This is my grandma’s prized cranberry bread recipe! Lightly flavored with orange, incredibly soft inside and studded with tart cranberries and crunchy walnuts, it’s definitely a keeper holiday treat.
Today’s recipe is one that’s very near and dear to my heart.
My grandma’s cranberry bread has been a staple recipe in my family for decades and I’m so excited to finally share the recipe with you all!
In my family we have a tradition of eating Grandma’s bread on Thanksgiving while we wait for the turkey to bake.
Grandma only makes it once a year for Thanksgiving so it’s extra special!
While we love enjoying this bread on Thanksgiving, it’s also MORE than worthy to make an appearance at any Christmas event!
The cranberries, orange, and nuts make it extra festive and so pretty!
This Cranberry Bread features…
- An incredibly soft and moist interior
- Tart cranberries in every bite
- Crunchy toasted walnuts
- Tons of orange flavor from juice, zest, and orange marmalade
Making the Cranberry Bread
(scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe!)
Quick Bread Batter
The batter follows basic quick bread procedure. Cream softened butter with sugar until completely combined then mix in marmalade, fresh orange juice, grated orange zest, an egg, plain yogurt, and buttermilk until smooth.
Combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until batter is just combined then gently fold in cranberries and chopped walnuts.
Bake the bread in a standard 9 inch loaf pan 55-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the bread completely on a wire cooling rack.
Tips and Tricks
- Use parchment paper to easily remove the bread from the pan
- Let batter stand in the pan 20 minutes before baking it. This helps activate the leaveners!
- Use freshly-squeezed orange juice for maximum orange flavor
- Toast the walnuts (or whatever nut you’re using) before adding them to the batter
- Cool the bread completely before slicing it – makes it much easier to slice!
Storing the Bread
Store bread sealed at room temperature up to 3 days (if it lasts that long!)
This bread may also be frozen up to 2 months. Make sure it’s cooled completely and sealed well before freezing.
Thaw bread and reheat for best results before serving.
I can’t take credit for this recipe because it comes straight from Grandma’s recipe box. But I will say that she was MORE than happy to share the recipe.
We’ve been enjoying this festive bread for MANY years now and I’m so excited to be able to share the incredible recipe with you all finally.
Start a new tradition this holiday season and give my Grandma’s recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed!
More quick breads that are more than worthy for your holiday table!
- Chai Spice Maple Pumpkin Bread
- Gingerbread Cheesecake Swirl Quick Bread
- Glazed Amaretto Peach Quick Bread
Grandma’s Cranberry Bread
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries, halved
- 1 cup chopped nuts, toasted (optional, but we like walnuts or pecans)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9-in loaf pan OR line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric beater, beat butter and sugar until completely smooth. Beat in marmalade, orange juice, zest, egg, yogurt, and buttermilk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold flour mixture into liquid mixture until just combined. Fold in cranberries and chopped nuts if using.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Garnish with additional nuts and cranberries if desired. Let batter stand 20 minutes in pan.
- Bake cranberry bread at 350F 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool bread completely in pan on a wire cooling rack before removing and slicing. Enjoy!
For a step-by-step guide to making this recipe, check out the video!
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was updated with minor adjustments and new photos 11/15/21.
Stacey says
This cake recipe is awesome. Very moist and flavorful. I made a few modifications. I used Craisins that I soaked in hot water for about 20 minutes and then drained and dryed them. I also used 1 Tablepoon of orange zest and 1/2 cup of butter. Simply spectacular. Thank you.
Lesley says
Can this recipe be made in mini ceramic loaf pans? I’d like to give them as gifts. How many minis would this make and would baking time be different?
Sarah says
Hi Lesley. For baking this bread in mini loaf pans, I’m guessing you would end up with about 6 mini loaves. You would need to reduce the bake time to 25-30 minutes, but watch them carefully and test them with a toothpick to ensure they’re done.
LESLEY says
Can the recipe be successfully be halved?
Sarah says
Yes, you could definitely halve it.