Cranberry Orange Bread

Cranberry Orange Bread is an easy quick bread that’s perfect for the holiday season. Serve it for brunch on Christmas or Thanksgiving, turn it into a special after school snack or have it for dessert – it’s always the perfect choice!

So… What do you call this pretty thing? Cranberry Orange Bread? Or Orange Cranberry Bread? I know, I know. Like that makes a huge difference. But what about… A cranberry orange loaf? Or a cranberry orange quick bread? Who knew there were so many ways to call the same thing 😂

But for the sake of our hungry tummies, let’s just all agree this is a Cranberry Orange Bread recipe – and a fine one at that, loaded with so many fresh and juicy cranberries.

There’s also wonderfully festive hints of orange, because I didn’t want a plain cranberry bread recipe. And I wanted a glaze. What’s a bread without streusel or a glaze?? Hint: Boring. That’s what 😉

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

Ingredient notes

• Orange juice: Fresh or bottled is both fine to use.
• Oil: I make this bread with oil for convenience, but can’t deny that the taste is even richer when it’s made with melted butter instead. Feel free to use whatever you personally prefer?
• Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries can both be used. I let frozen ones thaw a little on the counter to make sure the flour/sugar they are tossed with sticks to them.

How to make a Cranberry Orange Bread

Start by combining the dry ingredients in a large bowl (1). I like using a whisk to combine them to evenly distribute the baking powder.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk and orange juice. Let them sit for 5 minutes (2) – this will alter the milk to make it behave more like buttermilk in the recipe.

Then, whisk in the egg and oil along with the orange zest and vanilla extract.

Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold them together JUST until combined.

Do not use a whisk here, use a spoon or rubber spatula – you must not overmix the batter, or the bread will come out very dense. Only mix just until combined, lumps are perfectly fine (3)!

Finally, toss the cranberries with ½ tablespoon each of flour and sugar. Fold them into the batter (4).

Add the batter to a lined loaf pan (5).

Then bake the bread until a toothpick inserted into the middle doesn’t have any liquid batter stuck to it anymore!

I let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a cooling rack to cool completely. Make sure the bread is fully cooled before glazing it. The glaze is optional… but it kind of isn’t 😉

Recipe tips

• Prep the cranberries: If you’re using fresh cranberries, make sure you dry them well with paper towels after rinsing. Cut larger ones in half, small ones are fine to be left whole. Don’t skip coating them in flour and sugar, this is very important to keep them from all sinking to the bottom!
• Don’t overmix: As with any quick bread (or muffin, for that matter), it’s crucial you do not overmix the batter. Overmixing will result in a dense, gummy bread, so only fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined.
• Pay attention to the baking time: Overbaked, dry bread is not very nice to eat! Every oven runs differently (and even your pan will affect the baking time and how your bread rises!), so keep a close eye on it.
  • Loosely cover the pan with foil for the last 20 minutes, to avoid the top getting too brown.
  • Check the bread every 5 minutes for the last 15 minutes of baking – just make sure you do it quickly so the temperature doesn’t drop too much in the oven.
  • I know it’s hard to judge when exactly a baked good is ready, so to be absolutely sure get yourself a thermometer with a probe (FYI, that’s an affiliate link and I may make a commission if you click through and make a purchase). Breads and cakes are done when the internal temperature reaches about 210°F! This knowledge has totally changed my baking (I’m terrified of underbaked anything), and I’ve been able to say goodbye to dry baked goods!

Recipe FAQs

Freezer instructions

This bread freezes great in bags or containers that are suitable for freezing – but I recommend freezing it without the glaze. Be sure to label your container with the name and use-by date – freeze for up to 3 months.

I prefer freezing bread in slices (divided by baking parchment), because they thaw quicker. Just leave it out on a plate at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or microwave in quick bursts. If you’re freezing the entire bread, it will need several hours to completely thaw.

More festive cranberry recipes

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Post originally published 11/2018. Photos, video and text updated 12/2020. The recipe hasn’t changed.