Updated December 5, 2019
Cranberry Orange Bread with glaze is a moist and tasty Christmas holiday dessert. It is the best sweet cranberry bread recipe for breakfast. The combination of sweet orange glaze with moist and tart cranberry bread makes it a perfect treat for your family!
This fresh cranberry bread is easy to make, no bread machine is needed. Perfect combination of orange and cranberries makes it an ultimate holiday dessert. This is a perfect loaf to make for the Christmas morning or as a Thanksgiving dessert.
Quick bread is one of my favorite recipes, especially during the busy holiday week. Quick bread doesn’t need yeast, so there is no rise time. If you’re scared to make your own bread, I’m sure you can handle this one!
The sweet and sour combination of ingredients with aromatic winter spices makes it a perfect loaf cake. Addition of cranberries and orange makes it a great holiday recipe!
You won’t believe how easy it is to prepare a sweet loaf cake that everyone will love! Moreover, you can bring this loaf for a holiday party. It is a perfect Christmas bread for gifts! Feel free to double or triple this orange bread recipe, it’s so tasty and good!
This is a very flavorful sugar-free cranberry bread recipe with sweet orange glaze on top. Best bread for Christmas!
How to make cranberry orange bread
You will need to combine dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and ground aromatic spices – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. To avoid any spice lumps, I suggest to sift them. Superb holiday season mix!
In another bowl combine wet ingredients – whisk eggs, add vegetable oil (I used grape seed oil), freshly squeezed orange juice and yogurt. I also added vanilla flavoring.
Fresh orange juice makes difference, so I don’t recommend to substitute it to store-bought juice. Get the most of orange flavor into the loaf!
Slowly add dry ingredients in wet ingredients and mix until you have a thick batter. In the end gently fold fresh cranberries and zest of the orange. Don’t worry about cranberries drowning into the batter, because it is pretty thick.
If you want a crunch, you can add a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts in this Christmas bread.
Prepare a 9×5 inch (23×12 cm) loaf pan. Smear it with butter or line with parchment paper. It will help to get the baked bread easily.
Add the batter to the pan and bake in the preheated oven. Test with a wooden skewer, inserted in the center, it comes out clean – it is ready. It should take around 40 minutes. The baking time depends on a loaf pan that you use.
Don’t rush and set aside to let it cool in the loaf pan. I know this orange cranberry bread smells amazing, but wait around 10 -20 minutes. Then transfer it to the wire rack and cool completely. This step is important, if you wish to add the glaze!
I haven’t used sugar for this cranberry orange recipe, because, to my mind the sweetness of the glaze is enough. If you don’t plan to add an orange glaze on top, add few tablespoons of sugar to the dry ingredient mix.
How to make orange glaze
To make an orange glaze, you need only two ingredients – sugar and orange juice. Sieve the sugar powder to make the glaze smooth. Slowly add juice into the sugar, mixing until a thick, creamy and spreadable glaze.
Store the glaze covered with a cling film, so no air gets into it. The air will let it to form a crust. Mix well before spreading on cooled cranberry bread.
This glaze is tasty and perfect addition to your holiday baking!
How to store cranberry orange bread
I suggest storing the bread in the fridge for 7 days.
Can you freeze cranberry orange bread
To freeze this bread, rap it in two layers of plastic or foil, then put it in a freezer container and store for 2 months. I suggest freezing it without the glaze. Don’t forget to cool it completely before freezing!
Always on hand frozen treats are great, don’t you think so?
Can you use frozen cranberries or dried cranberries instead
You can use drained and defrosted cranberries, if you can’t find fresh and tart cranberries. However, if you’re using dried cranberries, the bread won’t be so moist.
This orange cranberry bread is perfect for sharing! You can use a muffin pan instead of making bread loaf. Adjust the baking time according, because muffins will need less than 30 minutes.
You should also check other low-sugar no-yeast quick breads like Apple Cinnamon Bread, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread and Carrot Cake recipe.
If you’re looking for Christmas dessert recipes, you should check this delicious Christmas fruit pudding and Rustic orange cake.
Cranberry Orange Bread
- Loaf pan
- large mixing bowl
- spatulas or spoon
- Oven
- 2 cups flour all-purpose
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 tsp nutmeg ground
- 1 tsp ginger ground
- 1/4 tsp cloves ground (4 cloves)
- 1 cup sugar or alternative (if using)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 5 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 2 cups fresh cranberry
- 1 medium orange for juicing
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C.
- Zest the orange, you will need about 2 tbsp of zest. After that, cut the orange in half and juice it with the citrus juicer.1 medium orange
- In one bowl combine all the dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp ginger
- In another bowl combine wet ingredients. Slightly whip eggs with a hand whisk, then add oil, yogurt, orange juice and vanilla flavoring. Combine until incorporated.2 eggs, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 5 tbsp Greek yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Slowly add dry ingredients into wet, mixing in between additions. Add cranberries and orange zest, fold gently. Batter should be thick.2 cups fresh cranberry
- Transfer into prepared bread tin, layered with parchment paper or smeared with butter.
- Bake 40 minutes until inserted wooden skewer comes out clean. Cool it for 15 minutes in bread tin, then transfer to the wired rack.
- To make orange glaze, mix orange juice with the powdered sugar. You need to have thick and spreadable, smooth glaze. Store it covered with a cling film. Drizzle over the cooled bread.*1 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/3 cup orange juice
