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.
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.
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. It’s perfectly tart and sweet. It’s honestly the best cranberry bread you’ll ever eat.
Make sure you check the recipe notes at the end of the recipe. I’ve included a recipe to make your own buttermilk, which tastes the same and will cut down on your shopping list, as well as a link to my favorite bread pan!
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
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PrintAmazingly Moist Cranberry Bread 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.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 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 cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Special Equipment
- Loaf Pan**
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl, stir together the orange juice, orange zest, buttermilk*, butter and egg.
- 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.
- Stir in the chopped cranberries and nuts, if using.
- Pour mixture into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan, and level using a spatula. Bake 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 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.
**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.
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Question, are the cranberries used in this recipe fresh, cooked?
You can use frozen or raw cranberries for this recipe, not cooked.
★★★★★
Thank you so much.
Is the butter to be melted or perhaps you are to cream it with a mixer?
It is melted and stirred in!
★★★★★
Yes, what do you do with the butter. Is it softened or melted?
It is melted and stirred in!
★★★★★
Thanks. That’s what I did while waiting for the response and it turned out perfectly! Yum! Thank you.
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❣️
WOW – this is such high praise Ruth! I’m glad you enjoyed it and thank you so much for the flour tips.
★★★★★
Can you use dried cranberries such as Ocean Spray Craisins?
I’ve never tried and I suspect you can’t, but can’t say for sure!
★★★★★