Best Orange Cranberry Bread
Our orange cranberry bread recipe has real cranberries, orange zest, and a simple glaze for a moist, flavorful loaf. It’s perfect for breakfast or gift giving.
You may also love my banana bread and pumpkin bread recipes.
This orange cranberry bread always disappears fast at our house. It’s full of fresh cranberries, a bright orange flavor, and a sweet glaze that soaks into every bite.
This bread uses simple pantry staples and comes together fast. If you love quick bread recipes like cinnamon bread, this one fits right in for the fall season and holiday baking.
How to Make Orange Cranberry Bread
Here’s an overview explaining how I make this bread recipe. The full list of ingredients and instructions is further down the page.
Start by whisking the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt) in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, stir the sugar and orange zest together until it looks light orange in color.
In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, oil, orange juice, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and orange sugar to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the batter comes together. Make sure not to overmix.
Next, fold in the cranberries. You can toss them in a little flour or cut them in half if you want to keep them from floating to the top of the loaf.
Transfer the batter to a greased 9×5-inch pan and bake at 350°F until the center tests clean with a toothpick. If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.
Cool the loaf in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then move it to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Orange Cranberry Bread Tips and Notes
- This is a dense, moist quick bread. It’s not a fluffy cake.
- I recommend using a microplane to create a super fine orange zest that blends easily into the sugar.
- Use the correct pan size; a smaller loaf may rise a bit higher, but it may also cause the batter to overflow.
- If your oven runs hot, cover the pan loosely with foil so the loaf doesn’t brown too fast.
- Make sure the bread cools completely before adding the glaze.
- Use parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Variations
- Add nuts! Pecans or walnuts add extra texture and pair well with the citrus flavor.
- Make mini loaves! Readers have made this into 3–5 mini loaves. You’ll need to shorten the bake time and watch closely for doneness.
- Make it gluten-free. A 1:1 gluten-free blend like Cup4Cup or Measure for Measure works well.
- Out of buttermilk? Mix regular milk with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for 5–10 minutes instead.
- Swap the oil. Any neutral tasting oil works if you don’t want to use canola or vegetable oil.
- Baking info: This bread bakes differently depending on elevation, oven type, pan type, etc. Check out this article for high altitude baking or this article for metal pans vs glass pans to achieve the best outcome!
Can I use dried or frozen cranberries?
Yes! If using dried, soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes so they soften up. Frozen cranberries can be added right into the batter. No need to thaw them!
How do I keep the cranberries from floating to the top?
Toss them in a spoonful of flour before folding them into the batter, or chop them slightly. Either method helps keep them evenly distributed.
How to Store Leftovers
Room Temperature:
Keep the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. It will continue to soften as it sits because of the moisture in the cranberries. If you’ve used milk in the glaze, you’ll need to refrigerate the bread.
Refrigerator:
Store in the refrigerator for 4–5 days in a sealed container.
Freezer:
For longer storage, wrap the whole loaf or the slices tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Freeze the bread without the glaze when possible, then add it after thawing.
Thawing and Reheating:
Thaw the bread in the refrigerator overnight. Warm individual slices in the microwave for 10–15 seconds if you prefer them slightly warm.
More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love
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How to Video
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup canola oil, or other neutral tasting oil
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
To Make the Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9 x 5 – inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate small bowl, use a spoon to mix the sugar and orange zest until the sugar becomes light orange in color. Set aside.1 cup granulated sugar1 tablespoon orange zest
- Take a third large bowl and whisk the buttermilk, oil, orange juice, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and the orange zest/sugar mixture, and whisk until just combined. Don’t overmix!½ cup buttermilk½ cup canola oil½ cup orange juice2 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Next, add the cranberries and use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until well incorporated.1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
- Transfer the batter to the greased loaf pan. Place in the oven and baked for 65-75 minutes. If the bread begins to brown too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top to prevent burning.
- The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a very light crumb. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring from the pan to a cooling rack.
To Make the Glaze
- While the bread cools, make the glaze.
