This cranberry orange bread recipe combines the popular flavor of cranberry bread with the tart pop of citrus. Combined you have one of the absolute best and most moist cranberry orange bread recipes ever. It’ll be one of your go-to cranberry bread recipes every year.
Why Cranberry Orange Bread
It all started when my mom convinced me to try mixing cranberry juice into my orange juice. The tart flavor of the cranberry perfectly balances the sweetness of the orange. Cranberry orange juice is still my favorite drink, but it’s gone far beyond just juice now. I absolutely love the tartness of cranberries and how they can complement a sweet salad, baked good, or even soup so well.
Where to Find Cranberries All Year Long
The recipe I’m sharing today is one that I got from my good friend Kristin. She made it for a baby shower we hosted together a couple of years ago, and I knew I had to have it. If you can’t find fresh cranberries, you can use frozen cranberries in this recipe as well. They’re typically available all year long at Whole Foods.
How to Make This Cranberry Orange Bread
The cranberry bread is fairly simple to make but does take a little bit of time because you start out by chopping all of the cranberries in half. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s start at the beginning.
First, gather your ingredients.
Next, chop all of your cranberries in half. Whole cranberries would make for one hard to eat cranberry bread. Once they’re chopped, cover the cranberries with sugar.
And then you’re going to measure out your dry ingredients and set aside.
Once the bread is done, serve sliced or just bite off chunks of the mini loaves like I do. No matter the way you slice it, it’s going to be delicious.
Free Printable Cranberry Bread Gift Tags
These cranberry orange mini loaves are perfect for a fun summer gift for a friend. I made an “Oh say cran you see” one for 4th of July and then because I was in a corny mood, made three other free printables that you can really use whenever. Be prepared; puns ahead.
I’ve also got some great holiday printables you can use with this cranberry bread. It makes the perfect neighbor, teacher, hostess, you name it gift. Click on the image below to see all of the fun holiday cranberry inspired printables. Or click on the links below each individual image to download each individual tag.
Other Gifts to Give with This Cranberry Orange Bread
- Orange Cranberry Marmalade
- Cranberry Orange Loose Leaf Tea
- Cheerful Cranberry Orange Candle
- Organic Cranberry Orange Lip Balm
- Cranberry Orange Body Butter
Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups sugar + 1/4 cup to put on top of the cranberries
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries cut in half
- 2 Tbs grated orange rind
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Slice cranberries in half. Top with 1/4 cup sugar then set aside.
- Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups sugar, orange rind, and vegetable oil.
- Add eggs and combine.
- Slowly add flour mixture, orange juice, and water to sugar mixture.
- Once all mixed together, add chopped nuts and cranberries.
- Divide batter into small greased mini loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
Recipe Notes
If you would like to make a large loaf rather than mini loaves, this mixture will make two large loaves. Bake a large loaf for 60-70 minutes.
Amy Anderson says
Yum yum! This looks delicious – and those tags are so cute! Pinned!
Nancy says
THIS IS RECIPE IS VERY DELICIOUS. I MAKE THIS EVERY OTHER WEEK .I ADD MORE ORANGE ZEST THEN THE RECIPE CALLS FOR.
JoAnn Kernick says
Can I use an electric mixer to combine wet & dry ingredients?
BritniV says
Yes!
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Carisa says
This looks so fun and delicious. Totally pinning. What a great gift!!! 🙂
Rita O'Neal says
This looks so good! I love Cranberries combined with oranges. The “corny” is great. That’s definitely my sense of style. Thanks for sharing a great recipe! #client
Kelley @ TheGrantLife.com says
This looks awesome! I am going to have to try this bread plus cranberries in my orange juice now! yum!
Kristine E. Underwood says
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kristine E. Underwood says
Visiting from Saturday Night Fever! This bread looks amazing!
Natashalh says
What cute printables! Your cranberry pictures make me really miss fall (we’re stationed in Hawaii right now). Visiting and Pinning from SNF!
Karen Pugh says
I have a minimal amount of time to enjoy my baking & cooking hobbies, so it is important to me that when I get to a blog, i can actually find the recipe and print it easily. I have scrolled through 3 times and cannot see the recipe. I also have trouble reading the faded print. I can barely see what I am typing right now. I don’t need a number of cranberry pictures. I want the recipe! Thanks!
