This moist & flavorful orange cranberry bread is packed with orange zest and tart cranberries, topped with cinnamon streusel, and finished with orange glaze. It’s one of my favorite quick bread recipes to prepare because it always draws a crowd!
When I think of the fall season, many flavor duos come to mind, but no flavor combination is more delicious than orange + cranberry. I love tart cranberries paired with sunshine-sweet orange. Over the years I’ve shared recipes for cranberry orange muffins, cranberry orange Bundt cake, cranberry orange icebox cookies, and cranberry orange scones… and my classic cranberry sauce and these cranberry brie puff pastry tarts both contain a pop of orange flavor, too. All incredible, but nothing rivals today’s quick bread. It’s the original and I recommend making two loaves because trust me, it will disappear quickly!
3 Parts to Orange Cranberry Bread
- Bread: I use buttermilk and vegetable oil here to ensure a supremely moist and flavorful bread.
- Streusel: Homemade cinnamon streusel comes together with simple everyday ingredients and is a welcome addition to this quick bread. You’ll love the textural variation in each bite. While I believe streusel is never optional, this bread is still dazzling without!
- Orange Glaze: A drizzle of orange glaze on top heightens the bright orange flavor of this orange cranberry bread.
Craving plain cranberry bread? You can leave off the streusel and/or orange glaze. Same bake time and temperature. Or if you want to add some sparkle, try adding some sugared cranberries on top before serving.
Cranberry Bread Ingredients
Don’t be overwhelmed by the ingredient list below—you’ll notice most of the ingredients are repeated in each part of the recipe.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this quick bread recipe. Because we’re loading it up with lots of add-ins, we need a sturdy flour.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda helps the bread rise.
- Salt + Vanilla Extract: Salt and vanilla extract add flavor. (Try using homemade vanilla extract.)
- Cranberries: We use 1 cup of chopped cranberries. I recommend using fresh or frozen cranberries, though dried cranberries will also work. If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw. If you have leftovers, try my cranberry cardamom spice muffins next!
- Pecans or Walnuts: While optional, chopped nuts are a wonderful addition and complement the flavors of the bread. I always use them! If you love the combination of cranberries and pecans, you must try my cranberry cake as well.
- Egg: One egg binds everything together.
- Sugar: We use both brown sugar and granulated sugar to sweeten this bread.
- Buttermilk: We use buttermilk for added moisture, but also because the lactic acid in buttermilk is what helps the baking soda do its job. Want to use sour cream and milk instead? You definitely can. See my cinnamon swirl quick bread, which is another favorite recipe of mine. This bread batter recipe is similar and you can use 1/3 cup sour cream and 2/3 cup whole milk here too.
- Oil: While butter provides unbelievable flavor, nothing beats the moisture that oil brings. We use oil in this quick bread recipe to produce a moist and soft bread, and also because the flavor of butter would get lost with all of the other flavors.
- Orange Zest: Orange zest adds a lovely punch of flavor to the bread. Save the juice for the orange glaze!
How to Make Orange Glazed Cranberry Bread
- Make the streusel. Use your hands, two forks, or a pastry cutter to cut the cold butter into the other streusel ingredients. The colder the butter, the less likely the streusel will sink down into the cooking bread.
- Make the batter. Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet ingredients together in another. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until no lumps remain. No electric mixer needed!
- Pour into prepared pan. Top with streusel.
- Bake. This bread can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour in the oven. Why the huge gap of time? All ovens are different. Oven air flows, oven hot spots, etc. Quick breads are thick and having the center baked through properly takes time.
- Make the glaze. Combine ingredients together and drizzle over cooled bread.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Similar to banana bread and carrot cake, this bread was even more flavorful and moist on day 2. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love it warm out of the oven, but I especially enjoy it the next morning. It’s a perfect treat to serve guests because you can make it the evening before.
Two Baking Tips
- Buy an oven thermometer. Unless you have a brand new or regularly calibrated oven, your oven’s temperature is likely inaccurate. Incorrect temperature ruins baked goods and you waste hours spent on the recipe and money spent on ingredients. The inexpensive remedy to this mess is an oven thermometer. While cheap, they’re irreplaceable in a baker’s kitchen. Place it in your oven so you always know the actual temperature.
- Cover your bread with aluminum foil. I note this in the instructions below as a reminder. About halfway through baking, loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil. This will allow your bread to bake evenly on all sides and prevent the top from getting too brown before the center bakes through.
