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
So fragrance, fresh, moist, buttery, so addicting! I doubled the recipe for a last minute christmas gifts! Put it on one loaf pan, one bundt pan, and saved a little batter in 3 cupcake liner for me & my husband. Everyone loveeeee it! Thanks Natasha!
You’re welcome! I’m glad it was enjoyed.
Really good. It’s perfect for Christmas. I made them into mini loaves and gave away. They were done in 19 minutes. The glaze was just the right amount. I did only one cup of cranberries because I thought 1 1/2 was too much but I won’t do that again. Thaks so much for this!
Hi Nerissa! Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad you loved the recipe.
Natasha: I made your Orange Cranberry Bread today. My advice to those going to attempt this recipe is to change nothing. Your recipe, video and instructions produced perfection. I have a picture to show, but don’t see how to share it. Excellent and delicious!
That’s so awesome! Thank you for sharing that with us, we’re happy that you love this recipe a lot!
I made this recipe tonight and it is so good. Cranberry Orange is my new favorite flavor. And this recipe is delicious!
I bet your home smells good after making this! The perfect holiday dessert! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is my go-to recipe for Christmas gift-giving baked goods. I tried it last year and all my clients raves about it, and I wished I had kept more than a loaf for myself! Thank you for a winner again, Natasha!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Emily!
This is hands down the best cranberry bread I have ever made and I have made several. As soon as cranberries hit the stores I buy and use a ton of them.
That’s wonderful, Cathy! Thank you for sharing.
I made this yesterday. So delicious and very moist. I will make this again soon!
Thank you so much!
That’s great! I’m so glad you loved it!
I would really like to make this but I just do not like anything with zest in it. Would omitting the zest make a difference and any suggestion of what else to add.
Hi Susan! That should be fine. IF you don’t mind the orange flavor, you could use some more orange extract/flavor to add additional flavor if needed.
I actually omitted the zest and added 4oz Paradise Holiday Fruit candied orange peel to the batter. And to take a little over the top I added candied orange slices from Trader Joes on top of the glaze. Great recipe Natasha!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Rachael!
If I am making this as a gift in a disposable loaf pan, should I wait to glaze this right before gifting/delivering? Or can it be glazed as soon as it cools and then packaged up?
Hi Gretchen, You could do it either way but be sure to let it cool before glazing.
I made this last night and veganized it using flax eggs and Miyokos awesome butter! I also put in 1 tsp of ground ginger. To die for! One of the best baked items I have made in a while.
So glad I have more cranberries in my freezer! onee
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Chris!
so it came out great. I baked for 47 minutes. Moist, balance of sweet and tart. Going to be a great neighbor gift this holiday season! Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Susan!
I made this last night and it came out so good! It is moist, slightly tart but has a sweetness to it, also. This recipe is a keeper. I imagine you could use blueberries when they are in season in place of cranberries.
Hi Barb! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for the feedback.
Not sure of the rating yet as the loaves are in the oven. I loved the consistency of the batter as I put it in the 2 on the smaller side pans. I am winging it a bit here. My question is how would you adjust for high altitude? I will follow up with stars after I get to taste them.
*smaller size pans. I should read before I submit! Looking forward to your response.
Hi Susan1 I don’t have any experience with high-altitude baking, but you may find this article on high altitude baking helpful!
I have a question (I gave it 5 stars as before because I loved this bread). Anyway, how many mini loaves (~5 3/4 x 3 1/2) would this recipe make? I want to give some as gifts. Thanks
Hi Brenda! I’m glad you love the recipe! I have not made them in mini loaf pans to know how many the recipe would make.
I just made this today and used 3 mini loaf pans. The pans are 3 X 5.5. One recipe filled them perfectly. They turned our great.
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with all of us, LuAnn! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you LuAnn, that helps me a lot. I’m getting ready to make them again and now I have some idea how many small pans I need-I appreciate the reply.
This is a great idea for Christmas gifts. Smaller pan is perfect. How long did you bake the three pans?
I made the 3 small loaves and didn’t reduce the cooking time. It seemed like it was needed to cook the middle and give the slightest brown around the edges. I’d jut start watching them closely after the 30 minute mark. Gave them as gifts and recipients raved. The orange glaze puts them over the top, delish!
One of the reviewers mentioned she got 3 mini loaves, but Im sure it would depend on the size of your pans.
Oh Natasha. I made the Cranberry Orange Bread tonight and it is SO delicious. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe. The combination of the cranberries and the orange was perfect — a little tart and a little sweet mixed together for a mouthful of Heaven. It’s definitely as good as the photo looks — maybe even better! Extremely yummy.
It’s my please, I’m happy that you love it!
Love the cranberry orange bread . Can I substitute blueberries and lemons for your bread to make another incredible bread ?
Hi Marilyn! So glad you love it! I think it could work but I haven’t tested it in this specific recipe to provide instructions. This is our go-to blueberry and lemon cake. 🙂
Just made this today swapping out almond milk for regular milk due to an allergy. Also after reading the other comments, I halved the icing with exceptional yummy results! I will be making this again to give as gifts.
That’s wonderful, Kellie! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Could this be baked in a Bundt pan? And if so, what temp? Thx for your help!
Hi Laura, we have a great version of the Cranberry Bundt Cake here.
I would like to try this recipe but what is 6 tbsp. butter? Is that 1/4 cup?
Hi Lynn, 1/4 cup of butter is only 4 Tbsp. 6 Tbsp is slightly more than 1/3 cup, or 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp.
Hello,
Delicious cranberry orange bread! Wonderful directions, video & photos…I baked 6 small loaves at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes. (The pans dimensions are 2″ H X 5 3/4 ” long X 3 3/4″ wide.) I appreciate the ability to convert to metric measurements.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!!