The Best Cranberry Bread Recipe
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This Orange Cranberry Bread recipe is an homage to the ones my mom made every fall season when I was growing up. It’s easy to make with seasonal ingredients—sweet, tart, and full of juicy New England cranberries and bright orange flavor. One bite and you’re hooked!
Orange Cranberry Bread is a classic around the holidays, using seasonal cranberries and citrus. I can’t imagine a year without Mom’s cranberry bread, and this recipe is a riff on hers. My version is sweeter, uses whole cranberries, and has an orange icing– which makes the bread really orange-y.
This recipe for cranberry walnut bread is easy to put together, and you can make it ahead because it’s even better the next day! It’s moist, sweet, and just a little tart—the perfect winter bread for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert during the holidays. It also makes a thoughtful homemade gift!
Why You’ll Love This Orange Cranberry Bread Recipe
- Delicious – It’s moist, sweet, and tart. It’s delicious the day of, but the orange flavor deepens and tastes even better the next day. And this loaf freezes beautifully, even iced!
- Easy – There’s no softening butter or even the need for a mixer for this cranberry nut bread recipe.
- Classic – The perfect winter bread around the holiday season.
Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe Ingredients
This recipe uses simple ingredients that are easily found, but make sure they’re fresh for the best flavor. The loaf is loosely based on my blueberry zucchini bread recipe.
For the Cranberry Loaf
- All purpose flour – or gluten free alternative
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Coarse Kosher salt
- Dark brown sugar – packed when measuring
- Vegetable oil – you can use melted refined coconut oil or any neutral oil as a substitute.
- Sour cream – or plain, whole milk Greek yogurt will also work
- Large Eggs – brought to room temperature
- Orange juice – use freshly squeezed for the best taste
- Orange zest – use the zest from fresh oranges, you’ll get more zest that way. I use two large naval oranges in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract
- Cranberries – whole cranberries, fresh or frozen can be used. You do not need to thaw frozen cranberries before adding them to the batter.
- Chopped walnuts – these are optional, or you can swap them for chopped pecans.
For the Orange Glaze Icing
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh Orange zest and orange juice.
How to Make Orange Cranberry Walnut Bread
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×5” loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. If you want, you can also line the pan with a strip of parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides. This makes it easier to lift the bread out after baking.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set flour mixture aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil until smooth. Next, add the sour cream, eggs, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
Step 2
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix about halfway through. There should be visible streaks of flour.
Stir in the whole cranberries and the walnuts.
Finish mixing until the cranberries and nuts are evenly distributed and no streaks of flour remain.
Step 3
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350ºF for about an hour (60 – 70 mins.) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the bread from the oven, let it sit in the pan for 15 minutes, and then turn it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. While the bread is cooling, make the glaze.
Step 4
Combine the orange glaze ingredients in a small bowl and mix until smooth.
Once the cranberry bread is fully cooled, slowly pour the orange glaze over the top. Slice and serve!
Cranberry and Walnut Bread Recipe Substitutions & Variations
- Omit the orange glaze and top with a streusel instead. You can use the same streusel I use in my Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe.
- Use a trusted gluten free flour substitute if needed
- Omit the walnuts entirely or swap them with pecans.
- Swap out the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. I prefer the whole milk variety.
Tips & Tricks for the Best Cranberry Orange Bread
- Wait until the bread has cooled completely before adding the orange glaze.
- Expect the baking time to be closer to 70 minutes if you’re using frozen cranberries.
- Mix the batter by hand to make sure you don’t overmix it and that the cranberries and walnuts distribute evenly in the bread.
- Use fresh oranges for better orange zest and juice.
How to Store Cranberry Bread
Store the cranberry bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or see the instructions below for freezing.
Freezing Cranberry Nut Bread
Bake the bread fully and allow it to cool completely before freezing to avoid moisture and ice forming during storage. You can freeze it as a loaf (with the icing) or individual slices.
If storing slices, wrap slices individually or place a square of parchment paper between each piece so they don’t freeze together.
I like to place the whole loaf on a baking sheet and let the icing freeze before wrapping it for the freezer. Once frozen, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this cranberry bread with a schmear of salted butter or apple Butter, orange marmalade, or whipped honey butter.
More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love
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Cranberry Walnut Bread (With Orange Glaze)
Ingredients
Cranberry Nut Bread
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- 1 cup of dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup of sour cream or plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of orange zest (2 Naval oranges)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup of whole cranberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Orange Icing
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. If you want, you can also line the pan with a strip of parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides. This makes it easier to lift the bread out after baking.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and oil until smooth. Then whisk in the sour cream, eggs, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix about halfway through. There should be visible streaks of flour and lumps.
- Add in the whole cranberries and the walnuts, and finish mixing gently until the cranberries and nuts are evenly distributed and no streaks of flour remain.
- Pour the batter into the greased 9×5” loaf pan. Bake the cranberry bread at 350ºF 60-70 minutes until risen in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven. Let it sit in the pan for 15 minutes and then turn the bread out onto a cooling rack until fully cooled. While the bread is cooling, make the glaze
- Combine the powdered sugar, orange zest, and orange juice in a small bowl, whisk until smooth. The icing will be thick, but should still run off a spoon. If it's too thick, add more orange juice to thin it out.
- Once the cranberry bread is cooled, drizzle the orange glaze over the top. Slice and serve!
Notes
- The bread will bake closer to 60 minutes with fresh cranberries and 70 minutes with the frozen cranberries.
- If you’re using frozen cranberries, do not thaw first.
