Viburnum opulus L., (European cranberrybush) also known as gilaburu, cramp bark, snowball tree or water elder, a nutritious berry found in nature, contains substantial amounts of anthocyanins, phenolics, and vitamin C. Nevertheless, the fruit's delicate skin presents difficulties in adequately drying and preserving its freshness for an extended duration due to its soft and moist attributes. Foam-mat drying stands out as an inventive method utilized to increase the fruit juices shelf-life and liquid products derived from phytochemical-rich fruits, particularly those sensitive to heat, sticky in texture, containing skins or seeds, and prone to microbial and enzymatic degradation. The primary purpose of this investigation was to enhance the foam-mat drying process for European cranberrybush juice (ECJ) by employing a hybrid microwave hot air-drying system (MW-HAD), in contrast to traditional hot air-drying methods (HAD), through the optimization method by response surface methodology (RSM). MW-HAD drying under optimal conditions was compared and validated with the quality characteristics of ECJ powder (ECJP) using the same foaming agents by conventional HAD at 60 °C (control). Compared to the control, foam-mat drying using MW-HAD decreased drying time (DT) by more than 87.70%, while physicochemical properties mainly total phenolics, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid content (AAC), were better preserved. The desirability function and the adjusted R2 values were used to determine the optimum point, all the responses were found to be greater than 86%. The optimal MW power and foaming agents carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and egg white powder (EWP) were found to be 270 W, 0.76%, and 3.91%, respectively. MW-HAD reduces energy consumption by 66.85% compared to HAD. In summary, this study will pioneer ECJP production in the food industry. MW-HAD shown great potential as an effective drying technique to reduce DT while preserving the physicochemical features of ECJP.