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 this loaf stays moist for a few days (in case you needed a homemade Christmas gift idea).
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Cranberry Bread Video
If you enjoyed this video for Cranberry Bread, please subscribe to our Youtube Channel (P.S. Click the BELL icon so you can be the first to know when we post a new video). Thank you for subscribing!
Cranberry Bread Recipe
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 make it truly special. As a copycat recipe, I think it’s even better than Starbucks’ Cranberry Bliss Bread. You’ll love every bite.
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! P.S. You can also change it up and add nuts to make it a cranberry nut bread, as I did with my famous Banana Bread.
Cranberry Orange Bread Ingredients
- Baking Basics – All-purpose flour gives the bread structure, baking powder is the primary leavening, and salt balances the sweetness.
- Milk – I use whole milk, but skim milk will work. It’s best at room temperature.
- Orange zest and juice – In case it’s not intuitive for everyone, use a zester 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
- Fresh Cranberries – rinsed and dried, then tossed in 1/2 Tbsp of flour to keep them from sinking in the batter. You can use frozen cranberries and add them frozen (do not thaw) and bake a few minutes longer, or substitute 2/3 cup dried cranberries and reduce the sugar in the recipe to 2/3 cup since dried cranberries aren’t as tart. Soak dried cranberries in very warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before using.
When Shopping for Cranberries…
Cranberries are only available for a season in grocery stores, so buy extra and store them in the freezer so you can enjoy cranberry bread year-round. To Freeze Cranberries: Set the original bag inside a freezer-safe bag to protect them from freezer burn. I rinse frozen cranberries right before using them. If you’d rather rinse before freezing, just dry them really well first.
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 with an electric mixer, 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 wire rack to cool completely.
Natasha’s 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.
To Bake Mini Cranberry Loaves
If you want to gift mini cranberry loaves. Divide into 3 mini loaf pans (5.5 x 3-inch each). Divide evenly among the pans, filling them 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 350˚F for 22-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Glaze once fully cooled.
The Best Glaze for Cranberry Bread
Orange and cranberry are complementary flavors, 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.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- 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.
This sweet bread is total comfort food. All you need is a steamy mug of tea or coffee to go with a thick, fresh slice of homemade Cranberry Bread.
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 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
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 Cookies
Everyone Loves this bread!!! We made it in a Bunt Cake pan and it turned out Fabulous..
THat’s so great to hear, Barbara! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This looks amazing !! Unfortunately I can’t get fresh cranberries. I would love to make it though so can I use dried ones instead ?
You sure can! See my notes in the common questions section for instructions on this. I hope you love it!
Hi Natasha,
When baking in mini pans, can several pans be put in the oven at the same time. I’m thinking of 3 mini pans at the same time. Should the bake time be adjusted? Will the location of the pans in the oven affect the extent of bake of the breads in the various pans? TIA – love how meticulous you are. It is very helpful
Hi Mary, you can bake multiple loaves at one time. Just make sure there is enough room for air circulation between the pans. The bake time shouldn’t vary much but keep an eye on them.
This is a wonderful moist sweet tart dessert. I love it!!
I’m so happy to hear that, Patti!
I made this delicious loaf. It’s the perfect combination of sweet & tart & was a hit in my house. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
You’re very welcome, Connie! So glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Natasha!
I made this bread for a recent gathering. It was a big hit. Have 3 mini in oven right now. I gave my niece your cookbook. 😊
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit, Linda! Thank you for sharing.
The loaf portion of the recipe did not state where and when to add 1/4 c orange juice.
Also took at least 55 min for tooth pick to come out clean.
HI Rosemarie, it is written in the instructions above and inside the recipe card in step 3. You combine it with the wet ingredients. Also, you might consider getting an oven thermometer to double check temperatures. My oven says it’s preheated when it’s under by 25 degrees so I let it preheat a little longer.
I have made this about 10 times and it always takes more than 50 minutes…and my oven is calibrated. About 60 mins here in Michigan.
Hi Natasha, I use your recipes frequently and they always come out perfectly. But, as one other follower said, the fresh OJ curdled the milk and the bread came out beautiful but dry.
Hi Sheila! I haven’t had that happen to my mixture. A few things that could have caused it to be curdled- using a lower fat milk which is more prone to curdling due to the chemical reaction (protein and acid). A higher fat milk can slow down curdling. When adding the orange juice, add it slowly while mixing. Hopefully that helps.
