2 1⁄2 cups flour (you can use a combo of white & whole wheat...I didn't have whole wheat on hand so I just used white....my bad)
2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice or from concentrate (I used Tropicana pulp free because I only had ONE small orange in the house......I can't believe that)
1 2⁄3 cups milk (can definitely substitute any type of milk, almond, soy, coconut - I used 1 % )
2 tablespoons orange zest, save additional for garnish
1⁄2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
3⁄4 cup dried cranberries, additional for garnish
handful of pumpkin seeds for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 12 cup muffin tin with liners or grease well.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, squeeze orange juice from orange(s) or use from concentrate and combine with enough milk to make 2 cups total. Add zest from oranges, saving some for the garnish. Mix in applesauce, vanilla and eggs. Add wet ingredient mixture to dry ingredients and mix just until combined with a wooden spoon. DON'T OVERMIX or you will end up with dry muffins. Nothing worse than a DRY MUFFIN!
Stir in cranberries.
Divide between muffin tins, and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Garnish with additional orange zest, cranberries and pumpkin seeds if desired.
Recipe by SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL EATING at https://simplybeautifuleating.com/2016/01/24/cranberry-orange-bran-muffins/