The Best Cranberry Orange Bread | Easy Bread Recipe (2024)

Bless This Mess Recipes Breads

By Melissa

4.92 from 25 votes

on Dec 17, 2020, Updated Mar 04, 2024

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The Best Cranberry Orange Bread is sweet, gorgeous, and perfect for giving as a gift! Made with tangy orange zest, melted butter, and fresh cranberries.

The Best Cranberry Orange Bread | Easy Bread Recipe (2)

This is one of my all-time favorite holiday treats. I make batches and batches of it to put on my friend and neighbor goodie plates, take to parties, have for dessert when friends come over for mom dates, and every other excuse I can think of.

I’m planning on having an intentional Christmas this year. Doing things because they mean something and because I want to and not just because I should or can. I know it might be crazy, but I just love making dozens of goodie plates for neighbors every year and that is for sure on my list for this season. This bread has made the list to go on them again, too! That’s saying something!

The Best Cranberry Orange Bread | Easy Bread Recipe (3)

Tips and Tricks for Making Cranberry Orange Bread

  • Isn’t it pretty? I got the tea loaf pan from King Arthur Flour last year for Christmas and I just love it.
  • Plan on buying a few extra cranberries for your cranberry sauce recipe. When they are hanging out in the fridge after Thanksgiving, you’ll be obligated to make this bread.
  • Mixing the orange zest with the sugar before you add anything is the secret of this bread. The sugar pulls the oils out of the zest and you are making orange infused sugar which really makes the orange flavor carry throughout the bread. Best trick ever!
  • Feel free to double this recipe; it works great.
The Best Cranberry Orange Bread | Easy Bread Recipe (4)

You can make this bread in just about any pan you have (including muffins)

I have made this recipe astraditional loaves, tea loaves (which are pictured), muffins, and mini loaves as well. It always turns out well and it always gets rave reviews. There’s something magical about those bright little pops of tart cranberry mixed in with all that sweet bread. Adding a little orange glaze to the mix really puts this bread over the top. You will love it!

How long to bake Cranberry Orange Bread based on pan size:

  • Bake in a 9×5 inch loaf pan at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour and 10 minutes (70 minutes)
  • Bake in a tea loaf pan at 350 degree F for around 50 minutes.
  • Bake 12 muffins in a standard size muffin tin at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.
  • Bake mini loaf pans at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes (depending on the size of your pan).
The Best Cranberry Orange Bread | Easy Bread Recipe (5)

Here’s a video on how to make the bread if you need some extra help!

The Best Cranberry Orange Bread | Easy Bread Recipe (6)

4.92 from 25 votes

Cranberry Orange Bread

By: Melissa Griffiths

The Best Cranberry Orange Bread is sweet, gorgeous, and perfect for giving as a gift! Made with tangy orange zest, melted butter, and fresh cranberries.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 1 loaf

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Ingredients

For the bread:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Zest of 1 large orange
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, (here's how to make your own buttermilk)
  • 1/2 cup butter,, melted
  • 2 large eggs,, slightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries,, chopped

For the orange glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×5 bread pan or a tea loaf pan well.

  • In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar and the orange zest. Stir the mixture together until the sugar starts to turn a bit orange and is fragrant. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the sugar mixture and whisk to combine well.

  • In a separate bowl add the buttermilk, butter, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine well.

  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the cranberries and then place the batter into the prepared pan.

  • Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean about 1 hour and 10 minutes for a traditional bread loaf pan (and about 50 minutes for the tea loaf pictured). If the top starts to brown too quickly, you might want to cover the bread with foil for the last 10 or so minutes of baking.

  • Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before removing the bread from the pan. Run a knife along the edges of the pan before you turn it upside down to remove it from the pan.

  • Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the warm bread and then slice to serve.

Video

Notes

  • This recipe doubles well if you want to make 2 loaves.
  • Bake in a 9×5 inch loaf pan at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour and 10 minutes (70 minutes)
  • Bake in a tea loaf pan at 350 degree F for around 50 minutes.
  • Bake 12 muffins in a standard size muffin tin at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.
  • Bake mini loaf pans at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes (depending on the size of your pan).
  • This bread freezes great. Just cool fully, wrap up well, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 12 slices, Calories: 254kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 220mg, Potassium: 65mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 316IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 1mg

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Love Cranberry Orange Bread?! You might also enjoy these recipes:

  • Soft Gingerbread Cookies
  • The best banana bread recipe
  • Creamy Cranberry Salad (we call it cranberry fluff) from my friend Mel at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

I’m totally wishing I had some of this Cranberry Orange Bread in the house still, but it sure didn’t last long. I can’t wait to make another loaf. Every time I make this and give it as gifts, I’ll have multiple people ask me for the recipe. It’s just so good. Enjoy from my kitchen to yours!

