Cranberries are beautifully tangy, not too sweet, and always look gorgeous. They’re also the perfect ingredient for a colorful homemade loaf of quick bread. Together with the sweet scent of oranges, you’re in for a festive treat that’s just perfect with coffee or tea! So treat yourself to my cranberry orange bread.
I love to have bread around all the time, and I prefer making it myself. Bread can do it all, whether a healthy dessert, quick sandwich, or a friendly partner for coffee with friends! And what’s better than a good dessert bread?
So here’s my recipe for a nice, fruity cranberry bread that pairs perfectly with cool or warm weather. Yay!!!
Why Make Cranberry Bread with Orange Juice and Zest?
Spring is around the corner, and the holiday season has become a pleasant memory. So take a break with this fabulicious quick bread boasting mouthwatering moistness from orange juice and intense citrus flavor from the zest. Add a few crushed almonds or pecans, and this gorgeous loaf will take you to heaven and back! Can you taste it yet?
Recipe Ingredients
- Sour Cream – Sour cream adds a tangy touch to bread, and it also adds body and moisture! You can also use Greek yogurt.
- Butter – This ingredient is essential in our cranberry orange bread because it keeps it moist and silky.
- Orange Juice – Orange juice brings moisture, sweetness, and tanginess to this bread.
- Eggs – Two large eggs will help bring the bread dough together. Make sure they’re fresh! Drop them in water; if they float, they’re past their prime.
- Vanilla Extract – Use homemade vanilla to make this bread even better. There’s just something so delicious and soul-satisfying about it.
- Sugar – This bread is not particularly sweet, but you do need to add some granulated sugar to the mix. The slight sweetness makes cranberry bread so addictive!
- Flour – This pantry-staple ingredient is our bread’s base. All-purpose flour works fine, but cake flour works if that’s what you have in hand. Check out how to substitute it flour.
- Baking Powder and Soda – Both are necessary for a good rise and light, fluffy results.
- Orange Zest – Freshly grated orange zest is incredibly fragrant; it can be a bit bitter as well, so don’t overdo it.
- Salt – Salt is the perfect flavor enhancer that balances the sweet, and a little goes a long way.
- Cranberries – They might not dominate this bread’s flavor, but they’re the flashiest ingredient for a beautiful bread.
- Nuts – Use almonds or pecans for this one; just half a cup will give a lovely crunch to the bread.
Alternative Ingredients
- Orange Juice – You can substitute pineapple juice for a more tropical taste or a different bread altogether!
- Sour Cream – Yogurt or buttermilk will work for this cranberry orange bread.
- Almond Extract – An excellent substitute for vanilla extract; it produces an entirely different effect! You can also use a little bourbon instead. 😉
- Nuts – Walnuts or any other nut will do the job in this recipe, so feel free to use whatever you want.
- Cranberries – Dried cherries, raisins, or dried blueberries are fabulous in this recipe.
Tips and Tricks
- Make a Glaze – Make a zesty orange glaze to top the cranberry orange bread. It’s as easy as combining confectioners’ sugar with orange juice and zest, and it’s so indulgent!
- Preheat – Preheat that oven because that’s how you get perfectly baked bread with a golden crust. Yum! Light the oven about 15 minutes before baking.
- Don’t Overmix – Batters like this one are delicate, don’t overmix them, or you’ll get a chewy bread instead of a tender one.
- One at a Time – Add the eggs one at a time and scrape the batter in the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well incorporated.
Serving and Storage Instructions
I love this one with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You spread the slices with cream cheese and raspberry jam for the ultimate snack. It’s great toasted, warm, or cold.
Storing. Cranberry orange bread keeps reasonably well wrapped in plastic at room temperature for about three days and in the fridge for up to a week.
Reheating. This bread is not only delicious at room temperature, but it’s also great toasted. Or you can microwave it in 5-second pulses in a microwave-safe BPA-free container lightly covered with a damp paper towel.
FAQs
You can use either. If you have fresh and the recipe calls for dried, you would use a cup of fresh to replace ¾ cup of dried. If you have dried and the recipe calls for fresh, add ¾ cup dried cranberries to replace a cup of fresh, then rehydrate them.
