I feel like I say this about a lot of the things I bake, but these muffins are seriously so delicious you’ll want to eat half of the batch at once! The fluffy Orange Almond Muffins are so good all on their own, but then you add the Orange Almond Glaze and OMG it’s one of the best muffins I’ve ever had!!

Anyone else out there remember the orange cinnamon rolls in a can (or still bake them)? We had those a lot growing up, and these glazed muffins took me right back there (in the best way possible!). Lots of freshly grated orange zest and pure almond extract make for a seriously good flavor combo in these muffins.

The recipe is a standard two-bowl set up. You’ll mix your wet ingredients and then your dry, and then gently mix them together. You can play with the amounts of orange zest and almond extract, but after three test batches, the recipe below reflects the amounts I feel are perfect for these muffins.

You can use regular all-purpose flour if you’d like, though the muffins may not come out as fluffy. The coconut sugar can be replaced with white or brown cane sugar or even Stevia in the raw, if you’re into that. If you’re looking for a vegan recipe, then you can simply use flax eggs in place of the regular eggs (see notes).

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Whole wheat pastry flour makes for excellently fluffy muffins and quick breads. These muffins come out light and fluffy thanks to this special flour.

Unsweetened applesauce is a great substitute for oil + adds natural sweetness and moisture.

Coconut sugar is my favorite low GI sweetener, which means it won’t spike blood sugar levels the same way other sweeteners (like cane sugar, honey, and maple syrup) do. It tastes nothing like coconut, so don’t fret if you’re worried about that!

Orange zest gives you lots of bang for your buck in these muffins. It brings powerful and delicious flavor and pretty sprinkle-like pops of orange to the glaze.

Orange juice adds a bit more of an orange flavor to the muffins. I tested the recipe without it but liked the muffins even more with the extra orange flavor!

Almond extract is one of my favorite flavors for cake. It pairs so perfectly with the orange in these muffins that the Orange Almond Glaze will forever replace any other orange glaze.

Yield: 10 Standard Muffins

Glazed Orange Almond Muffins

Fluffy and moist Orange Almond Muffins made with fresh orange zest and pure almond extract, topped with the most delicious Orange Almond Glaze! If you're a fan of orange, then you will love these dairy-free, better-for-you muffins!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

Muffins

2 large eggs
1/3 cup coconut sugar
3 Tbsp light olive oil
2 Tbsp nut milk (or oat milk)
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (2-4 oranges)

Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 tsp finely grated orange zest (1/2-1 orange)
4 1/2 tsp nut milk (or oat milk)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pan with liners or non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Whisk in the olive oil, nut milk, orange juice, almond extract, and applesauce; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold in the liquid ingredients until no flour pockets remain. Add the orange zest and gently mix.
Fill 10 muffin wells with batter. You want to fill them to about a 1/4" from the top. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with a couple of crumbs. To avoid making multiple toothpick holes, you can lightly tap the top of a muffin and see if it springs back. If it's done, it will spring back without leaving a finger dent.
Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before gently removing to a cooling rack. Allow muffins to cool totally before making your glaze.
In a small saucepan, combine the powdered sugar, almond extract, and orange zest. Add nut milk 1 tsp at a time until you reach a consistency that is thin enough for spreading but pours off a spoon (it will thin more once it's warmed up).
Heat glaze on low heat, stirring constantly, until just warm to the touch. Remove from heat and dip each muffin into the warm glaze, allowing the extra glaze to drip off before turning the muffin over. Glaze will crust within a few minutes so work fast! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

For Vegan: use 2 flax eggs in place of the regular eggs. Mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 6 Tbsp water; let rest for 5 minutes to thicken.

All-purpose flour will work just fine in place of the whole wheat pastry flour

You will have leftover glaze, but I found that it's easier to dip the muffins if there's a bit more to work with. You can cut the recipe by 1/3 if you'd like

orange glaze