Cranberry Bread with Orange Glaze (VIDEO)
Orange-glazed Cranberry bread has a moist and tender crumb and is loaded with juicy cranberries. It has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy and just like our famous Banana Bread, this loaf stays moist for a few days (in case you needed a homemade Christmas gift idea).
This is a copycat version of my favorite bakery’s cranberry loaf and this one turned out even better – more cranberries and the orange glaze makes it truly special. You’ll love every bite.
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We love cranberry recipes during the holidays like Sugared Cranberries, Cranberry Bundt Cake, and of course this Cranberry Bread recipe. If you love tangy and juicy cranberries, this recipe is a must-try!
Cranberry Bread Video Tutorial
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Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Bread
- Flour – use all-purpose to give the bread structure
- Baking powder – leavening to make the loaf rise
- Salt – balances the sweetness
- Milk – best at room temperature
- Orange zest and juice – be sure to zest the orange before juicing it. Reserve a teaspoon of zest for the glaze.
- Butter – Adds moisture to the loaf. Use unsalted butter softened at room temperature.
- Sugar – to balance the tanginess of the cranberries
- Eggs – give the bread a moist, tender crumb
- Cranberries – rinsed and dried then tossed in 1/2 Tbsp of flour to keep them from sinking in the batter (see substitution options in common questions section)
How to Make Cranberry Bread
- Whisk dry ingredients – whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Combine wet ingredients – in a measuring cup, stir together milk, orange juice and zest.
- Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl then beat in eggs until well combined.
- Combine batter – Add flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the milk mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Flour cranberries – rinse and dry cranberries then toss them with 1/2 Tbsp flour to coat. Fold in cranberries just until incorporated. Spread batter into buttered and floured 8.5×4.5 bread pan.
- Bake the bread for 45-50 minutes until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Pro Tip: Tossing cranberries in a little flour coats them lightly and prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf as it bakes. This ensures cranberries are evenly disbursed in the finished loaf.
The Best Glaze for Cranberry Bread
Orange and cranberry are complimentarily flavored just like peanut butter and jelly. Topping the cranberry bread with orange juice and the orange zest-infused glaze makes this bread irresistible. I’m not sure if it’s breakfast or dessert but I’ve served it both ways. All you need for this easy 3-ingredient glaze is:
- Powdered sugar – I spoon it into the cup and level the top for a consistent measure.
- Orange juice – Freshly squeezed is best and don’t worry about straining. A little pulp won’t hurt the bread.
- Orange zest – do not skip the zest. It adds deep orange floral notes to the glaze.
Common Questions
Yes, you can use frozen cranberries in the same quantity and add them frozen (do not thaw). You may need to bake just a few minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
You can substitute with 2/3 cup dried cranberries and reduce the sugar in the recipe to 2/3 cup since dried cranberries aren’t as tart. The dried cranberries will be juicer if you soak them in very warm water for 10 minutes then drain and pat dry before using.
You can make this a cranberry nut bread by folding in 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans when adding the cranberries to the batter.
This sweet bread is total comfort food. All you need is a mug of tea or coffee to go with a thick, fresh slice of cranberry bread.
Make-Ahead
- Room Temperature – wrap cranberry bread loosely in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate – you can cover and store the loaf in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezing – cool the loaf completely to room temperature then place in a freezer-safe zip bag, removing any excess air. Freeze up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Pro Tip: Cranberries are only available for a season in grocery stores so buy extra and store them in the freezer so you can keep enjoying this cranberry bread year-round.
More Cranberry Recipes
These are our best cranberry recipes using both fresh and dried cranberries.
- Cranberry Sauce
- Sparkling Cranberry Pineapple Punch
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Cranberries
- Cranberry Apple Danish
Cranberry Bread with Orange Glaze
Ingredients
Cranberry Bread Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
- Zest of 1 large orange, divided
- 1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and patted dry
- 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Orange Glaze Ingredients:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, or to reach desired consistency
- 1 tsp orange zest, reserved from the orange above
Instructions
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter a 6 cup (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 bread loaf pan) then dust with flour, tapping out the excess flour.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup, combine together milk, zest of 1 orange (Reserve 1 tsp zest for the glaze), and orange juice. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and granulated sugar on medium/high speed (2-3 minutes on high speed). It won’t be smooth, just combined. Beat in 2 large eggs, mixing until well incorporated.
