Cranberry Orange Muffins (Low sugar!)

I am a muffin lover! You probably already noticed that I post more muffin recipes than any other type of baked treat. I love cookies, too, but they seem to encourage binging in a way that muffins don't. I can eat one muffin and be done.

I have been cutting WAY back on my sugar consumption, so all my treats now have little to no added sugar. Because cranberries are so tart, I had to add some sweetener to this recipe. I chose to use honey, which is actually sweeter than white sugar, but I kept the amount pretty small. Only about a third of a cup for a dozen muffins. Not bad.

The inspiration for my recipe came from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day. I found this gem at the library. If you love baking, you might want to check it out. (Get it? Double entrendre library humor!)

Ingredients:

1 stick melted butter
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup almond flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 TB baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sour cream
grated zest of one orange
2 cups fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray or grease muffin tins.

In a large bowl, beat melted butter, honey, eggs, and extract until smooth. Add dry ingredients, followed by orange juice, zest, and sour cream. Mix gently, folding in cranberries last. Scoop batter into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and no longer wet in the center. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from tins. Store in airtight container for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for a week. Makes 12 muffins.