Homemade Cranberry Bread Faqs
- Can you make cranberry bread with frozen cranberries?
- Yes, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe without adjusting the baking time.
Looking for more amazing holiday recipes? Try these:
- Total Time:1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield:8 slices 1x
- Zest of one large orange
- 2/3 cup buttermilk*
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries**
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Special Equipment
Healthy Cranberry Orange Bread
Leftovers can easily be sliced and frozen for a morning where you need a quick breakfast that encompasses the best flavors of the holiday season.
The cranberry bread is oh-so-soft and moist, and the recipe held its own in a blind taste test against a traditional cranberry orange bread with twice the amount of fat and sugar!
I sent it to my mom over the weekend so she could make it as well.
Five out of six friends chose this version as their favorite, without having any idea it was healthier and vegan!
- 2cupsspelt,oat, or all-purpose flour
- 3/4cupsugar,unrefined if desired
- 2tspbaking powder
- 2cupscranberries,chopped
- 1cuporange juice
Perfect For Thanksgiving Breakfast
Judging by how much traffic my Crustless Pumpkin Pie recipe has suddenly been getting, I think its safe to say people are in full-on Thanksgiving mode.
This delicately sweet cranberry orange bread is such a delicious Fall-inspired recipe to have on hand, and its perfect for serving guests visiting during the holidays.
The bread is also great for a light Thanksgiving morning breakfast that wont weigh you down, so youll still have plenty of room for the main event later in the day.
Also Try This Chocolate Banana Bread
This is somehow the first cranberry recipe Ive ever posted on the blog!
Im not sure why I always forget about cranberries in the Fall, but they are just as worthy of attention as the ubiquitous pumpkin.
There are a full TWO CUPS of fresh cranberries packed into this bread, which is almost double whats called for in most cranberry orange bread recipes.
Unsweetened cranberries have a tartness that perfectly compliments the sweet orange in this bread, and including orange juice enabled me to lower the oil considerably while adding extra flavor and moisture at the same time.
Trending Right Now: Applesauce Muffins Reader Favorite Recipe
While fresh cranberries arent always easy to find, you can usually buy them frozenwhich works just as well in this recipeat most grocery stores.
For the healthiest option, be sure to look for frozen cranberries without any sugar listed in the ingredients.
Also Check: How You Make Sweet Potato Pie
How To Make Thow To Make A Cranberry Bread With Glaze
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour mini loaf pans and set aside.
- With a Kitchen-aid mixer or hand mixer cream softened margarine, eggs, and granulated sugar together until fully incorporated.
- Add baking powder, salt, baking soda, flour, and 1 tsp of almond extract to softened butter. Mix together until well combined. Then, add sour cream and fold in until fully incorporated.
- Scoop the batter into the loaf pans filling them of the way full.
- Layer the cranberries on top of the batter saving ½ of the can.
- Add the remaining batter over the cranberries, leaving room for another layer of cranberries.
- Layer the rest of the can of cranberries over the batter.
- Bake for 40-45 mins. Before removing the bread from the oven use a toothpick to make sure the bread is baked in the middle. Poke the center of the loaf with a toothpick, if it comes out clean it is fully baked. If it comes out dirty bake it longer.
- Let the bread cool for 5 mins. then remove it from the pans and glaze.
Cranberry Orange Nut Bread
Cook Time: 60 to 70 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Before you start anything gather all of your ingredients and tools in one spot. Nothing is more frustrating than get through half a recipe and realizing you dont have something you need or it is not prepped to go. Doing this will make the process of preparing easier and quicker. If you fill your sink with hot soapy water before hand you can clean as you go, easy peasy. For these types of breads I prefer to mix by hand rather than a kitchen aid or hand mixer, you want the finished batter to be just combined, not smooth.
Instructions:
When you are done mixing, the batter should look like this.
After Baking.
Recommended Reading: Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients List
Can You Use Dried Cranberries Instead Of Fresh
Yes, you can! I prefer the tartness that you get from the fresh or frozen cranberries, as well as the extra moisture that they add to the loaf. That said, sweetened dried cranberries will also work fine! If using the dried cranberries, you might like to soak them in warm water or orange juice before adding them to the bread. This will soften them up and give them a plump texture.
How To Make Moist Orange Cranberry Bread:
You May Like: Gluten Free Flour Pie Crust
Favorite Cranberry Bread Recipe Found
The next fall rolls around and I am looking through the recipe binder and there it is THE RECIPE.
