Orange Cranberry Bread with Glaze

This orange cranberry bread is incredibly moist, dense, and full of orange and cranberry in every bite. It’s even topped with a sweet orange glaze that puts it over the top. We think it’s the best orange cranberry bread around!

It’s taken three years of trial and error to get this bread recipe perfected. Not that I’ve worked on it for three years straight. Cranberries are only in season from mid-September through mid-November. You get what I’m saying, though. Three years of recipe testing during cranberry season.

The first year I used dried, sweetened cranberries and tried to plump them up a bit by soaking them in hot water. That loaf tasted like it had gummy candy pieces throughout, so it didn’t make the cut. Last year, the recipe turned out too dry and way too dark. I can’t even remember where it went wrong. This is year three, and I’m happy to say it was a success!

This moist, orange cranberry bread is sweet, a little tart, and wonderfully dense. It’s the perfect dessert for any holiday dinner table.

How to Make Orange Cranberry Bread:

I love how quickly this recipe comes together in regards to prep work. The longest part is the baking time. Start by letting the oven preheat while you’re making the batter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside. In a separate small bowl, stir together the orange zest and sugar. The sugar should turn a light orange color and have a slightly damp consistency from the oils in the zest.  Set that bowl aside as well.

I used a stand mixer for the remainder of the recipe, but a large bowl and hand mixer or whisk will also work. Place the buttermilk, oil, eggs, orange juice and vanilla in the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix the ingredients on low until they are combined.

Add in the flour mixture and orange zest and sugar. Continue to mix on low until the batter resembles a muffin or pancake batter. Next, add the cranberries. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the fresh cranberries into the batter.

Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. The cranberries float naturally, so there’s no need to try and push them down. They’ll just float back to the top. Place the pan in the oven, and bake for 70 to 75 minutes.

After the cranberry bread finishes baking, allow it to rest for 5 to 10 before removing it from the loaf pan and transferring to a cooling rack. While the bread cools, make the orange glaze. In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar and orange juice until creamy. The orange juice amount can be adjusted, so the glaze is the thickness you like.

Once the bread cools completely, drizzle with the orange glaze. Slice and serve! The cranberry bread stays freshest when its refrigerated in an airtight container and is best when eaten within 3 days.

Not only does this sweet bread make an awesome dessert, it makes a great holiday gift idea for friends, family, and co-workers.

Common Questions About Orange Cranberry Bread:

• How do you make orange cranberry bread without orange juice? In the bread portion of the recipe, substitute the orange juice for equal parts of buttermilk. Then add 1 to 2 teaspoons of orange extract. For the glaze, use a 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of orange extract, depending on taste. Substitute the orange juice with equal parts of milk.
• How do you keep the bread from browning too quickly while it bakes? Make an aluminum foil tent to place over the bread. I did this and added the tent about 15-20 minutes before the cranberry bread finished baking.
• How do you bake at a high altitude? I live in the mountains. Do I need to adjust the recipe? We live at around 1,300 feet and are in a mountain range. Although, it’s not super high in terms of elevation, we’ve certainly had to make changes from baking at 30 feet above sea level to 1,300 feet. Here’s a great resource we found that explains how to make adjustments for high altitude baking.
• Where are the walnuts and pecans in this orange cranberry bread? I’m so glad that you asked! A member of our household has a nut allergy, so we left those out this time. However, either walnuts or pecans would taste great in the recipe. Feel free to add them as an optional ingredient.

Looking for other sweet dessert bread recipes? Give these holiday favorites a try!

Classic Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls (A Christmas Morning Favorite)

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Print

Orange Cranberry Bread with Glaze

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 15 mins

Cool Time

30 mins

Total Time

2 hrs

 

This orange cranberry bread is incredibly moist, dense, and full of orange and cranberry in every bite. It's even topped with a sweet orange glaze that puts it over the top. We think it's the best orange cranberry bread around!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Sweet, Holiday Dessert, Thanksgiving Recipe, Christmas Recipe, Dessert Loaf, Dessert Bread, Citrus Bread

Servings: 10 Servings

Calories: 346 kcal

Author: Kimberly

Ingredients

Bread

• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
• 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 Cup Canola or Vegetable OIl
• 1/2 Cup Orange Juice
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Cranberries

Glaze

• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons Orange Juice

Instructions

Bread

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9 x 5 - inch loaf pan. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

3. 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.

4. Add to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl and hand mixer), the buttermilk, oil, orange juice, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined.

5. Add the flour mixture and the orange zest/sugar mixture. Continue to mix on low speed until all the ingredients are smooth like muffin batter. 

6. Next, add the cranberries and use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until well incorporated.

7. Transfer the batter to the greased loaf pan. Place in the oven and baked for 70-75 minutes. If the bread begins to become too brown, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top to prevent burning.

8. 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 5-7 minutes before transferring from the pan to a cooling rack.

Glaze

1. While the bread cools, make the glaze.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar and orange juice. 

3. 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.

4. After the bread cools completely, drizzle the glaze over the top, slice, and serve. 

5. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

*Calories listed are an approximate based on ingredients used and serving size listed. 

*Bread bakes with a light brown crust which was removed for the photos and the video to show the inside and cranberries.

Nutrition Facts

Orange Cranberry Bread with Glaze

Amount Per Serving

Calories 346 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 12g 18%

Saturated Fat 9g 45%

Cholesterol 38mg 13%

Sodium 144mg 6%

Potassium 141mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 55g 18%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 34g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 2.3%

Vitamin C 13%

Calcium 4.3%

Iron 7.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.