This Orange Cranberry Bread recipe has a super moist crumb filled with tart cranberries and fresh orange zest then topped with sweet orange glaze. It makes a great holiday breakfast, afternoon snack, or homemade gift.
You can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make this sweet bread, and feel free to experiment with adding different nuts and fruits to the batter. It's the most delicious cranberry bread with orange glaze.
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Orange Cranberry Bread Recipe
This super moist Cranberry Orange Bread recipe is a holiday favorite that I have been known to serve for breakfast, brunch, afternoon coffee breaks, dessert, or packaged as gifts for friends and family.
The quick bread batter is filled with fresh cranberries and orange zest, then baked to perfection and glazed with our homemade orange glaze. You can easily double the recipe and save one loaf for later, give one away, or go ahead and eat them both.
If you love this recipe and are looking for more cranberry recipes, try our Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake, Cranberry Orange Cookies, Cranberry Orange Sauce, or Baked Cranberry Brie.
Cranberry Orange Bread Ingredients
- Flour - all-purpose flour is great for this recipe.
- Baking Powder - the baking powder helps the batter rise and keeps the cake nice and fluffy.
- Salt - sea salt works great.
- Sugar - this recipe calls for white granulated sugar.
- Butter - your butter should be at room temperature so that it will mix properly with the sugar. You can either pull it out to room temperature for at least 1 hour ahead of time, or warm it for about 5-10 seconds at a time in a microwave just until soft.
- Eggs - any large eggs will work. It's best if your egg is at room temperature, which you can do by either pulling it from the fridge ahead of time or running the whole egg under warm water.
- Orange Zest - you will need the zest from about 1 medium orange.
- Orange Juice - you will need a total of about ½ cup of fresh orange juice for this recipe because you will also need some for the orange glaze.
- Cranberries - I recommend using fresh cranberries rather than frozen cranberries or dry cranberries. However, any type of cranberry will work.
For the Orange Glaze
- Powdered Sugar - powdered sugar is great for making glaze because it stays super smooth.
- Orange Juice - for the best flavor, use fresh orange juice.
How to Make Orange Cranberry Bread
- Mix the batter. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest, milk, and eggs, and mix on low until the batter is smooth. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined, then gently fold the cranberries in by hand.
- Bake. Transfer the batter to your prepared baking dish and spread the batter evenly. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges are golden brown.
- Cool. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edges of the bread and tease the bread out of the pan. Let cool completely on wire racks while you make the orange glaze.
- Make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and orange juice and whisk until combined.
- Glaze and serve. Use a piping bag or a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the top of your cooled Cranberry Bread. Enjoy!
Cranberry Bread Recipe Variation Ideas
Here are a few ideas to switch up and enhance your Cranberry Bread:
- Almond Orange Cranberry Bread: Add almond extract to the batter for a subtle nutty flavor. Fold in chopped almonds or sprinkle sliced almonds on top before baking.
- Ginger Orange Cranberry Bread: Mix ground ginger into the batter for a warm and spicy kick. Top the bread with a ginger-infused glaze or candied ginger pieces.
- Cranberry Walnut Bread: Incorporate chopped walnuts into the batter and sprinkle more on top before baking.
- Cranberry Apple Bread: add diced caramelized apples to the batter before baking.
- Cranberry Banana Bread: make your favorite banana bread recipe but add fresh or frozen cranberries to the batter.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use fresh, frozen, or dried cranberries for baking. It’s really up to you and what you have available. I prefer to use fresh cranberries for this cranberry bread recipe because I love the pop of flavor and that they don’t turn the entire batter pink. Frozen cranberries should be thawed before using, but from there they make delicious bread.
My favorite way to enjoy this glazed Orange Cranberry Bread is either room temperature or slightly warmed.
Yes! Allow the bread to cool completely, then transfer to freezer bags and store frozen for up to 2 months. Do not glaze the bread prior to freezing as it will become pretty messy.
Absolutely - just fill the cake batter into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners. They should be about ? full. The baking time will depend on the size of your muffin tins, but will take less time than your bread would. They are finished when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Storing - cranberry bread can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer - store completely cooled loaves of cranberry bread in freezer bags for up to 2 months in the freezer. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight or room temperature for a few hours.
- To warm: to warm, place in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes, or until just warmed.
Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Sugar
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- 1¼ cups Cranberries fresh
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease a 4" x 8" loaf pan, or line with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest, milk, and eggs, and mix on low until the batter is smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined, then gently fold the cranberries in by hand. Transfer the batter to your prepared baking dish and spread the batter evenly.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edges of the bread and tease the bread out of the pan. Let cool completely on wire racks while you make the orange glaze.
Orange Glaze
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and orange juice and whisk until combined. Use a piping bag or a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the top of your cooled Cranberry Bread. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
- Mixed Berry Muffins
- Orange Cranberry Muffins
- Homemade Banana Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Cake Mix Pumpkin Muffins
- Apple Bread
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- More Quick Bread Recipes
- More Breakfast Recipes
This Cranberry Orange Bread recipe is super moist, filled with plump cranberries, and topped with a homemade orange glaze. It's perfect for holiday brunches, snacking at home, or gifting to friends and family.
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