🍒🎄 Cranberry Quick Bread (Christmas Cranberry Loaf)
A festive holiday favorite, this Cranberry Quick Bread is moist, buttery, and bursting with tart cranberries and bright orange flavor. It’s easy to make, requires no yeast, and makes a beautiful homemade gift for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or cozy winter mornings.
6
⏱️ Time
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Bake Time: 55–65 minutes
- Cooling Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: About 1 hour 45 minutes
- Servings: 10–12 slices
🛒 Ingredients
🍞 Cranberry Loaf
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup orange juice (fresh is best)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups fresh cranberries (or frozen, do not thaw)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
🍊 Orange Glaze (Optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons orange juice
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the Oven
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together:
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
3. Mix Wet Ingredients
In another bowl, whisk together:
- Melted butter
- Orange juice
- Orange zest
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
4. Combine Batter
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Stir gently until just combined.
- Fold in cranberries and nuts.
Do not overmix—this keeps the loaf soft and tender.
5. Bake
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
6. Add Glaze
Whisk glaze ingredients together until smooth.
Drizzle over the cooled loaf.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Perfect with:
- ☕ Coffee or tea
- 🧈 Butter or cream cheese spread
- 🍯 Honey drizzle
- 🥜 Nut topping
- 🎁 Holiday gift baskets
💡 Tips & Variations
- Toss cranberries in 1 tablespoon of flour before folding them in to help prevent sinking.
- Add white chocolate chips for a sweeter holiday version.
- Replace walnuts with pecans for a classic Christmas flavor.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg for warm spice.
- Make mini loaves for easy gifts.
🧊 Storage
- Room Temperature: Wrap tightly and store for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Keep for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze slices or the whole loaf for up to 3 months.
🍴 Approximate Nutrition (Per Slice)
- Calories: 290
- Protein: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fat: 11 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 240 mg
This Cranberry Quick Bread is the perfect Christmas loaf—soft, buttery, slightly tart, and filled with festive orange-cranberry flavor in every slice. 🍒✨