Cranberry orange bread is oil-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free. Made with whole-food ingredients, each piece of bread is full of fresh cranberries that pop in your mouth with fresh orange flavor in each moist bite. You'll love this cranberry orange bread recipe.
When I have leftover cranberries, I make orange cranberry bread! I love fresh cranberries, and nothing pairs better with cranberry than oranges. During the holidays, I always stock up on fresh cranberries for various festive recipes because a holiday isn't a holiday without cranberry orange bread.
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I always buy too many fresh cranberries, because I'm afraid of running out during the holidays. If I end up with extra cranberries, which I always do, I make cranberry with orange sauce or my daughter's favorite vegan cranberry bars.
Fresh Fruit and Juice
Even though bottled orange juice works, I prefer fresh-squeezed orange juice and fresh cranberries when I bake. Depending on the size of the oranges, 1 cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice is approximately 4 oranges.
Also, I added fresh orange zest for added orange flavor, which is optional.
Sometimes, when I can't find fresh cranberries, I bake with frozen ones, but the flavor isn't as profound as the fresh berries.
Bread Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Flour: One key difference between whole wheat flour and plain white flour is the fiber content. Whole wheat flour naturally contains the level of fiber found in wheat. On the other hand, plain white flour has been stripped of all wheat fiber during the white flour production process.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder does most of the heavy lifting in the rise department , and while baking soda aids in leavening, it also helps neutralize the acid.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda and baking powder are both leaveners made from a chemical called sodium bicarbonate. When sodium bicarbonate is combined with an acid, it produces a gas (carbon dioxide, C02, the same gas we exhale when breathing) that lifts cakes, cookies, or other baked goodies while in the oven.
- Salt: A pinch of salt elevates the flavors in the bread and works with the baking powder and soda in the mixture to create the bread's moist texture.
- Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice: I prefer fresh juice whenever possible. It is citrus season, so citrus is inexpensive this time of year.
- Unsweetened Apple Sauce: I buy unsweetened applesauce in mini lunch box size because I only use apple sauce for baking. As a result, my apple sauce lasts longer.
- Orange Zest: Orange zest adds more orange flavor to the bread and utilizes the orange peels from the juiced oranges.
- Fresh Cranberries: It's cranberry season, so fresh cranberries are available in most grocery stores through the holidays.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds some warmth and additional flavor.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds another depth of flavor. Cinnamon is a versatile spice associated with a long list of health benefits.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is a natural way of sweetening cranberry orange bread without adding refined sugar.
Bread Ingredient Substitutions
- Instead of using coconut sugar for this recipe, I substituted maple syrup. Similarly, I substituted apple sauce for a flax egg. Flax egg, however, can be used if you don't have unsweetened apple sauce.
- I prefer unsweetened apple sauce whenever I bake, like in my Vegan Oil-Free Cornbread Recipe. So I buy single-serving, unsweetened applesauce cups for kids' lunch boxes.
- Use bottled orange juice, but I suggest using pulp-free juice.
- Substitute frozen cranberries for fresh cranberries, but do not thaw the berries.
- Any combination or type of flour works with this cranberry orange bread recipe. This includes gluten-free flour.
- Since I only cook with applesauce, each single-serving cup is ½ cup or equivalent to 1 flax egg.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Stir the dry ingredients, and combine the baking powder, soda, and salt with the flour.
- Now add the apple sauce, orange juice, maple syrup, zest, vanilla, cinnamon, and stir by hand, focusing on incorporating the flour mixture at the bowl's bottom. DO NOT OVER-STIR. Make sure all the dry and wet ingredients create a thick and lumpy batter.
- Now, fold in the cranberries, making sure to fold gently to keep the berries intact.
- Using a silicone bread pan or a pan lined with parchment paper, pour the bread batter into the pan, scraping down the bowl's sides to get all the batter.
- Then, place some individual cranberries on top of the bread, randomly placing them. This adds more cranberry flavor and makes the bread pretty,
- Cook for 50-55 minutes. If using a silicone bread pan, check the bread 45 minutes in, as silicone pans generally take less cooking time.
