This moist cranberry bread is bursting with fresh cranberries and orange zest and is topped with an orange glaze.
Perfect for breakfast, brunch or even dessert and perfect for baking into mini loaves and giving as gifts!
Quick and easy bread
Cranberry bread is a perfect quick bread to make during the holidays. It's easy to make and is perfect served for breakfast or brunch. It also makes a great afternoon snack.
This easy bread is made without yeast and is mixed by hand. No special equipment needed!
When fresh cranberries are in season, I start baking with cranberries. This bread uses one full bag of fresh cranberries. Fresh orange zest and orange juice is also added. Cranberries and orange are a perfect pairing!
I love to make several loaves of cranberry bread and store them in the freezer. When I need a loaf, I just pull out and allow it to thaw and then add the glaze. The bread is also delicious without the glaze.
I do have several cranberry bread recipes, including cranberry muffins, cranberry twist bread, and cranberry apple bread. You'll want to try them all!
I can't help myself with all these cranberry recipes. It seems like once cranberries are available in the store, I pick up a bag or two - or even three every time I shop. All those cranberries have to be made into something!
Key ingredients
- Fresh cranberries - Pick a bag of fresh whole cranberries. The berries are added whole, not chopped which makes a burst of flavor when eating. You can also use frozen cranberries. If using frozen, no need to thaw the berries first. Just add frozen and increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes.
- Fresh oranges - Both the zest and juice are used. Don't skimp on this. The orange adds so much flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Leavening - Both baking powder and baking soda are used in this recipe
- Eggs - Two eggs are needed
- Milk - Use any type of milk you have on hand. Milk helps develop an incredible crumb in this quick bread.
- Oil - Use a light flavored oil, like vegetable or canola oil. The oil keeps this bread nice and moist.
Step by step directions
- Combine dry ingredients and sugar together in a bowl
- In a separate bowl, combine oil, egg, milk, orange juice and orange peel
- Mix wet mixture into flour mixture. Stir just until combined
- Gently fold in cranberries
- Place batter in a greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour
- Remove bread from pan and allow to fully cool on a baking rack
- Once bread is fully cooled, drizzle glaze over top of bread
Tips for making quick breads
- When mixing wet and dry ingredients together, don’t overmix. Just stir until combined.
- Be certain your oven is fully preheated
- Test bread by inserting a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done.
- Remove bread after cooling for 10 minutes in pan
- Allow bread to fully cool before slicing. This is the hardest part! It’s very tempting to slice into a loaf while still warm. It will taste delicious, but will often be very crumbly.
- Use a knife around the edge of the pan to release any bread stuck to the sides of the pan.
- Fully cool bread on a baking rack
Recipe Faqs
The bread is best eaten within 1-2 days.
Yes, this bread can be frozen. Allow bread to fully cool. Do not add glaze. Wrap bread in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe bag.
The bread is best if used within one month.
To make mini sized loaves
This recipe can be made into mini loaves, instead of one regular size loaf. Use two mini size loaf pans. Bake at the same temperature (350°F) but reduce the baking time to 50-60 minutes.
Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
More delicious quick breads to try
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my homemade bread recipes!
Cranberry Bread
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
Bread
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup oil
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup orange juice (fresh squeezed)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 12 ounces cranberries (3 cups)
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
Instructions
Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl2 ¼ cups flour, ¾ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, combine milk, oil, eggs, orange juice and orange zest together½ cup milk, ¼ cup oil, 2 eggs, ¼ cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined
- Fold in cranberries12 ounces cranberries
- Place batter in a greased loaf pan
- Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 65-70 minutes until the center comes out clean with a toothpick test
- Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from pan and continue cooling on a baking rack until fully cooled.
Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar and orange juice. Stir until smooth. Add a bit more juice if needed to make a runny consistency.½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon orange juice
- Drizzle glaze over the top of the bread. Let glaze dry for about 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- This bread is loaded with cranberries. You can reduce the amount of cranberries by half if you prefer fewer berries.
- Use a fluff and scoop method when measuring your flour to help avoid too much flour. Fluff your flour first, then scoop it into your measuring cup, and then level the top with the flat side of a knife.
- When mixing wet and dry ingredients together, don’t overmix. Just stir until combined.
- Be certain your oven is fully preheated
- Remove bread after cooling for 10 minutes in pan
- Allow bread to cool fully before slicing. This is the hardest part! It’s very tempting to slice into a loaf while still warm. It will taste delicious, but will often be very crumbly.
- Use a knife around the edge of the pan to release any bread stuck to the sides of the pan.
- Fully cool bread on a baking rack
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Chris says
This is the cranberry lovers cranberry bread and the only one I’ve made for years! I weigh my flour (120g per cup) and it’s perfectly moist every time. I’ve never made the glaze as I prefer it less sweet. Thank you for this recipe. I’ll never need another one!
Kathy says
Awesome! Thanks so much! 🙂
Terry says
Hi Kathy! 1st time visitor - got here via a link from grits and pinecones, from whom I get notifications. Just added notifications from you as well, based on THIS recipe.
I do have a couple of questions, though. It's obviously not yet fresh cranberry season, so could frozen be used to feed the craving 🤗, and if so, used frozen, or thawed, drained, and patted dry?
And what size mini pans are you referring to, please? I have several different sizes, ALL labeled "mini".
Many thanks, from Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦
Kathy says
Hi Terry,
Welcome to BTCC!!! So glad that you found my website! Grits and Pinecones is one of my favorite sites and Sharon is full of Southern charm!