If you’re looking for another fall quick bread recipe, this apple cinnamon bread is a tried-and-true favorite, and so is this versatile savory quick bread.
Print
Orange Glazed Cranberry Bread
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is moist and tender orange cranberry bread with buttery streusel and a zingy orange glaze. It’s perfect for guests or with a warm cup of tea in the early morning or afternoon. See notes for freezing instructions.
Ingredients
Streusel
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Bread
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (105g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 cup (110g) cranberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw)*
- optional: 1/2 cup (65g) chopped pecans or chopped walnuts
Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1–2 Tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
- Make the streusel first: Whisk the flour, sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter, your hands, or two forks until mixture resembles pea-size crumbs. It’s important to keep the streusel cold, so place in the refrigerator (covered or uncovered) until ready to use in step 4.
- Make the bread: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and orange zest. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk to completely combine. Avoid over-mixing. Fold in the cranberries and nuts (if using).
- Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan. Top evenly streusel, pressing the streusel down gently into the top of the bread so it sticks.
- Bake the bread for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cover loosely with foil about halfway through to ensure even browning. Poke the center of the bread with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Oven times will vary between ovens. My bread usually takes 1 hour. Cool bread completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice together. Add more orange juice depending how thick you want the glaze. Drizzle over cooled bread.
- Slice and serve. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, you can freeze the glazed or unglazed bread for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before glazing (if needed) and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Pastry Cutter | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Cranberries: 1 cup dried cranberries may be used instead of fresh/frozen. You can slice the cranberries in half, if desired. I leave them whole.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk (an acid) is required for this quick bread recipe. If you don’t have any, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 cup. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the bread won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe. Another option is to use sour cream and milk instead of buttermilk. See my cinnamon swirl quick bread. This bread batter recipe is similar and you can use 1/3 cup sour cream and 2/3 cup whole milk here too.
- Muffins: Grease a 12-count muffin pan or line with liners. Prepare streusel and batter in steps 2 + 3. Spoon the batter evenly into each liner, filling each to the top. Press streusel into the tops of each. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-22 minutes, give or take. Cool muffins for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Makes 18 muffins.
Quick Bread Recipes
I welcome easy recipes around the holidays. What I love most about quick breads is that they’re universally delicious and, best of all, they’re QUICK! Here are a few seasonal quick bread recipes to make next:
See all of my quick bread recipes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I have made this recipe 2x this week and it is excellent. I made it in 3 little loaf pans approximately 6×3 1/2 Baked for about 35 minutes.
I gave a few away and was told how delicious it was is great detail.
I did not make the glaze because I don’t think it needs it. Although I’m sure it would be delicious. Thank you so much Sally for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Another great recipe! I made the bread using dried cranberries while it was good I think fresh or frozen cranberries would make it even better. Easy and quick with a great orange flavor.
Thank you so much, Gina! Yes- using fresh cranberries will add a little more “pop” of flavor than dried but either way is delicious!! Thanks for your positive feedback 🙂
Can I replace the cranberries with any other berry? I’m not a fan of cranberry. Sorry
But thank you for posting it.
And I’m super happy.
Any other berry you love would be great! Same amount.
Hi Sally,
This recipe looks great… except I live in Europe, where fresh cranberries are not so easy to come by. I can get dried ones though. Would those work?
Thanks!
Yes, see recipe notes. Enjoy!
This is now my forever go to cranberry bread recipe. I’m not a fan of dense breads & this one is definitely not dense. Do you have or can you make a pumpkin cranberry bread recipe. All the ones i see use baking soda & i feel that makes it dense.
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes !
Have been having more difficulty finding fresh cranberries that look good. Was thinking of substituting dried for fresh. Did you mean the sweetened dried cranberries, like craisins? If so, do you recommend reducing the sugar when using them? Thanks in advance. I am looking forward to trying this bread.
Hi Marilyn, you can definitely use craisins. No need to reduce the sugar in the bread unless you want to.
Could I swap in lemon zest and juice instead of the orange zest/juice?
Yes, that should work for a lemon cranberry bread!
I made this cake/loaf and it was really the best cranberry cake ever!! And I didnt use the glaze, it was already sweet enough. I’m maling it again as a gift for a friend now. Thanks for this delicous cake, I will definately make more from your site now as the comments are really positive!
Hi Sally! My loaf collapsed down the centre 🙁 Any idea why this would happen and how to prevent it next time?
Hi Sadie! Quick breads sink when they are under-baked. Keep the bread in the oven a little longer if you decide to try it again.