Amber @ Apples to Applique says
The recipe is included in two places at the end of the post, both with links to print. 🙂 Also, the print throughout the blog is not faded, it’s black. Maybe it’s the device you’re on?
Elva says
No it is not the device. The printing is grey and very light.
Some things come through a little darker but still not black standoutprint. Pictures are beautiful and I love the recipes that I have tried, all turned out yummy.
BritniV says
Thanks for the note – I’ll look into the font color on the printing!
Kaitlyn says
The recipe says it uses 1 cup of water but you never say when to add it.
BritniV says
It’s in step 5 along with the orange juice.
malkie says
was wondering if you think i need to adjust anything if i am going to omit the nuts?
BritniV says
I’ve never tried it without the nuts, so I can’t hep you. Hopefully it worked out for you!
Ashley S. says
I removed the nuts and everything was awesome. No other omissions necessary.
Patrice says
This sounds wonderful! How many regular size loaves does it make?
BritniV says
It typically makes one regular size loaf.
Loraine D. says
This looks so delicious! I just mixed up a batch this cranberry orange bread and popped it in the oven. Wow does it smell yummy! I had to taste the batter and I have to say if it tastes as good as the batter it is going to be amazing! I have to note that it filled TWO regular sized loaf pans, not one.
BritniV says
Thanks for the note!
Jan says
How many standard sized loaf pans will this recipe make? How long would you bake for standard sized pans?
BritniV says
When making large loaves, I typically cook it for 60-70 minutes depending on how quickly your oven bakes. If the top is beginning to brown and the middle is not cooked through, cover the top with foil and let it cook for a few more minutes.
Amber says
I would love to make this for Thanksgiving but as a larger loaf. Have you made this recipe in that way? How long would you adjust the baking time?
THANKS SO MUCH it looks so yummy
BritniV says
When making large loaves, I typically cook it for 60-70 minutes depending on how quickly your oven bakes. If the top is beginning to brown and the middle is not cooked through, cover the top with foil and let it cook for a few more minutes.
LC says
I make cranberry surprise every fall, which seems similar except it’s a pie not a bread. I use a teaspoon of almond extract, and let me tell you, the mild almond taste pairs so unbelievably well with the cranberries! I would suggest adding it to your bread. You won’t regret it!
BritniV says
I’ll for sure have to try that, thanks for the tip!
Vicky says
excellent just made this. Hubby and daughter loved it. Changed recipe a bit. 1 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar and used 2 cups sliced fresh cranberries total. Didn’t want it too tart. Also used different baking pans. Did muffins, baby loaf and mini loafs. Baking times vary . But the same batch had excellent results overall. Will make again.
Karen says
If I was hoping to modify the recipe to make mini orange cranberry muffins is that doable?
BritniV says
sure Karen, just make them in mini muffin tins and decrease the time. The time will depend on how hot your oven bakes but I would probably recommend starting to check them between 7-9 minutes in mini muffin form. Also, I’d recommend chopping your cranberries a tad smaller so that you don’t have a huge cranberry chunk in each muffin.
Karen says
awesome! thank you – I will try it out 🙂
cheryl says
You weren’t kidding about the preptime. but my friends are going to love these mini loafs and they look amazing ….
Laura says
How many mini loaves does this recipe make?
Christal says
I made this recipe and it gave me 7 mini loaves
BritniV says
Thanks for letting me know Christal. Hope you enjoyed them!
Mir says
How big is the big loaf? What size pan? I made this and it made WAY more than just a single large loaf. Could I use a 9×13 pan?
BritniV says
Sorry, this actually makes two loaves. I’ve updated the recipe.
Corey says
Can Craisins be substituted?
BritniV says
They probably can be but it’ll change the flavor and texture of the bread so I would highly recommend using actually cranberries instead.
Amanda says
Are the mini loaves supposed to be cooled before dumping out of the loaf pan? Can’t see any other reason why they stuck half in the pan. .
BritniV says
Did you grease the pans before you put the batter in? I would also let them cool slightly before dumping out of the pan but no, I’ve never had any problem with them sticking in the pan if they were fully cooked and you’d greased the pans prior.
Kathy says
I too make cranberry bread/ muffins all year. I pulse the frozen cranberries in my food processor a few times and they come out beautifully. Much quicker! It also works with fresh cranberries too,
Nancy Seeley says
This is so delicious. I like more orange in it, so I use a small bottle of ok and then add water to make 2 cups. I also used 1 c. whole wheat flour. No difference in the taste. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Robin says
Can you substitute dried cranberries – can’t find frozen or fresh this time of the year
Kim says
I LOVE the cran orange flavour but I need gluten free. Have you ever made it without wheat flour ? Any suggestions how I could alter it to suit?? Sounds sooo delicious !
