Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
This moist and flavorful Cranberry Orange Bread combines sweet oranges and tart cranberries to make a delicious and festive bread. This easy-to-make recipe stays fresh for days and makes a delightful homemade gift.
This is my favorite time of year, and this moist cranberry bread with orange glaze is a holiday favorite in my kitchen. It’s easy to make, incredibly delicious and pairs perfectly with the season. This recipe has fresh ingredients and adds a festive touch to your Christmas table and menu.
We love cranberries during the holidays, like my Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip, Quick Cranberry Sauce with Orange, and Apple Sausage Stuffing with Cranberries. But nothing compares to today’s quick cranberry bread.
Jump to:
- 💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 📋 Here’s What You’ll Need
- 💭 Recipe Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- 🥣 How To Make This Recipe
- 🎁A Delicious Gift
- 🧊 Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
- 🧺 How to Make-Ahead and Store Orange Cranberry Loaf
- ❔Recipe FAQs
- More Bread Recipes to Enjoy
- 🧑🍳Recipe
- Best Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful: This quick cranberry orange loaf has plump, juicy, fresh cranberries and is flavored with orange zest. It’s moist, not too sweet, and incredibly flavorful.
- Quick Bread: No rising is required, so preparing only takes minutes.
- Moist: With a tender cake crumb and juicy pops of cranberry, every slice is moist and satisfying.
- Holiday Favorite: The festive flavors and beautiful presentation make it a standout on your holiday table.
Breakfast, Brunch, or Dessert: I enjoy this moist cranberry bread with a cup of coffee in the mornings and sometimes in the evenings as dessert.
If you are a fan of fresh bread, try my moist and delicious banana nut bread. It’s fantastic and full of flavor.
📋 Here’s What You’ll Need
The ingredients are simple and found in most grocery stores. Simple enough to enjoy as a holiday tradition or as a year-round treat. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and amounts.
- Cranberries– Fresh cranberries are sweet and tart, but because they are seasonal, frozen cranberries will work for this recipe.
- Orange Juice and Zest– Add fresh orange juice and orange zest for a moist, tender crumb. The orange-flavored batter takes this cranberry bread over the top.
- Butter– Adds extra layers of flavor and richness. I use salted butter most of the time in my recipes.
- All-Purpose Flour – All-purpose flour works best for this recipe.
- Baking Powder and Salt – These are the rising agents needed.
- Eggs– Eggs bind everything together. I like to use room-temperature eggs for best results.
- Powdered Sugar– Adds sweetness to the glaze.
💭 Recipe Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- Stock up on Cranberries: Fresh cranberries are only in season for a short time! Buy extra and freeze them so you can enjoy cranberry recipes year-round.
- Add Some Crunch: Add some pecans or walnuts to the recipe.
- Zest First, Juice Later: Always zest your orange before juicing to maximize its flavor.
- Bake Evenly: Bake on the middle oven rack for even cooking.
- Prevent Over-Browning: All ovens cook differently. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil to create a tent.
- Check for Doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center—if it comes out clean, your bread is ready!
- Storage Tips: I prefer storing my loaf in the refrigerator so the glaze doesn’t get soft, but it can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Pro Tip: Toss cranberries with a bit of flour before folding them into the bread batter. This prevents the cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan while baking.
🥣 How To Make This Recipe
This straightforward, festive, quick bread recipe comes together in no time. It is incredibly easy to whip up and perfect for the busy holiday season. See the recipe card below for more instructions and recipe notes.
Step 1: Grease and flour a loaf pan.
Step 2: Juice and Zest Oranges. You will need some zest and juice for the batter and the glaze. Divide accordingly.
Step 3: Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
Step 4: Combine milk, orange zest, and orange juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 5 and Step 6: Mix the batter.
Step 7: Toss cranberries with 1/2 Tbsp flour, then fold them into the batter, stirring until incorporated.
Step 8: Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake. Let bread cool completely before adding glaze.
Step 9: Make the Glaze.
Step 10: Add glaze to the top of the bread.