- Add flour mixture in 2 parts, alternating with the milk mixture and mixing on medium/low speed just until incorporated with each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Toss cranberries with 1/2 Tbsp flour then fold them into the batter just until incorporated. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 45-50 min at 350˚F until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10-15 minutes then run a cake release tool or knife around the edges and transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
To Make the Glaze:
- In a separate bowl, stir together powdered sugar, orange juice and reserved teaspoon of zest. Stir until smooth. It should have a drizzling consistency. Add more orange juice to thin it out or powdered sugar to make it thicker.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Absolutely delicious. I made the mistake of making the glaze too thin and putting it on while the cake was still warm. It didn’t look pretty but it still tasted great. And the sugared cranberries added a pretty effect and were surprisingly delicious! Another winner, Natasha!
Hi Victoria! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback.
I made it tonight and it was delicious! Great texture and the orange flavor was nice and strong. My only complaint was that the bites with a cranberry were quite sour. Is there any way I can make my fresh cranberries less sour? They were just organic, bagged from the supermarket.
I’m so glad you loved it, Lorraine. Thank you for this review!
Years ago I had a recipe for Cranberry Orange Bread that I loved – and I think it got tossed out with a bunch of newspapers. I think it was more complicated than yours, but I like yours better! It was simple and moist and beautiful and the glaze really set it off. Perfect texture and surpriingly light. Glad I bought the big bag of fresh cranberries because I’m going to make it again this week!
Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful review with me, Jill! I’m so happy you loved this Cranberry Bread!
I’m going to make this bread to give as gifts for Christmas. I’ll be freezing the loaves before I give them. My question is should I freeze them with the glaze or without?
Hi Sharon! You can freeze them with or without the glaze. If you freeze them without, then thaw the loafs and add the glaze after thawing.
Can I use this recipe to make mini loaves just dividing the batter?
Hi Erin! That would work fine, but watch them
in the oven because they will bake faster.
I cannot rave enough about this recipe. Served it today to a crowd during brunch. Everyone asked for the recipe. I followed the ingredients and steps as written. It is a keeper for sure.
Great to hear that it was a huge hit! Thanks so much for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha, I followed this recipe exactly but when it came time to slicing, everything was crumbling. What did I do wrong? I did let it cool for about 15 minutes out of the pan?
Hi Marisa. Did you make any substitutions? It’s possible that it needed to cool longer. I would also verify that all the ingredients were measured correctly.
One of the best things I’ve ever eaten!!!! This tastes amazing and simple to make. I used dried cranberries instead since that’s my preference and followed the recommendation for adjustments to the recipe for that. I will say that I didn’t have that size loaf plan…thought it was a bit of an odd size so I used the one I had on hand which was a little bigger and the loaf was smaller than what I thought aside from the loaf pan being an inch or so smaller but that does not take away from how amazing this came out!
I’m so glad to hear that, Melissa! Thank you for the feedback.
Made this last night. It is absolutely delicious! I didn’t have another orange so I used some heavy cream in place of orange juice to make the glaze and it was still very good and really makes the cranberry loaf. Thanks for such a delicious recipe. Have made other orange cranberry breads and yours is the best by far!
You’re very welcome, Vanessa!
Greetings from the UK. Thank you for the fabulous recipe 👏👏👏 I appreciate the metric conversion option. How much is 6 tablespoons butter in grams? The conversion is missing in the recipe. Also, would it work swopping butter for a neutral oil instead? To lower the saturated fat in nutritional value. Your thoughts appreciated in advance… thanks
Hi Nina, you’re welcome. Glad that was helpful! This ingredient weight chart can be helpful. Also, I haven’t tried that substitution yet but one of readers used canola oil and it worked for them.
This recipe is perfection 😋
I followed it exactly! Well, except I grabbed a big spoonful of it out of the pan as soon as I took it out of the oven, I had waited long enough 😂. It’s light, tender, moist, tangy yumminess! Thank you Natasha, I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
You’re welcome, Johanna!
Delicious!
I want to do mini loaves. What do you suggest for cook time and temp?
Hi Elisa! I haven’t tested this in different sizes to provide the exact instructions. The temperature should be the same, but they will bake faster so you’ll have to watch them in the oven.
I followed recipe exactly and it didn’t rise and isn’t baking correctly. Not sure what is going on, but I’m very disappointed! I used flour on the cranberries, but the still have floated to the top. They were frozen, but I thought that the recipe stated that was okay.
Hi Kim! Make sure that your leaving agent is fresh and not expired. Also, the oven needs to be fully preheated before you start baking or is will effect the rise and how it bakes. I highly encourage the use of an Internal oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to ensure your oven is heating correctly. This recipe was written for a conventional oven on regular bake mode. If you have a convection oven, it would require some modifications. I hope that helps.