About Melissa

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The Best Cranberry Orange Bread | Easy Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you chop cranberries before baking? ›

If you're feeling a little nervous about the tartness of the cranberries, though, you could definitely chop them up to create smaller pieces throughout the cake.

Are fresh or dried cranberries better for baking? ›

Can I substitute dried cranberries in recipes that call for fresh cranberries? Yes, dried cranberries work well in baked goods; however there is a ¼ cup difference in measurement. If a recipe calls for one cup of fresh or frozen cranberries, use ¾ cup of sweetened dried cranberries.

Why is my cranberry bread green? ›

Don't be worried about a greenish tint on the inside; it's caused by an interaction of the fresh cranberries and baking powder (acid and alkaline). Or you could cook the relish and cool it before using in this recipe. The bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.

How to thaw cranberry bread? ›

Freeze a whole cooled loaf or slice the loaf so you can defrost as much (or as little) as you want. Frozen cranberry bread will last up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Should dried cranberries be soaked before baking? ›

Rehydrate the fruits: Dried fruits can be quite hard and dry, so it's often a good idea to rehydrate them before adding them to your baked goods. To do this, simply soak the dried fruits in warm water or fruit juice for 15-20 minutes until they are plump and tender.

Why should cranberries not be eaten raw? ›

Is it safe to eat cranberries raw? Cranberries are generally considered safe whether they are cooked or raw. However, because of their notoriously bitter, sharp taste, most people prefer not to eat them raw or unsweetened. This bitterness is due to the high tannin content of cranberries.

Do dried cranberries raise blood sugar? ›

Dried cranberries often contain added sugar to make up for their natural tartness. However, some studies show that these foods may not necessarily spike blood sugar for everyone. Dried cranberries count towards your daily recommended fruit consumption, which is 1½ to two cups daily for women and two to 2½ cups for men.

Why add sugar to dried cranberries? ›

During this step, the cranberries are sweetened to replace what nature left out; the additional sweetness helps to balance their natural tartness. The final step is to dry the cranberries to remove excess moisture for easy handling and packaging.

Are dried cranberries good for high blood pressure? ›

Being intrinsically high in potassium levels, this dry fruit assists in the maintenance of normal blood pressure. It also functions in promoting cardiac muscle activity, lowers the amounts of bad LDL cholesterol and raises levels of good HDL cholesterol.

Why did my cranberry bread fall? ›

Why does my cranberry bread sink in the middle? If your bread sinks in the middle, the usual culprit is too much moisture in the bread, or the baking powder has expired. Always make sure to measure your ingredients and check for the freshness of the ingredients for the best results.

What is the green yellow stuff on your slice of bread called? ›

What Is Bread Mold? Mold is a fungus in the same family as mushrooms. Fungi survive by breaking down and absorbing the nutrients of the material on which they grow, such as bread. The fuzzy parts of mold you see on bread are colonies of spores — which is how the fungus reproduces.

Should you pre-cook cranberries before baking? ›

In some recipes, cranberries need to be cooked before adding to the rest of the ingredients to avoid them tasting tart and raw. However, you'll be relieved to know that this isn't the case when using them in baked goods!

How many mini loaves equal one loaf? ›

However, as a general guideline, a standard sized loaf pan can usually accommodate two to four mini loaves.

Why is my cranberry nut bread crumbly? ›

Too much flour will make this bread crumbly and dry — how you measure the flour matters a lot in it turning out moist. To measure flour for this recipe, spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level it off with the back of a table knife.

Is it better to bake with fresh or frozen cranberries? ›

If cooking your berries into a pie filling, you may need to add additional thickening agents because frozen berries tend to release more liquid than fresh and will lead to a runnier consistency. For best results in your baking, don't defrost the berries before use but instead toss them in flour.

Can you chop cranberries? ›

Traditionally, fresh cranberries are sold in 12-ounce bags, the equivalent of about 3 cups of berries. Finely chopping 12 ounces of cranberries will yield about 2 1/4 cups of chopped berries. One serving of cranberries is 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, 1/4 cup dried cranberries or 3/4 cup 100% cranberry juice.

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