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 seriously so tart!!! I kept reading other reviews before I made this to see if they had the same complaint but I was surprised I didn’t see any….because this is TART! Not a huge fan as of now and feel like I couldn’t gift this for a holiday treat to someone. I will give this recipe another try but with dried cranberries. The bread was good and moist, had great flavor but just can’t do the fresh cranberries.
Using mini loaf pans! Would the temperature of the oven be the as well as the time?
Hi Sondra, I haven’t tested them to provide specific instructions on baking time. You’d have to experiment with it and watch them closely to ensure they don’t over-bake.
Why does the cake keep sinking? Whenever I make this, or banana breads, I cook it the right amount of time, check with toothpick, and after I take it out of the pan, after 20 minutes, the top of the cake collapses. Help!?
Hi Bill! Did you make any adjustments or use a different size pan? It could be several issues: Expired baking powder, or too much leavening agent like baking soda or powder can cause a cake to rise too high too quickly. If the cake pan is too small, the batter may be too deep. Incorrect oven temperature causing it to rise and bake to fast on the outside but not fully in the middle so it collapses. I highly recommend the use of an internal oven thermometer. I hope that helps.
Fantastic! The whole family loved it. I loved the glaze-lots of flavor and not too sweet. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it, Jackie!
Can I make small loaves with this recipe? How long should I bake them?
Hi Claudia, I haven’t tested this recipe in mini loaf size so you’ll have to watch it in the oven so it doesn’t over bake.
Can I make cupcakes with this recipe and how long to bake ?
I would like to freeze and take out on at a time.
Hi Bridget! Yes that should be fine but you’d have to experiment with the time. Watch them closely to ensure they don’t over bake.
This is by far the best cranberry bread. So moist and the sweet and tartness is perfectly balanced. My go to recipe for the Holidays. Freezes very well!
Hi Tammy! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you.
Made it yesterday and it’s all gone. Excellent recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful recipe, as always. Thank you Natasha! I love anything cranberry orange and this was no exception. The only change from the recipe was I used dried cranberries that I soaked in freshly squeezed orange juice for a while first. They plumped right up and were full of flavor! The bread was moist and delicious and the glaze was too die for!! I may have been a little heavy handed on the zest but I think it was perfect! Try it, you won’t regret it! 🤤
Hi Samantha, thank you for your great comments and feedback. We’re so glad that you enjoyed this recipe!
This was really great. I did add chopped pecans and they were really good in it. I’ll be making this a lot-hubby also loved it. Thanks again for your wonderful recipes (and again, I love the fact you answer people’s comments)
Thank you, Brenda! So glad that you enjoy my recipes.
Just finished and smells divine. The cranberries frozen tossed with flour stayed mostly on the top. Not sure why perhaps I should have defrosted them first?
Hi Carol! No, you do not need to thaw them first. Be sure to incorporate them into the batter using a spatula to mix them in gently and not just toss them on top of the batter (see my process in the images or video above).
Do you think I could add 1 banana to the recipe? It sounds perfect as it is so maybe this is a silly question.
Hi Leslie! Possibly, but I haven’t tested it to know what the outcome would be. I have a banana bread recipe HERE and many of my readers add cranberries to it.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe I love cranberries.
I made twice and my husband it’s waiting for another one… it’s really delicious and easy made.
You’re welcome, Evelyn. Great to hear that your husband loves this!
This is the best cranberry bread! I made the recipe exactly as written and made into mini loaves to give as gifts and freezing a few loaves to slice and serve on Christmas morning.
Thank you!!
You’re welcome! So glad you love it. It makes the perfect gift!
Hi how long did you cook your loaves for. , and what size are your pans. I have the foil pans.
Thank you.
I gave you 5 stars even though the bread isn’t done yet! I can tell it’s going to be wonderful. I do wonder about one thing though. Usually when a recipe has an acid (orange juice), it calls for baking soda too. Not here. why?
Hi Roxanne! I hope you love this recipe! We’ve had good results with the baking powder so using baking soda in this recipe is not needed.
This is an amazing recipe. I doubled it and made 2 loaves tonite. I basically followed the recipe exactly but reduced the sugar and cranberries. It’s very good. Thank you so much. I will definitely be making this orange cranberry loaf again.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Barb!
This looks delicious. Can this be made in a bundt cake pan? Should I just double the recipe? Thanks.
Hi Heidi! You can use this recipe for cranberry bundt cake instead.
I just took this out of the oven, cut a slice and drizzled a little glaze on it, and It’s wonderful! I did make some adjustments. I used Stevia in the bread and for the glaze I used 0 calorie powered sugar. I didn’t have enough orange juice to thin out the 0 calorie powered sugar so I added a bit of diet cranberry juice. Thank you Natasha
I’m so glad it worked out with those substitutions! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Kathy!
Hey there! Can I substitute the orange juice if I don’t have any on hand?
I haven’t tried a substitution for orange but I think it might work with lemon instead.
Made this today but only had 1 cup of fresh cranberries in the fridge so added a 1/2 cup of homemade cran-orange sauce. Put half the batter in the pan, added some small dollops of sauce, gently swirled and repeated with the other half of the batter. Nice golden color and seemed to be moist when I was wrapping the cooled loaf for the freezer. Can’t wait to defrost, glaze and eat during our family holiday gathering! Natasha’s recipes never disappoint!
Thank you for sharing, Deb! I’m so glad you love the recipe.