- To check to ensure the bread is cooked, place a knife through the middle. It should come out clean. If there is batter on the blade, cook for 5 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, sweetened dried cranberries work well in baked goods; however, there is a ¼ cup difference in measurement. If a recipe calls for one cup of fresh or frozen cranberries, use ¾ cup of sweetened dried cranberries.
There is no need to cook the cranberries before baking in this quick bread recipe. However, do be sure to rinse and dry fresh cranberries well before using them in this recipe. If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them before adding them to the batter.
Cranberry bread can be left on the counter at room temperature for the first 2 days. Just cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. After the initial two days, it's best to store your leftover cranberry bread tightly wrapped or in a container in the fridge.
Tips
- First, DO NOT use an electric mixer. Instead, stir the batter by hand, and DO NOT overmix. One of the biggest mistakes people make when baking is overmixing, which results in flat, dry bread.
- Another tip when vegan baking is to ensure you stir the baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the flour so it is equally distributed before adding the wet ingredients.
- Because I didn't use vegan butter and flax egg, the wet ingredients are added to the same bowl once the dry ingredients are stirred.
- Folding the cranberries into the batter after the batter is stirred allows the berries to stay whole and the juice to stay inside the berries.
- Since I don't cook with oil, there are two tricks to making orange cranberry bread that won't stick.
- Use a non-stick silicone bread pan.
- Line a bread pan with parchment paper before pouring the bread batter into the pan.
- Additionally, allowing the bread to cool completely enhances the flavors and keeps the bread from crumbling. Although my family wants the orange cranberry bread immediately, waiting until it is completely cooled or covering the bread and waiting until the next day is even better.
But the only way that happens at my house is if everyone is gone, and I hide it until the next day.
The smell of fresh-baked cranberry orange bread is difficult to conceal.
Try this delicious cranberry orange bread recipe for breakfast, dessert, or holiday bread!
Other Great Vegan Recipes to Try!
If you love this cranberry orange bread recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Orange Cranberry Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole wheat flour or any flour of choice; gluten-free flour can be used as well
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup Unsweetened apple sauce or 1 flax egg
- ½ Orange zested
- 1 ½ cups Fresh cranberries
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ cup Maple syrup or ¾ coconut sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Stir the dry ingredients, and combine the baking powder, soda, and salt with the flour.
- Now add the apple sauce, orange juice, maple syrup, zest, vanilla, and cinnamon, and stir by hand, focusing on incorporating the flour mixture at the bowl's bottom. DO NOT OVER-STIR. Ensure all the dry and wet ingredients create a thick and lumpy batter.
- Now, fold in the cranberries, making sure to fold gently to keep the berries intact.
- Using a silicone bread pan or a pan lined with parchment paper, pour the bread batter into the pan, scraping down the bowl's sides to get all the batter.
- Then, place some individual cranberries on top of the bread, randomly placing them. This adds more cranberry flavor and makes the bread pretty,
- Cook for 50-55 minutes. If using a silicone bread pan, check the bread 45 minutes in, as silicone pans generally take less cooking time.
- To check to ensure the bread is cooked, place a knife through the middle. It should come out clean. If there is batter on the blade, cook for 5 minutes.
Notes
- First, DO NOT use an electric mixer. Instead, stir the batter by hand, and DO NOT overmix. One of the biggest mistakes people make when baking is overmixing, which results in flat, dry bread.
- Another tip when vegan baking is to ensure you stir the baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the flour, so it is equally distributed before adding the wet ingredients.
- Because I didn't use vegan butter and flax egg, the wet ingredients are added to the same bowl once the dry ingredients are stirred.
- Folding the cranberries into the batter after the batter is stirred allows the berries to stay whole and the juice to stay inside the berries.
- Since I don't cook with oil, there are two tricks to making orange cranberry bread that won't stick.
- Use a non-stick silicone bread pan.
- Line a bread pan with parchment paper before pouring the bread batter into the pan.