Hi Kim! I am wondering what your batter looked like before you put it in the oven. I also used frozen cranberries though I thawed them out. The batter is VERY thick. Quick breads don’t really rise very much, just a little domed. I just pulled mine out of the oven – it looks great, no floating cranberries.
Can I use dried cranberries instead of fresh cranberries for this recipe?
Hi Zarin, we address this in the recipe, please see the “Can I Substitute Dried Cranberries?” section. I hope you love this recipe.
This recipe is excellent. I hadn’t baked CB bread in a while. This is now my go to recipe. I made a couple of modifications: used 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup almond flour. Also added 3/4 cup chopped walnuts. I prepped 2 loaf pans (1 large and 1 small) with canola oil and lined with parchment paper. For the glaze, I cut the ingredients in half and I sifted the powered sugar before adding. My biggest challenge was calling it quits after eating two pieces. Freeze the small loaf or give to a friend.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Kathy!
This is cranberry orange cake not bread. I should have realized that when the recipe called to cream the butter and sugar. This is how you make a cake, not bread. It is totally different than Cranberry Orange Bread.
I hope you like our take on this recipe, Murline and try it soon! Happy Holidays!
This is a quick bread, which is a bread made without yeast or sour dough starter, i.e., banana bread, zucchini bread, etc.
This is whats called a QUICK BREAD. The same as banana bread, zucchini bread Pumpkin bread, etc etc etc ..
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This cranberry bread is moist and delicious! I didn’t even bother making the glaze since it’s very tasteful without
Thanks for sharing this with us, glad you loved this recipe even without the glaze
I made this tonight and it was moist and delicious! The only issue I had was that all the cranberries rose to the top. Is there a way to prevent that?
Hi Julie! I’m glad you loved the recipe. Did you toss your cranberries in flour? This is to help prevent the berries from sinking or rising to the top because the flour binds to the skin and works to hold the berries in place.
Doubled the recipe & baked it in an angel food cake pan = nice presentation when placed on a cake stand. Wonderful fine pound-cake-like texture; the tartness of the fresh cranberries (which I halved or quartered) along with the orange flavors & glaze are terrific. Love this recipe. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Vicki!
It was delicious!!! Great recipe for leftover cranberries. Will definitely be making this for the holidays!
You’re welcome, Marisa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Have not made yet, want to do for small gifts, can this be made in mini loafs ? How many and time , temp. Any info would be appreciated.
Hi Melinda! I’m sure it can be but I haven’t tested it myself to know how many this recipe would yield and how long to bake. Temperature can stay the same, just watch them in the oven since they will bake faster.
Hello Melinda,
I doubled the recipe today and made one regular loaf and three mini loaves. The mini loaves baked in approximately 40 minutes. I actually prefer them to the full size because they seemed to bake more evenly in my oven than the full size. This is a beautiful recipe and I can’t wait to make it again!
The perfect combination of cranberries & orange. This recipe is very reliable. The bread is moist, not too sweet and easy to execute. We ate it so fast – I have to make another!
Thank you for your wonderful comments. Appreciate it!
I love this recipe. Thanks for sharing. I didn’t put the zest in it since I like a light flavor of orange. It was a hit at Thanksgiving dinner.
Thank you for sharing, Jaci!
After years of my old favorite Cranberry Bread, I thought I would try a new recipe this year. My Family really enjoyed the Cranberry Bread with Orange Glaze recipe. It was actually better the 2nd day. I did chop my cranberries, just because that’s what I have always done. You really don’t need the glaze but it does give it an extra pop and it looks pretty.
Out of a Scale of 1 – 5, I am giving this recipe a 6.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Carli! Happy Thanksgiving!
I agree with a previous comment. Your recipes are wonderful but this web design is atrocious. I saw several I wanted to try, but having to dig through the ads and all the other stuff before getting to the actual recipe makes me want to look elsewhere. Please reconsider this layout. It’s driving traffic away. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback, Matty. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site, so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. But we will definitely take note of your feedback and use it to improve our website.
I appreciate your feedback, and I hope you love every recipe you try.
Hi, I have chopped my cranberry’s what would be the measurement for that? Still 11/2 cups? Love your recipe!
Hi Kathy, this recipe works best with whole floured cranberries so they don’t sink to the bottom. I would measure out 1 1/2 cups of whole cranberries since chopped would equal a lot more. If it helps it should equal about 150 g fresh cranberries.
All the adds really hide your recipe well
Too bad for you
It looked like a really nice pic of the bread
What if I want to give the loaf as a gift in the ceramic loaf pan that I baked it in? I assume I can just drizzle the glaze over the top while it’s still in the loaf pan?
