Cranberry Bread made with a buttery cake and fresh cranberries, this is an easy festive quick bread dessert recipe perfect for Christmas and Thanksgiving!
We love quick fruit breads like our Classic Banana Bread Recipe which is made in just one bowl! If you’re looking for more easy cake recipes be sure to check out Cake Recipes Index.
Cranberry Bread
Cranberry Bread doesn’t have to just be served during the Christmas and Thanksgiving season, with frozen cranberries we make this sweet bread any time of year! Cranberry Bread is a traditional American quick bread recipe like banana bread or Pumpkin Chocolate Bread.
Pantry Friendly Recipe
To keep this recipe simple and traditional with cranberry flavors we keep milk in the recipe like in our Blueberry Lemon Bread Recipe. You could use orange juice as is traditionally used in many cranberry bread recipes but many people don’t keep orange juice on hand as they do milk. The first time you make this recipe we suggest making it the way it is written in the recipe card, it is the truly the best cranberry bread ever.
Most people make this recipe during the holiday season, so if you’re looking to make your Cranberry loaf a bit more festive you can top it with white chocolate chips, drizzle white chocolate on top or make a glaze with white chocolate. We like using white chocolate in holiday desserts like our White Trash Christmas Snack Mix – A festive mix of candies and pretzels named that way because it’s a bunch of snack items tossed together and “white” from the white chocolate. The recipe originally came from a famous department store which made it as a holiday snack treat they sold.
MORE DELICIOUS QUICK BREADS:
Next time you want to make it, if you’d like to add orange to this recipe use the recipe variation below:
Orange Cranberry Bread Recipe
- Use orange juice in place of the milk.
- Use the zest of one orange when adding in the vanilla extract.
TOPPINGS AND MIX-INS:
- Almonds: Top with sliced almonds or finely chopped almonds
- Glaze: Mix powdered sugar with just a tablespoon of water until barely able to mix then dip the bread upside down into it.
- Orange Glaze: Make the glaze as directed above except instead of using water use orange juice in its place for a punch of extra orange flavor along with orange zest from one orange.
- White Chocolate Chips: White Chocolate Chips is a great muted addition to the flavors of the cranberry (like in Starbucks Bliss Bars).
- Candied Orange Peel: If you want even more orange flavor, add chopped candied orange peel to the top of the bread with a glaze.
- Cream Cheese: Use the cream cheese filling recipe in my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread Recipe.
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Cranberry Bread Muffins:
Bake in muffin liners for 18-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Remove from the muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.
Why did my Cranberry Bread drop after baking?
- Make sure you’re measuring your dry ingredients exactly, especially the all purpose flour. If you’re using a measuring scoop, try using a butter knife to level the all purpose flour before mixing it in.
- Be careful not to over-mix the dough, stop when the flour mixture is just mixed in.
- Make sure your baking powder is fresh and not expired.
- Use an oven-safe thermometer to make sure your oven is baking true to temperature.
- It may not have been fully baked, if the middle is still raw it will sink as it cools.
More Recipes for the Holiday Season:
Cranberry Bread Tips:
- Check your fresh cranberries for any that are not ripe and for those that are overripe and mushy.
- For a deeper, more caramelized flavor you can add half brown sugar and half white sugar.
- You can bake this in one large 8×4 inch loaf pan or 2 mini loaf pans.
- If using mini loaf pans reduce your cook time to 30-35 minutes.
HOW TO STORE THIS BREAD:
- Serve: You can keep at room temperature for 2-3 days, covered in plastic wrap in a cool, dry place.
- Store: Store in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature to serve.
- Freeze: Wrap individual slices or full loaf tightly first in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature to eat.
Cranberry Bread
Cranberry Bread made with a buttery cake and fresh cranberries, this is an easy festive quick bread dessert recipe perfect for Christmas and Thanksgiving!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cups whole milk
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries (frozen okay too)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
In a stand mixer cream your butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes then add in the vanilla and eggs until fully combined
- In a separate bowl sift together the flour and baking powder before adding it into the stand mixer on low speed, alternating with the milk until just combined.
Stir the cranberries in by hand until just combined and pour into the pan and bake for 60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Original Photos from April 2019
Loved this recipe. Going to get more cranberries and blueberries so easy to make. My new go to recipe
Thanks for the 5 stars, Diane.
Just made 4 sm loaves. Cranberry Bread turned out perfect. Will keep the
Receipt “Thanks “
Yay!!
I followed the recipe to a “T” and it came out horrible. Way too many cranberries. By looking at the pics you posted, it can’t be possible that you used an entire bag! My bread looks NOTHING like the pictures, and the cranberries all went to the top, making it impossible to even cut. They are all at the top, and overflowing out of the pan. I just don’t understand how it could come out so badly. I used the right size pan and everything. Very disappointed. Won’t be making again.
Planning to bake the cranberry bread this week but want to incorporate white chocolate into the recipe. Do you know if it will interfere with the end result if I fold some into the batter? Thinking maybe 1/2 cup…not more than that because I want it to be “cranberry” bread not white chocolate.
That’ll work out wonderfully! Enjoy!
Hi. I want to bake mini loaves. What would the adjusted baking time be? Also I want to bake 6 to 8 loaves at a time.
You’ll need to reduce the bake time by 1/4 for mini loaves. I’d say your bake time will be around 40 minutes. Good luck!
Hi. Can someone help. Made this cranberry bread. Came great except all the cranberries stayed on top. What did I do wrong??
I have been making cranberry bread since my boys who are now 19 and 21 were little. It is my personal favorite holiday treat smothered in cream cheese. I hesitantly tried this recipe since it was so different than the one I have used for years. OH MY WORD! The butter makes ALL the difference! It was delicious! I used orange juice instead of milk and added pecans on the top and it was to die for good! I will say however that all the cranberries DID tend to stay in one place like was noted in other comments. Not sure why. I have never had that happen before, but I will definitely make this again!
I’m so glad you all enjoy it so much, Lisa.
OMG! HANDS DOWN the best bread…EVER. I did tweak because I love orange. I added zest from a full orange, and I added 1/2 c orange juice and 1/4 c almond milk. I only had whole wheat white flour, and it turned out GREAT. I don’t even care that a slice is 9 points on WW! I will save all my points for a slice. THANK YOU for an amazing recipe.
Haha, totally worth it! Thanks for the 5 stars, Kristen.
Kristin, I also like the cranberry/orange combination and want to add the orange juice and almond milk as you suggest. I just want to ask if those are in addition to the 3/4 cup whole milk the recipe calls for, or if they are in place of that whole milk. Thank you so much!
I made two loaves of this cranberry bread today and it received rave reviews. I did add the zest of one orange to the mix. It had such a great mix of sweetness and tartness. Tomorrow I’ll make French toast with a slice for a decadent breakfast.
Very delicious. I will be making this for neighborhood. I think muffins though next time.
i followed the recipe .exact and it is soo good, i wouldnt change anything
Thanks for the 5 stars, Sandra.
All the cranberries (dry when they went in) went to the top. This created a gooey thick top layer about a half inch deep with no cranberries in the majority of the lower layer. Yucky and very unattractive. I followed your directions and measurements exactly. Any idea on why mine cranberry bread was a failure?
I’ve made this recipe so many times and have never had that issue. You can always cut the cranberries in half next time and see if that helps. Sorry you had issues with it.
I make the recipe as noted, Loved it!
Floating Berries – there is a fix!
The way to keep fruit (like cranberries, cherries etc. that float or migrate to the top) stay in the batter is as follows: dampen them, them dust them or roll them in flour or sugar (or a mix). When batter is ready, gently mix in fruit.