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Recipes » Holiday Recipes » Amazingly Moist Cranberry Bread Recipe

Amazingly Moist Cranberry Bread Recipe

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Easy Moist Cranberry Bread with Orange Juice Recipe

Tart and sweet cranberry bread recipe with just a tiny bit of crispness that protects each soft and moist slice. The best cranberry bread you’ll ever eat.Easy Moist Cranberry Bread with Orange Juice Recipe

Cranberry bread is one of my favorite holiday traditions in our house. When fresh cranberries arrive at the supermarket I know the holidays aren’t far away.

Read on for the cranberry bread recipe…

Jump to Recipe
Easy Moist Cranberry Bread with Orange Juice Recipe

Cranberry Quick Bread Recipe

This cranberry bread recipe is so different from the bland dry stuff that comes on catering platters. This loaf is golden brown with vibrant bits of cranberry and orange zest in each slice. Even more than the beautiful slices is how incredibly moist it is. The outside has just a tiny bit of crispness that protects a soft and moist inside. It’s perfectly tart and sweet. It’s honestly the best cranberry bread you’ll ever eat.

Easy Moist Cranberry Bread with Orange Juice Recipe

How to Make Cranberry Bread with Dried Cranberries

If you don’t have fresh or frozen cranberries, you can use dried cranberries to make cranberry bread. Just soak one cup of cranberries in the orange juice and buttermilk for 20 minutes before making the bread.

Homemade Cranberry Bread FAQs

  • Can you make cranberry bread with frozen cranberries?
    • Yes, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe without adjusting the baking time.
  • Will this recipe work for cranberry muffins?
    • Yes, you can turn this cranberry bread into cranberry muffins. Just fill the muffin tins 2/3 full.
  • Can you use this recipe in a bundt pan?
    • This recipe will work in a bundt pan, but I would recommend doubling the recipe.
  • Is it possible to cut back on the sugar?
    • You can make a healthier cranberry bread by cutting the sugar in half.
  • I don’t have buttermilk, is there a substitute?
    • You can make your own buttermilk you can mix 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes.

Easy Moist Cranberry Bread with Orange Juice Recipe

Looking for more amazing holiday recipes? Try these:

Healthy Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes
Vegan Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Winter Salad with Roasted Cauliflower
Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Thanks so much for reading! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts and musings from me.

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Amazingly Moist Cranberry Bread Recipe

Easy Moist Cranberry Bread with Orange Juice Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 27 reviews

Tart and sweet cranberry bread recipe with just a tiny bit of crispness that protects each soft and moist slice. The best cranberry bread you’ll ever eat.

  • Author: Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 70 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 slices 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

Ingredients for cranberry bread

  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • Zest of one large orange
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk*
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon iodized salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries**
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Special Equipment

  • Loaf Pan**

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or shortening.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the orange juice, orange zest, buttermilk*, butter, and egg.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in the liquid ingredients, mixing until just combined and dry streaks still remain.
  4. Stir in the chopped cranberries and nuts, if using.
  5. Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan*** and level using a spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least an additional 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

*If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can mix 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes.

**If you don’t have fresh or frozen cranberries, you can use dried cranberries. Just soak one cup of cranberries in the orange juice and buttermilk for 20 minutes before making the bread.

***I use a 1 pound (8.5 x 4.5-inch) loaf pan and this one is my absolute favorite. This recipe is very forgiving and any size pan should work.

Keywords: moist cranberry bread recipe, best cranberry bread recipe, cranberry quick bread, cranberry orange bread, cranberry bread dried cranberries

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Love this recipe for cranberry orange quick bread? Pin it for later!

Easy Moist Cranberry Bread with Orange Juice Recipe

Looking for another awesome Easy Quick Bread Recipe? Try this Cinnamon Apple Bread Recipe!

Easy Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread Recipe

Rhubarb Quick Bread Recipe:

Moist & Flavorful Rhubarb Quick Bread Recipe

 

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December 20, 2019  •  Filed Under: Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, Holiday Recipes, Recipes, Side Dishes 51 Comments

Comments

  1. Lee says

    November 2, 2018 at 7:12 am

    Question, are the cranberries used in this recipe fresh, cooked?

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      November 2, 2018 at 8:42 am

      You can use frozen or raw cranberries for this recipe, not cooked.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  2. Lee says

    November 2, 2018 at 9:52 am

    Thank you so much.

    Reply
  3. Polly says

    November 20, 2018 at 6:58 am

    Is the butter to be melted or perhaps you are to cream it with a mixer?

