Name: Cranberry Orange Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; 6 tablespoons salted butter, softened, plus extra for the pan; ¾ cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; ¼ cup milk, at room temperature; ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice; Zest of 1 large orange, reserving 1 teaspoon for the glaze; 1½ cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and thoroughly dried; 1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour, for coating the cranberries; 1½ cups powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, plus more as needed; 1 teaspoon orange zest, reserved from above

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Cranberry orange bread with dense moist crumb, tart cranberries, thick orange glaze and zest, with slices on a white platter.

Cranberry orange bread is a buttery quick bread with tart fresh cranberries, orange juice and zest, and a thick orange glaze. This loaf makes about 10 slices for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon cup of coffee, with bright citrus in both the bread and its sweet finish.

You'll need 20 minutes of prep and 45-50 minutes in a 350°F oven, plus 30 minutes total cooling and 30 minutes for the glaze to set-about 2 hours 10 minutes total using the longer bake time. Use an 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan; the pan size matters when you're judging the loaf's height and baking time.

If you enjoy fruit-filled quick breads, Cranberry Pumpkin Bread gives you a spiced pumpkin version. Here, fresh berries and a creamed salted-butter batter keep the focus on cranberry and orange. The glaze goes on thick enough to make its way down the sides slowly. Patience is part of the ingredient list, even if it doesn't fit in a measuring cup.

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Flour, cranberries, orange, sugars, salted butter, eggs, milk, juice, and zest for cranberry orange bread.

Ingredients You'll Need

All-purpose flour: for the batter, the pan, and a light coating on the cranberries.
Baking powder: the leavener for this quick bread.
Salt: use the amount in the recipe even though the butter is salted.
Salted butter: soften it for mixing, with a little extra for greasing the pan.
Granulated sugar: beaten with the butter and orange zest.
Eggs: bring them to room temperature.
Milk: use at room temperature.
Freshly squeezed orange juice: divided between the bread and glaze.
Orange zest: zest the orange before juicing; reserve 1 teaspoon for the glaze.
Fresh cranberries: rinse and dry them thoroughly.
Powdered sugar: for the orange glaze.

A Note on Cranberries and Orange Juice

Frozen cranberries can replace fresh cranberries in the same amount. Fold them into the batter while still frozen, and allow additional baking time if the center needs it. Bottled orange juice can replace fresh juice, but keep the fresh orange zest for flavor.

Tools That Make It Easier

Loaf Pans
Mixing bowls, including a small bowl for the glaze
Measuring cups and spoons
Liquid measuring cup
Microplane or citrus zester
Citrus juicer
Hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Spoon for transferring batter and glaze
Toothpick for checking doneness
Aluminum foil, if needed to prevent excess browning
Oven mitts
Wire cooling rack
Knife for loosening the edges and slicing

How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread

1. Get the pan and ingredients ready

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center, then butter and flour the 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan. Zest the orange, reserve 1 teaspoon for the glaze, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together, and stir the milk and bread's orange juice together separately.

Dry ingredients, milk and orange juice mixture, and reserved zest for cranberry orange bread.

2. Cream the butter, sugar, and zest

Beat the softened salted butter, granulated sugar, and bread's orange zest for 2-3 minutes, until lighter in color and evenly blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions.

Salted butter, sugar, and orange zest creamed in a stand mixer bowl.

3. Finish the batter and fold in the berries

On low speed, add half the dry ingredients, then the milk mixture, then the remaining dry ingredients; stop as soon as the flour is incorporated. Toss the cranberries with the specified 1½ teaspoons flour, fold them into the batter with a spatula, and check the bottom of the bowl for unmixed flour.

Fresh cranberries folded into thick orange bread batter with a red spatula.

4. Bake, then let the loaf cool

Spoon the batter into the pan, level it, and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter; loosely cover the top with foil if it browns early. Leave the loaf in the pan for 10-15 minutes, loosen the edges, turn it onto a wire rack, and cool completely.

Unglazed cranberry orange loaf cooling on a wire rack.

5. Add the orange glaze

Stir the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons orange juice, and reserved zest until smooth, adding more juice just ½ teaspoon at a time if needed for a thick but pourable glaze. Spoon it over the completely cooled loaf, let it run down the sides, and allow the glaze to set for 30 minutes before slicing.

Thick orange glaze with zest being stirred beside the cooled loaf.

