Tangelo Muffins

A recipe for Tangelo Muffins! These light muffins are packed with both the zest and interior of tangelos for sweet citrus flavor.

I first came across the idea for this Tangelo Muffin recipe over on Cooking Down Under with Pat Churchill (no longer active) while searching for a use of some tangelos I received in my CSA box.

The muffins come together easily with only about 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes in the oven.

After peeling, tangelo pieces are blended with sugar, eggs, yogurt, and canola oil, then combined with a flour mixture before baking in muffin tins until lightly golden.

When updating this recipe (in 2023), I also incorporated the zest into the sugar to use even more of the tangelo.

Tangelos

The tangelo is a citrus fruit hybrid with a few different varieties. They can be slightly bell shaped to more round with an easy to peel skin.

I used Minneola tangelos. They were created in 1931 by crossing the Dancy tangerine and the Duncan grapefruit.

A Few Tips

If you don’t use liners in the muffin tins, grease them with oil to keep the muffins from sticking and falling apart.

The liners will be easier to remove once the muffins have cooled to room temperature.

Peel the tangelos and separate into segments over a bowl or over the blender to catch any excess juice.

If the batter is too loose, add a little more flour (be careful not to add too much). If it is too dry to scoop, mix in a little more yogurt or add a splash or two of milk. It should be a thicker batter.

Take care to not overmix the batter. Blend together the wet and dry ingredients just until combined. Overmixing will create a tougher muffin and it won’t rise as well.

To really get that tangelo flavor in every bite, use your fingertips to rub together the tangelo zest and sugar before blending with the remaining ingredients.

Fill each prepared muffin tin about 3/4 full. I usually do this by slightly overfilling a standard ice cream scoop to transfer the batter to each of the prepared muffin tins. This is the easiest way I have come across to get a consistent size.

Bake the muffins just until cooked through with a barely golden color. Test by inserting a toothpick in the center. It is done once the toothpick comes out clean, after about 15-20 minutes.

These Tangelo Muffins are best the day they are made. If not serving warm from the oven, cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a couple of days.

Tangelo Glaze

If desired, top the cooled Tangelo Muffins with a Tangelo Glaze for a little more sweetness and flavor.

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and tangelo juice until combined and completely smooth.

If too thick to drizzle, add a little more tangelo juice. If too thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar.

Drizzle over the tops of the muffins and finish with a sprinkling of tangelo zest.

Don’t add the glaze until shortly before serving.

Looking for more muffin recipes?

Try my:

• Orange Oat Muffins
• Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins
• Magdalenas (Spanish Muffins)

This recipe was originally posted in January 2013 and updated in April 2023.

Tangelo Muffins Recipe

Adapted from Cooking Down Under with Pat Churchill

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5 from 1 vote

Tangelo Muffins

A recipe for Tangelo Muffins! These light muffins are packed with both the zest and interior of tangelos for sweet citrus flavor.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine N/A

Keyword breakfast, brunch, citrus, fruit, muffin, tangelo

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Muffins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 tangelos
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 grams) plain whole milk yogurt
• 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional Glaze:

• 1 cup (125 grams) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) freshly squeezed tangelo juice
• Tangelo zest for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C) and line or grease 12 cavities of a muffin pan.
• Place the sugar in a medium bowl. Add the zest of the tangelos to the bowl and use your fingertips to blend the zest into the sugar until well-combined and fragrant.
• Peel the tangelos, separate into segments, and place in a blender or food processor.
• Add the sugar with the zest to the blender and process until well blended and chopped finely.
• Pulse in the eggs, yogurt, canola oil, and vanilla extract until combined.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Pour in the tangelo mixture and mix just until combined with no streaks of flour remaining. Don't overmix.
• Transfer the mixture into the prepared muffin tins 3/4 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes.
• Allow to rest in the pan 5-10 minutes before removing to wire rack.

Optional Glaze:

• Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl.
• Whisk in the tangelo juice until combined and no lumps remain.
• If too thick to drizzle, add a little more tangelo juice. If too thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar.
• Drizzle over room temperature muffins. Add a little tangelo zest over the top.
• These muffins are best the day they are baked.