Cranberry Bread with Orange Glaze

Moist • Bright • Sweet-Tart • Perfect for Holidays or Everyday

This cranberry bread is soft and tender with bursts of tart cranberries, finished with a glossy orange glaze that soaks into the loaf just enough to make every bite irresistible.

 Ingredients (1 standard loaf)

Cranberry Bread

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup orange juice (fresh preferred)
• ⅓ cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, halved
  (do not thaw if frozen)

Orange Glaze

• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 2–3 tbsp fresh orange juice
• ½ tsp orange zest (optional, for extra aroma)

 Instructions

1️⃣ Prep

• Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F
• Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan

2️⃣ Mix Dry Ingredients

• In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt

3️⃣ Mix Wet Ingredients

• In another bowl, whisk sugar and orange zest
• Add eggs, orange juice, oil, and vanilla until smooth

4️⃣ Combine

• Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients
• Toss cranberries with 1 tbsp flour, then fold into batter

5️⃣ Bake

• Pour batter into pan
• Bake 50–60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean
• Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to rack

6️⃣ Glaze

• Whisk powdered sugar and orange juice until pourable
• Drizzle over warm (not hot) bread

 Nut & Allergy Information (IMPORTANT)

✔ NUT-FREE RECIPE (as written)

• No peanuts
• No tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, etc.)

Check Ingredients

• Ensure flour, sugar, and baking powder are from nut-free facilities if serving someone with severe allergies

Optional Add-ins (NOT nut-free):

• Walnuts or pecans (only if allergies are NOT a concern)

 Variations

• Healthier: Replace half the flour with whole wheat
• Dairy-free: Already dairy-free
• Extra orange flavor: Replace 2 tbsp orange juice with orange liqueur
• Cranberry-orange muffins: Bake 20–22 minutes

 Storage Tips

• Room temperature: 2–3 days, tightly wrapped
• Refrigerator: Up to 1 week
• Freezer (unglazed): Up to 3 months

 Q & A

Q: Can I use dried cranberries?
A: Yes! Use 1 cup dried cranberries and soak them in hot orange juice for 10 minutes first.

Q: Why toss cranberries in flour?
A: It prevents them from sinking to the bottom.

Q: Can I reduce the sugar?
A: You can reduce to ½ cup, but bread will be less moist and less sweet.

Q: Why did my bread crack on top?
A: That’s normal and desirable—it means the loaf rose properly.

Q: Can I skip the glaze?
A: Yes, but the glaze balances the tart cranberries beautifully.

• Author
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Sara Mitchell

Sara Mitchell is an expert restaurant content creator who writes easy-to-read guides about CAVA and other Mediterranean fast-casual chains in the United States. She covers locations, menus, prices, and hours, making it simple for visitors to find nearby restaurants and what to order quickly.

With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.

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