Hi Tori! I think that would work ok.
Just made this recipe it is 👍 it’s a little bit of citrus sweet and Tang all in one bite. For those that think the cranberries are too tart use cran raisins instead
I added one drop of vanilla extract in the glaze
Overall super!!!
Thank you Natasha
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Laureen! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Best recipe ever!!!! I’ve been using it for years. Thank you so much.
You’re very welcome! I’m glad you enjoy this recipe.
This is a favorite at my annual cookie swap brunch 😁 How would this do in the freezer, do you think? Would love to make some extras for later.
Hi Gwen! See my note in the blog above under “make-ahead” for instructions on this.
can I add some sugar to the flour that coat the cranberries?
the tartness seems a little too much for me.
Hi Dora! Tossing them in flour helps to keep them from sinking to the bottom. I’m not sure if the sugar would have the same effect. Feel free to experiment.
Why not use sweetened dried cranberries and soak them according to Natasha’s instructions in common questions mentioned above the recipe? Just a thought.
I toss them in powdered sugar . Sweetens and keeps from sinking 🙂
Use a larger loaf pan!
I followed the recipe exactly and it overflowed my loaf pan.
Taste is good, but UGH, cleaning my oven floor!
Hi Mimi! I’m sorry that happened. The recommended loaf pan for this recipe is 8 1/2″ by 4 1/2” (deep). As you can see in the images above, using this size loaf pan, we had plenty of room for the bread to grow.
Hi Natasha. This recipe sounds delicious, especially with the orange zest. I need a non-dairy substitute for the milk. Any suggestions?
Hi Chaya! I have not tested an alternative but I think you could use a DF milk of your choice. Let us know how it turns out.
My husband loved it! I thought it’s a little too tart for my taste but hey, cranberries are tart! The flavors were great together! I’ll definitely make as a treat for Thanksgiving! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Great idea! Thanks for the review, glad to know that your husband loved it too!
Hi thanks for sharing I’m excited to make this today, I’m wondering can I use frozen cranberries?
Hi Megan, yes, you can use frozen cranberries. You can check “Common Questions” section in the recipe for tips.
So yummy! Then again I love your recipes and your happy disposition, it always makes my day, my sear.
Thank you, Beverly!
this was so good!! realized last minute i had no milk so i improvised with sweet cream coffee creamer & used less sugar and was still amazing! i also did muffins instead, yielded about 16 & baked for about 20 minutes on 375
Thank you for sharing, Holly! I’m glad you loved the recipe.
Hi Natasha..I feel like lately all my loaf breads are not rising enough, including this one. They are rising but not getting enough rise like I see in your video. I’ve changed my baking soda and powder, the flour is all purpose. What else could it be? Could it be the pan?
Thank you…
HI Denise, are you using a different pan with new materials? Also, is your oven working properly? Mine says its preheated when its’ still 25 degrees away so I invested in a $10 oven thermometer on Amazon (affiliate link) which has helped a ton!
I’ve read that quick breads don’t need to have the sides of the pan greased, only the bottom of the pan.
Buttering the sides of the pan keeps the batter from “climbing” up the pan, resulting in a shorter loaf that is more dense.
I love this recipe and have made both a loaf and cupcakes out of it.It’s a huge hit with everyone! My question->why do my cranberries still seem to sink? I flour as stated but still more sink than not. This is only with the bread. PLEASE help!
Hi Susan, if you’re covering them in the flour they really shouldn’t. Are you baking the bread as soon as you put it into the pan?
This was so delicious! I ended up needing to bake for about 10 extra minutes, but I think my oven runs cold so that wasn’t surprising to me. The cranberries floated so well in the batter and I just love the glaze! Can’t wait to make again!
That’s great, Meg!
I cant wait to try this recipe. I’m afraid I’m going to measure the flour wrong, do you know about how many grams of flour you use so I can measure that way? Also, if I make mini loads do you know how long to cook them?
Hi Carissa! You can click on the “metric” button in the recipe card to get the conversion. I have not tested this in miniature pans to give the precise baking time.
Can I half this recipe? If so, would the baking time change?
Hi Sue. Yes you can, likely it will get done faster so you’ll need to watch it in the oven. The time time depends on the size of your pan. If you are using a larger pan, the batter will be thinner and bake faster. If your pan is smaller and the batter is thick, baking will take longer. Sorry I don’t have an exact time, I haven’t tested it in many sizes.
