I don't consider myself a baker. At all. Yeast breads scare me, my layer cakes are always lopsided, and you can just forget about fancy cookies. But when the Christmas season comes around, I love nothing more than to roll up my sleeves, spread the flour on the counter, and roll out some sugar cookies with the kids, decorate (pre-assembled) gingerbread houses, and pop a few loaves of Mom's Cranberry Bread in the oven.
Over the years, however, I have learned a few tricks to keep holiday baking stress-free and successful (even for a novice like myself). First of all, I stick with what I know will work! Baking does not allow room for experimentation, so I measure my ingredients and follow the tried-and-true recipes that we have loved for years. This easy cranberry bread recipe is a guaranteed winner!
How to make Cranberry Bread:
This fresh cranberry bread only requires 15 minutes of prep! Don't you just love the stained, browned old recipe card that is about as old as I am? I consider these handwritten mementos little family treasures that I will hold onto forever!
You'll need the following simple ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat flour (or additional all-purpose flour instead)
- Salt and baking soda
- Sugar
- Juice and zest from 1 orange
- Butter
- Egg
- Pecans
- Fresh cranberries
- Milk or eggnog
First, sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir just until combined, and then gently fold in the nuts, cranberries and orange zest.
Transfer the batter to a loaf pan, and bake the bread in a 325 degree F oven for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, and then slice and serve!
The end result is a moist, tender loaf of bread that is bursting with tart berries and chunks of buttery pecans. It's just simple, real ingredients that come together in a naturally beautiful way.
How to serve Cranberry Bread:
This bread can be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold (straight out of the fridge)! It's delicious on its own, but it's also really great when spread with butter or cream cheese.
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- I balance out the holiday indulgences to make this a healthy cranberry bread by using whole wheat flour, nuts, fresh cranberries. If you prefer, you can substitute sweetened dried Ocean Spray Craisins for the fresh cranberries, and you can use additional all-purpose flour in lieu of the whole wheat flour.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter, or you will end up with a dry, dense loaf. Gently fold together the ingredients just until everything is combined.
- If you like your cranberry orange bread with glaze, you can whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of orange juice or milk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled bread.
- Swap out the pecans and use walnuts instead (or omit the nuts altogether).
- How to store Cranberry Bread: Wrapped tightly, this bread will keep on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days. There's no need to refrigerate the bread; however, you can extend the life of the bread and keep it wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Can you freeze Cranberry Bread? Yes! Wrapped tightly, the bread will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Fresh cranberries can be stored in the freezer so that you always have them available when you need them for this recipe!
- How to prepare fresh cranberries for baking: There's not really anything special that you need to do here. Just cut the cranberries in half and then gently fold them into your batter. If you have the berries stored in your freezer, you don't even need to thaw them before cutting them and stirring them in.
You can trust me when I say that this bread is 100% approved by every big (and little) boy in my house. I was pleasantly surprised that even my youngest guy requested two slices in one sitting as soon as the loaves came out of the oven. A true holiday baking success!
More cranberry bread recipes that you might enjoy:
Or use your fresh cranberries to make these:
Mom's Cranberry Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup white whole wheat flour (or substitute with additional all-purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup organic sugar
- Juice and zest from 1 orange
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, halved
- Approximately ½ cup milk or eggnog
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F/190°C. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking soda and sugar).
- In a large measuring cup, combine melted butter, orange juice, and milk (or eggnog) to equal 1 cup. Add egg to the wet ingredients. Whisk until completely combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, being careful not too overmix.
- Gently fold in pecans, orange zest, and cranberries.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for about 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
- I balance out the holiday indulgences to make this a healthy cranberry bread by using whole wheat flour, nuts, fresh cranberries. If you prefer, you can substitute sweetened dried Ocean Spray Craisins for the fresh cranberries, and you can use additional all-purpose flour in lieu of the whole wheat flour.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter, or you will end up with a dry, dense loaf. Gently fold together the ingredients just until everything is combined.
- If you like your cranberry orange bread with glaze, you can whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of orange juice or milk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled bread.
- Swap out the pecans and use walnuts instead (or omit the nuts altogether).
- How to store Cranberry Bread: Wrapped tightly, this bread will keep on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days. There's no need to refrigerate the bread; however, you can extend the life of the bread and keep it wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Can you freeze Cranberry Bread? Yes! Wrapped tightly, the bread will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Fresh cranberries can be stored in the freezer so that you always have them available when you need them for this recipe!
- How to prepare fresh cranberries for baking: There's not really anything special that you need to do here. Just cut the cranberries in half and then gently fold them into your batter. If you have the berries stored in your freezer, you don't even need to thaw them before cutting them and stirring them in.
I bet this would be extra delicious with a cup of tea.Yum!
Exactly!!! So good!
Have you ever double this recipe?
Hi, Lisa! No, I haven't -- but I'm sure it would work fine! Just double the ingredients and divide the batter between two pans. 🙂
Can you replace the white sugar with another sweetner?
Hi, Connie! You can use a sugar substitute that measures like sugar (for instance, a stevia product). If you're looking to use something like maple syrup or honey, it would not be a 1:1 replacement because those options are sweeter than sugar -- and the liquid nature would change the texture of the bread. I'm sorry that I haven't tested the recipe with other options to be able to give you specific measurements. Hope you get to try it! 🙂