Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread
Published: January 13, 2021 | Last modified: November 11, 2023.
This Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread is a super easy bake made with lots of better for you ingredients. And those bright and zesty citrus notes? So. Very. Good!
The holidays are upon us and this cranberry orange walnut bread is a super easy bake that will fit nicely into your holiday meal planning. It’s made in one bowl, super quick to mix up and features pantry staples like tart cranberries, crunchy walnuts, fresh orange, dark brown sugar and a little honey.
Much like my favourite nutrient-rich walnuts, cranberries are considered a superfood due to their high nutrient and antioxidant content. This healthier take on a family favourite features both!
We love this cranberry orange walnut bread served warm or toasted with lots of butter and honey for a delicious breakfast or late-night snack during the colder fall and winter months. It makes a great holiday gift, too!
Looking for more delicious breakfast bakes? Try these!
No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Artisan Bread
Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread
Makes 10 servings; prep time 20 minutes, bake time 50-55 minutes.
Ingredients:
1 large egg, room temperature
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and chopped
½ cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare parchment-lined 9x5-inch loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, butter, sugar, honey, orange juice and zest.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir together until well combined. Add cranberries and walnuts and continue stirring until they’re well-coated.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan smoothing it out with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon if needed.
Bake for 50-55 minutes until lightly browned and a tester comes out dry. Transfer pan to a wire cooling rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Using parchment edges, lift loaf from pan and place on cutting surface. Slice with a sharp knife and serve.
Notes:
Flour: I use hard wheat, unbleached bread flour in all my bread recipes. Hard wheat or ‘strong’ flour is made from hard wheat kernels and is a little more dense and higher in protein. This recipe also works well with regular bread or all-purpose flour.
Make it gluten free: Use an equal amount of your favourite, good quality gluten free flour blend in place of the bread or all-purpose flour.
Make it dairy free: You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe or do like I did here and substitute vegan butter to make this loaf dairy free.
Use frozen cranberries: If using frozen berries, measure and add directly to batter from freezer — do not thaw or their juices will seep into the batter.
Walnut substitutions: Almonds and pecans are both delicious alternatives or sub either chocolate chips or pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to make it nut-free!
