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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Could you suggest a substitute for the orange zest and juice? Apple juice?? I would like to make today and stores closed and none at my house. Love the recipe as I’ve made before using the orange zest and juice.
Hi Barbara, I think I’m weighing too late for this to be helpful, but I think you could get away with using lemon zest in place of the orange zest and apple juice.
When i get stuck like that, I try to think of places that ARE often open when stores are closed,. Like Cumberland Farms , WaWa, or
7-11. Gas stations often have a small fridge section that sells milk, juice. Also for some advance planning you can check out the baking isle and pick up orange zest in the spice section, along with orange oil or. extract. Either of those 2 can be added into an acid like the buttermilk.
Could I use frozen cranberries and if so, should I thaw them first? Thanks!
Sure, Martha, frozen cranberries are fine to use and thawing them isn’t necessary but they will be easier to chop if thawed. Enjoy!
This bread is delicious! I’ve made it several times and the only time it has ever come out dry is when I overmix it. So, be careful not to overmix. The last couple of times I’ve baked it, I added 2 teaspoons of Chia seeds.
This has been my go-to cranberry bread recipe for years but last night I wanted to try veganizing it for my son. I substituted olive oil for the butter, a flax egg for the egg (1 T ground flax mixed with 3 T warm water left to sit for 5-10 minutes), cut back the sugar to 1/2 cup and substituted 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat flour. The result was a beautiful domed, moist loaf that was delicious and not overly sweet.
So I made this for our bible journaling class. There’s alway so much food there and I usually bring part of what I’ve taken home with me. Not this time! Every bit gone and many asked for the recipe. I’ve shared your website with them too! Made this exactly as instructed. You never fail to bring it! Your website is so user friendly, your recipes are amazing, and the details you share to make things perfect are so appreciated. Thank you for sharing your gift with us!
❤️
If I made into muffins would it come out ok?
Hi Flo, Yes, you can adapt this into muffins – I I’d keep the oven temp the same and start checking them for doneness at 20 to 25 minutes.
This is the BEST orange, cranberry, nut bread I have ever made. It is a must recipe! I am not a baker but this turned out perfectly on every loaf I made and I made several for friends this Christmas!!
I followed your guidelines for this Cranberry-Nut Bread. FANTASTIC! And it looks just like the one you posted. I did add a dusting of confectioner sugar on top. LOVE IT! Wonderful bread, shared with my mother on Christmas day. 🙂
Could you use dried cranberries instead of fresh or frozen
Hi Ann, I don’t recommend it here – sorry!
Excellent taste. Next time I will use slightly smaller loaf pans and bake less time. So worthwhile baking again!
This has been a Christmas morning staple for the past several years. My husband & I look forward to it!
Also- I have always been unlucky in freezing baked goods like this; but needed to do so last year & it worked great!! Thanks for the tips!