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Perfect Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread: Easy Homemade Recipe

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A moist, tender quick bread bursting with tart cranberries, bright orange zest, and crunchy toasted walnuts. This easy one-bowl recipe is perfect for holiday brunch, gifting, or a cozy weekend treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups (180g) fresh cranberries (or frozen, do not thaw)
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest (from about 2 large oranges)
  • ¾ cup (180ml) fresh orange juice
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil (canola or avocado oil)
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (90g) walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  2. Toast the walnuts: Spread chopped walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
  3. Zest and juice your oranges: Zest two large oranges to get 2 tablespoons of zest, then juice them to get ¾ cup of juice. Use a third orange if needed.
  4. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Mix the wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together orange juice, orange zest, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly frothy.
  6. Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula just until no streaks of flour remain. A few lumps are fine.
  7. Fold in the cranberries and walnuts: Gently fold in the cranberries and toasted walnuts until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
  8. Pour into the pan: Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. The batter will be thick.
  9. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil after 40 minutes.
  10. Cool completely: Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment paper and transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing (at least 1 hour).

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter—overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread dense. Fresh or frozen cranberries both work; do not thaw frozen ones. Room temperature ingredients help with emulsification. Let the bread cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend with 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. For vegan, replace the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water).

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry orange walnut bread, cranberry bread, orange bread, quick bread, holiday bread, homemade bread, easy bread recipe

Find it online: https://zoeplate.com/perfect-cranberry-orange-walnut-bread-easy-homemade-recipe/