- Additionally, allowing the bread to cool completely enhances the flavors and keeps the bread from crumbling. Although my family wants the orange cranberry bread immediately, waiting until it is completely cooled or covering the bread and waiting until the next day is even better.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Lisa Montaghami
So Delicious Kathy! Thank you so much for this wonderful and healthy recipe. It hits the spot just perfectly between tangy and sweet. My husband and I both love it. I had frozen a bag of fresh cranberries over the holidays and needed a way to use them up. So grateful for this recipe.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Lisa, thank you so much! I'm so glad you both enjoyed the recipe. I appreciate you taking the time to rate the recipe and comment.
Eve
I made this twice over the holiday. It was delicious—very moist, with a perfect blend of flavors. Thank you, Kathy! This one is definitely a keeper.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Eve, I'm so glad you liked it. You should try the lemon blueberry bread or the apple cinnamon bread! They are similar but have different flavors you may enjoy! Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate the recipe.
Marilyn
This is seriously good bread. I used just 1/2 cup of sugar and it was perfect. I also used juice I bought because It saved money. Appreciate the great recipe!!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Marilyn, thank you for the comments and suggestions. I appreciate your feedback. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Suzanne
VERY good! I’ve made it twice. The second time, I replaced one of the cups of wheat flour with almond flour. I added Two TBSP of vital wheat gluten. I also did both applesauce and flax seed egg. Had to add 10 minutes to cooking time, but it was less dense the second time around. Thank you for sharing!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Suzanne, I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you for sharing your substitutions. It's very helpful.
Deborah Gelerter
This is so delicious we make it often!! It’s become the perfect snack, dessert or breakfast in a pinch! I’ve been using the orange purée in lieu of apple sauce and it punches up the orange (which we love!) we add lots of chopped walnuts to ours. Seriously, the hardest part about this recipe is waiting til it cools. And, we have to double it so it lasts! 🙂 Great recipe!!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Deborah, thank you so much for your feedback and the orange puree substitution option. That sounds wonderful; I will have to try it! I appreciate your comments. Let me know if you try other recipes. You may enjoy our recipe share Facebook page. It's a great group where people share vegan recipes. https://www.facebook.com/groups/veganrecipesKVK
Tina Caskey
I made this today without the cinnamon. I used some spelt flour (about 1/2 cup), about 1/2 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour. I used maple syrup and bottled orange juice. I added some pecans. I put the cranberries on top of the bread batter before baking (great idea!) and also put some chopped pecans on top of the batter. It makes the bread look very festive. This is delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Tina, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I love your substitutions and addition of the pecans. I appreciate the suggestions. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Deb Gelerter
We loved this recipe so much today is the third double batch. It's the perfect snack or breakfast. I've made a few minor changes including using the orange puree in lieu of applesauce as an egg substitute. It's added wonderful flavor, moisture and fiber! We've been using up the last of the natural can sugar we have on hand as a sweetener and cut that back to a shallow 1/2 cup per loaf and it's been a perfect tart/sweet moist bread for us. Finally, I have always liked to cut my cranberries in half or thirds if they are quite large and love the tart, tang and color they add to the bread. This recipe has been a huge hit and today it's back by popular demand. We're heading out to pick up more cranberries!! Enjoy this wonderful recipe!
Tracy Weston Ladnow
I live in Mexico where one can not find fresh cranberries. I do have dried non-sugared cranberries, will that work for making the bread?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Tracy, dried cranberries will not work for the recipe, however, frozen cranberries work well. Let me know if like the recipe.
Martha Rowen
This cranberry bread is delicious and easy to make. My husband, who is a picky eater and usually complains that I give him too much of any food, wants thick slices and comes back for seconds. The first time I made it, I used half whole wheat and half white flour, this time one and a third cup white and two thirds whole wheat. Next time I'll use all whole wheat.
Caroline
I made the bread last night, and we managed to hold off on eating any until this morning. My oh my, it is absolutely delicious! I used a gluten free all purpose blend, and it worked beautifully. This recipe will be repeated!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Caroline! I am so glad you enjoyed the orange cranberry bread! What a great Sunday morning breakfast. Happy New Year!