Fill a cup ¾ of the way with cranberries, then cover them with boiling water. Wait 10-20 minutes and drain. Done:)
Adding dried fruit to any batter is easy. It’s best to add the fruit after all the other ingredients are combined—think of it as the last step. You can lightly dust it with flour or just gently fold them in.
What Goes with Cranberry Orange Bread?
I serve this fruity bread with a scoop of rum raisin pineapple ice cream! And although bright and lively, cranberry bread also pairs nicely with fall drinks like a pumpkin spice latte. Serve the cranberry orange bread with an equally citrusy jungle juice for celebratory brunch on the porch!
More Recipes to Try
How to Make Cranberry Orange Cake
Make the Batter
- Preheat and Prepare – Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- Combine the Wet Ingredients – Combine the Greek yogurt, melted butter, orange juice, eggs, vanilla, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for a few minutes until the eggs are completely incorporated. (Photo 1)
- Combine the Dry Ingredients – Combine the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, soda, orange zest, and salt in a separate bowl. (Photos 2-3)
- Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients – Then sift the dry ingredients into the batter, mixing it on medium speed for around 30-60 seconds, or just until the flour is incorporated. Do not overmix the batter. (Photo 4)
Final Touches and Into the Oven
- Fold in the Cranberries – Fold the cranberries and crushed nuts. (Photos 5-6)
- Transfer to the Pan – Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. (Photo 7)
- Bake – Pour the cranberry orange batter into a greased loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean; the sides will be a rich, golden brown color. Take the bread from the oven when it’s done and cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. (Photo 8)
- Make the Glaze – For the easy orange glaze, juice the large orange used earlier for the orange zest. Put 3-4 tablespoons into a mixing bowl and add the confectioner’s sugar. Then whisk in the orange zest until a smooth glaze forms. If you’d like a thicker glaze, add more sugar; for a thinner glaze, add more orange juice.
- Decorate – Combine the orange juice and zest with confectioners’ sugar. Spoon the glaze over the cranberry loaf and serve.
Watch How To Make It
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Cranberry Orange Bread
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (75 g) sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup (75 g) butter, melted
- ½ cup (125 ml) orange juice
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 2 ¼ cup (281 g) flour
- 1½ teaspoon (6 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ( 2) baking soda
- Zest from 1 large orange
- ¾ teaspoon (3.75g) salt
- 1 cup (100 g) cranberries, chopped
- ½ cup (50 g) almonds or pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- Combine the Greek yogurt, melted butter, orange juice, eggs, vanilla, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whip on medium speed for a few minutes until the eggs are completely incorporated.
- Combine the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, soda, orange zest, and salt in a separate bowl. Then sift the dry ingredients into the batter, mixing it on medium speed for around 30-60 seconds, or just until the flour is incorporated. Do not overmix the batter.
- Next, fold in fresh cranberries and almonds until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the cranberry orange batter into a greased loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean; the sides will be a rich, golden brown color. Take the bread from the oven when it's done and cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
- For a super easy orange glaze, juice the large orange used earlier for the orange zest. Put 3-4 tablespoons into a mixing bowl and add the confectioner's sugar. Then whisk in the orange zest until a smooth glaze forms. If you'd like a thicker glaze, add more sugar; for a thinner glaze, add more orange juice.
- Drizzle the prepared glaze over the cooled cranberry loaf. You can store it well-wrapped in plastic at room temperature.
Tips & Notes:
- Make a Glaze – Make a zesty orange glaze to top the cranberry orange bread. It’s as easy as combining confectioners’ sugar with orange juice and zest, and it’s so indulgent!
- Preheat – Preheat that oven because that’s how you get perfectly baked bread with a golden crust. Yum! Light the oven about 15 minutes before baking.
- Don’t Overmix – Batters like this one are delicate, don’t overmix them, or you’ll get a chewy bread instead of a tender one.
- One at a Time – Add the eggs one at a time and scrape the batter in the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well incorporated.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
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