I decided to play chef extraordinaire by following your video, (very entertaining) and lo and behold, I conjured up the most divine cranberry loaf known to humanity. That drizzle, oh, that drizzle! It turned my creation into a superstar of baked goods. The ladies came for tea and my triumph turned into a speedy disappearing act. Thank you, Natasha, for yet another “go-to” recipe.
Yay, great job! Thanks a lot for sharing and I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try from us!
Hi Natasha, i love your recipes i tried many so far. I love watching your videos. You are so pretty👌
And this cranberry orange bread recipe is the best my family loves it whenever I bake it. Thank you so much.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Rohini! I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes and videos!
I want to thank you for this recipe. I have been wanting this for quite a few months.
I know I am going to enjoy it very much ! Have a wonderful day, and again Thank you
Hi Linda! You’re very welcome. I hope you love it!
Everyone seems to love your recipe and I’d like to make it but my husband takes medication that restricts cranberries from his diet. Could l substitute cherries?
Hi Bonnie! I haven’t tested it myself, but I think it could work. Let us know if you experiment.
Bonnie, we substitute blueberries (because my kids aren’t cranberry fans). It’s delicious!
Thanks Natasha: I have make this recipe 2 times in 10 days. I have added a little bit of lemon and grand mainier to the glaze.The glaze makes a great difference on the bread
That sounds amazing, Jorge! Thank you for sharing.
This recipe is spot on right down the to 1/2 TBS of flour for the cranberries to be coated in! I made this as a bread and muffins. The recipe yielded 10 muffins and I baked them for 29 minutes. Beyond yummy! My tips would be; definitely use a hand mixer vs. your KitchenAid and make two batches while you are at it as it is several steps. I did measure each batch individually however and did not combine. Wish I could post a pic!
Hi Susan! Thank you for the wonderful feedback. I’m glad you loved the recipe. I love to see pictures! In the future, you can tag me on Instagram or Facebook. 🙂 #natashaskitchen
Susan, why do you recommend a hand mixer instead of my stand mixer? Thanks, and sooooo happy to hear how delicious this bread is. I can hardly wait to make it!!
Great recipe – I made one change with the glaze, I pulverized 8-10 cranberries with an immersion blender then added zest, OJ, and 3/4 cup powdered sugar. You get the orange flavor and a hint of tartness with the sweetness also very colorful.
Hi Robert! That sounds great! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you love the recipe.
This recipe is excellent – very light and flavorful!! Love it!
Thank you for this review, Bethany.
Hi Natasha, I made this cranberry bread a dozen times now, and it was delicious every time I made it. Do you recommend freezing with glaze on, or glaze it when defrosted? Want to make 2 and save 1 for later. Thank you!
Hi LK! I’ve frozen it with the glaze, but either way will work. 🙂
It was delicious. My son has had a TBI which has affected his taste and smell. He doesn’t enjoy eating certain things since he is unable to smell and taste them, but this was a hit with him. I am on my second batch. Thank you for such a great recipe.
That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for sharing!
After reading all the positive reviews on here I’m dying to try out this recipe for a get together next week. Would it be okay to use cranberries from a jar (since I can’t find fresh cranberries in my supermarket)? Would I have to adjust the sugar content of the recipe since there is already sugar in the jar with the cranberries?
Hi Mirja, We have a note in the recipe about using dried and frozen cranberries as alternatives. I imagine jar cranberries may work, but depending on the moisture level, they may alter the outcome a bit. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
This is the best cranberry bread that I have ever made. Tart and sweet, great texture, did take about 60 minutes, but great!
Hi Sue! I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for the feedback.
I made 3 mini loaves and these are so beautiful and delicious! Definitely a keeper!
Thanks for the great feedback, Mandy!
I added a half teaspoon of almond extract to the batter to give it a little extra oomph.
I bet that tasted delicious! Thank you for sharing.
This is an excellent recipe. What I am curious about is can it be used for possible muffins?
Hi Annette, I have not tested this but I think it could work. You may also like my blueberry lemon glaze muffins which are similar.
This bread is excellent! I used blood oranges and added home-made vanilla extract and a large cap of dark rum. I skipped the glaze to cut down on the sugar. Definitely, I’ll make it again, but thought maybe I’d add a few more cranberries into the mix…
Hi Wyatt! I’m glad you love this recipe. Thank you for your feedback.
Delicious! This is the second time I made this recipe in a month. Was craving for more. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Hi Sharon! I’m glad you love this recipe. I can definitely relate, it’s hard to stop making this one!
This bread was delicious. It was very moist and easy to make. The sweet glaze balanced out the tartness of the cranberries. My co-workers loved it 🙂 Thank you for a great recipe
That’s great, Eva! You’re very welcome. I’m glad it was a hit.
