Moroccan Orange and Almond Muffins
Tender, gluten-free muffins made with almond flour, fresh orange zest and juice, honey and warm cinnamon, finished with a glossy orange-honey glaze and toasty sliced almonds. Moist, fragrant and not too sweet.
- Prep
- 23 min
- Cook
- 28 min
- Wait
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 hr 11 min
- Makes
- 12 standard muffins
Steps
Before you start
- Take the eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they blend smoothly into the batter.
- Use finely ground blanched almond flour, not coarse almond meal, for a tender crumb.
- Wash the oranges well before zesting, and zest them before you juice them.
- Almond flour muffins are delicate; plan to let them cool in the pan before removing them.
Preheat and line panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 350°F (175°C) and all 12 cups are lined.
Tip: Paper liners can stick to almond flour muffins; lightly greasing them or using silicone liners helps.
Zest and juice oranges
- Finely grate the zest from both oranges, avoiding the bitter white pith, until you have about 2 Tbsp (12 g).
- Cut the oranges in half and squeeze the juice through a sieve.
- Measure out ¼ cup (60 ml) for the batter and ¼ cup (60 ml) for the glaze, and set both aside separately.
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Ready when: About 2 Tbsp zest and two separate ¼-cup portions of juice.
Tip: Zest before juicing; a whole orange is far easier to grate.
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups (300 g) almond flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1½ tsp cinnamon and ¼ tsp salt for about 30 seconds, pressing out any lumps of almond flour with the back of the whisk.
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Ready when: The mixture is evenly tan with no streaks of cinnamon or lumps.
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the 4 eggs with ½ cup (170 g) honey for about 1 minute until the honey is fully dissolved and the mixture is slightly frothy.
- Whisk in ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil, the orange zest, the ¼ cup (60 ml) batter juice and the orange blossom water, if using.
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Ready when: Smooth, pale golden liquid with no honey streaks at the bottom of the bowl.
Tip: Cold eggs can make the honey and oil clump, so use room-temperature eggs.
Combine the batter
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Fold with a rubber spatula for about 30 seconds, just until no dry pockets remain.
- The batter will be thick but pourable, like a loose cake batter.
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Ready when: Uniform, thick batter with no visible dry flour.
Tip: Don't overmix; it can make the muffins dense and oily.
Rest the batter
- Let the batter sit undisturbed in the bowl for 5 minutes.
- It will thicken slightly as the almond flour absorbs the liquid.
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Ready when: Batter is noticeably thicker and holds a ribbon for a second when drizzled.
Fill and top muffins
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 liners, about ⅓ cup (80 ml) each, filling them about ¾ full.
- Sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly over the tops, about 1 tsp per muffin.
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Ready when: Liners are ¾ full, with almonds covering each top.
Tip: An ice cream scoop gives even muffins.
Bake the muffinsOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan front to back after 15 minutes, until the tops are deep golden and domed and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
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Ready when: Deep golden tops that spring back when lightly pressed; toothpick comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
Tip: If the almonds brown too fast before the center sets, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
Simmer the glaze
- While the muffins are still hot, combine the reserved ¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice and 2 Tbsp (42 g) honey in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and syrupy.
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Ready when: Syrup lightly coats the back of a spoon and has reduced by about a third.
Tip: Watch closely at the end; honey syrup can boil over or scorch quickly.
Glaze and cool
- Brush the warm glaze over the tops of the muffins, using about 1 tsp each.
- Let them cool in the pan for 15 minutes so they firm up, then lift them out onto a wire rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Muffins feel firm at the edges and release cleanly from the pan.
Tip: Removing them too soon makes them break apart; wait the full 15 minutes.
Good to know
Tips
- Measure almond flour by weight if you can; scooping it packs the cup and can make the muffins dry and dense.
- Brush the glaze on while the muffins are warm so it soaks in rather than sitting on top.
- Fill each liner only about ¾ full to prevent overflowing and keep the tops neat.
- For extra Moroccan flavor, add a pinch of ground cardamom or a dusting of cinnamon on top before serving.
Make ahead
"Bake the muffins up to 1 day ahead, glaze once fully cooled, and store covered at room temperature. Or make the dry mix up to 3 days ahead and keep it in an airtight container."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature in an airtight container: up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days. Freezer: up to 3 months, wrapped individually. Reheat refrigerated muffins in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 8 minutes, or thaw frozen ones overnight and reheat the same way, or microwave for 15 to 20 seconds."
Substitutions
- honey → maple syrup. Use the same amount; the flavor will be milder and the muffins slightly less sticky.
- mild extra-virgin olive oil → melted unsalted butter or neutral oil. Use the same amount; butter gives a richer, more traditional muffin flavor.
- large navel oranges → blood oranges or tangerines. Use equal zest and juice amounts; tangerines are slightly sweeter.
- orange blossom water → vanilla extract. Use 1 tsp for a more familiar flavor.