BritniV says
Unfortunately I don’t really have enough experience to give you recommendations on how to make it gluten free without significantly impacting the flavor and texture.
Diva says
Hi this looks soo yummy, can I replace frozen cranberries with dried ones, if yes then shud the quantity be altered we don’t get fresh/frozen cranberries where I live. Thanks
BritniV says
I’ve honestly never tried it with dried cranberries, but I’m sure it would work. It likely just won’t be quite as moist as the regular recipe.
Donna says
If you use dried cranberries, you should rehydrate them in water or orange juice first.
BritniV says
Great tip Donna!
Natalia says
Wonderful! I only had enough cranberries for half of the recipe, omitted the nuts and baked them in jumbo muffin silicone cups. Flavorful, moist, cranberry/orange combo made in haven. Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe.
Sandy says
I love your red loaf pan.
Coleen Guest says
This will be the second holiday season I will be making this bread. It is so fantastically yummy and received rave reviews! The only thing I will change this years is buying several bags of cranberries to freeze so come Jan. or Feb. I will still be able to mix another batch up. Thank you so much for sharing.
Tina says
Do the whole, fresh cranberries need to be boiled first?
BritniV says
Nope Tina, just cut and toss into the batter!
D. Adelis says
Looking forward to trying tomorrow. Can we replace butter for vegetable oil?
Thank you.
BritniV says
I’ve never tried that D, I think it might change the texture of the bread. Sorry!
Andrea says
What do I need to do to keep the loafs from being to moist even though they are done.
BritniV says
Do you mean they came out too moist even if they were cooked all the way through? This is a pretty moist recipe because of the orange juice and the cranberries, if it’s too moist, I’d recommend cooking a bit longer.
Sacheen says
Can I get the recipe for the orange bag pls
BritniV says
The recipe for the bread is at the very bottom of the post.
JanVa says
This recipe looks perfect for Christmas gifts! Can I make ahead and freeze?
Thanks for your help!
BritniV says
Yes JanVA you can make ahead and freeze, just know that the loaves may be not be quite as moist as if you ate them without freezing.
Pat says
Would love to try recipe for cranberry orange bread but can’t seem to get full recipe? Help?
BritniV says
The full recipe is at the bottom of the page. Sometimes if you’re looking at it on mobile it can be hard to find, so look on a desktop computer and if you’re still having problems email me and I can send it to you.
Catherine says
I made these loaves yesterday and they turned out beautifully. They were moist, delicious and very flavourful. I would suggest that the cranberries be tossed in flour instead of sugar as this prevents the cranberries from sinking during the baking process. Whenever baking with fruit, it should be coated with flour. Thank you for this great recipe that will become part of my holiday baking repertoire from now on.
Teresa says
I made this yesterday and tried it out in three containers: regular bread pan, mini loaf pan and muffin tins. My favorite was the muffin tins with foil liners for 22 minutes. They were moist and fluffy! All three were delicious though! Thanks so much for the recipe!
BritniV says
Glad you enjoyed them Teresa!
nicolthepickle says
I loved how crisp brown sugary this was when it was fresh.
I made it in bread, loaf pan size.
This was lovely and I’ll make it again.
I didn’t bother with sugaring the cranberries. I just skipped that bit as I love their tartness.
Janet Brinkman says
I made this as a gift for my elderly parents, and they loved it. I didn’t get to taste it, but it smelled Devine out of the oven.
Sabrina says
I have made multiple times now – this has become one of my go to recipes and someone always asks for the recipe when I make it. For something extra I sometimes add a light orange glaze-super yummy! I’ve made both mini and regular loaves, and planning to make a stash of muffins for Thanksgiving week when I’ll have a bunch of family in town. Thanks very much for sharing!
Ashley S. says
I doubled the recipe because I made mini loaves for gifts for my neighbors so prep took a looking time but so worth it. Other recipes I’ve tried didn’t have enough orange or were too dry. This was perfect!!! I dont add the nuts to quick breads but everything else was the same. DELICIOUS!!!!
I typically buy cranberries fresh then freeze them. They freeze well. If you wait too close to the holidays the berries look like they were picked pre-ripe.