Hey Natasha! I’ve made this exclusively as a Thanksgiving special and was wondering if I could substitute the milk with buttermilk.
Would that change the density of the bread? Would heavy cream work as well? Or would it best be kept to milk (I use 2% reduced-fat)
Thank you…
Hi, I haven’t tried that substitution to advise on the outcome, baking is such a science and you may need to make other adjustments to the recipe to make it work. I wish I could be more helpful.
I made this loaf today but it wasn’t as moist as the video. The edges were a little hard. It also took 55-60 minutes to bake. I followed recipe except used dried cranberries instead of fresh. Would this make a difference?
Hi Liz! Did you use a different size pan? It could also be over-baked or you used too much flour. I recommend watching my tutorial on how to measure your flour correctly HERE. If you don’t already have one, I highly recommend using an internal oven thermometer to check your oven temperature. You may need to make adjustments if it runs hot. Also, be sure to let it fully preheat before you start baking, if not it can affect both the rise and texture of the cake. I hope that helps!
Common sense should tell you it most definitely makes a difference; not only will the dried cranberries pull moisture from the batter, but the batter itself will already be lacking all the juice it normally gets from the fresh cranberries.
I rehydrated my cranberries by using hot cranberry juice. Strained most of the liquid out, but reserved some to keep the moisture. Next time, I will buy a few bags of cranberries and put them in the freezer.
I’ve lost count how many recipes of yours I’ve tried and have been amazing. This one did not disappoint. It is absolutely delicious!!! Its not overly sweet and the tang from the cranberries is perfection. Definitely recommend!
Thank you, Sandra! That’s wonderful to hear. I’m so glad you have been enjoying my recipes.
Hello! I am going to make this today but unfortunately do not have milk in the house. Could I use half and half instead? Also, do you notice a big difference between salted and unsalted butter? Thank you!
Hi Stephanie! I think the half-and-half would be fine to use. We prefer to use unsalted because it allows us to control the salt level in the recipe. If you use salted butter, I would omit the 1/4 tsp of salt.
Excellent recipe. As a senior I’ve tried many over the years and I know preferences are a personal thing. For me this was perfect.i doubled the recipe as I made it for the holidays . My DiL loved it so much she asked to make it while she was here, so we made another doubled recipe so they could take it home. Christmas eve there were 2 more loaves to share as dessert. Need I say more? Yes, thanks for sharing!!
Hi Nan! I’m so glad it was a hit! Thank you for your feedback and review!
Absolutely fabulous! Very moist and tasty. Just the right amount of sweetness once the glaze is added. A big hit with my family as a holiday bread/dessert 😋 It’s a keeper recipe!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I’ve made this bread a couple of times and it is so delicious!! I can’t figure out where to post the picture of it. ?
Hi Toni! So glad you love this recipe. You can tag me on Instagram or Facebook. #natashaskitchen
I have made this loaf several times. I have never tasted any loaf that was so moist and flavourful. I do make more glaze, though. I love the sweetness! Thank you, Natasha! This is my favourite recipe of yours. I have made several meals.
Great to hear that you loved it, Robin! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience with us.
Made recipe as directed, came out abit dense and not very moist, we loved the flavor and taste but was disappointed by the results, what went wrong ???
This recipe has always turned out moist and should be moist and not dry. Were there any changes made in the recipe or perhaps any substituted ingredients? Also, be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon, then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup. I hope this is helpful!
We were short on time this year and had trouble finding candied fruit last minute, so we couldn’t make my Grandmother’s Christmas Stollen. I had some cranberries I needed to use and remembered seeing this recipe, so I volunteered to make it instead. It was AMAZING!!! Everyone loved it so much, we’ll be making it next year too! I actually have a second loaf baking now because the first one disappeared so quickly Christmas Day, Mom and I only had one small piece! Followed the recipe exactly and made no changes.
That’s wonderful, Tammy! Thank you for the feedback. So glad you fried this recipe.
why do u use bp instead of bs?…I thought bs is for items that have acid in them like oj or buttermilk…other recipes use both?
Hi Malcolm, this recipe works great with just baking powder. I hope you love it.
My third time making this is in the oven for a New Year’s Eve get together. I made some for gifts for Christmas and put them in small loaf pans and everyone raved about it. It is so delicious and moist, tastes even better the next day. I didn’t change a thing, it was perfect.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Liz!
I made the Cranberry bread for Christmas dinner and it was wonderful all enjoyed
Can I use this recipe for blueberry and lemon?
