Mandarin Holiday Muffins: A Late-Night Bake Worth Sharing

It was late, my house was quiet, and those tall café-style muffin liners I ordered a month ago finally showed up at my door. They were sitting on the counter daring me to do something with them. I had a handful of Craisins, just enough chopped walnuts to matter, and a can of mandarin oranges that bring more moisture than you think. So I pulled out my blueberry muffin recipe and rewrote it on the spot. New hydration, new add-ins, new mood.

They baked up soft and golden with little orange jewels on top.

The best part? The kids playing down the street wandered past this afternoon, and I called them over the way I always do. “How many of you are there? I have something for you.” Samantha, the leader of this pack, said, “There’s six of us, Mr. Henry.” I grinned. “Come on, y’all.” Samantha shouted, “Mr. Henry’s got something for us y’all!”

They demolished them all.

That’s the good stuff. The late-night bake, the gift of giving it away, and the smiles it brings to their faces. That’s worth more than any money I’ve ever made from selling bread.

Mandarin Holiday Muffins

Henry Hunter

Soft mandarin orange muffins with craisins and nuts, baked in tall tulip cups.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 24 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 10 muffins

Calories 345 kcal

Ingredients

  

Wet Ingredients

• 113 g 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 150 g 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 60 ml 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons reserved mandarin syrup or juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fruit & Add-Ins

• 1 can 10-11 oz / 300-312 g mandarin oranges in juice or light syrup, drained well
• 50-60 g 1/3 cup craisins
• 50-60 g 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Dry Ingredients

• 270 g 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon orange or mandarin zest optional

Topping

• 2-3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
• Extra chopped nuts
• Small mandarin pieces optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with tall tulip-style cups.
• Drain mandarins 10-15 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons syrup. Pat fruit dry; cut large segments in half.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and zest. Remove 1 tablespoon of this for coating the craisins/nuts.
• In a large bowl whisk butter and sugar until thick. Add eggs one at a time. Add milk, reserved syrup, and vanilla.
• Add dry ingredients to wet. Stir gently. Batter should be thick. Add 1-2 tablespoons extra flour if loose.
• Toss craisins and nuts with the reserved tablespoon of flour. Fold into batter. Fold mandarins in gently.
• Fill tulip cups just under two-thirds full. Top with a mandarin piece if you want. Sprinkle turbinado sugar + nuts.
• Bake 22-26 minutes until golden. Toothpick should come out with moist crumbs. Internal temp: 195-200°F.
• Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then move to a rack.

Notes

Want sweeter muffins? Use 170 g sugar (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp).

Nut-free: omit nuts and add more craisins.

Boost the citrus: rub the zest into the sugar before mixing.

Stays moist 2-3 days thanks to the mandarins.

Sometimes the best recipes come from what’s in your pantry and what shows up at your door. These muffins weren’t planned. They just happened. And that’s how baking should feel sometimes.

Keyword citrus muffins, holiday breakfast muffins, mandarin muffins, holiday muffins, orange muffins, craisin muffins, mandarin orange muffins, walnut muffins

[IMAGE 3: Drag and drop image of empty muffin liners here]

Many of you have been asking about the tall café-style muffin liners I’ve been using. They’re called tulip muffin liners, and they make your muffins look like they came from a professional bakery. They’re sturdy, grease-resistant, and give your muffins that beautiful tall presentation that makes them extra special for holidays and gift-giving.

You can get these exact tulip muffin liners on Amazon here:

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