The Best Cranberry Orange Bread
on Dec 17, 2020, Updated May 13, 2024
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The Best Cranberry Orange Bread is sweet, gorgeous, and perfect for giving as a gift! Made with tangy orange zest, melted butter, and fresh cranberries.
This is one of my all-time favorite holiday treats. I make batches and batches of it to put on my friend and neighbor goodie plates, take to parties, have for dessert when friends come over for mom dates, and every other excuse I can think of.
I’m planning on having an intentional Christmas this year. Doing things because they mean something and because I want to and not just because I should or can. I know it might be crazy, but I just love making dozens of goodie plates for neighbors every year and that is for sure on my list for this season. This bread has made the list to go on them again, too! That’s saying something!
Tips and Tricks for Making Cranberry Orange Bread
- Isn’t it pretty? I got the tea loaf pan from King Arthur Flour last year for Christmas and I just love it.
- Plan on buying a few extra cranberries for your cranberry sauce recipe. When they are hanging out in the fridge after Thanksgiving, you’ll be obligated to make this bread.
- Mixing the orange zest with the sugar before you add anything is the secret of this bread. The sugar pulls the oils out of the zest and you are making orange infused sugar which really makes the orange flavor carry throughout the bread. Best trick ever!
- Feel free to double this recipe; it works great.
You can make this bread in just about any pan you have (including muffins)
I have made this recipe as traditional loaves, tea loaves (which are pictured), muffins, and mini loaves as well. It always turns out well and it always gets rave reviews. There’s something magical about those bright little pops of tart cranberry mixed in with all that sweet bread. Adding a little orange glaze to the mix really puts this bread over the top. You will love it!
How long to bake Cranberry Orange Bread based on pan size:
- Bake in a 9×5 inch loaf pan at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour and 10 minutes (70 minutes)
- Bake in a tea loaf pan at 350 degree F for around 50 minutes.
- Bake 12 muffins in a standard size muffin tin at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.
- Bake mini loaf pans at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes (depending on the size of your pan).
Here’s a video on how to make the bread if you need some extra help!
Cranberry Orange Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, (here's how to make your own buttermilk)
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
For the orange glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×5 bread pan or a tea loaf pan well.
- In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar and the orange zest. Stir the mixture together until the sugar starts to turn a bit orange and is fragrant. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the sugar mixture and whisk to combine well.
- In a separate bowl add the buttermilk, butter, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the cranberries and then place the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean about 1 hour and 10 minutes for a traditional bread loaf pan (and about 50 minutes for the tea loaf pictured). If the top starts to brown too quickly, you might want to cover the bread with foil for the last 10 or so minutes of baking.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before removing the bread from the pan. Run a knife along the edges of the pan before you turn it upside down to remove it from the pan.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the warm bread and then slice to serve.
Video
Notes
- This recipe doubles well if you want to make 2 loaves.
- Bake in a 9×5 inch loaf pan at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour and 10 minutes (70 minutes)
- Bake in a tea loaf pan at 350 degree F for around 50 minutes.
- Bake 12 muffins in a standard size muffin tin at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.
- Bake mini loaf pans at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes (depending on the size of your pan).
- This bread freezes great. Just cool fully, wrap up well, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Love Cranberry Orange Bread?! You might also enjoy these recipes:
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- The best banana bread recipe
- Creamy Cranberry Salad (we call it cranberry fluff) from my friend Mel at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
I’m totally wishing I had some of this Cranberry Orange Bread in the house still, but it sure didn’t last long. I can’t wait to make another loaf. Every time I make this and give it as gifts, I’ll have multiple people ask me for the recipe. It’s just so good. Enjoy from my kitchen to yours!
If I want to add chocolate chips to the recipe, how much is a good amount to include?
I’d say a cup would be just right!
Best dessert I ever had !!! I’ve been making every day for a whole week My question can I use Bundt cake pan ??Or 11×7 Pyrex ?For me sweet enough without the glaze Making tomorrow again. Planning to take to the book club
I’m sure that the bundt pan would work and I do think it would work in a 11×7, kinda like a cake. If you try either will you let us know. It’s always great to here what works.
I think cranberry orange combo is great any time of year! It’s one of my favorite combinations! I came across this recipe earlier this week, and have my first batch of muffins in the oven now! 😀 I am SOOOO excited!!
I make it allll year long too! It’s one of my favorite combos ever!
Thanks to The Best Cranberry Orange Bread for sharing with us
I made this last Saturday, it was awesome, i will be giving it as gifts this year. i doubled the recipi, i used one 9×5 loaf pan, and two mini loaf pans.
Wonderful idea! This would make a fantastic gift!
Sorry…dried cranberries “were” all I hand on hand…not “was”.
😀
I just made this today and I have to say that this was the best Orange Cranberry Bread I have ever had, and I have had a lot!
An FYI, since dried cranberries was all that I had on hand, that’s what I used and it worked out perfect (I didn’t really measure, I just grabbed two handfuls out of the bag), but I do plan on making it again with fresh, to compare.
Thank you so much!
Blessings
Angie
Yay! I’m so glad that you came back to tell us that the dried cranberries worked! Thank you for that. And you will have to try it with the fresh! They are so tart and delicious, it’ll be a whole different bread for you!
I can not find fresh cranberry’s in any local stores at this time can dries cranberries with no added sugar be used ? If yes what would the measurement be for the dried cranberries?
Sometimes mine will have “fresh berries” that are in the frozen section! That’s your next best option. I’m sure dried would work, you might want to play around with chopping them up and what amounts.
can I substitue and use cranberry orange relish in this recipe if so how ?
I don’t think it would turn out the same since the texture is quite different than the other ingredients. You should use that relish to try out these chicken legs though! https://www.blessthismessplease.com/5-ingredient-slow-cooker-chicken-legs/
I should have proofread my previous comment! Hoping you can make out what I attempted to write.