- In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar and orange juice.1 cup powdered sugar2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice
- Whisk or use a hand mixer on low until the glaze is smooth and creamy. Adjust the amount of orange juice to reach desired consistency.
- After the bread cools completely, drizzle the glaze over the top, slice, and serve.
Suggested Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
We’d Love If You’d Rate It Leave a Review!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.
I’ve been making this recipe over the last few years and it’s always a hit. This is my go to bread , the very best I’ve tried . The soft citrus taste combined with the fresh cranberries is so lovely . The glaze makes it sing !!
Thank you so much, Mary! We love to hear that and appreciate the star rating. Have a wonderful evening! 🙂
This is absolutely, hands down the best Orange Cranberry Bread! I make it all year with frozen cranberries and I always get compliments! Thank you Berlyskitchen!
Thank you, Susan! We appreciate your compliments. Have a wonderful day!
Made it and came out great! Went to get cranberries and they’re gone!! End of season and no frozen ones available! Oh no! I saw in the comments that dried cranberries could work but what about blueberries? Would I still use orange or change to lemon? Would that work? Any other suggestions? Thanks again for a great recipe.
Good morning, Evie. Thank you for commenting and rating the recipe! Kim and I are thrilled you liked the bread. In regard to your question, you can use blueberries. Whether you decide to switch the juice to lemons instead of oranges is up to you. The lemon would be more traditional; however, if you like the combined flavors of orange and blueberry, then go for it. With that being said, if you use blueberries, the bread may become very wet and take a little longer to cook. Secondly, if you use lemons, taste test batter and add more sugar as needed. I hope this information helps. Have a lovely day 🙂
Thank you for responding. I’ll keep that in mind. I did make it with the dried cranberries and it was good but they’re not as tart as the fresh or frozen cranberries.
No problem, Evie. The dried cranberries can be hit or miss. Especially if the manufacturer added extra sugar to them. Kim and I hope you have a wonderful day 🙂
I have not tasted it yet. I am bringing it to an elderly couple tomorrow. They haven’t been able to get out much, so I thought this new year. Now I’m taking over tea cups, and all my tea, equipment, napkins, placemats, goals, spoons go forks, sugar cubes all for them and I’m sure they’re gonna love this. It looks amazing. Thank you so much.
Oh my gosh! I love this. It’s like a tea party. 😁 I hope they enjoy the bread. It sounds like such a fun time. Thank you so much for the comment and for rating the recipe. Have a great rest of the week, Emma! 🙂
Your intro says baking powder and baking soda but I did not see baking soda anywhere on the recipe or instructions. Did I miss something or was this just a typo ?
Hi Cindy!
Thank you so much asking. That’s a typo. I recently updated the text and added that by mistake. Fixing it now. Thanks again! 😁
Made two loaves in one day because it was easy and delicious 😋 I love the tangy bite of the cranberries and the citrus flavor. I used 2-3 T of zest which really pumped up the flavor ❤️
That’s wonderful Cindy! Thank you for coming back to comment on and rate the recipe. We appreciate it! Have a great day 🙂
Very tasty! I added a teaspoon of orange extract to bump up the orange flavor (personal preference) and I left it in a few minutes too long (my mistake). It still came out very yummy.
One thing; when I added the wet and dry ingredients together, the batter was very lumpy. I was concerned about over-mixing but I got most of the lumps out and I don’t think it was dense from too much mixing. Overall a good recipe that will make it into my holiday rotation.
Hi Christine!
Thank you so much for the comment. I love the part about adding the orange extract. That’s a great idea! We’re glad you enjoyed the bread. Have a wonderful evening! 🙂
This bread is easy to make and it’s moist and tender. It’s become a much loved holiday classic in our family!
Hi, Deb! Thank you so much for the comment and for rating the recipe. John and I are glad that you and your family love the bread. Have a wonderful evening! 🙂
What does the texture of the cake taste like? I’ve tried the recipe several times and sometimes it tasted like tasty pound cake, but sometimes it came out a bit compacted and gummy. Just wondered if room-temperature ingredients matter in this recipe or if it’s overbaked. Thanks.
