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A combination of delicious, fruity, citrus-y holiday flavors, this Orange Cranberry Bread tastes great after Christmas dinner or for breakfast that morning! It’s a simple yeastless recipe that takes little time to prep.
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What’s the best, tastiest, fruitiest, full-of-Christmas-cheer dessert recipe? No, not fruitcakes. 🤣 It’s this wonderfully moist, wonderfully scrumptious Orange Cranberry Bread!! And it’ll be a lot less controversial at your family meals than a fruitcake this holiday season, let me tell you.
Orange Cranberry Bread is, essentially, what it says in the name. It’s a sweet bread with citrus flavors and a simple-to-make orange glaze, and it’s so good. No yeast needed, y’all, and the prep time is quick.
Plus, it works as a treat after any meal or as the meal itself (think breakfast)! Who wouldn’t want some Orange Cranberry Bread to nibble on while opening presents under the tree?!
While it definitely seems to taste best in the winter around the holidays, I think it’s a fantastic year-round recipe!! I hope you enjoy it!
Cranberry Orange Bread: Ingredients & Substitutions
For this Cranberry Orange Bread recipe, you will need …
Ingredients
For the bread:
- flour, salt, butter, sugar, and egg – standard baking ingredients that go into most sweets!
- baking powder – we’re not using yeast in this recipe, so baking powder will help our cranberry orange bread rise a bit.
- vanilla extract – important to bring out all the flavors in the bread.
- cranberry sauce and orange juice – these two ingredients ensure we have a deliciously fruity dessert bread!!
For the glaze:
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- powdered sugar and orange juice – these combined will form a glaze.
- orange zest – for additional citrus flavor!
How to make Orange Cranberry Bread
First, prep your supplies. That means preheating the oven to 350°F and greasing/flouring a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.
Second, combine your dry ingredients. Grab a medium bowl and mix your flour, baking powder, and salt.
Third, combine your wet ingredients. In a separate larger bowl, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then beat in the egg and add the cranberry sauce, vanilla extract, and orange juice. Be sure to mix it all well!
Fourth, mix your ingredients and bake your batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, but don’t overmix it! Spread the batter into your 9″ x 5″ loaf pan and bake it for about 1 hour or until the bread is golden brown.
Finally, make your glaze and serve! Allow your baked bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a cooling rack. Meanwhile, whisk together your powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest in a small bowl until it’s well combined. Pour the glaze over the top of the loaf, and once it’s set, you can slice and serve it all!!
Orange Cranberry Bread: FAQs
You’ll need about 15 minutes of prep time, 1 hour of cooking time, and 2 hours of cooling time.
This will make 1 loaf, which you can cut into 10-12 slices more or less!
You can keep it in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature or freeze it for up to 6 months. If you do freeze it, however, make sure it’s unglazed and wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
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Orange Cranberry Bread
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ cups whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup orange juice
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 – 2 tablespoons orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the cranberry sauce, vanilla extract, and orange juice. Mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture just until moistened. Do not overmix.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 1 hour or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest until well combined. Spoon or pour the glaze evenly over the top of the loaf. Allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If you use a glass bread pan, you may need to bake your bread longer.
- Store this loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.
- You can freeze this loaf for up to 6 months. Freeze the entire loaf, unglazed, wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. To freeze individual slices, lay them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer for about 2-4 hours or until the bread is frozen. Wrap each piece in a layer of plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, then place the slices into a zip-top bag or airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