A Few Details That Help This Loaf

Keep the zest allocation straight. The glaze's teaspoon comes from the zest of the same large orange; it is not an extra orange's worth.
Stop mixing when the flour disappears. Finish the cranberry folding by hand so you can check the bottom without continuing to beat the batter.
Use the flour coating without expecting a guarantee. Keep the tested cranberry-coating step, but a coating alone does not ensure every berry stays suspended.
Let the loaf cool all the way. Warm bread can thin the glaze and make it run off. The small juice additions help you keep a thick finish.

Close view of cranberry orange bread slices showing berries and buttery crumb.

Keeping Leftovers Fresh

Store the completely cooled loaf after the glaze has set in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Bring refrigerated slices to room temperature before serving.

Can You Freeze Cranberry Orange Bread?

Yes-freeze the loaf without glaze for the neatest finish. Wrap the cooled loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw while wrapped at room temperature, then glaze before serving.

Overhead view of glazed cranberry orange bread and slices on a white oval platter.

What to Serve with Cranberry Orange Bread

Coffee, hot tea, scrambled eggs, or a fruit salad all work alongside a slice. For a larger brunch, choose a savory quiche and a drink from these options; they give you a menu without needing another sweet breakfast bake.

Classic Quiche Lorraine Recipe

Coffee Punch

Southern Citrus Almond Sweet Tea

Can I use dried cranberries in this loaf?

This recipe provides fresh cranberries and an equal-amount frozen substitution. The dried fruit has a different moisture level and sweetness, so there is no tested dried-berry conversion to recommend for this formula.

Is cranberry orange bread a yeast bread?

This is a sweet quick bread leavened with baking powder. It does not need yeast, kneading, or a rising period; the butter is creamed with sugar before the batter is mixed.

Finished cranberry orange bread with thick icing and angled slices, ready to serve.

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Recipe

Cranberry Orange Bread

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This buttery cranberry orange bread pairs tart fresh cranberries with orange juice and zest, finished with a thick orange glaze for breakfast, brunch, or sharing.

Author: Jennifer
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf, about 10 slices 1x
Category: Breads
Method: Baking

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Bread

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons salted butter, softened, plus extra for the pan
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup milk, at room temperature
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of 1 large orange, reserving 1 teaspoon for the glaze
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and thoroughly dried
1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose flour, for coating the cranberries

For the Orange Glaze

1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon orange zest, reserved from above

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Instructions

Prep

Position an oven rack in the center and heat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan with butter. Lightly coat the inside with flour and shake out any loose flour.
Zest the orange before juicing it. Set aside 1 teaspoon of zest for the glaze; use the remaining zest in the batter.
Whisk the 1½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the milk and ¼ cup orange juice.

Mix the Batter

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and bread's portion of orange zest for 2-3 minutes, until lighter in color and evenly blended.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions.
With the mixer on low, add half the dry ingredients, followed by the milk mixture, then the remaining dry ingredients. Stop mixing as soon as the flour is incorporated.
Toss the cranberries with the remaining 1½ teaspoons flour. Fold them into the batter with a spatula, checking the bottom of the bowl for unmixed flour.

Bake and Cool

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and level the surface.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without wet batter. If the top browns before the center finishes baking, cover loosely with foil.
Leave the loaf in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Loosen the edges carefully, remove the bread, and place it on a wire rack. Cool completely before adding the glaze.

Glaze

Stir the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons orange juice, and reserved zest together until smooth. Add more juice, ½ teaspoon at a time, if needed for a thick but pourable glaze.
Spoon the glaze over the cooled loaf, allowing it to run down the sides. Let it set for 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Toss the cranberries in the specified flour before folding them into the batter; this does not guarantee that every berry stays suspended.
Frozen cranberries may replace fresh in the same amount. Fold them in while frozen; additional baking time may be needed. Bottled orange juice may replace fresh juice; keep the fresh zest.
Bake for 45-50 minutes. Total time uses the 50-minute bake, 30 minutes total cooling (including the 10-15 minutes in the pan), and 30 minutes for glaze setting. Cool completely before glazing.
Serve with coffee, hot tea, scrambled eggs, or fruit salad. Unglazed slices can be lightly toasted and spread with salted butter.
Store after cooling and glaze setting in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 1 week. Bring refrigerated slices to room temperature before serving.
Freeze unglazed for the neatest finish. Wrap the cooled loaf or slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw while wrapped at room temperature, then glaze.