Hi Jannie!
The texture of the bread is dense and moist in order to hold up to the cranberries-similar to a pound cake but not exactly the same. I’ve used both room temperature and chilled ingredients with good results, but my preference is room temp. They tend to mix a little easier. There are a few things that come to mind in regards to the bread sometimes being compacted/gummy.
1. Extra moisture: either due to accidentally adding too much liquid or the cranberries may have released extra juice.
2. Underbaking: thinking the bread is done and pulling it too early.
3. Overmixing: this overworks the gluten and can affect how the bread rises.
4. Oven temp: if you’re using a different oven for the loaves, they may not heat the same way.
5. Cutting it too early: if the bread is still warm when it’s cut, it can have a gummy texture.
Hope that helps! Have a lovely evening! 🙂
Thank you so much for so many useful details. You are so kind and helpful!!
You’re very welcome, and thank you! 🙂
I doubled it to make Christmas presents. It is very yummy.
Hi, Toni! Thanks so much for the comment and star rating. We’re glad you enjoyed the bread and hope your holidays are wonderful! 🙂
Can you use dried orange peel in place of orange zest? I realize it won’t turn the sugar orange but will it affect the taste of the bread?
Hi Cindy,
It’s going to change the taste and maybe even the texture. That doesn’t mean the bread won’t turn out and still be good. 🙂
I make this recipe every year, and it is addictive! There are plenty of Orange Cranberry Bread recipes out there, but this one is my favorite. This stays moist and delicious for days!
Hi Tessa!
Thanks so much for the comment and the star rating. We’re so glad to hear this bread is your favorite and that you come back to it every year. It’s really appreciated. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
can I put this in those small ceramic little loaf shape if I make 2 of them
Good morning, Vicki, you should be able to make the bread into smaller loaves. We’ve had other reader’s do it in the past. Just remember to adjust the cook time slightly. They won’t take as long to bake as one large loaf. Have a wonderful day!
This is a great recipe! I love the combination of cranberry and orange flavors, it’s so festive. I finally found a way to get cranberries back on my Thanksgiving table without any leftovers! Thank you!
Awe, thanks so much! We’re glad you like it and appreciate the star rating and comment. Have a lovely Thanksgiving! 🙂
Please help me! I love this cake so much but every time I make it, it sinks in the middle. What am I doing wrong??? It also over flows. Nora
Hi Nora!
Can you please tell me what kind of pan you’re using and its size? Is the pan glass or metal and is it a 9×5-inch? That will help me start to narrow down possible issues.
Fantastic! I’ve made it many times and it’s always perfect.
Thank you Mary Lou! We’re glad you enjoy the cranberry bread 🙂
can I use dried cranberries, I am not able to find fresh or frozen right now.
Good Morning, absolutely, you can use dried cranberries in place of fresh ones. In fact, we talked about in the post and there are some tips on how to use the dried cranberries just above the recipe card. Thank you for asking and have a wonderful day Julie!
‘Looking forward to making this but wondered about 2 things:
Would I still use 1 1/2 cups of berries if using dried instead of fresh/frozen?
Also, am I correct in assuming that the dried berries be measured before plumping?
Good morning Jacey, those are good questions. The 1.5 cups of berries refers to the fresh berries. So, when using dried, plump them up in the water first, then measure out the 1.5 cups of berries. Start by using 1 cup of dried. Plump them in warm water for 10 minutes. Then drain them and measure the plumped berries. You should have close to the 1.5 cups needed. If not, plump a few more dried cranberries and measure again. Repeat the process until you have the required amount. Hopefully, my explanation helps and have a lovely day 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly came out beautifully. It’s full of flavor and very moist. Made my house smell like childhood Christmas memories. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you Mary for commenting and rating the recipe! Have a lovely day 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe. It turns out perfect every time I love giving This bread to my neighbors along with other goodies at Christmas. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Thank you for your wonderful comments Tina! We appreciate them. Also, thank you for rating the recipe. Have a lovely Christmas holiday! 🙂
Delicious and easy to make. One of my family’s favorites!