🎁A Delicious Gift
Giving this as a gift? Cranberry Orange Loaf would make a wonderful gift. Add some parchment paper to the bottom of the loaf, then wrap it in a clear food-safe bag with some festive tissue paper, a bow, and a gift tag. Gift it to your friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Make a few extra loaves to share with your family.
🧊 Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
Fresh Cranberries are seasonal and best for this recipe. Frozen cranberries work well for this recipe if you can not find fresh ones. I like to buy several bags in the fall and store them in the freezer to use in recipes throughout the year.
🧺 How to Make-Ahead and Store Orange Cranberry Loaf
- Room Temperature: Store the orange bread with glaze in an airtight container or plastic wrap at room temperature for several days.
- Refrigerator: I prefer to store mine in an airtight container in the fridge so the glaze doesn’t get soft and sticky.
- Freeze: Cool the orange loaf completely, slice it, and store it in a zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, remove the desired amount, thaw, and warm it slightly.
Just like my moist banana bread and blueberry muffins with a sweet crumb topping, this bread was just as flavorful. I love it warm out of the oven, but it is fantastic for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Make this bread in advance and serve it to your guests the following morning.
❔Recipe FAQs
No. The cranberries will cook as the bread cooks.
I like to keep this bread in the refrigerator, but this is a personal preference. This bread will be fine left on the counter for several days, covered with plastic wrap to keep it fresh.
For this cranberry orange bread recipe, you will leave the cranberries whole.
Yes, you can freeze cranberry orange bread for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
More Bread Recipes to Enjoy
If you tried this Cranberry Orange Bread or any other recipe on my blog, please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
🧑🍳Recipe
Best Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Batter:
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large orange (juice and zest) zest (save 1 teaspoon for glaze)
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 6 tablespoons butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups fresh cranberries rinsed and patted dry
- ½ tablespoon all purpose flour
- Optional: orange slices and cranberries for garnish
Orange Glaze Ingredients:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1½ tablespoons orange juice more if needed to thin
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour a loaf pan (9" x 5")
- Juice and Zest Oranges. You will need some zest and juice for the batter and the glaze. Divide accordingly.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine milk, orange zest (Reserve 1 tsp zest for the glaze), and orange juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Use a stand mixer and cream butter and sugar at medium speed for 3 minutes. Beat in 2 large eggs, mixing well.
- Add flour mixture in 2 parts, alternating with the milk mixture and mixing on medium/low speed until incorporated with each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Toss cranberries with 1/2 Tbsp flour, then fold them into the batter, stirring until incorporated.
- Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 45-50 min at 350˚F until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes; run a knife around the edges and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
To Make the Glaze:
- In a separate bowl, stir together powdered sugar, orange juice, and reserved zest. Stir until smooth. It should have a drizzling consistency. Add more orange juice to thin it out or powdered sugar to make it thicker.
Looks delicious and easy to make! Thanks.
Deliciously fluffy bread! Perfect for the holiday season!
I made this bread over the weekend and it was fantastic! The flavor combination is out of this world!
This quick bread was moist, sweet and delicious! The cranberry and orange flavors went so perfectly together!
Oh how I love cranberry and orange together. This looks so moist and satisfying!
I brought this to my church Christmas party and it was a hit! The orange flavor is so good!!
Oh yum! I love that burst of color from the cranberries. The flavor sounds amazing paired with the orange too.
I’m all in for this delicious, homemade cranberry and orange bread. It looks and sounds fantastic.
Nothing quite like the combination of cranberry and orange to satisfy the taste buds! Such a delicious recipe; my whole family enjoyed it!
What a delicious cranberry bread! So festive and perfect for the holiday season.
Love the combination of ingredients in this bread recipe. Thanks alot for sharing.
Everything from the fluffy bread to the creamy orange glaze on top is just perfection!
Cranberry and orange is such a delicious combination. This bread looks amazing.
This was the perfect combination of flavors! I couldn’t resist adding extra glaze!
All the best things are in this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!