Thank-You Natasha , Yur recipe for Cranberry bread with orange glaze was a big hit. Delicious.
Love it. I’ve never enjoyed cranberries this much before. I’ve baked it twice in a couple of days already. I am sure I’d see the result of it on my scale soon. Well, I am going to bake more for visitors this weeks. I also bought mini loaf pans for this recipe so I can give them as gifts for the season. Last night, I went to bed looking forward to having a piece for my breakfast with coffee. And I couldn’t resist a big slice after lunch. I do without glaze for myself. It is still so flagrant with orange. It tastes good and also smells good. Thank you Natasha!
Hello,
Is there any reason to use avo oil instead of butter. I had a thought time removing the cake from the Bundt pan and I greased the pan well. It was delicious but couldn’t remove in one piece. Going to make the bread loaves (personal loaves) this time. I know oil is heavier than butter because butter has water in it. What would be the gram weight. I scale everything because I make a lot of sourdough bread and mill the wheat berries for the flour.
Thank you
Hi TG! I haven’t tested oil but some of my viewers have reported good results using canola oil.
I love this recipe so much and every year I make some loaves for sharing with family and friends. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Aww, that’s so thoughtful of you Lucila! I bet they’re all going to love these.
Looks great! Will use lemon instead of orange as most family prefer the lemon taste, can I sue frozen whole cranberries? If so, would I use them frozen or defrost first?
TY
Hello! I have noted this in the recipe “You can use frozen cranberries and add them frozen (do not thaw) and bake a few minutes longer, or substitute 2/3 cup dried cranberries and reduce the sugar in the recipe to 2/3 cup since dried cranberries aren’t as tart. Soak dried cranberries in very warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before using.”
Would I be able to make these with dairy alternatives?
Hi Sharrah, I haven’t tested it, but I think it would be fine to substitue with a dairy alternative. Some of my viewers reported making this with canola oil in place of butter so a vegan butter should work.
I made it with vegan butter and it turned out well. It seems like at least 79% oil/fat is key.
I followed the recipe exactly, but the breads never fluffed up, they came out short, dense, and dry. What did I do wrong?
Hi Kathryn! Common reasons for the bread not rising is expired or old baking powder, or the oven was not fully preheated before baking. Dense and dry bread can be from over-baking, or using too much flour. If you’re leaving is expire/old, it would be dense because it didn’t rise. Check the expiration date and if it’s been open for a while it looses its rising power. Also- ensure you’re measuring your flour correctly. Check out this How to Measure Ingredients (Wet and Dry) VIDEO.
I made the cranberry orange bread and it looks great. But is it supposed to be low at each end and high in the middle. Mine does not look like the pictures.
Hi Ginny, its hard to say without being there, but it could be due to several factors. Did you possibly use a different pan size? Also, be sure you had the correct amount of flour and you didn’t use too much.
Love this recipe it is my “go too”. Never fails always delicious❤️
Hi I have a question when I added the orange juice to the milk it curdled up, is there something that I am doing incorrect or what can I use instead of milk.
Thanks
Hi Anna, I have not had that happen before, are you using fresh squeezed orange from an orange? Also, only adding 1/4 cup, not more? I would be sure your milk is not spoiled and also your milk should be at room temperature, ensure it is not too warm. I wish I could be more helpful from afar, I looked through all the comments and don’t see any complaints about their mixture curdling.
I’ve made nine loaves as gifts for the holidays. Many compliments from the neighbors regarding the taste. On one of the loaves, the cranberries unfortunately all came to the top even though I floured them prior to mixing them into the batter. Any suggestions?
Hi Gerry, its hard to say what is causing that with out being there. If they are floured, give them a gentle mix in the batter to be sure they are evenly dispured.
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were gobbled right up! I’d like to make some for Christmas gifts. Christmas is a week away. Would it be ok for me to bake them today and keep them in the fridge? Thanks for another fantastic recipe Natasha!
Hi Joanie! I’m so glad to hear they were a hit. Please see the suggested “make ahead” notes above. It would be best to freeze them this far in advance.
I want to make mini loaves. Can you suggest baking time and temperatures?
Hi Cathi, I haven’t tested mini loaf pans for some of my viewers have. Depending on what size they are you may have enough batter for 6 mini loaves. I would bake them for 25 to 35 minutes but check early in case they get done sooner.
Can I make
The batter the night before and bake in the morning?
Hi Maegan! It’s best to bake it right away since the baking powder activates once it’s mixed.