I am not sure what happened. Maybe the pages were stuck together.
I don’t know for sure but I am happy to say THE RECIPE is safe and sound and I have made three loaves in the past two weeks.
Hubby is a happy cranberry bread eating fool.
Cranberry Quick Bread Recipe
This cranberry bread recipe is so different from the bland dry stuff that comes on catering platters. This loaf is golden brown with vibrant bits of cranberry and orange zest in each slice. Even more than the beautiful slices is how incredibly moist it is. The outside has just a tiny bit of crispness that protects a soft and moist inside. Its perfectly tart and sweet. Its honestly the best cranberry bread youll ever eat.
Don’t Miss: Oreo Cookies And Cream Cake
Fresh Ingredients Keep This Orange Cranberry Bread Moist
This bread recipe was slightly tweaked from my Cranberry Orange Muffins, that went crazy on Pinterest a couple years ago! So I know its a goodie! We make it almost every fall, and its gone in like a day!
This Orange Cranberry Bread is crusty on the outside and super moist on the inside! If you dont have coconut oil you can easily substitute it for canola oil. But the fresh orange juice is a must! It adds sweetness to the bread and adds to the moistness! Also be sure to use fresh cranberries or frozen NOT dried!
Weve been known to have this for breakfast, a mid-day snack or even dessert!
Gather The Ingredients To Prepare This Moist Cranberry Bread
Unlike many dessert bread recipes, this cranberry bread requires very little prep and zero extreme-precision work. There are just five dry ingredients in Moeslein’s recipe: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Wondering why both baking powder and baking soda are in the mix? According to The Kitchn, baking soda helps balance out the acid in the batter, while baking powder provides additional boost to give the finished bread a beautiful fluffy texture.
The wet ingredients are a relatively simple list as well. They include orange juice, avocado oil, grated orange peel, egg, and fresh or frozen cranberries. That’s literally it! You probably have most of the ingredients at home already. This is a great recipe to get to know how to make, so let’s get started.
You May Like: Hills Science Diet Large Breed Puppy
Other Quick Bread Recipes You May Love:
*For more information, tips, and answers to frequently asked questions, please refer to the post.*Please be sure to see the post and the comments section for additional tips, substitutions, and baking variations. Our readers have provided several wonderful comments regarding changes theyve made to this recipe that might be helpful for others. As of 10/19/21 we have added some of the information from the comment section to the content in the post, as well as, a couple of new photos.
How To Make Orange Cranberry Bread
This orange cranberry bread is incredibly soft, moist and flavorful! I love the texture of the crumb and all the flavors! Its made with a Greek yogurt-based batter. The yogurt, together with the melted butter, help keep the bread extra tender!
You May Like: Instinct Dog Food Small Breed
Combine The Ingredients For The Cranberry Bread
Now that you know the benefits and properties of the ingredients you’re using, you can create a batter, and bake your cranberry bread with ease. Moeslein recommends stirring together your dry ingredients first, then incorporating the wet ingredients one by one, leaving the cranberries for last.
Remember to stir the ingredients until they are just combined, and no more. Over-mixing your batter will create a tough and firm bread, as you will have stirred out all the air that helps create a fluffy crumb. “The batter is thick, and not completely smooth,” Moeslein explains. In other words, those extra lumps are a good thing.
Tips For The Best Cranberry Bread Recipe
- Properly measure the flour. Always spoon and level the flour or weigh it on a kitchen scale — do not scoop it out of the package. Incorrectly measuring the flour packs it too tightly into the measuring cup and results in dense, dry bread.
- The orange zest is the outer layer of the orange peel, where you’ll find all of the essential oils . Make sure that you don’t scrape off any of the bitter white pith underneath when grating the orange zest.
- How to Make Cranberry Bread Moist: Be careful not to overmix the batter. Mixing too much activates the gluten in the flour, resulting in a dry, dense loaf of bread. Gently fold together the ingredients just until everything is combined.
- To prevent quick breads or Bundt cakes from sticking to the pan, I prefer to use a baking spray . It also helps to run a knife around the outside of the bread while it’s still warm and cooling in the pan.
- I prefer a light colored loaf pan , because the darker pans tend to brown or burn the outside of quick bread before the inside cooks through.