Hi Sandra! I think you could, but you’ll have to experiment with it. This is our go-to recipe for lemon blueberry bread.
I soaked dried cranberries in Grand Marnier. Oh my!!!
Pat dry. And use some of the liqueur in the bread and in the icing/glaze.
Sounds delicious!
I agree with others who have already commented. Do not change a thing with this recipe. It is absolutely spot on as written!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
THE BEST cranberry bread ever! I will make this every Christmas!
Don’t change a thing in this recipe. It has just the right amount of tangy sweetness and touch of orange zest. Bet you can’t eat just one slice!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Amazing cranberry bread! Made this day before Christmas, with your banana bread, for family to snack on while opening presents Christmas Day before we had brunch. Moist, light & the glaze really makes it decadent.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Stephanie!
So fragrance, fresh, moist, buttery, so addicting! I doubled the recipe for a last minute christmas gifts! Put it on one loaf pan, one bundt pan, and saved a little batter in 3 cupcake liner for me & my husband. Everyone loveeeee it! Thanks Natasha!
You’re welcome! I’m glad it was enjoyed.
Really good. It’s perfect for Christmas. I made them into mini loaves and gave away. They were done in 19 minutes. The glaze was just the right amount. I did only one cup of cranberries because I thought 1 1/2 was too much but I won’t do that again. Thaks so much for this!
Hi Nerissa! Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad you loved the recipe.
Natasha: I made your Orange Cranberry Bread today. My advice to those going to attempt this recipe is to change nothing. Your recipe, video and instructions produced perfection. I have a picture to show, but don’t see how to share it. Excellent and delicious!
That’s so awesome! Thank you for sharing that with us, we’re happy that you love this recipe a lot!
I made this recipe tonight and it is so good. Cranberry Orange is my new favorite flavor. And this recipe is delicious!
I bet your home smells good after making this! The perfect holiday dessert! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is my go-to recipe for Christmas gift-giving baked goods. I tried it last year and all my clients raves about it, and I wished I had kept more than a loaf for myself! Thank you for a winner again, Natasha!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Emily!
This is hands down the best cranberry bread I have ever made and I have made several. As soon as cranberries hit the stores I buy and use a ton of them.
That’s wonderful, Cathy! Thank you for sharing.
I made this yesterday. So delicious and very moist. I will make this again soon!
Thank you so much!
That’s great! I’m so glad you loved it!
I would really like to make this but I just do not like anything with zest in it. Would omitting the zest make a difference and any suggestion of what else to add.
Hi Susan! That should be fine. IF you don’t mind the orange flavor, you could use some more orange extract/flavor to add additional flavor if needed.
I actually omitted the zest and added 4oz Paradise Holiday Fruit candied orange peel to the batter. And to take a little over the top I added candied orange slices from Trader Joes on top of the glaze. Great recipe Natasha!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Rachael!
If I am making this as a gift in a disposable loaf pan, should I wait to glaze this right before gifting/delivering? Or can it be glazed as soon as it cools and then packaged up?
Hi Gretchen, You could do it either way but be sure to let it cool before glazing.
I made this last night and veganized it using flax eggs and Miyokos awesome butter! I also put in 1 tsp of ground ginger. To die for! One of the best baked items I have made in a while.
So glad I have more cranberries in my freezer! onee
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Chris!
so it came out great. I baked for 47 minutes. Moist, balance of sweet and tart. Going to be a great neighbor gift this holiday season! Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Susan!
I made this last night and it came out so good! It is moist, slightly tart but has a sweetness to it, also. This recipe is a keeper. I imagine you could use blueberries when they are in season in place of cranberries.
Hi Barb! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for the feedback.
Not sure of the rating yet as the loaves are in the oven. I loved the consistency of the batter as I put it in the 2 on the smaller side pans. I am winging it a bit here. My question is how would you adjust for high altitude? I will follow up with stars after I get to taste them.
*smaller size pans. I should read before I submit! Looking forward to your response.
Hi Susan1 I don’t have any experience with high-altitude baking, but you may find this article on high altitude baking helpful!
I have a question (I gave it 5 stars as before because I loved this bread). Anyway, how many mini loaves (~5 3/4 x 3 1/2) would this recipe make? I want to give some as gifts. Thanks
Hi Brenda! I’m glad you love the recipe! I have not made them in mini loaf pans to know how many the recipe would make.
I just made this today and used 3 mini loaf pans. The pans are 3 X 5.5. One recipe filled them perfectly. They turned our great.
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with all of us, LuAnn! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you LuAnn, that helps me a lot. I’m getting ready to make them again and now I have some idea how many small pans I need-I appreciate the reply.
