Sweet and tart, Cranberry Bread will please any palate!
The other day, I felt like baking and was craving something sweet—but not too sweet. I looked through my recipes, but nothing seemed to hit the spot of my craving, probably because I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted. So I decided to look in my freezer for something to inspire me, and there it was: a bag of fresh cranberries I had frozen from last Fall. Yippee! A lovely Cranberry Bread, with its hint of orange, was just what I was in the mood for.
Normally, I would wait until Thanksgiving to make this Cranberry Bread. After all, that’s the holiday we most associate with the little red fruits, probably because Fall is harvesting time for cranberries and also because of the pilgrims (though back then, they called them crane berries). But then I thought, “Why did I save this bag of fresh cranberries if I wasn’t going to use them at a time of year when fresh ones weren’t available?” If I was waiting for Thanksgiving, I could just get fresh ones! So, I knew that somewhere in the depths of my unconscious, I froze fresh cranberries so I could have Cranberry Bread whenever I wanted it.
You’ll love the sweet and tart flavors in this Cranberry Bread, and the texture is divine: moist and tender, with a bite from the bright berries and the little flecks of orange zest. The other great thing about this recipe is that it is so simple and straightforward: whisk all your dry ingredients together, add the wet stuff, fold in the berries, put the batter in your loaf pan, and bake!
When my Cranberry Bread came out of the oven and was cool enough to slice, I had a lovely piece of it with a cup of Russian Tea—the orange juice and warm spices in the tea were just the perfect match. But you might also like Cranberry Bread with a Vanilla Spice Latte or, if it’s hot out, a Vanilla Berry Lemonade.
Quick Breads
Just like the name suggests, quick breads are quick to make! That’s because they don’t require yeast. When we think of making bread, in general, we think of yeast and the proofing and the rising (and waiting while the dough is rising), and then the deflating after the first rise, and then the waiting for the second rise, and then the kneading and… oh my gosh, just writing this is making me tired! But you know what I mean. Quick breads, on the other hand, rely on baking powder or baking soda (or sometimes both, like in our recipe here) to help produce the rise, and they are fast and simple to make, requiring no special equipment or techniques. They may take a long time to bake, but you can spend that hour reading a book or watching a TV show and inhaling the delicious aroma of that quick bread you will soon eat!
There are lots of kinds of quick breads, but the most popular seems to be the sweet variety, like our Cranberry Bread. More like a muffin than bread in texture, quick breads may not be good for sandwiches, but they are beyond good for breakfast, packed in lunches, or mid-afternoon or late-night snacks. They travel and hold up well, so they’re perfect for potlucks or bake sales. They also make great hostess gifts: wrap up a loaf of Cranberry Bread in some festive paper to take to any dinner party!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, well beaten
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
How to Make Cranberry Bread
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: Add the orange juice, orange zest, oil, and beaten egg to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined; do not overmix.
Step 4: Fold in the chopped cranberries until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Step 5: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Step 7: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Wrap cooled Cranberry Bread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and it will keep on your counter for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for a week. You can also freeze the wrapped bread for up to 3 months.
Can you use dried instead of fresh cranberries in this recipe?
Yes, you can. Just remember that dried cranberries are sweeter, and that will affect the taste (and the calories!). Generally, dried fruit has a lot more sugar than fresh fruit, so keep that in mind if you are watching your sugar consumption.
What are some good add-ins for Cranberry Bread?
Glad you asked! Most kinds of chopped nuts will be delicious in this bread, such as walnuts, pecans, or even pistachios. You can also add another fruit: chopped apricots are lovely in cranberry breads. A really great add-on (vs. add-in!) is a glaze: orange or lemon glaze drizzled on top of Cranberry Bread is delish!
Serving Suggestions
Something I love to do with Cranberry Bread is slice and toast it and then slather those slices with Whipped Butter and Orange Marmalade. You can also spread some Cranberry Relish on some of those slices, too. If you like that sweet and savory combo, try the Cranberry Bread with Whipped Ricotta or even with a smear of this sweet and smoky Bacon Jam.
Bread is always a good accompaniment to salad, don’t you think? And some salads just pair beautifully with sweet quick breads. Try Cranberry Bread with these two fruity salads—Citrus Mint Fruit Salad or Grape Salad—or alongside more hearty dishes like Roasted Chicken Salad or Roasted Vegetable Farro Salad with Pomegranates!
Cranberry Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg well beaten
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the orange juice, orange zest, oil, and beaten egg to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined; do not overmix.
- Fold in the chopped cranberries until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
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