Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

Bake a colorful and festive loaf of cranberry orange bread for instant holiday vibes. It's bright with tart bursts of chopped fresh cranberries, plus walnuts and orange zest.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated October 27, 2023
Elise Bauer

One of the most festive loaf breads you can make during the holidays is this cranberry orange nut bread! It's speckled brightly with day glow fuchsia cranberries, orange zest, and walnuts.

Cranberry orange nut bread is a great loaf for late fall and early winter as cranberries, oranges, and walnuts are all in season. Buy an orange and squeeze it fresh to get the best juice for this recipe (grate the peel first for zest to add to the batter).

Cranberry Nut Bread

Elise Bauer

How to Prep Fresh Cranberries

You can easily prep the cranberries by pulsing them a few times in the food processor, or manually cut them in half first, then do a rough chop.

The result is a tangy, slightly sweet bread with occasional explosions of cranberry tartness, mellowed with walnuts.

Cranberry Nut Bread

Elise Bauer

More Holiday Breads to Bake

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 55 mins
Total Time 70 mins
Servings 8 servings

Too much flour will make this bread crumbly and dry — how you measure the flour matters a lot in it turning out moist. To measure flour for this recipe, spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level it off with the back of a table knife.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (263g) all-purpose flour (see Recipe Note)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 3/4 cup orange juice

  • 3/4 cup (151g) sugar

  • 4 tablespoons (58g) butter, melted

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

  • 1 cup (120g) chopped fresh cranberries

  • 3/4 cup (93g) coarsely chopped walnuts

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 or 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

  2. Combine the dry ingredients:

    Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

  3. Combine the wet ingredients:

    In a medium bowl, combine the orange juice, sugar, melted butter, egg, and orange zest.

  4. Add the wet ingredients into dry:

    Pour the orange juice and sugar mixture into the flour mixture. Fold until just blended. (Don't over-mix!) Fold in the cranberries and nuts.

  5. Bake:

    Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 50 to 55 minutes or until done (a tester inserted into the center comes out clean).

    cranberry-nut-bread-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    cranberry-nut-bread-method-2
    Elise Bauer
  6. Cool:

    Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

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Cranberry Nut Bread
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
337 Calories
14g Fat
49g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 337
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 39mg 13%
Sodium 358mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 15mg 73%
Calcium 77mg 6%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 153mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.