Cranberry Orange Bread is a delicious and festive twist on my Sweet Bread recipe. The addition of cranberries and orange zest elevate it into an elegant Christmas Bread for breakfast, brunch, snacks and gifting.

These little loaves make your home smell like Christmas and quickly disappear! It takes just 10 minutes to prep this quick bread recipe.

Small ceramic loaf pan of cranberry orange bread, resting on a pale blue linen towel.
Want to save this?
Enter your email below and I’ll send it directly to your inbox!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

This easy cranberry orange bread is perfect for holiday entertaining. Cranberry orange bread is the perfect addition to Christmas brunch and makes a delicious snack. It also makes a beautiful hostess gift, neighbor or coworker gift.

I love using cranberries in our cooking and baking! Don’t skip Cranberry Salsa, Cranberry Quick Bread, this Cranberry Cheeseball, and this Cranberry Cheeseball in the shape of Santa’s hat!

A small ceramic loaf pan filled with fresh cranberry orange bread.

Cranberry Orange Bread

Cranberry and orange flavors make a classic Christmas pairing. Typically bitter cranberries sweetened with sugar and balanced with orange zest makes a delicious holiday combination you’ll come to crave!

Why You’ll Love this Bread

  • Easy to make
  • Subtle flavor of espresso
  • Beautiful for gifts
  • Moist and decadent
  • Great with a cup of coffee!
  • Quick + Easy
  • No Yeast Required
  • No Bread Machine
  • Mix in a single bowl, bake and enjoy!
A small ceramic loaf pan filled with fresh cranberry orange bread.

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Sugar – Granulated white sugar to sweeten the bread.
  • Flour – All purpose flour, no need to sift!
  • Baking Powder – The leavening agent for this no-yeast bread.
  • Salt – Balances the sweet flavors in this easy bread recipe.
  • Eggs – Large eggs will bind the ingredients and also help with leavening. Don’t overmix.
  • Milk – Use whatever you have on hand – anything from skim to vitamin D! Almond milk works as a dairy free alternative. Milk contributes to the light texture and color of the bread.
  • Vegetable Oil – Oil makes this bread moist!
  • Orange zest – Zesting the outer, colorful skin of unwaxed oranges (clementines or mandarins also work) adds a lot of flavor and aroma. Simply use a zester to zest the orange. Reserve the fresh orange to slice and garnish the top of your bread.
  • Fresh Cranberries – You can also sub with frozen whole cranberries.

Variations

  • Glaze – This bread is amazing on its own, but you can also cover it (or drizzle if you show any restraint) with Classic Glaze or Cream Cheese Glaze.
  • Cranberry Orange Almond Bread – Add sliced almonds.
  • Make it Healthier –Replace half the oil with unsweetened apple sauce.
Small ceramic loaf pan of cranberry orange bread, resting on a pale blue linen towel.
Gold bakeware on a marble surface

Tools to Use

How to Make

It’s so quick to make this sweet bread!

  1. Combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. Beat eggs, milk and oil.
  3. Gradually add dry mixture to wet until just moist. Fold in orange zest and cranberries.
  4. Grease six miniature baking dishes and pour mixture an inch below to the top to compensate for rise.
  5. Garnish with orange slices, a few additional cranberries and a little sugar. Bake and enjoy!

Tips

  • Don’t Overfill Your Loaf Pan – Fill 2/3 full to compensate for rise.
  • Grease Baking Dishes – Be sure to grease your baking dishes for easy removal.
  • Use the Toothpick Test – Bake time varies with oven, altitude, loaf pan size and material. Use the toothpick test to determine when your loaves are baked through. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, it’s ready to be removed from the oven.
  • Orange Zest – Use fresh zest for the best results, but you can use dehydrated orange zest. It’s not a 1-1 substitution because it is more concentrated, so start with 1/3 of the amount and add to taste.
Small ceramic loaf pan of cranberry orange bread, resting on a pale blue linen towel.
Two different gold loaf pan sizes on a white marble surface

Loaf Pan Sizes

Not sure which loaf pan to use or how to adapt? Get all the details here!

Serving Suggestions

Serve with one of my favorite flavored butters for the ultimate treat – orange butter or honey butter are great choices for this bread!

How to Wrap and Gift Bread

You know how I love to share our quick breads – we can never seem to eat an entire loaf ourselves. So I make them in 6 miniature loaves, keep one for ourselves and gift the others.  This gingerbread loaf makes a wonderful gift!

Wrapped in ribbon and garnished with a touch of herbs, it makes a special Christmas gift for teachers, coworkers, neighbors, friends, or family!

I use miniature ceramic loaf pans but you can also use these disposable kraft paper loaf pans. You can wrap in a cellophane bag if you wish, too. They’re inexpensive and just as beautiful!

Small ceramic loaf pan of cranberry orange bread, resting on a pale blue linen towel.

How to Store

  • Room Temperature – Store this quick bread in a sealed plastic bag or covered in saran wrap at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • Refrigerate – Up to 1 week in an airtight container.
  • Freeze – Wrap them tightly in heavy foil, saran wrap or place them in freezer bags (I like to do at least 2 to prevent freezer odors from seeping in), and freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature to serve.

For more tips and tricks to store quick breads and keep them as fresh as the day they were baked, don’t skip How to Store Banana Bread.

Dietary Considerations

  • To Make Gluten Free: Use a gluten free flour intended for 1:1 baking.
  • To Make Dairy Free: Sub with almond milk.
  • Vegetarian
A small ceramic loaf pan filled with fresh cranberry orange bread.

More Quick Bread Recipes

More Bread Recipes
Small ceramic loaf pan of cranberry orange bread, resting on a pale blue linen towel.
5 from 21 votes

Cranberry Orange Bread

Cranberry Orange Bread is a delicious and festive twist on a classic sweet bread recipe. The addition of cranberries and orange zest elevate it into an elegant Christmas Bread for breakfast, brunch, snacks and gifting.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 48
Pin Rate Print

Ingredients  

  • 2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups milk (Whole, 2% or whatever you have on hand)
  • cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • cups fresh cranberries

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • Beat eggs, milk and oil.
  • Gradually add dry mixture to wet until just moist.
  • Fold in orange zest and cranberries. 
  • Grease 6 miniature baking dishes, and pour mixture an inch below to the top to compensate for rise.
  • Garnish with orange slices, cranberries and sugar.
  • Bake 40 minutes.

Julie’s Tips

Tips

  • Test with a toothpick – when it comes out clean, it’s baked to perfection.
  • Don’t Overfill Your Loaf Pan – Fill 2/3 full to compensate for rise.
  • Grease Baking Dishes – Be sure to grease your baking dishes for easy removal.

To Store

  • Room Temperature – Store quick bread in a sealed plastic bag or covered in saran wrap at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • Freeze – Wrap them tightly in heavy foil, saran wrap or place them in freezer bags (I like to do at least 2 to prevent freezer odors from seeping in), and freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature to serve.
Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.

Explore More

You May Also Like

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this Recipe




30 Comments