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The Best Cranberry Orange Bread is sweet, gorgeous, and perfect for giving as a gift! Made with tangy orange zest, melted butter, and fresh cranberries.
This is one of my all-time favorite holiday treats. I make batches and batches of it to put on my friend and neighbor goodie plates, take to parties, have for dessert when friends come over for mom dates, and every other excuse I can think of.
I'm planning on having an intentional Christmas this year. Doing things because they mean something and because I want to and not just because I should or can. I know it might be crazy, but I just love making dozens of goodie plates for neighbors every year and that is for sure on my list for this season. This bread has made the list to go on them again, too! That's saying something!
Tips and Tricks for Making Cranberry Orange Bread
- Isn't it pretty? I got the tea loaf pan from King Arthur Flour last year for Christmas and I just love it.
- Plan on buying a few extra cranberries for your cranberry sauce recipe. When they are hanging out in the fridge after Thanksgiving, you'll be obligated to make this bread.
- Mixing the orange zest with the sugar before you add anything is the secret of this bread. The sugar pulls the oils out of the zest and you are making orange infused sugar which really makes the orange flavor carry throughout the bread. Best trick ever!
- Feel free to double this recipe; it works great.
You can make this bread in just about any pan you have (including muffins)
I have made this recipe astraditional loaves, tea loaves (which are pictured), muffins, and mini loaves as well. It always turns out well and it always gets rave reviews. There's something magical about those bright little pops of tart cranberry mixed in with all that sweet bread. Adding a little orange glaze to the mix really puts this bread over the top. You will love it!
How long to bake Cranberry Orange Bread based on pan size:
- Bake in a 9x5 inch loaf pan at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour and 10 minutes (70 minutes)
- Bake in a tea loaf pan at 350 degree F for around 50 minutes.
- Bake 12 muffins in a standard size muffin tin at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.
- Bake mini loaf pans at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes (depending on the size of your pan).
Here's a video on how to make the bread if you need some extra help!
Cranberry Orange Bread
- Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
The Best Cranberry Orange Bread is sweet, gorgeous, and perfect for giving as a gift! Made with tangy orange zest, melted butter, and fresh cranberries.
Ingredients
Scale
For the bread:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup buttermilk (here's how to make your own buttermilk)
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
For the orange glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x5 bread pan or a tea loaf pan well.
- In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar and the orange zest. Stir the mixture together until the sugar starts to turn a bit orange and is fragrant. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the sugar mixture and whisk to combine well.
- In a separate bowl add the buttermilk, butter, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the cranberries and then place the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean about 1 hour and 10 minutes for a traditional bread loaf pan (and about 50 minutes for the tea loaf pictured). If the top starts to brown too quickly, you might want to cover the bread with foil for the last 10 or so minutes of baking.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before removing the bread from the pan. Run a knife along the edges of the pan before you turn it upside down to remove it from the pan.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the warm bread and then slice to serve.
Notes
- This recipe doubles well if you want to make 2 loaves.
- Bake in a 9x5 inch loaf pan at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour and 10 minutes (70 minutes)
- Bake in a tea loaf pan at 350 degree F for around 50 minutes.
- Bake 12 muffins in a standard size muffin tin at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.
- Bake mini loaf pans at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes (depending on the size of your pan).
- This bread freezes great. Just cool fully, wrap up well, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 min
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: fun bread recipe, easy bread recipe, cranberry orange bread recipe, cranberry orange bread, holiday bread recipe, easy bread recipe
Love Cranberry Orange Bread?! You might also enjoy these recipes:
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- The best banana bread recipe
- Creamy Cranberry Salad (we call it cranberry fluff) from my friend Mel at Mel's Kitchen Cafe
I'm totally wishing I had some of this Cranberry Orange Bread in the house still, but it sure didn't last long. I can't wait to make another loaf. Every time I make this and give it as gifts, I'll have multiple people ask me for the recipe. It's just so good. Enjoy from my kitchen to yours!
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Melissa is dedicated to helping parents figure out the nightly questions, "What's for Dinner?!" with her no-fuss approach to cooking. Read more...
Reader Interactions
Comments
Alicia
Hi! I LOVE this recipe and have made it for Christmas the past few years. Last year, I was gifted a Christmas bundt pan. Could this recipe work for that size pan?
Reply
Melissa
It should work great!
Diane
Can I use dried cranberries?
Reply
Melissa
Yep, it'll be a little different but they'll work!
