Is there any flavor combination that more perfectly signals the bright, festive, and cozy start of the holiday season than the pairing of tart cranberry and sweet, zesty orange? This incredible, from-scratch Cranberry Orange Quickbread is the ultimate celebration of those classic flavors, baked into a wonderfully moist, tender, and buttery loaf that will fill your home with the most incredible aroma.
This isn’t just another quick bread recipe; it’s a guide to creating the perfect holiday treat. We’ll show you the simple secrets to a super-tender crumb, thanks to a unique, scone-like method of cutting in cold butter. Packed with a double-dose of both cranberry and orange, this loaf is bursting with vibrant, fruity flavor in every single bite. It’s the perfect treat for a holiday breakfast, an afternoon snack with a cup of tea, or a beautiful, heartfelt homemade gift.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Perfect Holiday Quick Bread
What makes this Cranberry Orange Bread so spectacular is its incredible, vibrant flavor and its wonderfully moist, tender texture. The recipe brilliantly uses four sources of fruit flavor: dried cranberries, fresh diced orange, fresh orange juice, and fresh orange zest, ensuring that every bite is bursting with sweet and tangy notes. The unique method of cutting cold butter into the flour, much like making a scone or a pastry, results in an exceptionally rich and tender crumb. It’s a foolproof, one-bowl (food processor) recipe that is perfect for bakers of all skill levels.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 50 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 10-12 slices |
The Essential Ingredients for This Festive Loaf
This recipe uses a handful of simple, classic ingredients to create a truly spectacular result.
- The “Best of Both Worlds” Dough: This is the secret to our rich, tender crumb.
- Cold Butter: Unlike many quick breads that use oil or melted butter, this recipe uses cold butter that is cut into the flour. This is a classic pastry technique! The small, flour-coated pieces of cold butter create tiny pockets of steam as the bread bakes, which is the secret to an incredibly tender, slightly crumbly, and rich-tasting result.
- The Double-Dose of Orange & Cranberry: This is where all the incredible, bright, and festive flavor comes from.
- Fresh Orange: We use the zest for its fragrant, essential oils, the juice for a tangy liquid base, and pieces of the fresh, diced orange for wonderful, juicy bursts of bright citrus flavor throughout the loaf.
- Dried Cranberries: Sweet-tart, chewy dried cranberries provide the perfect textural contrast and that classic, nostalgic holiday flavor.
- The Sugars: A combination of both granulated sugar (for clean sweetness) and packed light brown sugar (for moisture and a deep, caramel-like flavor) creates a perfectly balanced and complex sweetness.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Cranberry Orange Bread
This recipe is wonderfully simple, thanks to the speed of a food processor.
Step 1: Prepare the Crumbly Dough Base
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the 2 cups of all-purpose flour, the 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, the 1/2 cup of brown sugar, the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Pulse the machine a few times just to combine.
Add the 1 stick of cold, pea-sized pieces of butter to the food processor. Pulse the machine repeatedly until the mixture resembles finely grated cheese or coarse crumbs.
Step 2: Mix the Batter and Fold in the Fruit
Add the orange zest, the 3/4 cup of fresh orange juice, and the 1 large egg to the food processor.
Pulse the machine just a few times, until the mixture is just barely combined.
Pro Tip: The secret to a tender quick bread is to not overmix the batter.
Remove the thick batter to a large bowl. Add the 1 cup of dried cranberries and the diced fresh orange sections and use a spatula to gently stir them in until they are just combined.
Step 3: Bake to Golden Perfection
Spoon the thick batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time to ensure that it cooks evenly.
The bread is perfectly done when it is a beautiful, deep golden brown and a long wooden skewer or a cake tester inserted into the very center of the loaf comes out clean.
Step 4: The Crucial Cooling Step
Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Then, carefully run a knife around the edges and invert the loaf onto the wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Crucial Pro Tip: It is very important to let a moist quick bread like this one cool completely before you slice into it. This allows the internal steam to redistribute throughout the crumb, which is what makes it so moist. It also allows the crumb to set, which will prevent it from being gummy and will give you beautiful, clean slices.
The Best Moist & Easy Cranberry Orange Bread
A simple and flavorful recipe for a classic cranberry orange quickbread, with a batter that comes together easily in a food processor. The method involves pulsing flour, sugars, and cold butter to create a crumbly base, then adding orange zest, juice, and an egg. The batter is finished by stirring in diced fresh orange sections and dried cranberries. The loaf is then baked for over an hour until a tester comes out clean and is cooled completely before slicing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes (includes cooling time)
- Yield: 8-12 slices
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the loaf pan
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into pea-size pieces, plus extra for the loaf pan
- 2 oranges (1 zested and juiced, 1 peeled and diced)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.
