Cranberry Orange Bread
This Cranberry Orange Bread is incredibly moist, deliciously dense, loaded with orange flavor and juicy cranberries, and finished with a sweet orange glaze. Just 15 minutes to prep!
Easy Orange Cranberry Bread with Fresh Cranberries
It took years of trial and error to get this cranberry orange bread recipe perfected. And I do believe I’ve done it!
This is an easy quick bread recipe that’s perfect for the holiday season. It’s simple to make and uses all your basic pantry staples.
The texture is incredibly soft, it has just the right balance of sweet and tart, and the whole cranberries add a sweet burst of juicy flavor that’s really hard to beat.
This is an easy recipe that everyone will love! It will have you looking forward to cranberry season every year! It’s the perfect treat for fall, for Christmas brunch, or for any day you darn please.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread
This delicious quick bread recipe is really so quick and easy to make! Just a few minutes of hands-on time before it goes into the oven.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full instructions and ingredient amounts.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl, use a spoon to mix together sugar and orange zest until the sugar is light orange.
- In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, orange juice, eggs, and vanilla. Add in the flour mixture and the orange zest mixture and whisk until just combined.
- Add in the fresh cranberries, then stir until well incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, then bake at 350ºF until a toothpick comes out of the center with a very light crumb.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice to make the glaze. Drizzle over the cooled bread, then cut into individual slices and serve.
Tips and Notes
- Texture: One thing to note about the texture is that the finished bread is not going to feel like a light and fluffy cake. It’s moist and dense!
- Baking: 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!
- Pan size: I use a 9×5-inch pan for this recipe. It will also work in a smaller 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan, but the cook time will need to be adjusted a bit. It will dome a little better in a smaller pan.
- Use a microplane to zest the orange. A microplane zests the orange super finely and brings out all the natural oils for that fresh, delicious orange flavor.
- Don’t over-mix. Mix the bread only until just combined, so it doesn’t end up too dense.
- If you notice the top of the bread browning too quickly, make an aluminum foil tent and cover the loaf pan to finish out the baking time.
- Cool completely before frosting. I recommend cooling for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then turning the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Variations
- Add nuts. Try tossing in a handful of toasted pecans or walnuts for some extra flavor and texture.
- Make cranberry orange muffins. Looking for a muffin recipe? Check out my cranberry orange muffins with streusel topping instead.
- Make mini loaves. Several of our readers have made this recipe into 3 mini loaves or 5 mini loaves with alternative pan sizes. Keep in mind that the baking time will vary, so watch the loaves closely so as not to over-bake.
- No buttermilk? Add ½ tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk to reach ½ cup. Stir, then let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Not a fan of canola oil or vegetable oil? Swap it out for another neutral tasting oil of your choice.
- Make it gluten-free. We’ve had readers report great success by swapping the regular flour out for a 1:1 substitute such as Bob’s Red Mill, Measure for Measure, or Cup 4 Cup. Make sure the rest of your ingredients are gluten-free too!
Serving Suggestions
This orange cranberry bread makes a great breakfast, snack, or dessert! I love to serve it as a sweet breakfast alongside a warm cup of coffee.
If you’re serving it as part of a larger breakfast, pair it with any of these classic recipes:
Storage
Room Temperature: Cranberry orange bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Keep in mind that it will soften and get slightly gummy as it sits.
If you swap the orange juice out for milk in the glaze, it should be stored in the fridge.
Refrigerator: For slightly longer storage, your cranberry orange loaf can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Freezer: To freeze this bread, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing without icing, then adding that before serving!
Thawing/Reheating: To thaw frozen bread, simply let it sit in the fridge overnight. If you want to reheat it, you can warm it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time or until the desired temperature is reached.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Dried or Frozen Cranberries Instead of Fresh Cranberries?
You can! This recipe was developed using fresh cranberries, so those are recommended, but dried or frozen cranberries will work too if that’s what you have on hand.
If you’re using dried cranberries, I recommend adding them to a little hot water to soak for 10 minutes. This helps them plump up a bit for a little more volume and texture.
How Can I Keep the Cranberries from Floating to the Top of the Bread?
Baking with fresh cranberries can be frustrating, because the cranberries have a tendency to float to the top of the bread, meaning they’re no longer evenly distributed throughout the loaf.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to toss the cranberries in a light coating of flour before adding them to the batter.
Alternatively, you can chop them into smaller pieces. Either one of these options work to keep the cranberries from floating to the top.
Why is My Cranberry Bread Green?
If you notice a slightly green tinge to your bread, don’t worry. This is normal!
That change in color is simply a reaction between the acidity of the cranberries and the alkaline properties of the baking powder.
More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love
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 pure 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 pure 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.
- Scroll up and see the post for tips, frequently asked questions, and storage options.
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! 🙂
We love this bread!
We’re so happy to hear that, Rhonda! Thanks so much for the comment and the star rating! Happy New Year! 🙂
This recipe is baking at this writing. Anxious to taste the results as I adjusted the recipe for altitude at 8100’ as instructed by the article for high altitude cooking included with this recipe. The high altitude article information is the most complete I’ve seen. Will let you know how all turns out!
Hi Sandy!
We hope you enjoy the bread and are glad the high altitude information was helpful. Have a wonderful evening! 🙂
It was really good but using the fresh cranberries made it more tart than I expected but it was still good , but my husband was expecting much sweeter but that was probably because he was thinking cake, not bread. 😂
Hi Beth!
Thank you so much for the comment! The fresh cranberries do add quite a bit of tartness to the bread. If you decide to make it again, sweetened dried cranberries may be a better option. They’ll still be slightly tart but not nearly as tart as fresh cranberries. We hope you have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Made this bread last night and loved it. I will definitely make again. I followed the recipe as written (very easy to follow by the way). I didn’t have Canola Oil so I had to use Vegetable Oil. I didn’t have Buttermilk but I followed the substitute suggested by adding vinegar with the milk and letting it sit for 10 minutes. Everything worked Perfectly. Texture of bread was perfect and turned out so pretty. Great recipe!
Thank you so much, Dawn! We’re so happy the bread turned out well. We hope you have a wonderful weekend! 🙂