This moist & flavorful orange cranberry bread is packed with orange zest and tart cranberries, topped with cinnamon streusel, and finished with orange glaze. It’s one of my favorite quick bread recipes to prepare because it always draws a crowd!
When I think of the fall season, many flavor duos come to mind, but no flavor combination is more delicious than orange + cranberry. I love tart cranberries paired with sunshine-sweet orange. Over the years I’ve shared recipes for cranberry orange muffins, cranberry orange Bundt cake, cranberry orange icebox cookies, and cranberry orange scones… and my classic cranberry sauce and these cranberry brie puff pastry tarts both contain a pop of orange flavor, too. All incredible, but nothing rivals today’s quick bread. It’s the original and I recommend making two loaves because trust me, it will disappear quickly!
3 Parts to Orange Cranberry Bread
- Bread: I use buttermilk and vegetable oil here to ensure a supremely moist and flavorful bread.
- Streusel: Homemade cinnamon streusel comes together with simple everyday ingredients and is a welcome addition to this quick bread. You’ll love the textural variation in each bite. While I believe streusel is never optional, this bread is still dazzling without!
- Orange Glaze: A drizzle of orange glaze on top heightens the bright orange flavor of this orange cranberry bread.
Craving plain cranberry bread? You can leave off the streusel and/or orange glaze. Same bake time and temperature. Or if you want to add some sparkle, try adding some sugared cranberries on top before serving.
Cranberry Bread Ingredients
Don’t be overwhelmed by the ingredient list below—you’ll notice most of the ingredients are repeated in each part of the recipe.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this quick bread recipe. Because we’re loading it up with lots of add-ins, we need a sturdy flour.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda helps the bread rise.
- Salt + Vanilla Extract: Salt and vanilla extract add flavor. (Try using homemade vanilla extract.)
- Cranberries: We use 1 cup of chopped cranberries. I recommend using fresh or frozen cranberries, though dried cranberries will also work. If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw. If you have leftovers, try my cranberry cardamom spice muffins next!
- Pecans or Walnuts: While optional, chopped nuts are a wonderful addition and complement the flavors of the bread. I always use them! If you love the combination of cranberries and pecans, you must try my cranberry cake as well.
- Egg: One egg binds everything together.
- Sugar: We use both brown sugar and granulated sugar to sweeten this bread.
- Buttermilk: We use buttermilk for added moisture, but also because the lactic acid in buttermilk is what helps the baking soda do its job. Want to use sour cream and milk instead? You definitely can. See my cinnamon swirl quick bread, which is another favorite recipe of mine. This bread batter recipe is similar and you can use 1/3 cup sour cream and 2/3 cup whole milk here too.
- Oil: While butter provides unbelievable flavor, nothing beats the moisture that oil brings. We use oil in this quick bread recipe to produce a moist and soft bread, and also because the flavor of butter would get lost with all of the other flavors.
- Orange Zest: Orange zest adds a lovely punch of flavor to the bread. Save the juice for the orange glaze!
How to Make Orange Glazed Cranberry Bread
- Make the streusel. Use your hands, two forks, or a pastry cutter to cut the cold butter into the other streusel ingredients. The colder the butter, the less likely the streusel will sink down into the cooking bread.
- Make the batter. Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet ingredients together in another. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until no lumps remain. No electric mixer needed!
- Pour into prepared pan. Top with streusel.
- Bake. This bread can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour in the oven. Why the huge gap of time? All ovens are different. Oven air flows, oven hot spots, etc. Quick breads are thick and having the center baked through properly takes time.
- Make the glaze. Combine ingredients together and drizzle over cooled bread.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Similar to banana bread and carrot cake, this bread was even more flavorful and moist on day 2. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love it warm out of the oven, but I especially enjoy it the next morning. It’s a perfect treat to serve guests because you can make it the evening before.
Two Baking Tips
- Buy an oven thermometer. Unless you have a brand new or regularly calibrated oven, your oven’s temperature is likely inaccurate. Incorrect temperature ruins baked goods and you waste hours spent on the recipe and money spent on ingredients. The inexpensive remedy to this mess is an oven thermometer. While cheap, they’re irreplaceable in a baker’s kitchen. Place it in your oven so you always know the actual temperature.
- Cover your bread with aluminum foil. I note this in the instructions below as a reminder. About halfway through baking, loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil. This will allow your bread to bake evenly on all sides and prevent the top from getting too brown before the center bakes through.
If you’re looking for another fall quick bread recipe, this apple cinnamon bread is a tried-and-true favorite.
