Cranberry Orange Bread
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Sweet, orange-scented, and packed with cranberries and walnuts, this cranberry orange bread is the perfect festive treat for the holidays.
Sweet, orange-scented, and packed with tart cranberries and walnuts, this cranberry orange bread recipe is tailor-made for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. As a classic quick bread, it’s incredibly easy to throw together. The trickiest part? Chopping up the fresh cranberries—they tend to roll everywhere! But don’t be tempted to use dried cranberries; the fresh ones burst as they bake, mingling with the batter to create jammy, tart-sweet pockets throughout.
Since cranberries are abundant during the holiday season, be sure to check out my Nantucket cranberry pie, fresh cranberry sauce, and cranberry chutney for even more festive inspiration.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need to Make Cranberry Orange Bread
- Buttermilk: Adds a tangy flavor and keeps the bread super moist.
- Orange zest: Brightens up the bread with a fresh citrusy kick.
- Orange juice: Enhances the sweet orange flavor and adds natural sweetness.
- Unsalted butter: Makes the bread rich and tender.
- Egg: Holds everything together and gives the bread structure.
- All-purpose flour: The foundation of the cranberry bread. Always measure flour using the spoon-and-level method to ensure accuracy.
- Sugar: Sweetens things up and balances the tart cranberries.
- Salt: A pinch to bring out all the flavors.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth and coziness that pairs perfectly with the orange and cranberries.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Give the bread a nice rise, making it light and fluffy.
- Fresh or frozen cranberries: Bursts of tart, juicy flavor in every bite.
- Chopped walnuts or pecans: Add a bit of crunch and a delicious nutty flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the buttermilk, orange zest, orange juice, melted butter and egg in a small bowl.
Since the recipe calls for only 2/3 cup of buttermilk, you might not want to buy a whole carton. It’s easy to make your own by combining regular milk with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar (see recipe below for exact quantities). Whisk well to combine and set aside.
Next, combine the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Whisk well.
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture.
Stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined.
Add the halved cranberries and nuts.
Mix again to incorporate.
Scrape the batter into a greased loaf pan.
Bake for about one hour, then cool in the pan on a rack for ten minutes.
Turn the cranberry loaf out onto the rack to cool completely.
Slice the cranberry orange bread, serve and enjoy!
Freezer-Friendly Instructions
After the bread is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
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Cranberry Orange Bread
Sweet, orange-scented, and packed with cranberries and walnuts, this cranberry orange bread is the perfect festive treat for the holidays.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup buttermilk (see note)
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest, from 1 orange
- ⅓ cup orange juice, from 1 orange
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, halved (see note)
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and set an oven rack to the middle position. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk, orange zest and juice, melted butter and egg. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just moistened. Gently stir in cranberries and nuts. Do not overmix.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° F. Continue to bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean, about 45 minutes longer. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto the rack and cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
- Note: Cranberries are a bit tricky to chop because they roll all over the place. I cut them in half one at a time -- seems tedious, I know, but there aren't that many so it doesn't take long. If you're using frozen cranberries, be sure to slice them while they're still frozen.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 227
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Sugar: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 224 mg
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I have made the Oceanspray cran nut bread for twenty years. My family wouldn’t know it’s Christmas without it!
The only tweaks I make is leave the cranberries whole and roughly chop the walnuts just a bit. Don’t over bake!
Don’t know why yours came out dry. I find it plenty moist maybe because I leave the berries whole. Didn’t make your version so I’ll rate it neutral
I have frozen cranberries. Will they work in place of fresh?
Sure, Nancy, just be sure to chop them while they’re still frozen. Enjoy!
I was looking for a cranberry bread recipe and decided on this one. So glad that I did! I used the zest and juice from fresh oranges and I also cut the cranberries into thirds. I made the buttermilk with milk and lemon juice and everything came out perfect. My family gave it a 10! So moist and the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The only thing that I changed was when I made mini loaves with it, I used parchment paper so that they could easily be taken out.
How many mini loaves does this make and approximately how long did you bake them? Parchment paper was used only in the bottoms of the mini loaves for easier removal?
I actually had the parchment paper up over the edges so I could pull them out easily. Worked like a champ. Each regular loaf tevipe translated into 3 mini loaf pans. They were perfect! Oh, and I greased both under and above the parchment paper. Made for easy removal.
I love this bread!!
I added some almonds and did my own buttermilk. It was a hit.
What should be in internal temp. For cranberry bread?
Hi Helen, I don’t generally measure the temperature of a bread, but use other cues to determine it’s doneness. That said, I believe you want the internal temperature to get to somewhere between 200 and 210 degrees.
Hi Jenn,
I am big fan of your recipes. I want to make this one for my family and have a question. My daughter is allergic to walnut and pecans so can this be substituted with almond? Any suggestions/recommendations?
Thanks,
SK
Sure! (And glad you like the recipes :))
Made this and two other quick breads (from this website) for a Christmas potluck. Received lots of positive compliments for all. But the hostess especially enjoyed this cranberry walnut bread. Thank you Jenn for testing and perfecting your recipes. Every recipe I have tried has been tasty and delicious! Can hardy wait for your book!
I absolutely love this recipe! However I was wondering how long would you recommend cooking the bread in a mini muffin pan?
Hi Amanda, Hard to say, but I’d start checking around 12 to 15 minutes.
Love this bread! So simple. Giving mini loafs as gifts in 4 days. Should I freeze or refrigerate them? Should recipients refrigerate it immediately?
Jeanne
Hi Jeanne, If you’re making them now for the holidays, I’d freeze them. The recipients don’t need to refrigerate them – they are quite moist and will keep for a few days on the counter.
Hi Jen. Love love love this cranberry orange bread. Was thinking of cutting an orange in small pieces and adding to batter? What do you think?
I wouldn’t recommend it, Bonnie — I think the orange segments would add too much moisture to the batter. If you want more orange flavor, I’d just add more orange zest (and glad you like it)!
The cranberry nut bread was delicious.
Big hit with the family.