
For The Orange Glaze
- Oranges- The highlight of these muffins is both the juice and zest from deliciously zesty oranges.
- Confectioner sugar- Sometimes called powdered sugar, is used in the glaze.
How To Make Orange Muffins
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add 12 muffin/cupcake liners to a muffin pan. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Whisk together butter, egg, orange juice, sour cream, and zest in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to blend. Do not over-mix, or muffins will be tough.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
How To Make Fresh Orange Glaze
- Mix together confectioner sugar, orange juice, and zest.
- Drizzle over muffins. Let set and drizzle a second time if desired.
Success Tips To Make The Best Orange Muffins
- Use a large cookie scoop to measure the batter into the muffin liners equally.
- For high-domed muffin tops, use my “bakery hack” found in Blueberry Muffins recipe.
Recipe Questions And Answers
Yes, you can use bottled orange juice. However, using fresh orange juice will provide a more vibrant and authentic citrus flavor.
Yes, Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute for sour cream. It adds a creamy texture and tangy flavor to the muffins.
Sure. To enhance the orange flavor, try adding 1 teaspoon of orange extract to the batter.
Storing And Freezing
Store glazed orange muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If you want to keep them longer, refrigerate them for up to a week.
Wrap muffins in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in the fridge or on the counter.
More Recipes Like This
If you tried this Glazed Orange Muffin Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 stick butter – melted
- 1 large egg – beaten
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 cup sour cream
Glaze
- 1 ½ cup confectioners sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add 12 muffin/cupcake liners to a muffin pan. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- In a small bowl, whisk together butter, egg, orange juice, sour cream and zest. Add wet mixture into dry and stir to blend. Do not over mix or muffins will be tough. Spoon into 12 muffins cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a tooth pick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
- For glaze, mix together confectioners sugar, orange juice and zest. Drizzle over muffins. Let set and drizzle a second time if desired.
Video
Notes
- Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute for sour cream. It adds a creamy texture and tangy flavor to the muffins.
- To enhance the orange flavor, try adding 1 teaspoon of orange extract to the batter.
- Store glazed orange muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If you want to keep them longer, refrigerate for up to a week.
- Wrap muffins in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in the fridge or on the counter.
Nutrition
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Wonderful-tasting soft and flavorful muffins, Donya, thank you! Being it’s now hot here in NM, I did them at 330° for 11 minutes in the air fryer instead of the oven. Came out perfect. Would be a hit for any occasion; lovely 🙂
Hey there Jackie!
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, making them in the air fryer is a terrific idea, I’ll definitely have to try that! Thank you so much for your kind words of support and this fantastic rating, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to reach out!
~Donya
Hey there Jackie!
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, making them in the air fryer is a terrific idea, I’ll definitely have to try that! Thank you so much for your kind words of support and this fantastic rating, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to reach out!
~Donya
I am a vegan, so I tried this with whole wheat flower, flax egg, and coconut oil. Fantastic. I make them all the time. I like the topping to be more frosting like, so I add the sugar to the orange juice to make it thicker. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey there Mary!
Wow! That’s amazing to hear, I am so happy that you’ve enjoyed this recipe and been able to really make it your own, that sounds delicious! I love the idea of making the glaze more of a frosting, I’ve never actually tried that but I’m definitely going to, sounds tasty! Thank you so much for your phenomenal rating and your kind words, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to ask!
~Donya
I made these vegan with soy sour cream, flax seed egg and coconut oil. they were great. I have made them several times. I use the mini muffin tins, and it works perfectly.
Hey there Mary!
Thank you so much for your kind words and your phenomenal rating! I am so happy you were able to make this recipe work for you, I’ve never personally done a vegan version but it sounds like you made the perfect alterations. Thank you so much for your support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to ask!
~Donya
Hello Dayna,
I do not go through a day without making one of your recipes. Had everything on hand to make these Orange Muffins! Absolutely made the Canadian CIVIC long weekend a burst with my neighbours. I made 24!!
Thank you.
Hey there Marlen!
My goodness! Thank you so very much for your sweet words and your fantastic rating! I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear you’re liking all my recipes, truly warms my heart. It is fantastic to hear that the muffins were a success, I think the glaze on them really makes all the difference, I am glad everyone enjoyed them! Thank you so very much for your support, let me know if you every have any questions about a recipe!
Best,
~Donya
These are the most delicious muffins! I was worried because the batter is super thick — and I did have to bake them a bit longer than directed. But they came out perfect! Soft and tender — with an amazing orange flavor. I will make these again and again!
Awesome! Thank you for your sweet remarks.
Have a great day,
~Donya
So delicious! The flavor and consistency was outstanding. My family loved it! I’m
Thanks for the great rating, Gail! I’m so happy y’all liked the recipe.
Merry Christmas,
~Donya
Suggestions for mini muffins please. Thanks for sharing your recipes with us. You make me look like a true kitchen magician. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Just use a mini muffin tin. Thanks for the sweet words!
~Donya
Can you freeze these ?
Hey there!
I think you could freeze these with no problems. Maybe leave the glaze off until you are ready to serve.
Enjoy!
Fantastic. One of the best things I’ve ever made. Subbed Greek yogurt because it’s all I had.
I don’t like sour cream is there anything else I can use
Barbara,
You can use milk or plain Greek yogurt.
Have a great day,
~Donya
OMG. Donya, you absolutely nailed these orange muffins. They taste exactly…and I mean exactly like mama’s! I literally burst into tears just now after I took my first bite. This will be a staple in my recipe box that I can now pass on to Maggie and Cameron. I cannot thank you enough, my friend! Love you!!