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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Baked Goods

    Cranberry Bread

    Published: Dec 16, 2020 · Modified: Sep 9, 2022 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

    101 shares
    • 73
    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Low Fat / Vegetarian

    Light and fluffy cranberry bread is the perfect sweet treat at Christmas time. Bursts of cranberries with zesty orange in a moist, buttery and fluffy sweet bread, that is drizzled with icing to finish it off. Like banana bread, but with a festive twist and all made in one bowl.

    A cranberry loaf cut into slices, on a wooden serving board.

    We love loaf cakes. They are simple to make, so easy to adapt with different fruit and nuts and the are the perfect little afternoon treat with a cup of coffee for 5 minutes peace.

    This cranberry orange bread has the perfect Christmas flavour combination of cranberry and orange and it makes a lovely homemade gift too.

    Looking for some other festive treats to try? Why not try our Christmas Tree Brownies, Cinnamon Flapjacks and Santa Hat Brownies.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Ingredients needed
    • How to make Cranberry Bread - Step by step
    • Topping
    • Variations
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More cranberry recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • A delicious quick bread - This orange cranberry bread is such an easy bread to make and it is ready in just an hour, plus cooling time.
    • All made in one bowl - Everything is mixed up in one bowl, so there is minimal mess.
    • Perfect for Christmas - Anything with cranberries just screams Christmas and add the cinnamon and it is full of festive flavours. This cranberry orange loaf would make a lovely homemade Christmas gift too.
    • Freezes well - If you can't get through all this cranberry bread, then it freezes really well.

    Ingredients needed

    All the ingredients needed for this recipe laid out with text overlay labels.
    • Cranberries - We used fresh cranberries, however you can use frozen instead, and there is no need to defrost them first.
    • Oranges - Zest and juice go in to this cranberry bread to make it deliciously citrusy.
    • Plain flour, baking powder and baking soda
    • Caster sugar - This adds more volume to the cranberry bread, and gives it a light and fluffy texture. If you don't have caster, then you can grind up granulated sugar in a food processor for a couple of minutes and use that instead.
    • Spices - We used cinnamon and nutmeg and they are the perfect Christmas spice combination. You could use some ginger too.
    • Egg - We used large eggs that were at room temperature (just leave them out for 30 minutes). Use room temperature eggs because they are easier to mix evenly and you will get a better volume cake.
    • Butter - For best results, use room temperature butter (that is still a little cool to touch) as this will ensure and even consistency of the bread.
    • Icing sugar - This is what is mixed with orange juice to make the icing drizzle.

    A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

    How to make Cranberry Bread - Step by step

    Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
    One: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.

    A mixing bowl containing flour and spices.

    Two: In a separate bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, egg, orange juice and zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon.

    Wet cake ingredients added to the dry ingredients.

    Three: Gently stir in the cranberries.

    Fresh cranberries added to the bowl.

    Four: Grease a 9x5 inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf tin. Pour the batter into the tin and cook in the oven for 1 hour, until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes.

    Cake batter pored into a loaf tin.

    Five: Run a knife around the edge of the tin to loosen the loaf and then turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

    Six: Make the icing by mixing together the icing sugar, orange juice and zest until smooth.

    A bowl of icing sugar and orange juice and zest.

    Seven: Drizzle over the loaf and allow to set before slicing the loaf.

    Topping

    We have made a really simple orange icing with icing sugar, orange juice and zest and poured it all over the top of the cranberry orange bread. However, if you prefer something a little more substantial on top of it, then you could make a cream cheese frosting to spread on it. Just want sure that it is full of orange flavour. We prefer the icing, as it isn't as heavy as buttercream.

    Variations

    Not only could you swap the icing for a cream cheese frosting, but we have some other ways that you could adapt it too. You can add some chopped walnuts to make a cranberry walnut bread or pecans or flaked almonds in which add a nice texture to the bread.

    We love anything that we can add chocolate to, and dark, milk or white chocolate chips (or all three) work really well in this cranberry bread.

    Slices of cranberry loaf on a board next to a red towel.

    FAQs

    How to store cranberry bread?

    You can store the bread wrapped and in an air tight container. It will store in an air tight container for 3-4 days.

    Can you freeze cranberry bread?

    Yes, you can freeze cranberry bread, but make sure you haven't added any icing, as that doesn't really freeze well. Wrap slices of it in baking paper and store in freezer bag. They will keep well for up to 4 weeks.

    Do you have to cook cranberries before baking?

    No, there is no need to cook the cranberries before adding them to the mixture.

    Can I used dried cranberries instead of fresh?

    We have used fresh cranberries, as they add lots of moisture to the bread and add a nice burst of flavour. However, you can swap them for dried cranberries if you prefer. If you are using dried cranberries, then soak them first as this makes them a bit juicer. You can then use the soaking liquid to make the icing.
    You can also use frozen cranberries too, and there is no need to defrost them.

    What if I don't have a 2lb loaf tin?

    If you don't have the same loaf tin that we have used, then you can use 2 1lb loaf tins instead. Cooking time would reduce to about 35 -40 minutes. You can then either freeze one loaf (sliced) or wrap it up for a nice homemade Christmas gift.

    Can you turn these into muffins?

    Yes, these would make delicious muffins. Divide the mixture in to 12 muffin cases and bake for around 25-30 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.

    Why does my cranberry bread sink?

