This Cranberry Orange Bread Tastes Like Winter Sunshine
Cranberry Orange Bread is a wintertime classic. The tart cranberries and sweet citrus are both in season, and they offer such a bright and welcome contrast to the usually heavy foods of winter. In my house, this was a staple every Thanksgiving and Christmas morning, but it’s great to have a slice with coffee any day of…
- 1 orange ($0.83)
- 2 cups fresh cranberries (200g, $2.64)
- 8 Tbsp salted butter (112g, room temperature, $0.99)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g, $0.96)
- 1 large egg ($0.18)
- ½ cup sour cream (120g, 0.47)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g, $0.36)
- ½ tsp salt (3g, $0.03)
- 1 tsp baking powder (4g, $0.04)
- ½ tsp baking soda (2.5g, $0.02)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120g, $0.32)
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Zest and juice the orange. You'll need about ⅓ cup juice (divided) and a ¼ tsp zest for this recipe. Wash and slice the cranberries in half.
- In a large bowl beat together the butter, sugar, and ¼ tsp orange zest with a hand mixer or stand mixer on high until the mixture is soft and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
- Add the sour cream and ¼ cup of the orange juice to the batter and beat again for about 2 minutes. Save the remainder of the orange juice to make the glaze later.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Add about half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat with low speed until combined. Add the rest and beat until combined again. Finally, fold the sliced cranberries into the batter.
- Grease an 8½ x 4½ inch bread pan and then dust lightly with flour. Spread the cranberry bread batter into the bread pan and smooth out the surface.
- Bake the cranberry orange bread for 60 minutes in the preheated 350ºF oven, or until it is browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay, just no wet batter).
- Allow the bread to cool in the bread pan while you make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar with just enough orange juice to create a thick glaze (about 1½ to 2 Tbsp). You can add a pinch of orange zest to the glaze, if desired.
- When the bread has mostly cooled, use a knife to loosen the edges, then remove it from the bread pan. Drizzle the glaze over top, then slice and serve.
“This was so good! Made it for Christmas day and it turned out beautifully. Thank you!!”
And since this Cranberry Orange Bread freezes beautifully, I can take a slice out and warm it up whenever I need a little taste of sunshine. :) All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
“This was so good! Made it for Christmas day and it turned out beautifully. Thank you!!”
caitlin
Easy holiday Cranberry Orange loaf
If you love a little sweet baked treat with your homemade cup of coffee, this cranberry orange bread recipe is going to be your new fave.
The loaf is sweet, rich, filled with orange essence, and dotted with fresh tart cranberries. The sweet glaze on top makes the perfect juxtaposition to the tart cranberries, and the whole thing is absolutely addictive!
Whether you’re baking it for the holidays or slicing off a piece with your morning coffee, this Cranberry Orange Bread is the perfect way to brighten any winter day.
Recipe Success Tips and Variations
- Use a combination of baking powder & baking soda. Because of the acidic ingredients in the batter (sour cream, orange juice, and cranberries), I use a combination of both baking powder AND baking soda to leaven the bread.
- Fresh or frozen cranberries. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this bread. If using frozen, allow them to thaw before folding into the batter.
- Full or low-fat sour cream. Low-fat is an option, but don’t choose no fat. Greek yogurt will also work, here too, don’t use non-fat.
- Make mini loaves. Instead of using a large loaf pan, you can make mini loaves; just watch the bake time.
- Extend the shelf life. Once the loaf is cool, I like to freeze individual slices so I can easily enjoy this bread once the holidays have come and gone.
- Switch up the berries. If you have a hard time finding cranberries, any berry will work, so try blueberry or raspberry.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread Step-by-Step Photos
Prepare the orange zest and juice: Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Zest and juice one orange. For the batter and icing, you’ll need about ⅓ cup juice (divided) and about ¼ tsp zest (or more if desired).
Wash and slice 2 cups of fresh cranberries in half. Cream the butter and sugar: Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together 8 Tbsp room-temperature salted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and ¼ tsp orange zest on high until soft and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
Add one large egg and beat together until smooth and creamy (another 2 minutes). Add orange and sour cream: Add ¼ cup orange juice and ½ cup sour cream, then beat together until smooth and creamy once again.
Combine the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add about half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat them together on low speed until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until a smooth batter forms.
Do not overmix. Add the cranberries: Fold the sliced cranberries into the batter.
Transfer to a loaf pan: Grease an 8½ x 4½” loaf pan and then dust it lightly with flour. Spread the cranberry bread batter into the pan. Bake: Bake the bread in the preheated 350ºF oven for about 60 minutes or until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (it may have a few crumbs, but should not have wet batter coating it).
Allow the cranberry bread to cool in the pan. Ice the bread: When the bread is mostly cool, prepare the icing. Stir together 1 cup powdered sugar with 1½-2 Tbsp orange juice, and a pinch of orange zest, if desired.
Add just enough of the orange juice to create a thick glaze. Remove the bread from the pan, then drizzle the glaze over top. Serve: Slice, serve, and enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers
This cranberry orange bread will keep well in the refrigerator for about five days, or you can freeze it for longer storage. To freeze, slice the bread and then stack the slices with parchment paper between each slice.
Place the stacked bread in an airtight container and then store it in the freezer. You can take out one or as many slices as needed and thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving, or microwave until warm.
In the freezer, the loaf will keep well for up to 2 months.
What to Serve With Cranberry Orange Bread
Come Christmas morning, I like to have a variety of dishes for us to chow down on.
For a hearty, satisfying option, our sausage breakfast casserole is ideal to pair with the cranberry orange bread. To round things out, I’ll also make gingerbread baked oatmeal.
For drinks, no one can ever resist a homemade hot chocolate or a cup of fresh steaming coffee with gingerbread coffee creamer.
