These easy cranberry orange muffins are everything people love about the classic flavor combo: bright citrus, sweet-tart cranberries, and that soft, moist texture everyone wants in a muffin. The best part is that these muffins start with a simple box of yellow cake mix. That shortcut keeps things easy and consistent while still giving you a bakery-style result without any fuss.
Here are a couple more muffin ideas you will love. These super easy 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins and these "use up those bananas" Easy Chocolate Banana Muffins.
Table of contents
Why I Love These Cranberry Orange Muffins
These cranberry orange muffins are incredibly soft and moist because the cake mix gives the batter a light texture.
They’re made with simple pantry ingredients, which keeps them affordable and perfect for quick baking.
The combination of fresh cranberries and orange zest delivers bright citrus flavor that feels fresh, seasonal, and perfect for holiday baking.
This recipe makes a dozen muffins that bake evenly and turn out reliably well, which is great for beginners or anyone who needs a no-stress bake.
These muffins freeze well, making them a practical make-ahead breakfast or snack.
The recipe is versatile enough that readers can swap in dried cranberries or a splash of orange juice if that’s what they have on hand.
Ingredients
Yellow cake mix - Use any standard 15.25 or 13.5 ounce box. This gives the muffins structure and keeps them moist. This recipe was made and photographed with a boxed cake mix of 13.25oz the newer lighter weight boxes work.
Eggs - Two large eggs bind the batter and improve the texture.
Vegetable oil - Adds richness and contributes to that soft muffin crumb.
Orange juice - This boosts the citrus flavor and replaces the water that standard cake mix instructions call for.
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Orange zest - Adds fresh citrus aroma and flavor without overpowering the cranberries.
Fresh cranberries - Use roughly chopped fresh cranberries. If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw to avoid streaking.
Optional Drizzle Ingredients
Powdered Sugar, Orange Zest and Orange Juice.
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, and orange juice. Stir until the batter is smooth.
Step 3
Stir in the orange zest and fold in the chopped cranberries. Do not to overmix.
Step 4
Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. That uses all the batter and the muffins have a nice domed top.
Step 5
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Step 6
Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to finish cooling.
Optional - Add orange drizzle to the muffins.
Mix Orange drizzle and orange juice to powdered sugar. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of water to get desired consistency (liquid enough to easily squeeze through a plastic bag with a small cut on the corner).
Recipe Tips
Don’t overfill your muffin cups. Three quarters full is usually the sweet spot for nicely rounded tops and using all the batter.
Fresh cranberries hold their shape best and give that bright pop of tartness.
Cake mix muffins brown quickly, so keep an eye on the last couple minutes of baking.
Let the muffins cool before storing so moisture doesn’t build up in the container.
Substitutions
Yellow cake mix - you can use white cake mix instead for a lighter flavor.
Vegetable oil - canola oil or melted butter will also work.
Orange juice - A mix of water and orange juice concentrate also works if you have that.
Fresh cranberries - use dried cranberries if needed, but reduce the amount by half since they’re sweeter.
How to Store
Room temperature - Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator - Store up to 5 days. They stay moist and flavorful.
Freezer - Freeze in a single layer, then store in freezer bags up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature. If you know you will only be eating one at a time, wrap each with plastic wrap.
FAQs
Absolutely. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Consider chopping cranberries a little smaller. Watch closely for the last 2-3 minutes for doneness.
Yes, but gluten free mixes vary in texture. Add 1 extra tablespoon of oil if the batter seems thick.
That can happen if the batter is overmixed. Fold in cranberries in the final step.
Other Delicious Muffins
Check out the big collection of 11 Delicious Muffins post!
Printable Recipe
Cranberry Orange Muffins (easy and quick)
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 1 Package yellow cake mix any brand
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ Cup Vegetable Oil
- ½ Cup Orange Juice fresh or bottled
- 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest Additional for garnish (optional)
- ¾ Cup Cranberries Fresh or frozen. I coarsely chop so they are roughly in quarters.
For Orange Drizzle (Optional)
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Orange Juice
- 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
- add 1 to 2 teaspoons water to get desired consistency.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tins with muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, eggs, oil, and orange juice and orange zest until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in coarsely chopped cranberries until just mixed in.
- Scoop the batter into the muffin tin - fill to ¾ full. This recipe should make 12 good sized muffins. I add some cranberry halves to the top for garnish.
- Bake for 18 minutes. Check at about 16 minutes to see how done they are. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. It should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. When I make these, 18 minutes is the perfect amount of time.
Orange Glaze
- Mix powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest until thick but pourable. You may need just a little less or a little more orange juice so add carefully.
- Allow muffins to cool until warm. Pour the glaze over the top so it drips down the sides. I often do this by putting the glaze in a small plastic bag and cutting the corner. This adds a nice orange flavor to these muffins!
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