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      November 20, 2018 at 8:37 am

      It is melted and stirred in!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  4. Lisa says

    November 20, 2018 at 7:57 am

    Yes, what do you do with the butter. Is it softened or melted?

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      November 20, 2018 at 8:37 am

      It is melted and stirred in!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Polly says

        November 20, 2018 at 10:10 am

        Thanks. That’s what I did while waiting for the response and it turned out perfectly! Yum! Thank you.

        Reply
  5. Ruth says

    January 12, 2019 at 10:45 am

    I tried another recipe like this a couple weeks ago which was good but this one with the orange zest and juice is suoerb! It’s a bit of citrus flavor with the cranberries and a little sweetness. For the flour I used a mixture of spelt, oat, white whole wheat, a bit of sorghum flour and the texture was so tender and moist! I had a slice this morning with peanut butter, and since I used walnuts in the batter I think I got all my nutrient bases covered. Thank you❣️

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      January 12, 2019 at 7:35 pm

      WOW – this is such high praise Ruth! I’m glad you enjoyed it and thank you so much for the flour tips.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  6. Monica says

    February 3, 2019 at 8:12 am

    Can you use dried cranberries such as Ocean Spray Craisins?

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      February 3, 2019 at 3:14 pm

      I’ve never tried and I suspect you can’t, but can’t say for sure!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  7. Chauncey says

    March 24, 2019 at 8:39 pm

    I’d forever want to be update on new blog posts on this webb site, bookmarked!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  8. Cheryl says

    July 19, 2019 at 12:37 am

    Can you use dry orange spice or do you have to use a grater for the orange zest and how much dry orange spice do you put in it it’s in the spice isle?

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      July 19, 2019 at 9:46 am

      I think dry orange spice would be ok but I’ve personally never used it.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  9. Mary Ellen says

    October 19, 2019 at 4:22 pm

    I made this recipe today and it’s amazing. Will continue to make as
    now it’s one of my favorite bread recipes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Missi Boyd says

      December 8, 2019 at 7:15 pm

      I agree Have not tasted the bread but a few triple the recipe which I love the Option that you provide. The triple recipe makes 11 Mini loaf pans at 1 time which is perfect That cooks a beautifully thank you so much I can’t wait to taste said the morning beautiful recipe chop all your cranberries 1st so they’re ready to go I made 2 triple batches and a double. I am giving these away for gifts. What a delicious treat thank you again for a fabulous recipe so easily so beautiful.

      Reply
      • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

        December 9, 2019 at 10:21 am

        Hooray! I’m happy to be a part of your holiday gifting this year!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
  10. Jackie says

    November 27, 2019 at 2:08 pm

    Made it as loaves last year. Now mske it as muffins. Make jumbos for the men in the family. Thry love. Thanks for a recipe I can trust. Oh i am 80 years old andvlove trying new recipes

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      December 1, 2019 at 6:03 pm

      Wow that’s amazing idea! I’ll have to try a batch of muffins myself! 🙂 Thanks Jackie!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  11. Mary E. says

    December 2, 2019 at 5:11 pm

    I am 70 yrs. old, and still love trying new recipes and found your recipe for this absolutely delicious cranberry bread. I love moist quick breads and this one is excellent. I made a double batch for Thanksgiving and everyone who tried it just loved it and asked for the recipe.
    I did a couple of modifications: added whole, frozen cranberries, used orange juice with pulp. Also, used salted butter (by accident) but bread still did not taste overly salty.
    Many commented that the bread had a pound-cake consistency, and I agree. I next want to try making in a bundt pan, similar to some pound-cake recipes. All in all, absolutely loved this recipe and will be making many more loaves to come. Thank you for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      December 3, 2019 at 3:20 pm

      Hi Mary – Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the cranberry bread! I’m really glad you enjoyed it and I love the idea of having it in a bundt pan!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  12. Joan says

    December 2, 2019 at 8:59 pm

    Making this now with dried cranberries as in Australia we can’t get fresh or frozen. I soaked them in the liquid part for 30 mins. Fingers crossed it turns out well. Smells good while cooking.

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      December 3, 2019 at 3:20 pm

      Fingers crossed for you too!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Joan says

        December 4, 2019 at 12:05 pm

        Bread came out beautiful with the dried cranberries. I soaked them for 15 mins in the liquids then add them to dry ingredients;. Worked perfect.

        Reply
        • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

          December 5, 2019 at 8:42 am

          Amazing!

          ★★★★★

          Reply
    • Linda says

      February 28, 2020 at 2:23 pm

      I have a lot of dried cranberries and wanted to use them. I hate to throw food away, now I can make bread & give it away.

