An Amazing Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
This Amazing Cranberry Orange Bread is a moist and flavorful quick bread perfect for breakfast, snacks, or potlucks. Made with tangy canned cranberries and fresh orange zest and juice, it offers a delightful citrus-berry combination. The batter comes together easily with pantry staples and bakes into a tender loaf that’s bursting with cozy fall and winter flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (about 10-12 slices) or 10-12 muffins 1x
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 8 oz canned whole cranberries in sauce
- 1 large orange, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons applesauce
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or spray a bread loaf pan to ensure the bread doesn’t stick.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients. In another bowl, stir together the slightly beaten eggs, canned cranberries in sauce, orange zest and juice, applesauce, almond extract, and vegetable oil until fully combined.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures. Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Gently fold together just until all ingredients are incorporated, taking care not to overmix to maintain a tender texture.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Transfer the batter into the greased bread loaf pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake the bread. Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy as a delicious breakfast or snack.
- Optional: Make muffins. For cranberry orange muffins, pour the batter into greased muffin tins, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake at 350°F for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Notes
- This recipe uses canned cranberries in sauce, but you can substitute fresh cranberries by cooking them with sugar and a bit of cornstarch to create a thick sauce before adding to the batter.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the bread moist and tender; mix only until ingredients are just combined.
- For a dairy-free option, the applesauce and oil provide moisture without butter or milk.
- Be sure to allow the bread to cool completely before slicing to avoid crumbling.
- Orange zest and juice add a fresh citrus brightness that complements the tart cranberries perfectly.
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