Orange Cranberry Bread That’s Stunningly Simple
Bake orange cranberry bread that’s stunningly simple—bright citrus, tart cranberries, and a moist, tender crumb. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or gifting.
Ingredients
- This orange cranberry bread keeps things refreshingly straightforward—mostly pantry staples plus a couple of fresh oranges for that bright, zesty flavor. Below, I’ve listed everything with quick notes so you know exactly what each ingredient is doing (and where you can flex).
For the Orange Cranberry Bread (1 loaf, 9x5-inch pan)
- 2 cups 250 g all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda use if using yogurt or buttermilk below
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 3/4 cup 150 g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup 113 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (or 1/3 cup / 80 ml neutral oil)
- 1/2 cup 120 ml fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp orange zest from about 2 oranges
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup 120 ml plain yogurt or buttermilk (or milk, if you’re skipping baking soda)
- 1 cup 150 g dried cranberries (or 1 1/4 cups / 125 g fresh cranberries, halved)
Optional Add-Ins
- 1/2 cup 60 g chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup 85 g white chocolate chips
Optional Orange Glaze
- 3/4 cup 90 g powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1/2 tsp orange zest optional, for extra aroma
Instructions
- Let’s bake this orange cranberry bread together—no complicated steps, just a simple, dependable quick bread method that gives you a moist, tender loaf every time. I’ll walk you through it like I’m right there in your kitchen.
Prep your pan and oven
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper (leave a little overhang so you can lift the loaf out easily).
- Tip: Parchment is your best friend here—it prevents sticking and makes cleanup painless.
Mix the dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together:
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda (if using yogurt or buttermilk)
- salt
- Whisking first helps the loaf rise evenly and prevents salty or leavening “pockets.”
Combine the wet ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk until smooth:
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- melted butter (or neutral oil)
- fresh orange juice
- orange zest
- vanilla extract
- yogurt/buttermilk (or milk)
- You’ll notice the mixture turns fragrant fast—that orange zest is doing the heavy lifting.
Bring the batter together (gently)
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Fold with a spatula just until you stop seeing dry flour.
- Important: Don’t overmix. Overworking quick-bread batter is the fastest route to a dense loaf instead of a tender one.
Add cranberries (and any extras)
- Fold in the dried cranberries (or fresh cranberries) until evenly distributed.
- If you’re using nuts or white chocolate chips, fold them in now.
- Optional but helpful: Toss the cranberries with 1 teaspoon of flour before adding. It’s a small trick that can help prevent cranberries from sinking.
Bake
- Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the loaf is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
Cool for clean slices
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment and transfer to a rack.
- Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing (longer is even better).
- Cooling finishes the set of the crumb—so you get neat slices and a truly moist orange cranberry bread instead of a gummy middle.
Notes
Nutrition Information (Per Serving)
Approximate values; will vary by brands and any optional add-ins (glaze, nuts, chocolate).- Calories: 306
- Total Fat: 10.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 63 mg
- Sodium: 212 mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 48.5 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g
- Total Sugars: 26.5 g
- Added Sugars: ~15–20 g (estimate; depends on cranberry brand)