Thank you Lisa! Kim and I are glad everybody enjoyed the bread. Have a lovely day 🙂
Great recipe. I love how the instructions have the measurements under them. I have never made anything like this with fresh cranberries. The loaf turned out perfect
Thank you Laura! Kim and I are thrilled you enjoyed the bread. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
Do I need to make any adjustments for high altitudes? I am at over 6000 ft.
Good morning Debbie, that’s a good question. In fact, we already answered it in the post. Scroll down to the Tips and Notes section and check out the Baking part. There’s a link there that should help. Have a wonderful day 🙂
My husband and I loved this recipe. I am going to make it for my family at Christmas – so festive. Thank you, Kim
Hi, Kim!
We’re so happy you and your husband enjoyed it. Thank you so much for coming back to let us know and to rate the recipe. Have a fantastic weekend! 😊
Loved the recipe. Cranberries did float to the top the first time I made it. Halved the Cranberries thereafter, no more floating Cranberries.
RJK
Thank you Robert! We appreciate the feedback and we’re glad you enjoyed the bread. Thank you again for sharing your comments and rating the recipe. Have a great day!
Love this receipe…the bread is moist and delicious. Great flavor. I added some zest and vanilla to the icing.
Thank you Rachel! Adding zest and vanilla to the icing sounds wonderful. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
I’m diabetic, may I substitute Splenda in this recipe?
Good morning Mary, that’s an excellent question. Honestly, I don’t know if Splenda would work in the bread. It’s up to you, if you want to try the substitution. I’m curious to know if it would work. Please let us know how the bread turns out, if you decide go through with the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
Absolutely delicious, I have made this loaf many times now and it’s always a pleaser! I follow the recipe to a tee but use frozen cranberries all the time, I keep them in the freezer till the last minute and then toss with a Tbsp of flour and incorporate into the batter, works like a charm. I almost always add a bit of orange zest to the glaze as well…everyone loves this loaf, I love baking and sharing it with family and friends!!!
That’s awesome, thank you Karen! Kim and I are thrilled everyone enjoys the bread. Tossing the frozen cranberries in flour sounds like a great idea when using frozen berries. Also, the extra orange zest in glaze adds a ton of flavor. Thank you again for sharing and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
You answered both questions I had about preventing cran berries from floating1. Dredge cranberries before adding and adding jest to glaze! Thank you!
Thanks For The Recipe of The Orange Cranberry Bread With Glaze. It’s An Act Of Love!
Thank you so much for commenting on the recipe and have a lovely day 🙂
Great recipe. Used King Arthur measure for measure gf flour. Baked in a 8×4 pan. Didn’t even need to add the glaze. It is yummy. Baked for 65. Min. Turned out moist and delicious.
Thank you Carol! We will make sure other readers can see your changes. Thank you again for sharing your experience making the bread. Have a lovely day!
Made this a couple of times and it’s wonderful every time. I use frozen cranberries and they work great!
Thank you Debbie! We’re thrilled you enjoy the bread. Using frozen cranberries is great way to make this dessert year-round. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
I made this on a cold, snowy day. Absolutely delicious. Hot cup of coffee and a slice of this cranberry bread warms heart and soul. ❤️
Thank you Carol! We’re glad you enjoy the cranberry orange bread. It’s definitely a tasty treat on a cold day. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
Hi. I have made this many times and love it but this time it looks like all the cranberries have floated to the top. Why would this be?
Good Morning Julie, that’s a great question. Cranberries are hollow in the center. So, when using fresh/frozen whole cranberries, they can sometimes float to the top of your breads, cakes, or pastries. In fact, their hollow centers play a role in harvesting cranberries. Farmers will flood the fields and capture the cranberries when they float to the top. It happens and it’s nothing you did. I hope this information helps and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Best orange cranberry bread recipe ever! Moist and delicious!
I use Grand Meringue instead of orange juice in the glaze.