      Reply
      • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

        March 2, 2020 at 5:58 am

        That’s great! I hate throwing away food too.

        Reply
  13. Mary says

    December 17, 2019 at 5:57 pm

    Beautiful,,delicious..thanks for the great recipe.

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      December 19, 2019 at 10:23 am

      I’m glad you liked it!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  14. Paul says

    December 24, 2019 at 9:46 am

    I cut the sugar back to 1/2 a cup and it was very nice. I did not have buttermilk, so I just added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the 2/3 cup of mile that the recipe called for. I used lactose free milk.

    Next time I might try just cooking at one temperature for the whole time … just to make it even simpler!

    Thank you for a yummy Christmas bread!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. Deborah says

    January 4, 2020 at 6:18 pm

    Second time making this, the first was devoured immediately! No orange at home today so used tangerines as they are in season and have great flavor! Added a little vanilla, and some pulp from tangerines, I also soak my dried cranberries in the liquid, one other thing is I add an extra egg( I’m at 3,500 ft) I absolutely LOVE THIS BREAD! thanks for the great recipe, oh I also have no oven, cooks great in my cuisinart air fryer!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  16. Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

    January 6, 2020 at 12:06 pm

    Amazing! Thanks for all of the suggestions!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  17. Joan K says

    January 16, 2020 at 8:12 pm

    Superb recipe! Made exactly as written with fresh cranberries and walnuts and it is sooooo delicious, moist and flavorful! I baked it in two mini ceramic loaf pans and had enough batter left to fill 4 regular muffins. Kept the heat the same but I just watched the time in the oven because of the smaller pans and the 4 muffins, about 35 minutes. Easy, quick and will definitely make again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      January 19, 2020 at 12:45 am

      Amazing! I’m glad you loved it as much as we do!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  18. Eileen says

    May 30, 2020 at 12:30 pm

    Hi just made this great cranberry loaf , so delicious 😋, was wondering could I use this recipe using blueberries instead?

    Thanks for sharing !

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      May 30, 2020 at 4:08 pm

      Blueberries have more water than cranberries so I’m not sure! Let me know if you try.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  19. Roscoe says

    August 14, 2020 at 3:49 am

    Remarkable! Itts really awesome post, I have got much clear idea regardinjg from
    this paragraph.

    my web page SEO company – Roscoe –

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  20. dolores a urato says

    October 7, 2020 at 5:52 pm

    just found your blog………loooooove it, thank you…pls send me updates….dee [email protected]

    Reply
  21. ellen says

    October 19, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    Would this recipe turn out well without baking soda?

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      October 19, 2020 at 1:35 pm

      Definitely not. Baking soda is essential.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  22. Judy Hughes says

    November 4, 2020 at 2:18 am

    Are there significant differences in baking time for mini loaves and muffins?

    Reply
  23. Lydia says

    November 8, 2020 at 9:05 am

    I read through your notes and the comments below a couple of times and I do not see anyone mention freezing this recipe after it has been baked. I would like to make some up ahead of time and put a couple of loaves in the freezer for Christmas. I am a 67-year-old widow living by myself and I like to bake but I no longer can stand in the kitchen for days at a time doing all this baking at once. Appreciate your reply. And by the way I loved this recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet says

      November 9, 2020 at 5:54 am

      I haven’t tried sorry!

      Reply
  24. Barbara Lieberman says

    November 19, 2020 at 2:11 pm

    Great recipe! I’ve made cranberry bread for years, always on the dry side and not too exciting. This loaf was gone in less than a day! So moist and really tasty. Good enough to give as gifts at the holidays.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  25. Steven says

    November 23, 2020 at 7:39 am

    Can you make this bread a day in advance for Thanksgiving?

    Reply
  26. Rosa says

    November 25, 2020 at 8:58 am

    Can I use coconut milk?

    Reply
  27. Cathy Baker says

    December 2, 2020 at 10:40 pm

    Blog address or more recipes from blog

    Reply
  28. Karie says

    December 13, 2020 at 10:46 am

    I pushed the cranberries to 2 cups and the pecans to 1 cup, and used yogurt diluted with a little milk instead of buttermilk. Cooked in muffin cups to share with others. (Watch the time, it is faster) Came out great, chock full of chewyness and still soft inside, good form outside.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  29. Dianne Lederman says

    December 26, 2020 at 9:44 am

    Hello,

    Could you tell me how to convert this into mini loaf pans?

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      January 27, 2021 at 3:35 pm

      I’d like to know this as well. Particularly how long to cook mini loaves at 375 before turning the oven down to 350.

      Thanks!

      Reply

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