Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
This pumpkin cranberry bread has sweet pumpkin and tart cranberries for the best fall flavors. Serve it for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning with your favorite coffee.
You may also love my cranberry orange bread and cinnamon bread recipes.
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My pumpkin bread has always been a fall favorite. Lately, I’ve been adding tart cranberries as one of the ingredients and the results are amazing.
The cranberries balance the sweetness and give the loaf some pretty color and flavor.
This pumpkin cranberry bread is moist, tender, slices beautifully, and tastes amazing with a little butter or seasonal cream cheese.
How to Make Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F and greasing a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Line it with parchment paper so the sugar and cranberries don’t caramelize to the sides of the pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. It will be thick once everything is mixed.
In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Combine the flour mixture with the pumpkin mixture and stir just until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Be careful not to overmix or the texture can turn dense.
Fold in the chopped fresh cranberries. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil during the last 10–15 minutes. Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then move it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Tips for Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
- Fresh cranberries work best, but frozen cranberries can be used, too. Leave them whole and stir them right into the batter.
- Start checking the bread around the 55–60 minute mark to make sure it doesn’t over bake.
- Make sure to measure the pumpkin purée correctly. Otherwise, the bread will have too much moisture and won’t bake properly.
- You can use pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg. You can also add in a pinch of ginger or cloves for added flavor.
Storing and Freezing
Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze it for up to 2 months.
Wrap individual slices before freezing for easy thaw-and-serve portions.
More Quick Bread Recipes
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
- ½ cup canola oil, or another neutral oil
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan, line it with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.1 ½ cups granulated sugar¼ cup light brown sugar1 cup canned pumpkin purée½ cup canola oil⅓ cup water2 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Don’t overmix.
- Gently fold in the chopped cranberries.1 cup fresh cranberries
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 65–75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Suggested Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Meet Kimberly
Hi, I’m Kimberly Vargo! Comfort food is at the heart of everything I make like easy dinners and sides to desserts, cocktails, and condiments. A lot of my inspiration comes from old family recipes, personal favorites, and vintage cookbooks.