You May Like: How Long To Bake Pot Pie
Why You Should Sift Your Flour
Though it’s not a requirement, sifting your dry ingredients will elevate your cranberry bread and take it to a professional level. Sifters break up the clumps, making it much easier to achieve a smooth batter with an even distribution of all the ingredients. Lumps of flour are basically a major burden in the batter, so eliminating them will create a fluffier, lighter bread, per Southern Living.
A classic, inexpensive flour sifter does the job perfectly. Plus, this step adds only one minute or so to your prep. To use it, simply pour your measured dry ingredients into the sifter over your mixing bowl, and tap the side of the sifter repeatedly so that the dry ingredients fall into the bowl.
The Benefits Of Using Orange Juice In Cranberry Bread
As many of us know, orange juice pairs beautifully with cranberry and provides a pop of tangy flavor. However, this isn’t the only reason to include orange juice in a dessert bread.
In addition to adding moisture to the batter, orange juice is a delicate touch of acid, according to My Recipes. It helps give breads a moist, tender crumb. It also works to shine a spotlight on the other flavors in the recipe, bringing out the vibrant, tart notes in the cranberries.
Are you wondering whether you should use fresh or bottled orange juice? “I like using orange juice that is not from concentrate, as it is time-saving,” Moeslein notes. “But squeezing the oranges will give you the same results.” No-pulp juice is probably best, however you can use a pulp-filled orange juice in a pinch. Just be sure to use exactly how much orange juice Moeslin recommends in her recipe and not more. Too much liquid can cause the bread to sink in the middle.
Don’t Miss: How To Bake Chicken Pot Pie
A Few Things To Know About This Cranberry Orange Bread:
- This is bread, not cake. The texture of the finished bread is not going to feel like a light, fluffy cake. Its moist and dense. The closest it comes to cake is maybe a pound cake.
- The glaze is optional. The orange glaze is optional, but it does add some sweetness to the finished bread.
- Fresh cranberries work best. The recipe was developed for fresh cranberries, so those are recommended.
- Our readers have provided some great feedback about their experiences with this bread. Its all listed in the comment section.
The Best Glaze For Cranberry Bread
Orange and cranberry are complimentarily flavored just like peanut butter and jelly. Topping the cranberry bread with orange juice and the orange zest-infused glaze makes this bread irresistible. Im not sure if its breakfast or dessert but Ive served it both ways. All you need for this easy 3-ingredient glaze is:
- Powdered sugar I spoon it into the cup and level the top for a consistent measure.
- Orange juice Freshly squeezed is best and dont worry about straining. A little pulp wont hurt the bread.
- Orange zest do not skip the zest. It adds deep orange floral notes to the glaze.
Also Check: Easy Key Lime Pie Recipe
Can I Freeze Cranberry Quick Bread
Yes, you can freeze this Cranberry Bread. Let it cool completely then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. To defrost take it out of the freezer and let it defrost at room temperature overnight. You can also freeze individual slices to make them defrost quicker perfect for a quick breakfast!
Cranberry Bread With Dried Cranberries
Here is an easy recipe for cranberry bread with dried cranberries. Dried cranberries tend to be sweeter than fresh or frozen cranberries so this recipe helps to create a delicious & sweet cranberry bread. Be aware that this cranberry bread is NOT a sandwich bread. Rather, our cranberry bread is a sweet quick bread and has a muffin-like consistency and taste. Homemade cranberry bread is super easy to make and is perfect as a snack or dessert. Your family will love it!
Delicious Cranberry Bread Stuffed with Dried Cranberries!
This cranberry bread recipe should take you roughly 10 minutes to prepare and clean up. Please be aware that this is an oven-baked recipe. It is not made with a bread machine. You will also find a printable and pin-able recipe at the bottom of this page. If you liked this recipe, we hope you will leave a comment below and give us a 5 star rating.
Ingredients Cranberry Bread with Dried Cranberries
- 2 Cups Flour 240 grams
- 1 1/4 Cups Light Brown Sugar 270 grams
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda 5 milliliters
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder 5 milliliters
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt 2.5 milliliters
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter 115 grams
- 1 Cup Cranberry Juice 230 milliliters
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 5 milliliters
- 1 Cup Dried Cranberries 114 grams
Servings Roughly 12 slices
- Equipment required for this recipe Measuring cup & spoons, mixing bowl, long wooden spoon, 9 by 5 bread pan, oven mitts, silicon spatula, cooling rack and an oven.
You May Like: Oxo Pie Plate With Lid