Cranberry Orange Bread
This cranberry orange bread is the quick bread that tastes like December: tart cranberries studded through a tender, buttery crumb, with fresh orange zest and a splash of orange juice in every slice. It bakes up golden and moist, slices cleanly for a breakfast table or a gift loaf, and the cranberries stay bright red and juicy instead of sinking to the bottom.
The key is tossing the cranberries in a spoonful of flour before folding them in, and not overmixing the batter once the wet and dry ingredients meet. A light hand keeps the crumb soft, and a simple orange glaze on top turns an everyday loaf into a holiday one.
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 55-60 minutes Servings: 10 slices (1 loaf)
What You’ll Need
- 9×5-inch loaf pan
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Wire cooling rack
A heavy, even-heating loaf pan is what keeps the edges from over-browning while the center bakes through — see our best loaf pans for banana bread guide for pans that release cleanly and bake evenly.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon for the cranberries
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from 1 large orange)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) neutral oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) fresh or frozen cranberries, halved if large
For the orange glaze (optional):
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat and prep the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Rub in the zest. Add the sugar and orange zest to the dry ingredients and rub them together with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant and lightly orange-tinted. This releases the oils from the zest and flavors the whole loaf.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, orange juice, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Combine gently. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a spatula just until no dry flour remains — a few small lumps are fine. Overmixing makes quick bread tough.
- Fold in the cranberries. Toss the cranberries with the extra tablespoon of flour, then fold them into the batter. The flour coating helps keep them suspended instead of sinking.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55–60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
- Cool, then glaze. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. If glazing, whisk the powdered sugar with just enough orange juice to make a thick drizzle and spoon it over the cooled loaf.
Tips for the Best Cranberry Orange Bread
- Use fresh orange juice and zest. Bottled juice won’t give you the bright flavor — one large orange gives you both the zest and the juice this loaf needs.
- Don’t skip the flour toss. Cranberries are heavy and sink fast in a wet batter; a light flour coating is what keeps them evenly distributed through every slice.
- Let it cool before slicing. A warm quick bread crumbles under the knife. An hour on the rack gives the crumb time to set so you get clean, even slices — and the loaf freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
Tart, bright, and golden — this cranberry orange bread is the loaf to bake for Christmas morning and every gift basket after.
