Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe

5 from 31 votes

Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe

Homemade cranberry orange bread made with orange zest, fresh OJ, and cranberries. It's an easy, quick bread that mixes in one bowl.

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest from about 1 large orange
¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice from 2–3 oranges
½ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled (or neutral oil)
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries if frozen, do not thaw
½ cup chopped walnuts

Orange Glaze

½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and orange zest, and rub the orange zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant. Whisk in the orange juice, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top.
Bake for 55–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If browning too quickly, tent with foil during the last 10 minutes.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Add an extra tablespoon of orange juice if needed for a more runny consistency. Drizzle over the cooled bread for extra sweetness.

Video

Notes

My Top Tip: Toss the cranberries and walnuts in the dry mixture before you add it to the wet ingredients. This stops them from sinking to the bottom of the pan in the oven.
Storage: Store the cranberry orange bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days or in the fridge for about a week.
Freezing: Wrap the loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. The cranberry orange bread will last for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw on the kitchen counter until room temperature.

This recipe has been updated in November 2025, but if you like the original version, you can still find it here:

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup cane sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cranberries, sliced
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 large egg
2 tablespoons coconut oil
¾ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the cranberries and walnuts, and stir to coat with the flour mixture.
In another large bowl, combine the egg, oil, orange juice, and orange zest. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and stir until everything is well-blended. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan
Bake for 50-55 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Nutrition

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