Orange-glazed Cranberry bread has a moist and tender crumb and is loaded with juicy cranberries. It has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy and just like our famous Banana Bread, this loaf stays moist for a few days (in case you needed a homemade Christmas gift idea).
This is a copycat version of my favorite bakery’s cranberry loaf and this one turned out even better – more cranberries and the orange glaze makes it truly special. You’ll love every bite.
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We love cranberry recipes during the holidays like Sugared Cranberries, Cranberry Bundt Cake, and of course this Cranberry Bread recipe. If you love tangy and juicy cranberries, this recipe is a must-try!
Cranberry Bread Video Tutorial
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Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Bread
- Flour – use all-purpose to give the bread structure
- Baking powder – leavening to make the loaf rise
- Salt – balances the sweetness
- Milk – best at room temperature
- Orange zest and juice – be sure to zest the orange before juicing it. Reserve a teaspoon of zest for the glaze.
- Butter – Adds moisture to the loaf. Use unsalted butter softened at room temperature.
- Sugar – to balance the tanginess of the cranberries
- Eggs – give the bread a moist, tender crumb
- Cranberries – rinsed and dried then tossed in 1/2 Tbsp of flour to keep them from sinking in the batter (see substitution options in common questions section)
How to Make Cranberry Bread
- Whisk dry ingredients – whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Combine wet ingredients – in a measuring cup, stir together milk, orange juice and zest.
- Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl then beat in eggs until well combined.
- Combine batter – Add flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the milk mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Flour cranberries – rinse and dry cranberries then toss them with 1/2 Tbsp flour to coat. Fold in cranberries just until incorporated. Spread batter into buttered and floured 8.5×4.5 bread pan.
- Bake the bread for 45-50 minutes until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Pro Tip: Tossing cranberries in a little flour coats them lightly and prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf as it bakes. This ensures cranberries are evenly disbursed in the finished loaf.
The Best Glaze for Cranberry Bread
Orange and cranberry are complimentarily flavored just like peanut butter and jelly. Topping the cranberry bread with orange juice and the orange zest-infused glaze makes this bread irresistible. I’m not sure if it’s breakfast or dessert but I’ve served it both ways. All you need for this easy 3-ingredient glaze is:
- Powdered sugar – I spoon it into the cup and level the top for a consistent measure.
- Orange juice – Freshly squeezed is best and don’t worry about straining. A little pulp won’t hurt the bread.
- Orange zest – do not skip the zest. It adds deep orange floral notes to the glaze.
Common Questions
Yes, you can use frozen cranberries in the same quantity and add them frozen (do not thaw). You may need to bake just a few minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
You can substitute with 2/3 cup dried cranberries and reduce the sugar in the recipe to 2/3 cup since dried cranberries aren’t as tart. The dried cranberries will be juicer if you soak them in very warm water for 10 minutes then drain and pat dry before using.
You can make this a cranberry nut bread by folding in 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans when adding the cranberries to the batter.
This sweet bread is total comfort food. All you need is a mug of tea or coffee to go with a thick, fresh slice of cranberry bread.
Make-Ahead
- Room Temperature – wrap cranberry bread loosely in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate – you can cover and store the loaf in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezing – cool the loaf completely to room temperature then place in a freezer-safe zip bag, removing any excess air. Freeze up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Pro Tip: Cranberries are only available for a season in grocery stores so buy extra and store them in the freezer so you can keep enjoying this cranberry bread year-round.
More Cranberry Recipes
These are our best cranberry recipes using both fresh and dried cranberries.
- Cranberry Sauce
- Sparkling Cranberry Pineapple Punch
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Cranberries
- Cranberry Apple Danish
Cranberry Bread with Orange Glaze
Ingredients
Cranberry Bread Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
- Zest of 1 large orange, divided
- 1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and patted dry
- 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Orange Glaze Ingredients:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, or to reach desired consistency
- 1 tsp orange zest, reserved from the orange above
Instructions
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter a 6 cup (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 bread loaf pan)* then dust with flour, tapping out the excess flour.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup, combine together milk, zest of 1 orange (Reserve 1 tsp zest for the glaze), and orange juice. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and granulated sugar on medium/high speed (2-3 minutes on high speed). It won’t be smooth, just combined. Beat in 2 large eggs, mixing until well incorporated.
- Add flour mixture in 2 parts, alternating with the milk mixture and mixing on medium/low speed just until incorporated with each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Toss cranberries with 1/2 Tbsp flour then fold them into the batter just until incorporated. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 45-50 min at 350˚F until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10-15 minutes then run a cake release tool or knife around the edges and transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
To Make the Glaze:
- In a separate bowl, stir together powdered sugar, orange juice and reserved teaspoon of zest. Stir until smooth. It should have a drizzling consistency. Add more orange juice to thin it out or powdered sugar to make it thicker.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
this was so good!! realized last minute i had no milk so i improvised with sweet cream coffee creamer & used less sugar and was still amazing! i also did muffins instead, yielded about 16 & baked for about 20 minutes on 375
Thank you for sharing, Holly! I’m glad you loved the recipe.
Hi Natasha..I feel like lately all my loaf breads are not rising enough, including this one. They are rising but not getting enough rise like I see in your video. I’ve changed my baking soda and powder, the flour is all purpose. What else could it be? Could it be the pan?
