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Cranberry Orange Bread is easy and quick to make from scratch and keeps fresh for days! This moist cranberry bread is perfect for the holidays and is bursting with flavor.
We love cranberry season because of all the delicious things you can make with them, like this pretty Cranberry Upside-Down Cake and my favorite fluffy Cranberry Orange Rolls.
Cranberry Bread made with fresh, juicy cranberries and orange is the perfect treat to bake during the Holiday season. This festive and pretty quick bread recipe is super moist and bursting with flavor. You can whip it up quickly, and it keeps fresh for days!
Combining cranberries with orange juice and freshly grated zest elevates its flavor and results in a perfectly balanced sweet and tart flavor. This moist cranberry orange bread makes a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack and is the perfect way to use up leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving!
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- It’s a great use for leftover cranberries from your homemade cranberry sauce
- This moist cake balances perfectly tart with sweetness
- It is quick and easy to make
Ingredient notes
Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works best. Don’t use self-rising flour. Make sure to measure your flour correctly for the best result!
- Rising Agent – This recipe uses a mix of baking powder and baking soda.
- Cinnamon – I prefer using Ceylon cinnamon because of its flavor profile but any cinnamon works. You can add more to taste.
- Orange – You need 1 orange for this recipe, we use both zest and juice. Organic oranges are best for zesting.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter in all my baking recipes. This way you have better control of the salt.
- Eggs – The eggs need to be at room temperature for the best results. Otherwise, they cool down the butter. Putting the eggs in a bowl with hot water for a few minutes works well! Use large eggs.
- Cranberries – Fresh Cranberries are best, but due to their short harvest season they are only available from September through November. You can use frozen or dried cranberries. See the FAQ section on how to use frozen or dried.
How to make this recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
- Prep: Start by zesting, then juicing the orange. Wash, dry, and half the cranberries.
- Combine: Combine the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest.
- Mix: In a stand mixer, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and egg until smooth. Combine the dry ingredients with this mixture.
- Finish: Fold in Cranberries and pour into baking pan.
- Bake: Bake for 60 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
- Finish and serve: Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Variants you might like
Muffins: Looking for a more handheld recipe? Try out our Cranberry Orange Muffins.
Rolls: For a recipe with a twist, check out our Cranberry Orange Rolls.
Orange Glaze: Add some glaze to the top, by mixing 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 and 1/2 Tbsp orange juice. Add the glaze after cooling.
Julia’s Tips
- Always measure your flour correctly! Don’t scoop the flour! Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour can make the bread dense and dry.
- This recipe works best with fresh or frozen cranberries
- Instead of fresh or frozen cranberries, you can also use 1 cup of dried cranberries
- Don’t overmix the batter! Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 15 light strokes with a spatula. It’s ok if there are some small lumps. Overmixing can cause the bread to be tough and bake unevenly.
- Always test with a skewer for doneness! Every oven is different, to get the best results, start checking the bread for doneness five minutes before the time is up. A wooden skewer works best!
- If you like, you can add a glaze on top after the bread has cooled completely. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 1/2 Tbsp orange juice together and drizzle over the cooled bread
Recipe FAQs
This recipe can be easily transformed into Cranberry Nut Bread! Just add 1/2 cup (or more) roughly chopped walnuts to the batter together with the cranberries to make a Cranberry Walnut Bread.
Yes, you can use 1 cup of dried cranberries instead of fresh or frozen cranberries. The baking time will be a little bit shorter because dried fruits are less moist.
When using dried cranberries, we recommend soaking them in orange or cranberry juice first. Heat up the juice, add cranberries, and let sit for 10–15 minutes. Strain before adding them to the batter.
When using frozen cranberries, thaw them until they can be chopped safely. They do not have to be completely thawed.
Storage
This moist bread stays fresh and moist for days if you store it the right way. I wrap it in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also store it in the fridge, but it might taste drier because of the lower temperature.
Freezing
Yes, you can freeze this Cranberry Bread. Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. To defrost, take it out of the freezer and let it defrost at room temperature overnight. You can also freeze individual slices to make them defrost quicker – perfect for a quick breakfast!
More delicious bread recipes to Try
Cranberry Orange Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp orange zest, freshly grated
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, cream together sugars, butter, and egg until smooth. Add orange juice and slowly mix until combined.
- Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined and all the dry ingredients are just moistened. Fold in cranberries. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for about 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Always measure your flour correctly! Don’t scoop the flour! Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour can make the bread dense and dry.
- This recipe works best with fresh or frozen cranberries
- Instead of fresh or frozen cranberries, you can also use 1 cup of dried cranberries
- Don’t overmix the batter! Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 15 light strokes with a spatula. It’s ok if there are some small lumps. Overmixing can cause the bread to be tough and bake unevenly.
- Always test with a skewer for doneness! Every oven is different, to get the best results, start checking the bread for doneness five minutes before the time is up. A wooden skewer works best!
- If you want you can add a glaze on top after the bread has cooled completely. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 1/2 Tbsp orange juice together and drizzle over the cooled bread
Great recipe!
I did add walnuts. I didn’t have enough orange juice from the orange (only had 1/2 cup) I zested so I used some mango orange juice I had for the remaining half cup.
Super results and I have since made 2 more!
Hands down this is the BEST Cranberry bread and with reading through all the tips!
Just made this loaf for a friend that was just diagnosed with breast Cancer. I hope it brightens her day💜. Trouble is I should have made TWO so I could taste it. Will definitely make another one.
Thank you
Looks amazing!
Isa
Is it 1 1/2 fresh cranberries chopped or 1 1/2 fresh chopped cranberries? Do I measure out 1 1/2 whole berries then chop or chop whole berries until I have 1 1/2 cup of chopped berries?
Chop the cranberries first, then measure them. You need about 8 ounces or roughly 2 cups of cranberries to get 1.5 cups of chopped cranberries.