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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This is the best cranberry bread!! I love the combo of orange, cranberry and walnuts.
I always hate it when someone leaves a review for a recipe and then goes on to say what they changed….since it’s then not really ‘the recipe’. Welllll, I’m going to do that, b/c there are so many recipes out there with potential that I’d never make d/t them being less healthy than I’d prefer to stuff in my face for days on end. I’m sure this recipe is delicious in it’s original form..I mean, what’s not to like, right?
My changes are as follows (and I felt comfortable making them because these are frequent changes I make in other recipes):
-removed butter totally and substituted with canola oil
-substituted approx 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat flour
-cut the sugar content in 1/2 and substituted 3/4 of the remaining sugar with light brown sugar.
-substituted blend of home-made kefir and no fat plain yogurt for buttermilk
increased the nuts and cranberries by a tiny bit…I did want the bread to rise, after all!
It turned out spectacular, actually rose as much as I’d anticipate any of this sort of bread to rise. Young grandkids loved it.
Carol, personally I love when people do what you posted! I like to see which variations worked! Thanks for your comments – I will be incorporating them! Except the kefir – I have buttermilk on hand. 😊
The cranberry nut bread is the best! You’ll never have to look for another recipe once you’ve made this one! It so moist & with the orange zest, juice & cranberries it is a perfect combination of tart & sweet. Jenn’s tip to cut the cranberries in half is worth the few minutes it takes. It makes the flavor pop & it presents beautifully when cut. I gave several of them away during the holidays this year & everyone asked for the recipe Enjoy!
This is a great nut bread recipe. It was so moist can chock full of flavor. I added same chopped up orange which worked out nicely.
Wow! I must admit, I have never been a good baker. My breads usually come out too dry or still wet in the middle. I now have a whole new confidence in my bread making skills ! This recipe came out perfectly done and moist to the very last slice! Walnuts are my absolute favorite and paired with the cranberries, well, what can I say, I did not share it. However, I felt guilty in the following day made three more. One for my family, one to freeze for a friend’s coffee next week and one more for me. Thank you Chef for making baking so simple and delicious! ❤️
The orange flavor and hints of cinnamon, plus the texture of the walnuts, make this such an interesting bread. Perfect for Christmas time. Every time I make an “extra” one to freeze, it doesn’t even make it to the freezer!
Made this loaf recently, I had only made muffins in the past. This was so much easier and the flavor was so wonderful with the fresh cranberries adding a little tartness.
This recipe has become our all time family favorite .
We freeze it in thick slices and enjoy it year round .
Recipe works equally well with frozen and fresh cranberries but easier to make with frozen .
The citrus zest & juice are an amazing addition to the recipe .
Only modification I make it to reduce sugar by 1/4 cup
Another hit from Jenn! A moist loaf with the lovely tang from cranberries to balance out the sweet. I make exactly per the recipe and comes out perfect every time! A nice addition to a morning coffee any time of the year 🙂
Hi there
Really loved this cranberry loaf. We used Ontario cranberries found at Johnsons farm in Bala Ontario . I used clementine to replace the orange. Gave it an extra special christmasy flavour for the season. Can always tell it’s a hit when whole loaf dissappears in one day!!!!🤭