You have to try this homemade cranberry orange bread. If you’re looking for a yummy holiday week breakfast idea, you to make this homemade cranberry orange bread, ever! Not only does it taste like Christmas, but it makes your home smell so sweet and fragrant. It’s amazing! Everyone will love this homemade cranberry orange bread. Sweet, citrusy, tart, with a shmear of soft butter, yum! This cranberry orange recipe is sure to be a family favorite!

Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe- orange cranberry bread slices and loaf on cutting board with walnuts, grapes, oranges around and butter and 2 cups of coffee- kids activities blog
Homemade cranberry orange bread is almost too pretty to eat!

HOMEMADE CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD RECIPE 

This recipe is perfect for the cranberries you didn’t have a chance to cook during Christmas!

If you have fresh (or frozen) cranberries, orange juice, and some basic pantry items, you are on your way to a fresh loaf of cranberry orange Christmas bread. 

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Supplies For Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe- cranberries, orange juice, egg, butter, salt, sugar, flour, walnuts, baking soda, and powder- kids activities blog
Bread recipes are my favorite last-minute recipes, because I usually already have everything I need to bake!

Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread Ingredients

Sliced Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread made from our recipe on a cutting board with walnuts
A fresh piece of cranberry orange bread, with a pad of melting butter is just the motivation I need to bake!

How to Make Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2

Spray bread pan with cooking spray.

Step 3

Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe- Step 3- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
I like to keep my dry ingredients separate from the wet ingredients in the beginning.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

Step 4

Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe- step 4- In a large bowl, slightly beat egg.
Don’t overly beat your egg.

In a large bowl, slightly beat egg.

Step 5

Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe- Step 5- Add orange juice and butter, mix until well combined.
Next, add the orange juice.

Add orange juice and butter, mix until well combined.

Step 6

Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe- Step 6- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
Make sure that your dry ingredients are completely combined before adding the wet ingredients.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined.

Step 7

Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe- step 7- Chop cranberries and nuts in food processor or with a sharp knife.
Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Chop cranberries and nuts in food processor or with a sharp knife.

Step 8

Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe- step 8- Stir in water, nuts and cranberries into mixture JUST until combined but don’t overmix.
Don’t overmix!

Stir in water, nuts and cranberries into mixture JUST until combined but don’t overmix.

Step 9

Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe- Step 9- Grease your pan before adding the batter.
Grease your pan before adding the batter.

Spread batter evenly into 1 standard bread pan or mini pans.

Step 10

Bake large pan for 60 minutes or small pans for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 11

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Step 12

Remove from pan.

Step 13

Finished Cranberry Orange Bread slices on board with grapes and walnuts
I love how the cranberry color just pops in this bread!

Store in airtight container. 

Notes:

After you make the orange cranberry bread recipe, let cool completely or the next day you will have very moist, border-line soggy muffins after you put them up.

This sweet bread is great at room temperature or hot. However, wrap it in plastic wrap if you want your bread with tart cranberries and sweet oranges to stay moist. You can also wrap individual slices.

Don’t want one big loaf? You can also use this recipe to make mini loaves.

You can also use it to make cranberry orange muffins, though they’ll be dense and not so fluffy. Still perfect for Christmas morning though.

CAN I MAKE CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES OR FROZEN CRANBERRIES?

It’s my experience that cranberry orange bread turns out better when made with either fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries. If you only have dried cranberries, you can still make this recipe, using 1 cup of dried cranberries. 

If using frozen cranberries, let them sit on the counter and thaw before adding them to the batter to keep the color from bleeding. 

Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe sliced on a board with walnuts and grapes with a cloth napkin
You only have to swap out one ingredient to make gluten free cranberry orange bread.

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD 

If you have a gluten allergy or sensitivity, you can easily adapt this recipe to be gluten free. Swap out the traditional flour with all-purpose gluten free flour, and make sure all of the other packaged ingredients (like the baking powder) are gluten free, too. 

Cranberry Orange Bread Vegen recipe- slices and loaf on board with oranges, walnut, grapes, and cups of coffee
With a couple of substitutions, you can easily make vegan cranberry orange bread!

IS CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD VEGAN OR DAIRY FREE? 

This recipe can be adapted to be a vegan cranberry orange bread, by switching the conventional egg with either an egg replacement purchased from the store, or a homemade egg substitute.

Mix together 1/4 cup of applesauce, along with 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder. This mixture is equal to 1 egg. 

You can also create an egg substitute from 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal, combined with 3 tablespoons of warm water. 

Substitute butter with vegan butter. 

Yield: 8-10

Homemade Cranberry Orange Bread

Cranberry Orange Bread

This homemade cranberry orange bread is the perfect balance of tart and sweet!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons hot water
  • ½ cup nuts, chopped finely
  • 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped finely

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spray bread pan with cooking spray.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
  4. In a large bowl, slightly beat egg.
  5. Add orange juice and butter, mix until well combined.
  6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
  7. Chop cranberries and nuts in food processor or with a sharp knife.
  8. Stir in water, nuts and cranberries into mixture JUST until combined but don’t overmix.
  9. Spread batter evenly into 1 standard bread pan or mini pans.
  10. Bake large pan for 60 minutes or small pans for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  11. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
  12. Remove from pan.
  13. Store in airtight container.

EASY HOMEMADE BREAD RECIPES 

Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe to make after cranberry orange bread recipe
Cinnamon swirl bread + a cup of coffee = a slice of heaven!

The only thing that beats the smell of bread baking is that first bite of warm bread with butter melting! Here are some of our favorite bread recipes to make with your little kitchen helpers: 

What is your favorite homemade bread recipe? Comment below!



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