The mini pans I use are about 6x4 inches - similar to these https://amzn.to/3Wjmlfp. If yours are a bit smaller or bigger, they will still work, just watch the baking time.
I often use frozen cranberries because fresh are only available for a short period. You can thaw the berries just slightly or use fully frozen. Increase your baking time by 5-10 minutes.
Let me know how it turns out!
Kathy 🙂
Jo says
I made the recipe today for my kids and they loved it! The bread turned out super moist. Since I'm a beginning baker, I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect! The icing on the top was amazing!
Kathy says
Thanks so much! So glad everyone loved it! 🙂
Sandy says
The first time I made this bread I knew there was a problem. When I combined the flour mixture with the wet ingredients it was obvious the ratio was off. I thought maybe you knew something that I didn't so I went ahead and baked it anyway. As I feared it came out dry and crumbly. A typical quick bread will have 1 cup of liquid for 2 cups of flour. This recipe has 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup orange juice which is a bit light for 2.25 cups of flour. This obviously would change if there were ingredients like mashed bananas or pumpkin which add moisture. Cranberries don't add much liquid. Also, a typical quick bread recipe would have 1/2 cup of fat for 2 cups of flour. This recipe has 1/4 cup of oil for 2.25 cups of flour. It also has too much leavening. If you use too much leavening the bread will rise too quickly, air pockets will form and the bread dries out. Looking at the picture you provided, you can see the air pockets, I made it again with 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup of oil and no baking soda. It came out moist and delicious.
Kathy says
Hi Sandy,
Thank you for your email. Your review gave me pause and made me think. I checked out multiple other recipes for cranberry bread (and other quick breads) and while there are a lot of similarities, they all have a slightly different ratio and not all quick breads have the 2:1 ratio you mention. I think you also need to take into account the other wet ingredients, like the eggs and oil. My recipe does make a thick batter, but it shouldn't turn out dry and crumbly. Be very cautious with measuring your flour. I recommend using a fluff and scoop method to avoid compacting and getting too much flour. I have made this recipe successfully multiple times as have others. I'm glad you found a solution that works for you.
Kathy
Phil B says
Doubled the sugar in the glaze and added a teaspoon of orange zest. Yummy!
Kathy says
Thanks! 🙂
Phil B says
I haven’t made this bread yet, but I’d like to know if I should sift the flour when measuring?
How would it affect the bread if I only use 9 oz. of cranberries instead of 12?
Kathy says
Hi Phil,
You don't need to sift the flour, but you do want to be careful not to over compact your flour when measuring. I suggest the fluff and scoop method (check out how to measure flour). Using less cranberries is fine and no other changes need to be made. Your bread will just have fewer cranberries.
Enjoy!
Kathy 🙂
Bridget says
GREAT recipe! Eating my first piece right this very minute. With all the cranberries, it makes for a nice tart loaf. I love that it's not overly sweet and has everyday ingredients that I don't need to make a special trip for. It also pairs perfectly with cream cheese on top! This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thank you!
Kathy says
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Lois says
I followed the recipe exactly and mine came out very dry. I wonder what I did wrong?
Kathy says
How did you measure your flour? Be careful not to compact the flour into the cup. You can easily add an additional 1/4 cup of flour if you're packing it into the cup which would cause the bread to be too dry. The other possibility is overbaking the bread. This would also cause the bread to be dry.
Richard says
I use the mini loaf pans, for sharing the goodness.
What would the bake time and temp be for these?
Richard
Kathy says
Hi Richard,
This cranberry bread will make a lovely gift and mini loaves is perfect for giving! I would keep the temperature the same, but reduce the baking time by 15 to 20 minutes. Spot check the bread at 40 minutes, just to make certain.
Enjoy,
Kathy 🙂
Carolyn says
I have orange juice but don't have orange zest. Can I leave out orange juice or will it make too dry?
Kathy says
You can leave the zest out. It adds extra flavor, but the bread is fine without it. If you don't want to add the juice, just add another liquid in its place - milk or water would work.
Stacey says
Do you need to cut the cranberries in half first or just add whole?
Kathy says
Hi Stacey,
I add the cranberries whole.
Enjoy,
Kathy 🙂
Judy says
Could you use butter instead of oil? I use butter in banana bread—so good.
Kathy says
Hi Judy,
Butter should be just fine to use in place of the oil.
Kathy 🙂
Valentina says
Such a beautiful bread. I LOVE the generous amount of cranberries, Kathy. One in every bite. Looks like it's studded with red jewels. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy says
I truly love cranberries so this is a bread made for me! 🙂
Daryl Byers says
Question...what size loaf pan? 8 inch or 9 inches?
Thanks!
Kathy says
Hi Daryl,
I used a 9 inch bread pan.
Enjoy!
Kathy 🙂
David @ Spiced says
You know, putting spins on old favorites is one of the best things to do! For some reason, I've really been on the cranberry kick this year, too. I'm impressed that this bread includes an entire bag of cranberries! I'm thinking a slice of this along with a hot cup of coffee would be the perfect way to start the morning during the holidays. 🙂
Kathy says
To be honest, I wasn't certain the first time I baked this if the bread would even hold together with all that fruit, but it did! And all those cranberries are so delicious.
Enjoy!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I love anything cranberry this time of year Kathy. I've been waiting for fresh cranberries to hit our local market. Can't wait!
Kathy says
Me too! Keep looking for those cranberries - they should be there!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
This cranberry bread not only sounds delicious, it's beautiful too! Love the pops of colour from the cranberries. So festive, bet it would be awesome for the holidays!