- In a food processor, combine the flour, sugars, salt, baking soda, and butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles finely grated cheese or coarse meal.
- Add the orange zest, orange juice, and the egg. Pulse just until the mixture is combined.
- Transfer the batter to a bowl and stir in the diced orange sections and the dried cranberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time to ensure even baking.
- The bread is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve once fully cooled.
Notes
- Special Equipment: A 9 by 5-inch loaf pan is required for this recipe.
- Using a food processor is a quick and easy way to mix the batter for this quickbread.
- It is important to let the bread cool completely before slicing to ensure it holds its shape and doesn’t crumble.
Serving Your Cranberry Orange Bread
This delicious and fragrant bread is wonderfully versatile. It is fantastic served on its own, but here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy it:
- For Breakfast: A thick slice, lightly toasted, with a generous smear of softened butter or cream cheese.
- As a Snack: A simple slice served at room temperature with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
- As a Dessert: For a more decadent treat, you can top a slice with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or drizzle it with a simple orange glaze.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Cranberry Orange Bread is a fantastic treat to make ahead for a party or to have on hand for the week.
- Make-Ahead: This bread is actually even more delicious on the second day! You can bake the entire loaf a day in advance. Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly and store it at room temperature. The flavors will have even more time to meld and deepen.
- Storage: Store the completely cooled loaf, well-wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: This bread freezes beautifully! Let the loaf cool completely, then wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. You can freeze the loaf whole or as individual slices. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight at room temperature.
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Creative Recipe Variations
This cozy and delicious loaf is a wonderful base for your own creative and festive twists.
- Add a Nutty Crunch: For a wonderful textural contrast that is a classic pairing with cranberry and orange, you can fold 1 cup of toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter along with the cranberries and orange pieces.
- Add a Beautiful Orange Glaze: For a sweet, gift-worthy finish, you can drizzle the cooled loaf with a simple orange glaze. Simply whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh orange juice until you have a smooth, drizzly consistency.
- Make it into Muffins: For a more portable, individual-sized treat, you can divide the batter evenly among a standard 12-cup muffin tin lined with paper liners. You will need to reduce the baking time to about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Enjoy The Perfect Holiday Bread!
You’ve just created a truly special bake that is the very definition of holiday comfort. This classic, from-scratch Cranberry Orange Bread is a perfect harmony of bright, fruity flavors and a wonderfully moist and tender crumb. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a staple in your fall and winter baking repertoire, for both enjoying and for sharing as a beautiful, heartfelt gift.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious slice!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and delicious holiday bread!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the secret to a super moist quick bread?
This recipe has two main secrets! The first is using ingredients with a high moisture content, like the fresh orange juice and the sour cream (correction: this recipe doesn’t have sour cream, the ingredient list has an egg and milk) and the juicy pieces of fresh orange. The second, and most important, secret is to not overmix your batter after you have added the flour. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can result in a bread that is tough and dry.
Q2: Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried?
Yes, you can, but the final texture and flavor will be a bit different. If you use 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen (no need to thaw) cranberries, the bread will be much more tart and will have very juicy, bursting pockets of fruit. You may want to coarsely chop them first and increase the sugar in the recipe by about 1/4 cup to balance the tartness.
Q3: How do I keep my mix-ins, like the cranberries and orange pieces, from sinking to the bottom of the loaf?
This recipe has a very thick, sturdy batter, which is fantastic for suspending the fruit evenly. Another great, classic baker’s trick is to toss your mix-ins (like the cranberries, orange pieces, or any nuts you might add) in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the dry flour mixture before you fold them into the finished batter. This light coating of flour helps them to “grip” the batter and prevents them from sinking.
Q4: How do I store and freeze this Cranberry Orange Bread?
This bread stores and freezes beautifully! To store it, let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. It will stay wonderfully moist at room temperature for up to 4 days. To freeze it, simply add a layer of aluminum foil over the plastic wrap. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Q5: Can I make this recipe without a food processor?
Yes, you absolutely can! To make the dough by hand, simply place your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips to quickly cut the fat into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (orange zest, juice, and egg) and stir them into the flour mixture until just combined. Finally, fold in the fruit.