Cranberry Orange Bread (Printable)
Moist quick loaf studded with tart cranberries and bright orange zest—great for breakfast or a sweet snack.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - ¾ cup milk
08 - ⅓ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest (from 1–2 oranges)
10 - ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Mix-ins
12 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries (halve large berries)
13 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the milk, vegetable oil, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract, then whisk until smooth.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender.
05 - Gently fold the cranberries and chopped nuts (if using) into the batter with a spatula, distributing them evenly.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula for an even surface.
07 - Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs.
08 - Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in one bowl if youre lazy like me and still tastes like something from a bakery that cares deeply about quality.
- The orange zest perfumes your entire kitchen, and people will ask what that incredible smell is before the loaf is even halfway done baking.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter develops the gluten in the flour and turns your tender bread into something closer to a rubber doorstop.
- Frozen cranberries can go straight into the batter without thawing, and they actually bleed less color than thawed ones do.
03 -
- Zest your oranges directly into the sugar and rub them together with your fingers to release every drop of essential oil into the sweet crystals.
- Toss the cranberries in a teaspoon of flour before folding them in, and they will stay suspended throughout the loaf instead of sinking to the bottom.