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Super moist Cranberry Orange Bread drizzled with a sweet orange glaze, bursting with tart juicy, cranberries. Made using fresh orange juice, zest, and greek yogurt for a flavorful and tender loaf.
Why we love this recipe
This quick bread is tender, rich, and moist. Packed with fresh flavors of sweet orange and tart cranberry, this bread makes a delicious breakfast or dessert. Similar to our Lemon Blueberry Bread and Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake, this version is perfect for winter and Christmas.
- Texture: This bread is almost like a pound cake. It’s so tender and moist thanks to the combination of cooking with melted butter and greek yogurt.
- Fresh Flavors: We’re using a combination of fresh orange juice and zest paired with fresh tart cranberries.
- The Glaze: The orange zest glaze (similar to the glaze on our lemon cookies) that is drizzled over the bread that seeps in and adds just a bit more sweetness, orange flavor, and moisture.
Cranberry Orange Bread Ingredients & Substitutions
- Flour: Use an all purpose flour or a 1:1 for a gluten free option.
- Sugar: White granulated or organic cane sugar can be used.
- Greek Yogurt: Use a whole milk plain or vanilla flavored greek yogurt. Substituting with a low fat or 0% fat greek yogurt will change the texture and flavor of the bread.
- Orange Juice & Zest: Grab a fresh orange, organic if possible since we are using the zest. If you’re unable to use organic be sure to wash your orange as thoroughly as possible before zesting.
- Powdered Sugar: Confectioner’s sugar is used in the glaze to prevent any type of gritty texture.
Fresh or Frozen Cranberries?
I highly encourage the use of fresh cranberries in this bread recipe. However, you can use frozen instead. Just be sure to add the berries in while still frozen, do not thaw them.
How to make Cranberry Orange Bread
To begin, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan with non stick spray and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the orange zest and sugar. Mix together with your fingers until mixture is fragrant, it will smell like oranges.
Then, pour in the melted and cooled butter, mixing to combine with the sugar. Whisk in the greek yogurt, eggs, fresh orange juice and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the wet ingredients. Stir until batter is just combined.
Next in a small bowl coat the cranberries with the small amount of flour, then fold into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 mins. The top will be lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the pan upside down to remove and place on a wire rack to continue cooling.
Once bread is cooled, prepare the glaze, by combining orange zest, powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange juice in a small bowl and stirring until combined and no lumps. Add more sugar or juice to get the desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread.
Serve
This cranberry orange bread is decadent and reminiscent of a cake. It can be served as a sweet breakfast treat, snack, or dessert.
Store
Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Freeze
Allow the bread to cool to room temperature. If freezing, do not pour the glaze on top. Wrap in plastic wrap then a layer of foil or place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Cranberry Orange Bread FAQs
To use this cranberry orange bread recipe for mini loaves pour the batter into your mini loaf pans (should fill 3 pans) bake for 35-40 minutes until golden on the top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Breads such as this one should have a crack in the center! It’s from the release of moisture from the bread as it bakes.
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Cranberry Orange Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 cup greek yogurt vanilla or plain
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cup all purpose flour (210 g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup fresh cranberries washed and dried
- 1-2 teaspoon flour
Glaze
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp orange juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan with non stick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the orange zest and sugar. Mix together with your fingers until mixture is fragrant, it will smell like oranges.
- Pour in the melted and cooled butter, mixing to combine with the sugar.
- Whisk in the greek yogurt, eggs, fresh orange juice and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the wet ingredients.
- Stir until batter is just combined.
- In a small bowl coat the cranberries with the small amount of flour, then fold into the batter.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 mins. The top will be lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the pan upside down to remove and place on a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Once bread is cooled, prepare the glaze, by combining ingredients in a small bowl and stirring until combined and no lumps. Add more sugar or juice to get the desired consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread.
- Store at room temperature in a sealed container for 3-4 days.
Equipment
Notes
- Flour: Use an all purpose flour or a 1:1 for a gluten free option.
- Sugar: White granulated or organic cane sugar can be used.
- Greek Yogurt: Use a whole milk plain or vanilla flavored greek yogurt. Substituting with a low fat or 0% fat greek yogurt will change the texture and flavor of the bread.
- Orange Juice & Zest: Grab a fresh orange, organic if possible since we are using the zest. If you’re unable to use organic be sure to wash your orange as thoroughly as possible before zesting.
- Powdered Sugar: Confectioner’s sugar is used in the glaze to prevent any type of gritty texture.
- Cranberries: I highly encourage the use of fresh cranberries in this bread recipe. However, you can use frozen instead. Just be sure to add the berries in while still frozen, do not thaw them.
- Storage: Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Allow the bread to cool to room temperature. If freezing, do not pour the glaze on top. Wrap in plastic wrap then a layer of foil or place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by @KJandCompany.co
Recipe first published in December 2015. Updated December 2023 with new images. Recipe updated to substitute vegetable oil with butter.
This is our new favorite bread recipe! It’s absolutely amazing and it comes out perfect every time. I love how the texture is perfect yet it doesn’t feel too heavy like breads with butter do. Thanks for an amazing way to use up our cranberries!
If I would like to use mini loaf pans how long should I let them cook?
What a great idea! Unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I can’t answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications. Definitely cut the bake time down and check on them, when the top is getting golden I would test with a toothpick.
Let me know how it turns out!
I am very new to baking and I was able to make it: no problems whatsoever. Very nice texture, absolutely amazing taste and those cranberries are absolutely making the unique taste for me. Many who tried were wondering what”s the secret;) So, THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH!
Oohh oohh oohh! I love this bread! Can’t wait to try your recipe! I seriously want it so bad right now!