Easy Cranberry Orange Muffins with Streusel and Glaze

These easy cranberry orange muffins start with a boxed muffin mix, then get an oat streusel topping and a light orange glaze. A few simple box muffin mix hacks, like milk instead of water, make them soft and moist. They bake in 18 to 22 minutes and make 12 muffins.

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Every morning, Jim and I have coffee together. It is a tradition I learned from my mother and father, and I would not trade it. We love that time in the morning before we start work.

We get up and make a pot of coffee. Then we sit down together and go over our schedule for the day. Sometimes we plan the whole next weekend too, so we are both on the same page.

These muffins are perfect with that morning coffee.

They are extra special during the holidays. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, I love to have a batch ready for our guests.

Our mornings were not always this chill as we raised 3 kids, and we are not empty nesters. But do not worry if you have a house full of kids, they will love spending a Saturday morning eating muffins together.

And believe me, time does fly. Before you know it, your kids will be helping you cook, and in a blink you will be empty nesters too, making these muffins for your grandkids for the holidays.

If everybody is hungry before our overnight breakfast casserole is ready, the muffins are sitting right there on the table. Our son-in-law is usually the first one up. He makes a big pot of coffee for the whole house, and I like to have a little something ready for the early risers.

If you are looking for Thanksgiving breakfast ideas, this is one I come back to. I know your family will love them too.

Why You’ll Love These Cranberry Orange Muffins

• They start with a muffin mix, so there is no long list of dry ingredients to measure.
• The oat streusel topping looks bakery style, with little flecks of orange zest.
• Milk and light olive oil make the inside soft and moist.
• One box makes 12 muffins.
• They are ready for holiday guests, and they go with a hot cup of coffee.

Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Muffins with Streusel

For the Muffins

• 1 box Krusteaz Cranberry Orange Muffin Mix, with the can of cranberries, undrained
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup light olive oil
• 2 eggs

For the Oat Streusel Topping

• 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats, plus about 1 tablespoon set aside whole
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into chunks
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Orange Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Box Muffin Mix Hacks I Use

The box calls for water, vegetable oil, and eggs. I made two small swaps, and I kept one thing just like the box.

• Milk instead of water: I use 1/2 cup of milk in place of the 1/2 cup of water. I use milk because it adds a little more richness than water.
• Light olive oil instead of vegetable oil: Swap it 1 to 1. Light means light in flavor, so you will not taste olive oil.
• Undrained cranberries: The box says to stir in the cranberries undrained, so pour in the whole can, juice and all.

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Equipment Needed

• 12-cup muffin pan
• Tulip-style paper liners
• Mini food processor
• Mixer, or a large bowl and spoon
• Zester and a small bowl for the glaze

How to Make Cranberry Orange Muffins with Streusel

1. Prep the pan. Heat the oven to 400°F. Set tulip liners in a 12-cup muffin pan, then brush a little light olive oil on the bottom of each liner so they do not stick.
2. Zest and juice the orange. Zest the whole orange first, then juice it. Save the juice for the glaze.
3. Make the streusel. Grind 3/4 cup of oats in the mini food processor until they look like flour. Add the cinnamon, both sugars, and the zest, and pulse a few times.
4. Add the cold butter and pulse until it turns crumbly. Stir in the whole oats by hand.
5. Mix the batter. Mix the muffin mix, milk, olive oil, and eggs just until combined. Gently stir in the undrained cranberries.
6. Fill and top. Fill each liner about 3/4 full. Pile on a big helping of streusel.
7. Bake. Bake at 400°F for 18 to 22 minutes. Mine took the full 22.
8. Glaze. Stir the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle it over the cooled muffins.

Oat Streusel Topping for Muffins

This is the part that makes a boxed mix look homemade. I grind old-fashioned oats into oat flour and use it in place of regular flour.

The orange zest ties the topping to the muffin. Half brown sugar and half white sugar give you a little chew and a little crunch.

Keep the butter cold, and stop pulsing while the crumbs are still uneven. If it turns into one big ball, the streusel bakes up flat.

I stir in a spoonful of whole oats at the end. Those little flecks look pretty on top, and they make great photos.

Orange Glaze for Muffins

This is the glaze my mother taught me to make, with powdered sugar and milk. Since these are orange muffins, I used orange juice instead of the milk.

Stir 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of orange juice until smooth.

A light drizzle keeps more of the streusel crunchy. If you pour it over the whole top, the crumbs soften.

Tips for Moist Cranberry Orange Muffins

• Mix just until combined. Stirring too long makes muffins tough.
• Chill the streusel for 10 minutes if the butter feels soft.
• Fill the liners about 3/4 full. That leaves room for the tops to puff up.
• Brush a little olive oil on the bottom of each tulip liner so the muffins lift out clean.
• Check at 18 minutes. Ovens are different, and a toothpick should come out clean.

Storing, Mini Muffins, and Loaf Options

Let the muffins cool, then store them in a tightly covered container.

The box also has times for other pans. Cranberry orange mini muffins make 26 to 30 and bake 15 to 17 minutes at 400°F. An 8×4 loaf pan bakes 50 to 55 minutes at 350°F.

I have only made the streusel version in a regular muffin pan. If you like muffin mix hacks, try my easy pumpkin muffins with spice cake mix next.

What to Serve with Cranberry Orange Muffins

• Easy Overnight Breakfast Casserole
• Easy Quick Breakfast Overnight French Toast Casserole
• Easy Sausage Gravy Recipe Over Biscuits

Frequently Asked Questions

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