    If you bread sinks when it comes out of the oven, there could be a couple of different issues. Firstly, make sure that your measurements are exact. We bake in metric and the imperial conversion should be used as a guide and might not be exact. Make sure your baking powder isn't expired and also be careful not to over mix the dough. Use a oven thermometer to make sure your oven is getting to the exact temperature.

    How to stop my cranberries sinking to the bottom?

    Sprinkle a teaspoon of flour over the cranberries and mix together before adding to the dough. This will prevent the cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the bread.

    heart icon

    Extra tips

    • You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. We haven't added any salt to the mix, so using salted butter won't make it overly salty.
    • We have used the juice of an orange. However, we have also added the measurement for the liquid, as the juiciness of an orange can vary greatly.
    • You can use frozen cranberries in this recipe too, and they don't need to be defrosted first.
    • Add the egg already beaten to the bowl. This prevents you from having to over mix the batter.
    • Add a little extra texture to this bread by mixing some crushed walnuts or pecans in.
    • For a richer flavour, you can use half caster sugar and half brown sugar.

    More cranberry recipes

    • Cranberry Chicken
    • Cranberry Brie Bites
    • Cranberry Orange Muffins
    • Cranberry Smoothie

    If you’ve tried this cranberry bread recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    Cranberry bread cut into slices on a wooden board.

    Cranberry Bread

    Light and fluffy cranberry bread is the perfect sweet treat at Christmas time. Bursts of cranberries with zesty orange in a moist, buttery sweet bread.
    the words low fat in a white circle.
    Low Fat
    An illustration of a v-shaped plant.
    Vegetarian
    5 from 14 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British, Christmas
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Cooling time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a carton of milk.
    Dairy
    An illustration of two ears of wheat.
    Gluten
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 288kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    For the bread:

    • 100 g Fresh cranberries
    • 1 Orange - (juice and zest only)
    • 70 g Butter
    • 200 g Caster sugar
    • 250 g Plain flour - all purpose
    • 1.5 teaspoon Baking powder
    • 0.5 teaspoon Baking soda
    • 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon
    • 0.5 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
    • 1 Egg

    For the orange drizzle:

    • 120 g Icing sugar
    • 2 tablespoon Orange juice - added gradually, don't let it get too thin.
    • 0.5 Orange - (zest only)

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
    • In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
      250 g Plain flour, 1.5 teaspoon Baking powder, 0.5 teaspoon Baking soda, 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon, 0.5 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
    • In a separate bowl, mix together the butter, caster sugar, egg, orange juice and zest.
      70 g Butter, 200 g Caster sugar, 1 Egg, 1 Orange
    • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon.
    • Gently stir in the cranberries.
      100 g Fresh cranberries
    • Grease a 9x5 inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf tin.
    • Pour the batter into the tin and cook in the oven for 1 hour, until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes.
    • Once cooked, run a knife around the edge of the tin to loosen the loaf and then turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
    • Make the icing by mixing together the icing sugar, orange juice and zest until smooth.
      120 g Icing sugar, 2 tablespoon Orange juice, 0.5 Orange
    • Drizzle over the loaf and allow to set before slicing the loaf.

    Notes

    • You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. We haven't added any salt to the mix, so using salted butter won't make it overly salty.
    • We have used the juice of an orange. However, we have also added the measurement for the liquid, as the juiciness of an orange can vary greatly.
    • You can use frozen cranberries in this recipe too, and they don't need to be defrosted first.
    • Add the egg already beaten to the bowl. This prevents you from having to over mix the batter.
    • Add a little extra texture to this bread by mixing some crushed walnuts or pecans in.
    • For a richer flavour, you can use half caster sugar and half brown sugar.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anjali

      December 18, 2020 at 9:35 am

      5 stars
      Omg what a perfect holiday treat!! I can't wait to add this to my Christmas menu for next week!

      Reply
    2. Beth

      December 17, 2020 at 1:19 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so delicious and tasty! I can't wait to make this recipe! My family is going to love this!

      Reply
    3. sarah johnson

      December 17, 2020 at 1:03 pm

      5 stars
      Since a lovely sweet bread, it's the first time I've used a sweet bread with cranberries, it makes the loaf surprisingly moist. Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
    4. Gina

      December 17, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      5 stars
      Love the bright pop of flavor, color and texture from the cranberries, such a delicious loaf!

      Reply
    5. Laura

      December 17, 2020 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      Fantastic way to use up the cranberries. It's a really tasty bread.

      Reply
    6. Danielle Wolter

      December 17, 2020 at 11:31 am

      5 stars
      I've got a bag of fresh cranberries in my fridge right now that would be perfect for this. Sounds delicious!

      Reply
    7. Sara Welch

      December 16, 2020 at 11:11 pm

      5 stars
      Such a delicious bread that is perfect for fall! Definitely going to make this again for Christmas; it was delicious!

      Reply
    8. Shadi Hasanzadenemati

      December 16, 2020 at 11:04 pm

      5 stars
      Love all the flavors here, I already know I’m going to enjoy this recipe a lot!

      Reply
    9. Katie

      December 16, 2020 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      Looks so good! Can't wait to try this one.

      Reply
    10. Cate

      December 16, 2020 at 9:40 pm

      Wow what a perfect holiday bread to make! Saving this to make for Christmas, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    11. Adrianne

      December 16, 2020 at 9:40 pm

      5 stars
      I love loaf cakes too!! This looks delicious. The idea of turning it into muffins is super appealing also. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

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    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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