Thank you Leisa! I bet the liqueur add extra flavor to the glaze. Have a lovely holiday weekend 🙂
Absolutely Delicious!
Moist, delicious bread. Made with this easy-to-follow recipe, using fresh oranges from our tree and the recommendation to add nuts, turned out very good. It was a crowd-pleaser during the holidays, and will definitely make it again. Deserving of Five stars +plus! Thank you
That’s wonderful to hear Susi! Thank you for commenting and have a lovely Friday!
Did everything to the tee. Outside got burned and inside is still gooey. I baked it for 70 mins first. Then added another 5 mins. Haven’t sliced it yet! . What can I change the next time? Thanks.
Good Morning Sharmila, let me apologize for the delayed answer. We’ve been having some tech issues on the site and were not aware of your comment. As far as your question is concerned, I’m sorry to hear the bread did not turn out as expected. Just a disclaimer, the bread is moist/borderline gooey in the center. It’s just a wet bread. There are few things that could have caused that issue. First thing is the loaf pan. If you used a glass loaf pan, you would need to lower the temp to 325 degrees and let the bread cook even longer. Make sure you have the foil tent over the bread to keep the outside from burning. Another reason could be the oven itself. We moved a lot over the years and well, all ovens are different. They have quirks, like hot spots and cold spots (differences in temperature in different spots). I’ve cooked muffins and cupcakes the same way for 20 years now and they can turn out different based on the oven. It can be frustrating. The only way to combat that is to simply know your oven. For example, every recipe states, “place the pan on the middle rack in the center of the oven.” Well, sometimes, I have to put it on the top rack slightly to the right because the middle center has a hot spot that’s 10 degrees higher than the rest of the oven. I tested the issue using an oven safe thermometer. It was wild. Those are only two things I can isolate since you didn’t make any changes to the recipe. I hope this information helps. Again, I apologize for the late response.
Can you use canned berry cranberries?
Good morning Kim, I would not recommend using canned cranberries in our bread. However, you can use dried or frozen (once they’re thawed and drained) in our cranberry bread recipe. Thank you for asking and have a wonderful day 🙂
Do you think chopped pecans would be good in this bread?
Good Morning Delphi! Let apologize for the delated replay. Our website was having some issues and was not making us aware of new comments. To respond to your question, absolutely! My father used to put chopped pecan or walnuts in his quick breads all the time. They add a delicious nutty flavor to the breads. Thank your for your question and have a lovely day!
Hi! I’m going to make this the night before and bring to a dinner the next day as the dessert. Should I hold off on glazing it until before I leave, or the afternoon of the day it is being served? I don’t want it to be mushy. Has anyone made this without the glaze? Thank you!
Good morning May, I’m so sorry for the delayed response. We had a software issue and didn’t realize we had pending comments. In response to your question, I would wait until the afternoon (just before serving) to add the glaze. Otherwise, yes the bread could become sticky/mushy. Thank you for your question and have a wonderful Friday!
I’m cooking this recipe for the first time and even before taste it I want to celebrate it ! The way the recipe is written with a gently reminder of the ingredients under the description is SOOOO clever and efficient! I’d wish all the recipe are written like that ! Good job !!!
Thank you Anne-Isabelle! We try to make things as user friendly as possible 🙂
So delicious! I did add a small box of instant vanilla pudding and an additional 1/4 cup of flour. Turned out incredible.
Thank you Nikki! Cool, we’ve never tried adding vanilla pudding to the bread. We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe. Have a lovely day 🙂
My late mother loved cranberry orange bread & with all the positive comments I plan on making mini loaves this weekend 😁
OMG!!!! Love this recipe. Bread was easy to make. Will make again. The taste was amazing!!❤️❤️
Thank you Lea! Kim and I are thrilled you enjoyed the cranberry bread. Have a lovely week 🙂
@Anita, when you used the frozen cranberries did you thaw them first or just add frozen?
This bread was so easy to make and delicious!
Thank you so much, Donna! We’re so glad you enjoyed the bread. Have a fantastic weekend! 🙂