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Orange Glazed Cranberry Bread
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is moist and tender orange cranberry bread with buttery streusel and a zingy orange glaze. It’s perfect for guests or with a warm cup of tea in the early morning or afternoon. See notes for freezing instructions.
Ingredients
Streusel
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Bread
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (105g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 cup (110g) cranberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw)*
- optional: 1/2 cup (65g) chopped pecans or chopped walnuts
Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1–2 Tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
- Make the streusel first: Whisk the flour, sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter, your hands, or two forks until mixture resembles pea-size crumbs. It’s important to keep the streusel cold, so place in the refrigerator (covered or uncovered) until ready to use in step 4.
- Make the bread: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and orange zest. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk to completely combine. Avoid over-mixing. Fold in the cranberries and nuts (if using).
- Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan. Top evenly streusel, pressing the streusel down gently into the top of the bread so it sticks.
- Bake the bread for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cover loosely with foil about halfway through to ensure even browning. Poke the center of the bread with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Oven times will vary between ovens. My bread usually takes 1 hour. Cool bread completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice together. Add more orange juice depending how thick you want the glaze. Drizzle over cooled bread.
- Slice and serve. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, you can freeze the glazed or unglazed bread for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before glazing (if needed) and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Pastry Cutter | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Cranberries: 1 cup dried cranberries may be used instead of fresh/frozen. You can slice the cranberries in half, if desired. I leave them whole.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk (an acid) is required for this quick bread recipe. If you don’t have any, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 cup. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the bread won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe. Another option is to use sour cream and milk instead of buttermilk. See my cinnamon swirl quick bread. This bread batter recipe is similar and you can use 1/3 cup sour cream and 2/3 cup whole milk here too.
- Muffins: Grease a 12-count muffin pan or line with liners. Prepare streusel and batter in steps 2 + 3. Spoon the batter evenly into each liner, filling each to the top. Press streusel into the tops of each. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-22 minutes, give or take. Cool muffins for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Makes 18 muffins.
Quick Bread Recipes
I welcome easy recipes around the holidays. What I love most about quick breads is that they’re universally delicious and, best of all, they’re QUICK! Here are a few seasonal quick bread recipes to make next:
See all of my quick bread recipes.
I made this for the first time last night and we had it with coffee this morning. Absolutely delicious! It was moist with a mix of sweet and a little tart. It was perfect! I have used other of your recipes and I’ve never been disappointed in anything. Thank you for making me look like a baking genius when really it’s you. Haha!
This is my go to site. Love the way you give alternatives and explanations for ingredients. Thank you Sally!
This is the best cranberry bread I have ever tried. And I tried a lot. Thank you
Can I sub cranberry for dried cranberries
Yes, you can.
Amazing in every way…. taste, texture, flavor! It is still moist after 4 days. This one is a keeper, for sure!
Delicious! I love the flavor combos!
Would this recipe work as mini-muffins?
Hi Barbara, absolutely! We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but temperature will be the same 350°F (177°C). Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Thank you! I’m assuming you mean at 350, not at the (full-size) muffin temp of 425.
Made this recipe today and we LOVE the bread. I meant for the bread to be for Sunday’s breakfast, but may have to cut into the 2nd loaf tomorrow. I saw another post on making 2 recipes at once, which is what I did. My loaves turned out good, but I know to not overmi .There was a lot of batter. I should have made 2 separate recipes. Still a delicious quick bread!
I made this recipe 5 times in 8 days! Made it as muffins. Everyone loved them! Gave some as gifts. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Great recipe! I make this multiple times during the holidays. When I’m lazy, I don’t do the strudel and it’s still delicious!
Need help could not get the center done. Went over recipe and did it as written. What could I have done wrong
Hi Betty! Your bread could have just needed longer in the oven – bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
This was a great recipe. After it had been in the oven awhile, I realized I forgot to set the timer.
So, I looked online and the Thermapen website said to cook quick breads to a temperature of between 200 and 205 degrees. I took mine out at 202 degrees. Love the flavors.
My first time ever leaving a comment on a cooking website. Not sure how I came across your site or this recipe, but it is wonderful. I have made this recipe 3 times and now have even bought some mini loaf pans to make small loaves to give away this Christmas season. Thanks for posting this this!
Great bread- the glaze offsets the tart cranberry. I made this for our yearly work bakeoff and won in bread. Thanks for the great recipes. It also looks as impressive as it tastes.
This recipe looks so delicious and easy. I plan to make it this week and share with friends and family! I do have 2 questions: Do you find it better to bake this in a glass loaf pan for a lighter color and more tender crust? If I use nonstick bake pans that are dark, should I turn down the oven temperature?
