This Cranberry Orange Bread is moist, buttery and sweet with a bright orange flavor and fresh cranberries in every bite! It’s easy to make from scratch with simple ingredients.
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This Cranberry Orange Bread is a festive and delicious quick bread perfect for dessert or breakfast.
It’s made from scratch with simple ingredients, including fresh cranberries (also try this recipe for the best cranberry sauce), orange juice and orange zest.
Topped with an orange glaze that hardens with a perfect shine, it’s even more delicious than your favorite bakery!
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Cranberry Orange Bread Ingredients & Substitutions
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- Salted butter. unsalted butter works well in this recipe.
- Granulated sugar. white sugar or organic cane sugar are both great choices.
- Orange juice. use pulp-free, pure orange juice for the best results.
- Sour cream. plain Greek yogurt or canola oil can be used in place of sour cream.
- All-purpose flour. make it gluten-free by using a 1:1 all purpose gluten-free baking flour.
- Whole milk. heavy cream or half and half are great substitutes.
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How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread
Let’s walk through how to make this orange cranberry bread together, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and buttering & flouring a 9×5″ loaf pan.
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Then, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set it aside.
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Next, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, orange juice sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
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Then, add the dry ingredients to the smooth wet ingredients and stir until there are no lumps or pockets of flour.
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Then, gently fold in the cranberries and orange zest until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
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Next, spread the batter evenly intothe prepared loaf pan.
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Bake on the lower rack in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes (check at 50), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cranberry orange bread cool completely in the loaf pan (about 6 hours or overnight).
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Once the bread is completely cooled, remove it from the loaf pan, releasing the sides with a sharp knife. Turn it out onto a cutting board or serving plate.
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Make the Glaze
Once the cranberry orange bread is completely cooled, make the glaze by whisking the glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth.
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Then, pour the glaze over the top of the cooled orange cranberry bread.
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Transfer the bread to the refrigerator until the glaze is set (about 30-60 minutes).
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Serve
Once the glaze is set, slice the cranberry orange bread and serve. It’s best served slightly chilled or at room temperature.
We like to serve it as a dessert, sweet breakfast or festive snack.
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Store/Freeze
Store leftover cranberry orange bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month
I suggest freezing it in individual slices so you can take them out and enjoy as you wish!
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Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe FAQS
Yes, you can. Just decrease the amount to 1 cup dried cranberries.
You do not have to cut the cranberries before baking them in this cranberry orange loaf recipe.
Yes, double it and bake it in two, 9×5″ loaf pans.
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Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest*
Glaze
- 1 Tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter and flour a 9×5” loaf pan, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, orange juice sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients and stir until combined and there are no lumps or pockets of flour.
- Then, fold in the cranberries and orange zest until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake on the lower rack in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes (check at 50), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely in the loaf pan (about 6 hours or overnight).
- Remove from loaf pan, releasing the sides with a sharp knife. Turn it out onto a cutting board or serving plate.
Make the glaze
- Once the bread is completely cooled, make the glaze.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Pour over the top of the cooled orange cranberry bread.
- Transfer the bread to the refrigerator until the glaze is set (about 30-60 minutes).
- Then slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Salted butter. unsalted butter works well in this recipe.
- Granulated sugar. white sugar or organic cane sugar are both great choices.
- Orange juice. use pulp-free, pure orange juice for the best results.
- Sour cream. plain Greek yogurt or canola oil can be used in place of sour cream.
- All-purpose flour. make it gluten-free by using a 1:1 all purpose gluten-free baking flour.
- Whole milk. heavy cream or half and half are great substitutes.
