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 them with Lifeway Kefir in our Cranberry Orange Kefir Muffins. These are a fuss-free recipe with a festive, lively flavor that we know you’ll love!
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. The combination of orange’s natural acidity and Lifeway’s Kefir’s tangy flavor creates the perfect texture for muffins that we know you’ll adore as much as we do.
Find Lifeway Kefir in a store near you so you can enjoy these baked beauties with us!
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.
Prep Time: 35 mins Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup Lowfat Plain Kefir
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 3 tbsp. orange zest
- 1 tbsp. turbinado (brown) sugar or coconut sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 °F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking liners.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.
- Add melted coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and Lifeway Kefir to medium bowl and whisk to combine. Stir wet mix into dry mix. Fold in cranberries and orange zest.
- Divide batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with turbinado sugar* (or coconut sugar). Bake 15-18 mins.
- Place on rack to cool and enjoy!
- *Turbinado sugar is a brown sugar variety with large crystals. You can substitute coconut sugar for a less refined option with similar size crystals and similar flavor.
