These gluten-free orange muffins are bursting with juicy citrus and topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel. They are soft, flavorful, and made with wholesome ingredients like coconut sugar and juicy oranges. A perfect treat for breakfast, brunch, or snacking…and yes, they can be made dairy-free!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy.
Fluffy muffins are one of my specialties and this one takes full advantage of juicy oranges. I had blood oranges on hand, and their flavor and vibrant color really gave this muffin recipe a boost. I have also tested this recipe with Cara Cara oranges.
This recipe has a refined sugar-free option; I remade this recipe in 2019 with updated photos using coconut sugar to give readers a refined sugar-free option. Coconut sugar doesn’t make streusel quite like brown sugar, so I give you the option of using either.
If you are looking for another delicious muffin recipe, try these Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins. Check out all of my fluffy gluten-free muffin recipes on the blog for more recipes to make.
Ingredients Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Blend. Other blends will work, in fact, check out my gluten-free muffin test results where I tested 4 different gluten-free flour blends.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon.
- Baking Soda – If you are adding citrus, use baking soda instead of baking powder.
- Coconut Sugar – You can also use brown sugar.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter. Use vegan butter to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Oranges – I used blood oranges but cara cara and other types of oranges also taste delicious.
Try these optional ingredients:
If you are like me, sometimes you want to add some extra ingredients to your recipes. These muffins are fabulous on their own, but here are a few ideas to change them a little:
- Raisins – The raisins go beautifully with the cinnamon and blood orange!
- Walnuts – Adding nuts is a great way to add crunch.
- Lemon Glaze – The glaze in my Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins recipe is delicious and pairs nicely with the blood oranges.
- Chocolate Chips – Seriously, chocolate goes with almost everything. Dark chocolate or white chocolate chips would both be fantastic in these muffins.
A Note From My Kitchen
I tested the two flour blends I have on hand. Both worked great. If you worry about grittiness, which can happen with gluten-free flour, let the batter rest for 15 minutes. The rice flour will soften, eliminating the grit.
As with any gluten-free flour blend, if your batter seems thick, add more milk and if your batter is watery (due to a high starch content) add more flour. Make any adjustments one tablespoon at a time. Don’t overmix the batter and you will be rewarded with the fluffiest muffins!
How to Make Orange Muffins with Streusel Topping (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend. In a smaller mixing bowl, partially melt the butter and whisk in the wet ingredients.
Step 2: Peel and chop the blood oranges (or regular oranges) into small bite-sized pieces. Don’t forget to remove any seeds.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix gently so you don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing can lead to denser muffins.
Step 4: Mix up a simple streusel topping. I use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the batter. (*Note: This picture shows the streusel made with brown sugar, not coconut sugar. You can use either!) Freeze the streusel mixture while getting the muffin batter ready to put in the muffin pan.
Step 5: Pour the gluten-free muffin batter into parchment paper muffin cups. I love using these muffin liners because nothing sticks to them. The muffins are so easy to remove from the liners.
I filled the muffin cups 3/4 with the batter. These muffins will rise, so you want to make sure they have room to expand.
Step 6: Top each muffin with a tablespoon of the streusel topping.
Step 7: Bake at 350º F for 22-25 minutes. The baking time will vary depending on the material your muffin pan is made from. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to sit for 5 minutes in the pan. After, gently remove them from the pan to a cooling rack.
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Storage and Freezing Tips:
- Store muffins in an airtight container. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days on the counter or 4 days in the fridge.
- To freeze, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Muffin Baking Tip: Do not over-mix your gluten-free muffin batter. The secret to light and fluffy muffins is mixing the batter until it is barely mixed. This keeps your batter full of air for fluffy muffins.
The muffins can be easily made dairy-free by substituting a light oil or a vegan butter stick for the butter.
Yes, you can replace the almond milk in these delicious gluten free muffins with any plant-based milk or regular milk.
The easiest way to tell if muffins are cooked is by using a toothpick to test. Simply stick a toothpick in the center of the muffin and pull it out. If you notice it comes out with batter, they aren’t done and need to cook longer. The toothpick should come out clean.
This muffin recipe was originally created in 2018 and given a full refresh in 2019 to use both regular or coconut sugar.
More Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes:
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten-Free Blood Orange Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
Ingredients
- ¾ cup oranges peeled and chopped. I used blood oranges.
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¼ cup partially melted unsalted butter * see note
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum-free
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup non-dairy or regular milk * see note
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Streusel Topping:
- 3-4 tablespoons partially melted unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons gluten free flour blend (for topping)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F for regular muffin tops or 425º F for dome-top muffins.
- Line cups in a muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend, 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar), 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Whisk to blend.
- In a small bowl, add 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 3/4 cup non-dairy or regular milk, and 1/4 cup partially melted unsalted butter. Mix well.
- Add 3/4 cup oranges to the wet ingredients. (Be sure to remove all seeds.)
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold together to blend into a soft batter. Do not overmix the batter or the muffins will turn out dense.
- Put the muffin liners into the muffin pan. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full with batter.
Struesel Topping
- Add the 3-4 tablespoons partially melted unsalted butter, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons gluten free flour blend, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Use a spoon to mix the ingredients. Use a fork to fluff the ingredients after mixing. Pop it into the freezer while you fill the muffin pan and finish preheating the oven.
- Add 1 tablespoon of streusel topping on top of the muffin batter.
- Regular tops: Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes. Dome Tops: Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425º F, then turn the oven temperature down (without opening the oven door) to 350º F for the remaining 15-18 minutes.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the muffins. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the muffins need to bake longer.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Let the muffins sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove them and transfer them to a cooling rack.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. Other blends should work. My rule of thumb is if your batter or dough is too runny, add more flour; if it is too thick, add more liquids.
- If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk and regular milk will work. However, I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- Muffins are easy to make, and my biggest tip to keep them light and fluffy is to mix the batter until it is just barely mixed. Muffin batter is very easy to overmix.
- These muffins will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container or for up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
(** This recipe was updated from an older February 2016 post.)
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
I have a blood orange tree so I’m excited to try this recipe when they ripen. One surprise I had was to use the blood orange juice mixed with powdered sugar to make a glaze for a muffin; the color turned a lovely shade of lavender (which was perfect because it was a lavender flavored muffin).
That glaze sounds absolutely amazing Lee Ann. I bet it would be delicious over these muffins.
I imagine these would work with most citrus fruits? I am very eager to taste one of these muffins!!
Hi Julia. These should work with any fruit, not just citrus. Let me know what you decide to use 🙂