Cranberry Orange Bread is a fun Christmas or Thanksgiving quick bread perfect for breakfast with orange juice and dried cranberries.
This Cranberry Orange Bread is a delicious and easier twist than my classic Cranberry Bread that is perfect for the holidays because it uses dried cranberries in place of fresh ones like in my Pumpkin Cranberry Bread.
CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD
Cranberry Bread is a really well loved recipe on the site but I kept getting inquiries about adding in extra flavors and swapping in dried cranberries. This Cranberry Orange Bread may be one of my favorite reader request recipes ever.
Sometimes revisiting an old recipe is a good way to come up with some new, delicious flavor combinations. That’s exactly what happened with this yummy Cranberry Orange Bread.
The orange flavor and the delicious tart yet slightly sweetened dried cranberries that I soak in orange juice work really well together.
It tastes like a moist and tender cake from your favorite bakery or coffee shop, full of Christmas flavor, and I’m really excited to serve Cranberry Orange Loaf Bread this holiday season. Since it has a relatively quick baking time you can make it a day ahead of time.
If this is your first time trying Cranberry Bread, this is a great recipe to use because you can make it all year long since we are using dried cranberries.
MORE DELICIOUS QUICK BREADS:
Easy Banana Bread (No Mixer!)
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
Zucchini Bread
Pumpkin Bread
HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD
- Soak the cranberries in the orange juice in a small bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×5 loaf pan with baking spray.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, egg and soaked cranberries and orange juice until well combined.
- Whisk in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour into greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from loaf pan.
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VARIATIONS ON CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD
- Muffins: You can easily make Cranberry Orange Bread into yummy muffins by dividing the batter equally into a muffin tin. You’ll want to leave a little bit of room at the top of each cup so that they don’t fall. Remember that muffins have a shorter cook time than a loaf of bread.
- Mini loaves: If you have a mini loaf pan kicking around that you’ve wanted to break out, this is a great recipe for them. Divide the batter between the mini loaf pans and put them in the oven. Make sure you keep an eye on them to keep them from burning, since the size difference will influence the baking time.
- Add ins: One of my favorite things to add to Cranberry Orange Bread is a handful of white chocolate chips. The white chocolate goes really well with the tartness of the fresh cranberries, and the baking process melts them enough to give the bread around them a a rich, almost buttery flavor.
- Toppings: You can top your Cranberry Orange Bread with a dusting of powdered sugar, brown sugar, granulated sugar, or confectioner’s sugar to make it look fancy and delicious. You can also serve your Cranberry Orange Bread with glaze. Make a little orange glaze in a small bowl and drizzle it over the top of the loaf. To make it look extremely fancy, you can make patterns with the glaze.
CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD FAQS
- Why does my Cranberry Bread sink in the middle? If you overfill the loaf pan it won’t have room to rise, this causes breads to fall. Leave at least an inch of space in the top of the loaf pan.
- Does Cranberry Bread need to be refrigerated? It can stay out for up to 2 days, but to keep it fresh and moist you should refrigerate it.
- Can you substitute dried cranberries for fresh? Yes, you can, but this may influence how much moisture is in the bread.
- How do I know when my Cranberry Bread is done? Insert a toothpick into the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean, the middle of the bread is solid and ready to eat.
EASY HOLIDAY BREAKFAST IDEAS
Easy French Toast Bake
Gooey Monkey Bread
Easy Cinnamon Rolls (in 1 Hour!)
Breakfast Casserole
HOW LONG IS CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD GOOD?
- Serve: You can leave Cranberry Orange Bread out at room temperature for up to 2 days. To keep it fresh, keep it wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
- Store: You can keep Cranberry Orange Bread in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let it cool down to room temperature before you seal it up, and keep it wrapped tightly enough to keep any moisture out.
- Freeze: You can keep your Cranberry Orange Bread in the freezer for up to 3 months. Again, you should always let the bread cool to room temperature before putting it away.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 orange , zested
Instructions
- Soak the cranberries in the orange juice in a small bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray.
- Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, egg and soaked cranberries, orange juice and orange zest until well combined.
- Whisk in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour into greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from loaf pan.
Nutrition
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Excellent – have made twice. Both times I added a handful of chocolate chips. This time I put a chocolate glaze all over it. Just eating a piece now – still slightly warm – absolutely wonderful. This is a real winner not only for taste but for the simplicity of the recipe.
Can you substitute your sugar to make it sugarfree?
This is THE BEST recipe. I used frozen Orange juice concentrate
But I made it strong. I also added pecans and used an orange glaze. I baked a loaf for a friend and she was crazy about it. My favorite and so simple to make.