This is a great idea for Christmas gifts. Smaller pan is perfect. How long did you bake the three pans?
I made the 3 small loaves and didn’t reduce the cooking time. It seemed like it was needed to cook the middle and give the slightest brown around the edges. I’d jut start watching them closely after the 30 minute mark. Gave them as gifts and recipients raved. The orange glaze puts them over the top, delish!
One of the reviewers mentioned she got 3 mini loaves, but Im sure it would depend on the size of your pans.
Oh Natasha. I made the Cranberry Orange Bread tonight and it is SO delicious. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe. The combination of the cranberries and the orange was perfect — a little tart and a little sweet mixed together for a mouthful of Heaven. It’s definitely as good as the photo looks — maybe even better! Extremely yummy.
It’s my please, I’m happy that you love it!
Love the cranberry orange bread . Can I substitute blueberries and lemons for your bread to make another incredible bread ?
Hi Marilyn! So glad you love it! I think it could work but I haven’t tested it in this specific recipe to provide instructions. This is our go-to blueberry and lemon cake. 🙂
Just made this today swapping out almond milk for regular milk due to an allergy. Also after reading the other comments, I halved the icing with exceptional yummy results! I will be making this again to give as gifts.
That’s wonderful, Kellie! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Could this be baked in a Bundt pan? And if so, what temp? Thx for your help!
Hi Laura, we have a great version of the Cranberry Bundt Cake here.
I would like to try this recipe but what is 6 tbsp. butter? Is that 1/4 cup?
Hi Lynn, 1/4 cup of butter is only 4 Tbsp. 6 Tbsp is slightly more than 1/3 cup, or 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp.
Hello,
Delicious cranberry orange bread! Wonderful directions, video & photos…I baked 6 small loaves at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes. (The pans dimensions are 2″ H X 5 3/4 ” long X 3 3/4″ wide.) I appreciate the ability to convert to metric measurements.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!!
This was seriously so tart!!! I kept reading other reviews before I made this to see if they had the same complaint but I was surprised I didn’t see any….because this is TART! Not a huge fan as of now and feel like I couldn’t gift this for a holiday treat to someone. I will give this recipe another try but with dried cranberries. The bread was good and moist, had great flavor but just can’t do the fresh cranberries.
Using mini loaf pans! Would the temperature of the oven be the as well as the time?
Hi Sondra, I haven’t tested them to provide specific instructions on baking time. You’d have to experiment with it and watch them closely to ensure they don’t over-bake.
Why does the cake keep sinking? Whenever I make this, or banana breads, I cook it the right amount of time, check with toothpick, and after I take it out of the pan, after 20 minutes, the top of the cake collapses. Help!?
Hi Bill! Did you make any adjustments or use a different size pan? It could be several issues: Expired baking powder, or too much leavening agent like baking soda or powder can cause a cake to rise too high too quickly. If the cake pan is too small, the batter may be too deep. Incorrect oven temperature causing it to rise and bake to fast on the outside but not fully in the middle so it collapses. I highly recommend the use of an internal oven thermometer. I hope that helps.
Fantastic! The whole family loved it. I loved the glaze-lots of flavor and not too sweet. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it, Jackie!
Can I make small loaves with this recipe? How long should I bake them?
Hi Claudia, I haven’t tested this recipe in mini loaf size so you’ll have to watch it in the oven so it doesn’t over bake.
Can I make cupcakes with this recipe and how long to bake ?
I would like to freeze and take out on at a time.
Hi Bridget! Yes that should be fine but you’d have to experiment with the time. Watch them closely to ensure they don’t over bake.
This is by far the best cranberry bread. So moist and the sweet and tartness is perfectly balanced. My go to recipe for the Holidays. Freezes very well!
Hi Tammy! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you.
Made it yesterday and it’s all gone. Excellent recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful recipe, as always. Thank you Natasha! I love anything cranberry orange and this was no exception. The only change from the recipe was I used dried cranberries that I soaked in freshly squeezed orange juice for a while first. They plumped right up and were full of flavor! The bread was moist and delicious and the glaze was too die for!! I may have been a little heavy handed on the zest but I think it was perfect! Try it, you won’t regret it! 🤤
Hi Samantha, thank you for your great comments and feedback. We’re so glad that you enjoyed this recipe!
This was really great. I did add chopped pecans and they were really good in it. I’ll be making this a lot-hubby also loved it. Thanks again for your wonderful recipes (and again, I love the fact you answer people’s comments)
Thank you, Brenda! So glad that you enjoy my recipes.