Cranberry Orange Muffin Recipe – easy pancake mix muffins
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Cranberry Orange Muffins with Pancake Mix are incredibly easy to make and come out perfectly every time.
You’ll love how quick and easy these muffins are! They’re great for a grab-and-go breakfast, breakfast meal prep, or snacks. Plus, these yummy muffins are always a big hit with the family.

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Cranberry Orange Pancake Mix Muffin Recipe
You will love this easy cranberry orange muffin recipe! The muffins are moist and fluffy, with a bright orange flavor and a pop of cranberry tartness. Perfect for breakfast or to pair with your afternoon coffee or tea. (If you are a scone fan, you might also love these cranberry orange scones.)
Even better, the muffin base is made using a pancake mix, so these yummy pancake mix muffins come together in less than 30 minutes and make a perfect grab-and-go breakfast for busy mornings.
Why You Should Make These Pancake Mix Muffins
- Easy to make: No need to measure flour, baking powder, or salt when making this recipe. Using a pancake mix simplifies the baking process.
- Perfect to customize: Pancake mix as a base makes changing the flavor and add-ins super simple. Try lemon zest and poppy seeds or orange zest and chocolate chips.
Ingredients And Tips To Make This Cranberry Orange Muffin Recipe
(Ingredients at a glance, find the full recipe in the printable card at the bottom of the post.)

- Powdered pancake mix | Grab a box of the “just add water” type of pancake mix.
- Granulated sugar | Pancake mix has a tiny bit of sugar in it already, but you will need additional white granulated sugar for this cranberry orange muffin recipe
- Eggs | Large.
- Milk | Any milk will work, but I prefer using whole milk. If you want to make the muffins dairy-free, you can also use plant-based milk.
- Vegetable oil | Use a neutral-tasting oil like canola or grapeseed.
- Vanilla extract |
- Dried cranberries| Dried cranberries work best or this recipe as they are already sweetened. See notes in the FAQ section on using fresh or frozen.
- Orange zest | Fresh orange zest adds a nice zing.
How To Make Cranberry Orange Muffins
1 Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2 Mix the ingredients: Combine dry pancake mix with sugar. In a seperate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until very well combined. Pour egg mixture into the large bowl with your dry mixture and stir well, making sure not to over-mix. Fold cranberries and orange zest into the batter gently.

3 Add batter to muffin tin: Line a muffin pan with muffin liners and fill each to the top with muffin batter.
4 Bake: Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let muffins cool before serving.

Recipe Tips
- The pancake muffin batter should be lumpy. It’s important not to over-mix the batter.
- Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to help evenly divide the muffin batter.
- Muffin/cupcake liners are not necessary to use. A well-greased muffin tin works fine. If you do use liners, use good quality “grease-proof” cupcake liners. I sometimes like to use two papers for an extra festive look. (Grease-proof as the first layer and a festive liner on the outside.) It does not change the bake time.
Storage Instructions
These orange cranberry muffins can be stored in an air-tight container on the counter overnight or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Freezer for up to 5 months.

Pancake Mix Muffin Variations
- Substitute chocolate chips for the cranberries.
- Use currants instead of cranberries.
- Swap the orange zest and cranberries for blueberries for blueberry pancake mix muffins.
- Drizzle with a glaze of confectioner’s sugar and water.
- Bake up in a mini muffin tray or a loaf pan. Note baking times will be different, so keep an eye on the oven.

FAQ’s
My Pancake mix says only to add water; do I still need to add the egg, oil, and milk?
Yes, the egg oil and milk are what give the moist muffiny-ness to the muffins.
Can I Use Fresh Cranberries?
Of course! You can substitute fresh cranberries for dried cranberries. You will want to add an additional 1/4 cup of fresh cranberries for every cup of dried cranberries. You will also need to add an additional 1/8 cup of sugar to the muffin mixture to compensate for the additional tartness of the fresh cranberries.
Can I use frozen cranberries?
Yes, absolutely! Frozen cranberries will work well. I like to keep a bag of frozen cranberries in the freezer just in case I want to use them when I bake. Since they’re unsweetened, you may also need to add more sugar to the batter.
Note if you are using frozen cranberries, they do not need to be thawed before adding them to the batter.
Can I make these muffins without store-bought pancake mix?
Yes. This recipe is based on the “just add water” type of store-bought pancake mixes. However, you can make your own pancake mix with the following recipe:
3 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Makes about 3 1/2 cups of pancake mix
Can these Muffins Be Made Dairy-free?
If you want to make these muffins dairy-free, you can use any plant-based milk.
What Can I substitute for the Vegetable Oil?
Vegetable oil adds moisture, richness, and tenderness to the muffin. If you don’t have any vegetable oil on hand, you can use any oil that you use to cook with as long as it is mildly flavored. Butter will also work.
If you are going for a healthier muffin, you can replace up to half of the vegetable oil with plain unsweetened applesauce.
Can these be made in a mini muffin tray?
Yes! Use a mini muffin tin and get twice as many muffins! Mini muffins are great for kid’s lunch boxes and when you need a small snack. I love to freeze half of the muffins, so we always have a stash of muffins on hand.
Bake the mini muffins at 375 F for 12 to 14 minutes.
Pin this recipe for later.

More muffin recipes:
- Healthy Breakfast Muffins
- Double Berry Mini Muffins
- Easy Taco Muffins
- Ham, Broccoli and Cheese Muffin Cups
Did You Make These Cranberry Orange Muffins?
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Print
Cranberry Orange Muffin Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 18
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Method: oven
Description
These easy Cranberry Orange Muffins are made with a pancake mix. Soft, fluffy, sweet, and tart! So incredibly easy to make and comes out perfectly every time.
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered pancake mix, “just add water” type
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup dried chopped cranberries, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
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Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine dry pancake mix with sugar.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until very well combined.
4. Pour egg mixture into your large bowl with your dry mixture and stir well but be sure not to over mix. Small chunks are expected and ok to leave.
5. Fold cranberries and orange zest into the batter gently.
6. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners and fill each to the top with muffin batter.
7. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center of a muffin and pulled out clean.
8. Let muffins cool before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
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