I only gave four because I changed it up so I couldn’t really rate the original recipe. I used commercial orange juice since I had some in the fridge. I cut the sugar to 1/2 cup. I substituted blood orange olive oil for half the oil. I didn’t have a fresh orange so I added dried zest. I also added a third of a cup of yogurt and a quarter tsp almond extract. (The olive oil and yogurt had me on a Mediterranean track.) I baked two small loaves. The crust caramelized to a nice golden color on the bottom and sides, but wasn’t hard or dry. The top really didn’t get a lot of color. The crumb was very tender and moist. It ate almost like a cake and was plenty sweet even with the reduced sugar. I made sure I did not overbake and it probably baked in about 30-35 minutes in the smaller pans. There was a nice balance of the almond, orange and cranberry with the slight earthiness of the olive oil. I will definitely make again.
I loved this and would have given it 5 stars but I made substitutions and additions so I wasn’t truly ranking the recipe I guess. I didn’t have fresh orange but I had commercial juice so I used that. I cut the sugar back to 1/2 cup, also added some dried orange zest and substituted blood orange olive oil for about 1/3 of the veg oil. I also added about 3 Tbsp Greek Yogurt. Because the yogurt and olive oil brought the Mediterranean to mind I added about 1/3 tsp almond extract for an added dimension. It had a very moist, delicate crumb and you could taste the orange and cranberry and the almond (I would probably only use 1/4 tsp next time) and thought it was plenty sweet even with the reduced sugar. Delicious.
Do you measure frozen cranberries the same as the dried?
This was delicious! I added cinnamon and cut back on the sugar.
Thank you!
Bread came out amazing. It’s difficult to find fresh cranberries year round, and since I’m not around family, I do a lot of shipping. This worked out perfect. The only tweak I added was some orange oil, really amped up the orange flavor!
That’s a great idea, Christine.
I love to baker and try new recipes.
Great recipe, I will add walnuts the next time I make it.
Thank you for this recipe.. The taste is really amazing! The first time I made it, the result was really dry. But since the bread tasted really good, and I have a lot of dried cranberries, I baked it again. I made adjustments, I added greek yogurt and the result was just fantastic. Same great taste but now it’s moist! Thanks again!
So glad you gave it another chance, Percy.
How much Greek yogurt did you use
Hello, there is no greek yogurt used in this recipe. Are you maybe confused with another recipe?
This was very dry and crumbly. Disappointing!
How long do you soak the cranberries? Should they still be “tough” ?
I am so sorry, I am just seeing this tonight. I am sure the recipe has long been cooked/or not but I still want to try to help.
No, they shouldn’t be tough, like a slightly juicier raisin?
Great use of fresh oranges! Recipe is awesome!
Thanks, Jan.
Just made 10 mini loves and my friends loved it!!!
Thanks for the 5 stars. I’m glad they all enjoyed them.
I loved this recipe – easy to make and very moist. I used fresh cranberries l so I decreased the orange juice to slightly less. I also added chopped pecans. It was wonderful, would definitely make this again.
Thanks for the 5 stars, Ruth.
Do you drain the soaked cranberries or add bowlful into mix?
ThNks
Yes, the orange juice goes in with the cranberries, sorry for the confusion!
I didn’t see the orange zest mentioned in the directions. Is this just getting mixed in with all the dry ingredients?
It’s included in step 4. Enjoy!
hi, this recipe sounds amazing and i’m so excited to try it, i was wondering if i can use fresh cranberries instead of dried?
Yes, you can, but this may influence how much moisture is in the bread.
Made this a few weeks ago. My family loved it! I’m making again for Christmas gifts for my friends and family . I added walnuts and baked in mini loaf pans.
Can you double this recipe?
Sure 🙂
Hi Sabrina,
Would you recommend substituting 2 cups flour with 1/2 cups coconut flour and adding another egg?
I haven’t tested it but that sounds about right. I’d love to know how they turn out. Enjoy!
What would you suggest for an egg substitute?
Though I haven’t tested it, you can substitute with mashed bananas, applesauce or ground flax seed mixed with water. 1/4 cup for each egg. Good luck!
Followed the recipe exactly. It was very dry. It needs more liquid of some type.
You can always add some milk if you want it more cake-like.
Hi!
The recipe sounds great! Thanks for sharing it. I’m curious, how much milk can I add to the batter and would I have to reduce or take out anything (ie the orange juice) if I did? Thanks!
I love cranberry and oranges together! This was very yummy moist and delicious!
Thanks, Melissa for the 5 stars. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Such an easy recipe and full of Christmas flavor! We loved it!
Thanks so much for coming back to let me know, Taylor.
This tasted so great! Loved the step of soaking the cranberries! It was a nice touch!
You’re welcome, Suzy.
There are no instructions for adding the sugar or orange zest in this recipe. Good thing my sugar canister was still closed. Not good
Oh no, It must not have saved correctly. I’m so sorry. Thank you for letting me know. I just corrected the recipe card. Hopefully it sticks this time.