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.

Cranberry orange bread sliced on a wooden tray with sugared cranberries on top.

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.

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💗 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.

Ingredients for making cranberry orange bread with text overlay.
  • 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.

🥣 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.

A greased and floured loaf pan for making bread.

Step 1: Grease and flour a loaf pan.

Orange juice, orange zest, orange slices and whole oranges on a table in front of a window.

Step 2: Juice and Zest Oranges. You will need some zest and juice for the batter and the glaze. Divide accordingly.

Flour mixture in a red bowl with a wire whisk.

Step 3: Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

Milk mixture in a blue bowl.

Step 4: Combine milk, orange zest, and orange juice in a small bowl. Set aside.

Batter mixture in a mixing bowl with beaters.

Step 5 and Step 6: Mix the batter.

Cranberries tossed in flour and then added to a mixing bowl with the batter.

Step 7: Toss cranberries with 1/2 Tbsp flour, then fold them into the batter, stirring until incorporated.

Bread batter in a floured pan ready for the oven.

Step 8: Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake. Let bread cool completely before adding glaze.

Glaze in a white bowl with a spoon.

Step 9: Make the Glaze.

Finished picture of cranberry bread with sugared cranberries and orange slices on top.

Step 10: Add glaze to the top of the bread.

🎁A Delicious Gift

🧊 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.

❔Recipe FAQs

Do the cranberries need to be cooked before adding them to the batter?

No. The cranberries will cook as the bread cooks.

Does Orange Cranberry Quick Bread need to be refrigerated?

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.

Should you chop cranberries before baking?

For this cranberry orange bread recipe, you will leave the cranberries whole.

Can you freeze cranberry orange bread with glaze?

Yes, you can freeze cranberry orange bread for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Baked cranberry orange bread on a wooden tray with a bowl of powdered sugar.

More Bread Recipes to Enjoy

🧑‍🍳Recipe

Cranberry Orange Bread with sugared cranberries on top.

Best Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe

Gina Abernathy
A perfect combination of sweet oranges and tart cranberries come together to make a loaf of delicious and festive Cranberry Orange Bread.
5 from 15 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 227 kcal

Ingredients
  

Batter:

  • 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
  • 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
  • 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.

Notes

For sugared cranberries for topping:
To a saucepan, add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer until all sugar has melted. Drop a cup of cranberries into the liquid and stir for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and remove cranberries with a slotted spoon from the liquid to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drop cranberries (a few at a time) into a bowl of sugar and roll around, coating well. Place on a cooling rack (not touching) until dry and the sugar has hardened.
Bake on the middle oven rack for even cooking.
All ovens cook differently. If your bread is browning too fast, make a tent with aluminum foil and place it loosely over the top of the bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 144mgPotassium: 91mgFiber: 1gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 285IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg
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15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Nothing quite like the combination of cranberry and orange to satisfy the taste buds! Such a delicious recipe; my whole family enjoyed it!

5 from 15 votes

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