I made these today and I am in love with it … it’s moist, tangy, sweet and pretty ❤️ Thank you so much for such an amazing recipe..
This recipe seems exactly what I am looking for. We celebrate our thanksgiving at the weekend in England. No time off work to cook. May make the muffin version. Will report back on success.
I just made this bread and let me tell you it is the best. I looked for different recipes and I found yours to be the winner. I will be trying your other recipes. Thank you so much.
I never post comments, but I need to express just how delicious this bread is! Thank you so much for this recipe! This bread is insanely delicious !!
This recipe was so successful last year, I made a double batch twice this year. The loaves are in the freezer for Christmas morning. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
This is currently baking in my oven as I’m typing and my whole house smells so amazing. I have two in the oven and about to make another two. I cannot wait to gift these to people for Christmas!! I’m curious, how do you think some chocolate chips would go in this recipe?? I know orange and chocolate can go pretty good together surprisingly so I’m really curious if it would be good or not!!
It’s so wonderful that you are baking for others! Personally I love chocolate and orange together so I think they would be great!
This is the 2nd year I’ve made this, it is so good!
I have made this bread multiple times and follow the recipe exactly and I always get overwhelming compliments on how amazing it is and I have to agree! In fact, anytime I need a dessert for a church function or family event I only follow Sally’s Baking Addiction because it never fails! I can not rave enough on how impressive every single recipe is. At least the ones I’ve done.
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. It was more orange than I thought it would be but absolutely loved it. Will definitely make again.
I have made this bread over 5 times and each time it has been a hit. Love it
I had been eyeing this bread for awhile and I made it yesterday into jumbo muffins and did your trick of 5 minutes @ 425 and 20 minutes @ 350. They were so delicious. I use that trick on all of my muffins now, no matter the recipe. I love the combo of orange and cranberry together. Thanks again for helping me with a last minute breakfast idea. I can always rely on your recipes.
This recipe is awesome! Turned out very moist. I ended up baking mine for 52 min, putting foil on top after 35.
Only things I would change – double the amount of cranberries and vanilla. I love pure tart things and chose to forgo the streusel and pecans.
Hi, Sally! I tried this recipe last weekend and it is delicious. But instead of APF, I used bread flour as it was all I had available. The bread was a little dense. Any tips how to fix this? Thanks.
I suggest all-purpose flour. Bread flour isn’t ideal for quick breads. It’s best for some yeast breads.
Hi Sally, I made a trial run of this to get ready for Christmas morning. It is DELICIOUS, but my streusel kind of just melted away into the bread. I used very cold butter and the streusel was in pea-sized crumbs. It doesn’t look like your picture with the clumps of streusel, just kind of like some sugar was sprinkled on top. Any thoughts on what I might have done wrong? Was thinking about maybe putting the streusel in the freezer while I prepare batter – do you think that would help? Thanks and Merry Christmas!
I think starting with frozen streusel sounds like the best solution!
My wife and I made 10 loaves at once! Simply multiplied everything by ten, dragged out all of our biggest mixing bowls and stock pots and went at it. Crazy good cranberry bread! We kept a loaf just for us in the refrigerator – carve a slice, dot with butter, warm in microwave, close eyes, big bite … so moist, a heavenly Christmas flavor!
*** A few tips if you make a lot of these at once: 1) The orange zest takes a lot of time. For us, each loaf needed the zest from one big navel orange so you might want to do this the day before you bake. 2) Cutting 10 cups of frozen cranberries is pretty funny – little red marbles running all over the counter! So I coralled them with a couple of rolled-up towels, then put down two heavy chopping boards side by side with a little space between, herded cranberries into the slot, then split with a long chef’s knife. Pretty easy work after you get a system. Splitting the berries is better rather than shredding them in a processor, IMO. Nice flavor explosions and good mouth feel! 3) Fill bread pans about 3/4 for a full loaf but you can make them shallower, too. After cooling I wrapped ours in 2 layers of plastic wrap and put in frig. Stayed really moist even after several days. Thank you for a fabulous recipe, Sally!
I have made this bread many times. First time I too had cranberries skittering all over the counter so now I chop the cranberries in my food processor. Works great.
This bread is completely and utterly amazing! So moist, so festive, and so delicious! I have made 80 loaves of this bread in 2 weeks for people wanting me to make it for them. Yes, 80 loaves! And I have 20 more to make Monday. People are loving it! Thank you for the recipe!