Chefielady
This has always been my go to cranberry orange bread which never fails with compliments. I love infusing the sugar with the grated orange zest which is great since the zest is evenly through the batter!!
Just another greatbless this mess please recipe★★★★★
Reply
Cindy Burzynski
Just made this for Thanksgiving tomorrow and it’s very good. The only change I made was omitting the sweet glaze. I have the same King Arthur pan and followed the directions to the letter. The texture of my loaf is more like a poundcake than a quick bread and my cranberries rose to the top😕I’m an experience baker so wondering why my loaf differs from the recipe. The taste is rich and delicious!
★★★★
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Vicky East
I made 4 mini loaves with the recipe. My daughter who is a teacher wanted something to slice up for her morning break. I didn't have an orange so used 3 clementines. I always have frozen cranberries and I made the buttermilk by adding lemon juice to regular milk. Because the cranberries were frozen I tossed then in a little flour and sugar to stop them sinking. I'm also going to have a go at using blueberries and lemon zest and juice as a different flavour.
★★★★★
Reply
VinnieB
What can I substitute the buttermilk with?
Reply
Melissa
There's lots you can do instead of buttermilk or you can make your own! Here's a whole article I wrote about buttermilk and what you can substitute for buttermilk.
Bev
I finally baked this recipe this morning...delicious! I baked three small loaves, one so I could taste it and the other two to share.
★★★★★
Reply
Becky
I made this bread when my daughter was home for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! I am making it again now for a get together with friends. Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe
★★★★★
Reply
Diane
Easy recipe to follow and glad I watched the video before I made this. So delicious, even my fussiest eater enjoyed it. Made several mini loaves for Christmas gifts for neighbors, and shared recipe on FB.
★★★★★
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deb c
I forgot about this deliciousness...I gotta get some cranberries asap and extra for the freezer!
★★★★★
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mom shi
Made this last year for christmas gifts ! Was so delish ! i'm making it again this year. i have 4 mini loaves in the oven now . and i have enough cranberries for another batch. thank you for this recipe. <3 its a good one folks !
★★★★★
Reply
Arthur L Tilley
can I make this in a bread machine?
Reply
Melissa
Can you make things like banana bread, pumpkin bread, or zucchini in your bread machine (is there a quick bread setting?) if so, yes, I think it would work great. If not, I wouldn't.
Nana
Can I use dried cranberries in this recipe?
Reply
Melissa
Yep! They won't be as bright and tart, but it will still work.
Loree Sy
I made this just now and it's smaller than the banana bread that i baked in a 9x5 pan. Size is half of the banana bread so I think it will fit in my 8x4 pan. Should I adjust the baking temp to 325 and bake it longer since pan size is smaller?
★★★★
Reply
Melissa
Yep, that would work great!
Mandy Shallenberger
I made this tonight. Turned out well considering I didn’t have all the proper ingredients like baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, eggs. I decided to try it anyway. It was amazing. I used applesauce unsweetened, some fresh lime juice, & a little extra orange juice from the orange I zested with my knife. I added 12 oz frozen bag of cranberries. Honestly it was pretty tart. But my husband loved it. And he rarely eats sweets. Thx for the recipe.
mandy s★★★★★
Reply
Catherine
hope you've found some proper baking ingredients by now. That experiment must have been like a brick lol
Baking is a science that requires the right ratio of dry to wet. No leavening to make it light isn't how one bakes.★★★★
janice
Delicious! Thank you.
★★★★★
Reply
janice
have you ever substituted blueberries for the cranberries? Would you have any suggestions for adjusting the recipe for blueberries?
Reply
Melissa
I have! I didn't change anything and it worked great.
Chrissy
I make mini loaves of this deliciously moist cranberry orange bread every year for Christmas for my loved ones! They love it and look forward to it. Thank you for this recipe! It is THE BEST.
★★★★★
Reply
Melissa
My mom just made them in mini loaves too! I need to get some pans, how cute is that! ENJOY!
Jenn
I have made this cranberry bread a few times now and nothing is as moist and delicious. I love the use of fresh cranberries and orange zest and the buttermilk gives it a real tang. My only issue is that even after 1 hour and 10 minutes, my 9 x 5" bread still isn't cooked in the middle! I had to cook it 1 hour and 20! I will buy a tea loaf pan and give that a try -- it's a prettier shape anyway. Thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Reply
Melissa
Do you have issues with other things taking longer to cook? I make this often in a 9x5 loaf pan and have never had that issue before, that's so odd!
Bruce
what part of the oven did she bake it in?
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