Anna says
Halved this recipe and made one loaf. It came out delicious! Moist and perfectly sweet and tart.
Kathy says
Just made this bread and it is the best ever cranberry/orange bread. it smells wonderful baking and has a little bit o a crispness to it. will give it as gifts.
BritniV says
Right? It’s our favorite!
Dee Zimmerman says
The bread is too moist for my liking. It falls apart when slicing.
Would adding more flour resolve this problem for me?
BritniV says
One of the things I love most about the bread is that it’s so moist. I’m not sure adding flour will solve the problem, I would probably try adding a bit less water first but honestly I’ve never tried to make it drier because I prefer it moist. If you do try it out, let me know how it goes!
Dee Zimmerman says
Someone mentioned having difficulty getting it out of the pan. I always grease the pan, dust with flour, and then I put a piece of waxed paper just to cover the bottom of the pan. The waxed paper is easily peeled off as soon as you take the bread out of the pan. Works like a charm!
Babs in CO says
My mother loves this bread, but lives in another state. How well would this ship?
BritniV says
I’ve never tried shipping the bread unfortunately. It’s a pretty moist bread, so it may fall apart in transit but if you wrap it up tight enough, it may work. Sorry I’m not more help!
Paula Shelley says
How many mini loaves does this make?
BritniV says
One of the other commenters said it made about 8 mini loaves but it depends on much you fill the pans – I typically get anywhere from 6 to 8 mini loaves!
Suzanne Chappell says
Hello, I want to make this recipe, but I’m not sure what size bread pan to use. What are the dimensions? Also, Are you really using 4 C of cranberries. Other similar recipes use less.
Thanks.
Suzanne Chappell
BritniV says
Yes, I’m really using 4C of cranberries and just use a regular bread loaf pan if you want regular size loaves or mini loaf pan if you want mini loaves. I’m not sure what the exact dimensions on my bread pan but it should work with any regular size bread pan.
Char says
I just made this today and it is just delicious ! I thought to my self this better be good as I was cutting the cranberries ! LOL And it was !!!
I used the pam spray that has the flour in it and they came out of the pan just fine. I made 2 large loaves, can’t wait to make again for gifts ! Thanks for sharing…..
BritniV says
Yay, I’m glad you liked it!!
Ann says
Will the mini loaves come out of the pan if they are allowed to completely cool first? I want to bake in holiday loaf pans and give as gifts.
BritniV says
Yep! They’ll be just fine that way.
Ann says
Thanks for the prompt response. I plan to make them today. 🙂
Ann says
They are wonderful! The recipe made 8 mini loaves. FYI: The one in a foil pan took much longer to cook than the ones in the ceramic holiday pans. I look forward to giving these to friends. Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Kelly says
Is it two 12 ounce bags of fresh cranberries or 4 cups halved cranberries?
BritniV says
I typically do 4 cups whole measured out then cut those in half.
Jill says
Could I just pulse to he cranberries in my food processor and get similar results?
BritniV says
Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve never tried it. You probably can, just try to get them about the same size.
Krista says
This bread was easy to make. The longest part is cutting the cranberries in half. I halved the cranberries and used only 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I did not have enough orange rind to add extra so instead I used 1 1/4 cups of OJ and 3/4 cup of water. Thanks for the recipe!
Laura says
I made this a couple of weeks ago, brought it to work and it was gone within an hour. Awesome recipe and so simple. I am making more this morning, this time I will make more than two loaves. Thank you!
Lori Garcia says
Do you think you can use cranberry sauce? I made cranberry sauce with orange juice and zest in the frig the other day to use up my cranberries…..
BritniV says
I really don’t think it will turn out the same. I’d see if you can get some frozen cranberries and try it that way.
Lina Daou says
Hi, can I use frozen cranberries instead of fresh ones
BritniV says
Definitely, just let the cranberries thaw before you cut them up and put them in the batter! That’s how I do it in the middle of the year when fresh cranberries aren’t around.
Marcia Bankus says
Delicious and very moist!
Vanessa says
Will this work without the zest?
BritniV says
Yes, it may just not have quite as strong of an orange flavor.
Chloe says
Hi :),
I was wondering what quantity I should use if I put lemon juice instead of orange juice!
Thank you,
Chloe
BritniV says
It won’t work with lemon juice, I’d suggest getting orange juice from the store or finding a lemon bread recipe.