Orange and cranberries go so well together for creating this irresistible Spiced Orange Cranberry Bread with lots of orange zest and fresh cranberries for that sweet-tart flavor.
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There is nothing better than the smell of this bread baking in your oven, especially when it is a slice of this tasty, warm, glazed cranberry bread; it’s just delicious. There are a lot of orange cranberry bread recipes, but this recipe is a winner.
Mixing oranges and cranberries together is like a color explosion, and the flavor combination says bake me for those great fall flavors and holiday parties.
Honestly, this bread is a family favorite, and it gets baked on a pretty regular basis. We are cranberry fanatics. No wonder there are so many cranberry recipes on the blog, like these Orange Cranberry Scones, which are perfect for breakfast and snacks. Bake these Cranberry and Pear Puff-Pastry Pinwheels the next time you need an appetizer; they are the first to go.
Cranberries are tart
If you are not familiar with cranberries, they are tart and have a very low sugar content compared to most fruits. Even with them being tart, you can eat them raw. They are delicious in salads like this Winter Cranberry Fruit Salad that is full of fresh fruits and topped with a sweet orange-mint dressing.
Make this 4-Ingredient Cranberry Sauce to go with your Thanksgiving turkey and this Apple Cranberry Galette for dessert
🍊Simple ingredients
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour
- Sugar-white works best
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Large Egg
- Nutmeg
- Cardamom
- Orange – use for the juice and the zest
- Cranberries – fresh or frozen. If using frozen, let them thaw at room temperature
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar – for the icing
How to flavor sugar
Pro-tip #1
Orange zest is the secret to making this sweet, fruity bread flavorful, so try this technique: mix the sugar and orange zest together before adding it to the batter so it flavors the sugar. I actually like making more of this to sprinkle on top of the bread before I put it in the oven. Or, if you don’t want to glaze the bread, sprinkle this orange sugar on top right after you remove it from the oven.
This Mandarin Orange Bundt Cake uses this orange-scented sugar to add extra citrus flavor. And you can use lemon zest to make lemon-scented sugar for this Lemon Bundt Cake. Both are bursting with delicious citrus flavors.
One of my favorite kitchen tools is a citrus zester. This tool is a must-have for zesting. Next time you want to add some orange, lemon, or even lime flavor to your cooked dishes or baked goods, toss in the fresh citrus zest to liven things up with citrusy flavors.
🥣Easy baking instructions
No yeast is required here. This cranberry bread recipe is quick bread, so it uses baking soda as the leavening agent. And, no mixer, woohoo, use a good wooden spoon.
Pull out your favorite mixing bowl and turn on your oven; it’s time to bake. I promise your kitchen is going to smell like oranges and spice.
Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and the zest of one orange and mix this with your hands until combined. Doing this releases the oils in the zest and flavors the sugar. See pro tip #1 above.
Step 2. Next, add the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices to the bowl. Stir these ingredients together.
Step 3. Mix the egg, melted butter, and orange juice in a small bowl, then add to the other ingredients and stir well to combine, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and ensuring the flour is incorporated. The batter will be thick.
Step 4. Place the cranberries in a food chopper or a food processor and chop, then add the cranberries to the batter and gently fold them into the batter.
Pro-tip #2
When mixing in the cranberries, do it very gently until they are mixed; this way, your batter won’t turn pink.
Step 5. Spoon the batter into a greased 8″ x 5″ loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 60 minutes.
Step 6. Add a sweet orange glaze to the bread to make it more festive. In a small mixing bowl add the powdered sugar, melted butter, orange juice, and orange zest, then stir this mixture until it is smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread with a spoon.
Step 7. If you have leftover bread, store it in an airtight container for several days.
Variations
- If you are feeling a bit nutty, add chopped pecans, walnuts, or pistachios.
- For a little zing, add chopped ginger to this recipe.
- Tangerines can be substituted for oranges.
- Replace the cardamom with cinnamon for another spicy flavor.
- Add chopped dried cranberries along with the fresh cranberries
Cranberry Questions
Yes, you can. Because cranberries have a short season, stock up on cranberries and just put the bag in the freezer; they keep perfectly well this way. Having cranberries in the freezer means cranberry scones in May, cranberries in your oatmeal all year long, or a cranberry brie appetizer for a summer party. So, while those cranberries are in the store, buy several bags.
