Cranberry Orange Kefir Muffins

Sweet, tart, and tangy, cranberries are the jewel of winter fruits with a stunning red color and dazzling flavor that can’t compare to other common fruits. That’s why we decided to pair cranberries with Lifeway Kefir in a holiday breakfast muffin recipe that will quickly become a seasonal favorite. Our Cranberry Orange Kefir Muffins are a fuss-free recipe with a festive, lively flavor. Lifeway Kefir’s natural protein boosts this muffin recipe with all essential amino acids your body needs, while the live cultures our kefir contains ensure your muffins come out soft, tender, and perfectly fluffy every single time.

Cranberries might seem like a simple berry, but these little guys are packed with health benefits. Containing high amounts of antioxidants linked to skin, heart, and blood health, they’re also excellent for kidney function, digestion, and gut health. Cranberries are also one of the lowest sugar berries when used in natural form (not sauce) and contain a nice dose of fiber. Additionally, they’re very affordable and can be bought frozen all year-round if you want to enjoy them outside of the holiday season when they’re abundantly available in fresh form.

Orange in this recipe adds an additional layer of zesty, tangy, tartness that livens up the recipe and creates a new dimension to the overall flavor. You can use any variety of oranges you love most, so experiment with different options to see which one you love most. The combination of orange’s natural acidity and Lifeway’s Kefir create the perfect texture for muffins that we know you’ll adore as much as we do.

Speaking of Lifeway Kefir, it’s one of the best ingredients to keep on hand for baked goods since it’s the ideal replacement to buttermilk. Not only is it higher in protein, but it also contains more live cultures to ensure recipes come out deliciously moist, tender, soft, and fluffy every time. Give these muffins a try to experience better baking this holiday season with a little help from us at Lifeway!

The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:

Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.

Lifeway Kefir is packed with a variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese,a creamy, high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and a healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.