Thank you,
Donna
Hi Donna, baking in a glass pan can be helpful since you can see the crust browning/baking. If you use a glass loaf pan, you may find that the bake time takes a few minutes longer. It’s best to keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Metal pans work, too (we usually bake our breads in metal pans), and no need to turn down the oven temperature. Again, keep a close eye on it and feel free to tent it with aluminum foil part way through bake time if it seems to be browning too quickly. Hope the bread is a hit!
I made this loaf for our Woman’s Gathering. It was such a hit. Deeeelicious bread. Perfect for the Christmas season.
I want to make 10 mini loaves, i’m sure if I double this recipe that will work! How long do I cook for when they’re mini loaves?
Hi Kathryn, mini loaf pans vary greatly in size so I can’t say for sure what the exact bake time will be. Use the same oven temperature and you will know they are finished when a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the loaves comes out mostly clean!
Whoops! I meant to write a note on this recipe but mistakenly did so on another. Do you think pomegranate would work as a sub for cranberries here? I have ever so much fruit and it’s too tart to be eaten as is. Hoping to use baked goods as a vehicle. This recipe worked beautifully as written, but would be a bonus if I could use surplus fruit that I have on hand!
Hi Arti, we haven’t tested this recipe with pomegranate, but we imagine that should work fine. Please do let us know if you give it a go!
How many small loaves , not mini, does this recipe make, and what temperature do you recommend for baking?
I’m already on your mailing list, and am ever inspired by your recipes!
Hi Millie! Timing really depends on the size of your smaller loaves. Same temperature, but keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
This is such a great a recipe and I’ve made it numerous times. I follow it exactly (using frozen cranberries tossed in a bit of flour, plus a half cup of chopped pecans). The only diff is that I use plain kefir in place of the buttermilk. I always have it on hand for smoothies, etc., and I find it works well in various baking recipes. Thanks for such a winning combo of flavors, Sally!
Sally, do you think one cup of white and one of whole wheat flour would work?
Hi Betty, you can certainly try it, however the bread may taste a bit dense/heavy.
We had cranberries left over from Thanksgiving and I needed a dessert for a potluck lunch. Sally’s Cranberry bread was the answer. Delicious! I didn’t have a 9 x 5 loaf pan, but I did have two 8 x 4 loaf pans. I made two small loaves and baked them for 35 minutes. I had someone ask about the cranberry bread. I sent her Sally’s website
I would like to make this bread as gifts for the holiday season. If I want to bake them as mini-loaves (either 8 x 3 3/4 x 2 1/2 or 3 1/4 x 6 x 2), what is the baking time for each of these sizes?
Hi Colleen, we are unsure of the exact bake time for smaller sizes, but keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness. In the first batches especially, start checking early and often to ensure they don’t over bake. Hope it’s a hit!
Made a couple of loaves for Thanksgiving but completely forgot to add the streusel but nonetheless the bread was delicious and a HUGE hit! Loved the orange glaze, too. Definitely a keeper and will make again with the streusel 🙂
Did you just double the recipe? Or make each loaf, one at a time?
Thanks
Judy G
Best quick bread recipe. I love it. Will be a hit at Thanksgiving
We are (temporarily) stuck in a small place due to a emergent move, so I am always looking for recipes that can be rather easily (no mixer) assembled and baked. This sounds amazing and as it is coming up on the holidays, I will make this before the pumpkin pie, we love cranberries and I want something fresh and homemade. This sounds like just the ticket! Will let you know how we like it…
The flavor was great! But, my bread split down the middle? And was wet? What went wrong?
Hi Terri! Splitting is normal for quick breads – it means it rose up nice and tall while baking!
Excellent quick bread! Moist and delicious! Thank you for including scaled measurements.
Can I make 2 quick breads at one time by doubling the ingredients?
Hi Joyce, I find for the best taste and texture, it’s best to make 2 separate batches of batter.
Thanks. That was my question, too.
This is perfectly delicious! Made exactly as written, didn’t skimpy and found it to be flavor, moist and delicious. I baked it 45 minutes and then company’s airplane arrived early so I had to turn the oven off and hope for the best. Returned 50 minutes later and it was perfectly done and company was impressed! Whew!!
Love your web sight have tried several recipes and all have trued out excelently and the instructions are very upfront and uncomplicated, I am looking forward to making more of your recipes over the winter.Keep up the good work and thank you for the web sight
I used dried cranberries and they all sunk to the bottom of the bread when it was baked. Is there a remedy?
We love the bread and this was a practice loaf before Thanksgiving.
Hi Susie, we’re glad you enjoyed the bread! You can toss the dried cranberries in a little bit of flour before adding to the batter—that should help combat any sinking.