Thank you…
HI Denise, are you using a different pan with new materials? Also, is your oven working properly? Mine says its preheated when its’ still 25 degrees away so I invested in a $10 oven thermometer on Amazon (affiliate link) which has helped a ton!
I’ve read that quick breads don’t need to have the sides of the pan greased, only the bottom of the pan.
Buttering the sides of the pan keeps the batter from “climbing” up the pan, resulting in a shorter loaf that is more dense.
I love this recipe and have made both a loaf and cupcakes out of it.It’s a huge hit with everyone! My question->why do my cranberries still seem to sink? I flour as stated but still more sink than not. This is only with the bread. PLEASE help!
Hi Susan, if you’re covering them in the flour they really shouldn’t. Are you baking the bread as soon as you put it into the pan?
This was so delicious! I ended up needing to bake for about 10 extra minutes, but I think my oven runs cold so that wasn’t surprising to me. The cranberries floated so well in the batter and I just love the glaze! Can’t wait to make again!
That’s great, Meg!
I cant wait to try this recipe. I’m afraid I’m going to measure the flour wrong, do you know about how many grams of flour you use so I can measure that way? Also, if I make mini loads do you know how long to cook them?
Hi Carissa! You can click on the “metric” button in the recipe card to get the conversion. I have not tested this in miniature pans to give the precise baking time.
Can I half this recipe? If so, would the baking time change?
Hi Sue. Yes you can, likely it will get done faster so you’ll need to watch it in the oven. The time time depends on the size of your pan. If you are using a larger pan, the batter will be thinner and bake faster. If your pan is smaller and the batter is thick, baking will take longer. Sorry I don’t have an exact time, I haven’t tested it in many sizes.
I decided to play chef extraordinaire by following your video, (very entertaining) and lo and behold, I conjured up the most divine cranberry loaf known to humanity. That drizzle, oh, that drizzle! It turned my creation into a superstar of baked goods. The ladies came for tea and my triumph turned into a speedy disappearing act. Thank you, Natasha, for yet another “go-to” recipe.
Yay, great job! Thanks a lot for sharing and I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try from us!
Hi Natasha, i love your recipes i tried many so far. I love watching your videos. You are so pretty👌
And this cranberry orange bread recipe is the best my family loves it whenever I bake it. Thank you so much.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Rohini! I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes and videos!
I want to thank you for this recipe. I have been wanting this for quite a few months.
I know I am going to enjoy it very much ! Have a wonderful day, and again Thank you
Hi Linda! You’re very welcome. I hope you love it!
Everyone seems to love your recipe and I’d like to make it but my husband takes medication that restricts cranberries from his diet. Could l substitute cherries?
Hi Bonnie! I haven’t tested it myself, but I think it could work. Let us know if you experiment.
Bonnie, we substitute blueberries (because my kids aren’t cranberry fans). It’s delicious!
Thanks Natasha: I have make this recipe 2 times in 10 days. I have added a little bit of lemon and grand mainier to the glaze.The glaze makes a great difference on the bread
That sounds amazing, Jorge! Thank you for sharing.
This recipe is spot on right down the to 1/2 TBS of flour for the cranberries to be coated in! I made this as a bread and muffins. The recipe yielded 10 muffins and I baked them for 29 minutes. Beyond yummy! My tips would be; definitely use a hand mixer vs. your KitchenAid and make two batches while you are at it as it is several steps. I did measure each batch individually however and did not combine. Wish I could post a pic!
Hi Susan! Thank you for the wonderful feedback. I’m glad you loved the recipe. I love to see pictures! In the future, you can tag me on Instagram or Facebook. 🙂 #natashaskitchen
Susan, why do you recommend a hand mixer instead of my stand mixer? Thanks, and sooooo happy to hear how delicious this bread is. I can hardly wait to make it!!
Great recipe – I made one change with the glaze, I pulverized 8-10 cranberries with an immersion blender then added zest, OJ, and 3/4 cup powdered sugar. You get the orange flavor and a hint of tartness with the sweetness also very colorful.
Hi Robert! That sounds great! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you love the recipe.
This recipe is excellent – very light and flavorful!! Love it!
Thank you for this review, Bethany.
Hi Natasha, I made this cranberry bread a dozen times now, and it was delicious every time I made it. Do you recommend freezing with glaze on, or glaze it when defrosted? Want to make 2 and save 1 for later. Thank you!
Hi LK! I’ve frozen it with the glaze, but either way will work. 🙂
It was delicious. My son has had a TBI which has affected his taste and smell. He doesn’t enjoy eating certain things since he is unable to smell and taste them, but this was a hit with him. I am on my second batch. Thank you for such a great recipe.
That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for sharing!
After reading all the positive reviews on here I’m dying to try out this recipe for a get together next week. Would it be okay to use cranberries from a jar (since I can’t find fresh cranberries in my supermarket)? Would I have to adjust the sugar content of the recipe since there is already sugar in the jar with the cranberries?
Hi Mirja, We have a note in the recipe about using dried and frozen cranberries as alternatives. I imagine jar cranberries may work, but depending on the moisture level, they may alter the outcome a bit. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
This is the best cranberry bread that I have ever made. Tart and sweet, great texture, did take about 60 minutes, but great!
Hi Sue! I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for the feedback.
I made 3 mini loaves and these are so beautiful and delicious! Definitely a keeper!
Thanks for the great feedback, Mandy!
I added a half teaspoon of almond extract to the batter to give it a little extra oomph.
I bet that tasted delicious! Thank you for sharing.