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.

Cranberry Nut Bread

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.

What You’ll Need to Make Cranberry Orange Bread

Bread ingredients including egg, baking soda, and milk.
  • 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.

Egg in a bowl with wet ingredients.

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.

Whisk in a bowl of wet ingredients.

Next, combine the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

Whisk well.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture.

Wet ingredients and dry ingredients unmixed in a bowl.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined.

Bread dough in a bowl.

Add the halved cranberries and nuts.

Nuts and cranberries in a bowl with dough.

Mix again to incorporate.

Bowl of cranberry nut bread dough.

Scrape the batter into a greased loaf pan.

Loaf pan of cranberry nut bread dough.

Bake for about one hour, then cool in the pan on a rack for ten minutes.

Cranberry Nut Bread in a loaf pan.

Turn the cranberry loaf out onto the rack to cool completely.

Cranberry Nut Bread on a wire rack.

Slice the cranberry orange bread, serve and enjoy!

Cranberry Nut Bread

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.

Servings: One 9 x 5-inch loaf (about 12 slices)
Total Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk, orange zest and juice, melted butter and egg. Set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
  6. 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.
  7. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Wonderful recipe! Perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea or even dessert.
    Every other recipe I have tried was too dry. I think the buttermilk adds so much moisture. The first bread was so delicious, I made 2 more the next day to share! Yum!

  • I’ve probably made this ten times in the last month. The only change I make is to use the last 2T of sugar (instead of flour) when I grease the pan. Adds a sweet little crunch on the outside edges.

  • I LOVE this bread!!! I have used another recipe for years which is fine, but this one blows it away and will be my go-to going forward. I didn’t have buttermilk on hand so I made it with the milk and lemon juice as suggested. Not a fan of any kind of citrus zest so left that out but used the freshly squeezed orange juice. Slicing the cranberries in half sounded like too much commitment for me; I just used the cuisinart. I made mini loaves and gave them away as Christmas gifts (the recipients loved them!) and we also enjoyed some on Christmas morning!

    • — Caroline Nelson
    • Reply
  • Another delicious recipe! I make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year. Thank you!

  • Another excellent recipe – Thank you!!!

  • My husband claims that this is the best thing I have ever baked!

  • This recipe is fantastic. I made it once just as written. The family loved it. The second time, I reduced the sugar to 1 cup, replaced some of the white flour with whole wheat and reduced the butter to four tablespoons and added two tablespoons of ground flax seed. Still delicious!

  • This recipe is perfection….. tart cranberries, walnuts, subtle hints of orange and cinnamon. Absolutely delicious! Can this recipe be doubled or even tripled without any adverse effects? I want to bake several for neighbors as Christmas gifts. Thank you for another winning recipe.

    • Hi Judy, So glad you enjoyed it and you can definitely double it! Sometimes something gets lost in translation when doing more than doubling a recipe, so you could try tripling it, but keep that in mind. 🙂

  • Your recipes are regulars in our household–easy to follow with easy to find ingredients. I recently made this bread with an eye toward reducing the fat and sugar. Instead of the melted butter, I increased the buttermilk (fat free) to one cup and used 1 T of vegetable oil. I also reduced the sugar to 2/3 cup. The bread was moist and tender with a great cranberry taste.

  • Can white whole wheat flour be substituted for all the AP flour? Can some or all the sugar be substituted with maple syrup?

    • Hi Tracy, I don’t recommend using maple syrup for the sugar. Regarding the flour, I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make this, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious). I’d love to hear how it turns out!

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