Yes, and this bread freezes beautifully. Let the bread cool completely, wrap it in foil, and place it in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to three months.
Fall Favorite Recipes
Nothing says fall like a warm and cozy spice; plenty of them are in this Pumpkin Sheet Cake.
Candy Corn Gelatin Cups are deliciously colorful and perfect for parties.
More to make and eat!
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Spiced Orange Cranberry Bread
Ingredients
Spiced Orange Cranberry Bread Ingredients
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar can use coconut sugar
- 1 orange zested reserve 1 tsp. for the glaze
- 2 cups AP, flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 egg, large
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
Orange Zest Glaze Ingredients
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
Making the bread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of an 8" x 5" loaf pan.
- Put the sugar in a large mixing bowl and add the zest of one orange. With your fingers combine the sugar and the zest to mix.
- Add all the other dry ingredients to the bowl with the orange/sugar mixture and mix to combine with a spoon or spatula
- Mix the egg, butter, and orange juice together in a small bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Stir till just combined, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Using a food processor or a food chopper, chop the whole cranberries then gently fold them into the batter until incorporated. Do not over mix the cranberries or your batter will become pink.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 60 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Finish cooling on a wire rack.
Glazing the Bread
- In a small bowl add the powdered sugar and stir with a whisk to remove lumps.
- Mix in the melted butter, orange juice, and orange zest to make a smooth icing. If your glaze is too thick add additional orange juice. If it is too runny add additional powdered sugar.
- Spoon the glaze over the cooled Orange Cranberry Bread
Storing leftovers and freezing
- Store any leftover bread covered in an airtight container for several days.
- Freeze the whole loaf of bread by wrapping the cooled loaf in foil then place it in a plastic bag. Freeze for up to three months.
Notes
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Nutrition
Pin to your favorite bread board
First published: Dec. 4, 2018, Last updated: Oct. 20, 2021, for better readability.
There is nothing better than the right cup of tea and your favorite dessert.
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About Jere’ Cassidy
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place. I am glad to be sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
I love the cranberries with the frosting. Such a great flavor combo.
We made this for my mum, and she was over the moon with this recipe, we all had a nice slice each with a cup of tea, and it was perfect 🙂
And she had plenty left over for the next day!
Thank you so much for sharing 😉
This bread is amazing! I love the tartness of the cranberries with the sweet frostng.
Orange and cranberries are a match made in heaven, this quick bread is perfectly moist and flavorful!
I have to bake this orange cranberry bread asap. It looks absolutely delicious. Moist and full of seasonal flavors. Yum! I’m making this for sure. Thanks for sharing!
This is my fall go-to recipe. I usually double the recipe because we eat a lot of this bread.
I’m a big fan of any kind of bread. But I’m a bigger fan of this spiced orange cranberry bread, I can imagine all the combinations in my brain right now. I will be trying this soon, thanks for sharing!
This was very good, it kind of reminds me of the Starbuck’s cranberry bars, but in bread form! Delicious!
I never thought of that but yes, it is similar to Starbuck bars.
I love using cranberries too and this bread looks like the perfect holiday season treat! Such a great flavour combo. Going to give it a try at the weekend! Thanks for the inspiration!
I love the combination of oranges and cranberries, so refreshing! I cannot wait to make this recipe, it sounds super delicious!
I adore this bread! I had never made bread with a cranberry and orange combo and it was so delicious and moist. My family loved it too. Thanks, will be making again and again!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
looks so delicious, This bread is my idea of the perfect breakfast! I also love the look of your bread pan!
It’s my grandma’s bread pan. Pretty cute isn’t it?
Love this festive, delicious bread recipe! Such great flavor and the colors are so pretty!
This is such an awesome holiday bread. Love the cranberry orange combo, and the cardamon used in the recipe. Such fresh flavor!
I love the spices and have started using cardamom more.
What fantastic looking bread. I wish we had cranberries like that over here in Australia, but we only have dried ones. I think this is perfect for the festive season and would go down a treat, cheers!
Absolutely perfect for Christmas! Cranberry and orange is just the best combination 🙂