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
I just made this and it is delicious. However, it seems to be rather “short” and not as full as I was expecting. It didn’t rise very much. Did I do something wrong? My baking powder is good – I checked. I made it by hand, without a mixer.
Hi Penny, did you use a larger pan? That could be a culprit. Also, make sure the oven is fully preheated before baking and that all ingredients are the proper temperature. Lastly, make sure you are using baking powder rather than soda.
Fantastic….This made wonderful muffin size breads for on my cookie platters…plus great loaves….
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Baking this right now. My loaf pan is bigger, but I’m sure it will be fine. Can’t wait to try it! Sure smells good.
I hope you love it, Karen!
Absolutely delicious! Very moist and the glaze is perfect! The orange zest amps up the flavor. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you! 🙂
Yay! I’m so glad this is a keeper, Cathy! That’s so great!
The best cranberry bread I’ve ever had, perfect compliment of sweet and tart and so moist! The glaze was the icing on the cake so to speak. Highly recommend this recipe!!!
Wow! Thank you for that amazing review, Mary! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes!
Made this and turned out fantastic, so yummy. Making more today for next weekend. Does it freeze well? Any suggestions
Hi Anna! It sure does! See my notes on freezing in the “Make-Ahead” section of the recipe post. I hope you love it!
Just made this and we are enjoying our warm slices of cranberry orange bread…yummy! Hubby said definitely keep this recipe it tastes great! Note I said “slices”…he’s on number three!
Living in New England, our cranberries are local and I scoff up bags to freeze until next fall.The cake is moist and deliciously sweet and tangy at the same time. Thanks for sharing …
I’m so glad it’s a keeper! It’s the perfect holiday treat!
This looks so yummy and would make perfect neighborhood gifts!! Can you suggest a small loaf pan and how long to bake it? I would appreciate it very much!
Hi Connie, I bet this could work in a small loaf pan. I haven’t tried that myself to advise on bake time. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I put my small loaves in for 35 to 40 minutes (in small aluminum loaf pans) and they came out perfectly! I love this recipe. Yum!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
I made this recipe this morning and it was so delicious that the kids requested it again this evening. It’s in the oven right now and I just realized that I forgot the baking powder 🙈 Will it still be edible?
Oh no! The baking powder is what makes it rise. I don’t think it will rise properly without it.
Natasha, the recipe does not state when to drizzle on the glaze – while it’s hot, warm, or completely cooled. And before or after removing it from the pan. Please help!
Hi Marina, I’m happy to help! See Step #6: “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.”
I made this recipe, doubled it in fact. I used frozen Cranberries and the bread is delicious! I wasn’t going to put the glaze, but I’m so glad I did, it just adds the perfect compliment.
Hi Linda, I’m so glad you loved this Bread recipe. Thank you for your review!
Can I make in small loaves? Would I need to decrease cooking time?
Hi Anne, I haven’t really tried making mini loaves using this recipe to advise of the cooking time. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I’m wondering the same thing as this would be great for gifts along with a plate of cookies
I’m making it tomorrow and have a GREAT feeling it’s a 5 star winner! Will submit a follow up to confirm!
Please do, we’d love to know how you liked this recipe!
I made this bread yesterday and it’s delicious but it seemed a hair dry. Did I maybe do something wrong? I want to make a loaf for my family at Christmas.
Hi Marjorie, it is supposed to be moist and not dry. Were there any changes made in the recipe or perhaps any ingredients that were substituted?
I would like to know if this recipe would work with gluten free flour? I have family members who can not eat gluten.
Thx
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I love this. Nice and tart. I made them into muffins… keeps me from eating half the loaf at once, for real!
Thanks for the recipe and may I just say.. you’re great. Love watching you, whether I am making the recipe or not.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sally! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Made this this past weekend. Yummy! Even better the next day. I also love blueberry and lemon combination. Can I substitute blueberry for the cranberry and lemon for the orange juice? Would it be the same measurement/amount?
Don’t you love when recipes are just as good or even better the next day! I bet this could work with other berries! If you test it, I’d love to know how you like it!
This will absolutely work with other berries! I substituted strawberries for cranberries and lemons for oranges because it’s what I had in the house. For larger berries, I recommend chopping them into cranberry-sized bites so you can stick with a similar 1-1/2 cups of berries in the mix. The lemon glaze was an intense burst of flavor, so if you want less lemon in the glaze, use a bit of lemon juice and the rest apple juice to balance out the glaze consistency.
Can I give it more than 5 stars?!! Haha! Natasha, I tried this recipe yesterday and oh my goodness, it is just so delicious and moist!! Thank you for putting this recipe together!!
Aaw you’re so sweet. Thank you so much for your awesome review! I’m so happy that you really enjoyed this recipe!
Baking in the oven right now. I added 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Can’t wait to try. Love your recipes. 👩🍳
I bet it smells lovely in your home right now! I hope you love this recipe!
Made this today and it was sooo good. Planning to use as christmas gifts for friends.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Nancy! This will make the perfect Christmas gift!
Hi Natasha
Just made this bread this weekend added little bit of walnuts and shared it with my church family and everyone loved it! It was easy to make and delicious and looked exactly like yours. Thanks for another great recipe!
Karen
Hi Karen, thanks for the nice feedback. Great to hear that the recipe was a huge hit.
That’s one reason I make Natasha’s recipes … they seem to all turn out looking just like hers. It’s a wonderful feeling.
Made this today, rave reviews from the family, it’s now on the Christmas rotation! Thanks for a great recipe!
Very nice to know that, Cheryl. Thanks for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha. Normally, when you are baking you add vanilla extract to muffins, breads, etc. Why don’t you add vanilla extract to this bread? Can I add vanilla extract anyway even though the recipe doesn’t call for it?
Hi Anson, I always make this one without vanilla and never felt it was missing anything. I suppose you could experiment if you wanted to and add it to the milk mixture.