This cranberry bread recipe is inspired by the Ocean Spray Cranberry Bread recipe on the back of the bag. It’s moist, flavorful, filled with fresh cranberries and topped with a sweet and tart orange glaze. Make this easy cranberry bread all holiday season.
Jump to:
Why Should You Make This Recipe
From my Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting to my Maple Apple Loaf Cake and Cardamom Pear Loaf Cake recipes, it’s easy to see my love for simple and cozy loaf cakes and breads. This festive cranberry bread recipe is no exception. It’s filled with the coziest flavors and textures of the season. If you’re a fan of wonderfully moist and perfectly spiced holiday breads, this recipe is for you. Here are a couple of reasons I know you’ll reach for this Ocean Spray inspired cranberry bread recipe over and over again.
- Layers of flavors and textures: From the moist and fluffy, orange infused cake, to the tart bursts of cranberries and citrus icing, this Ocean Spray cranberry cake will delight your senses.
- Perfectly cozy and made for festive holidays. This wonderfully delicious bread with fresh cranberries and orange glaze is not only beautiful, but perfect for slicing and sharing with friends and family. It’s simple, flavorful, beautiful and endlessly adaptable.
Ingredients
This easy cranberry bread recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge.
For the Cranberry Bread
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather granulated sugar, one large orange, canola oil, sour cream, an egg, orange juice and and fresh cranberries.
For the Orange Glaze
Gather all powdered sugar, orange juice and zest.
Substitutions
This Ocean Spray cranberry bread is as easy to make as it is delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions if you need them.
- All purpose flour: To make this pumpkin loaf gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill.
- Orange: Oranges and fresh cranberries are made for each other. It just so happens that these two fruits are wonderfully delicious and at their prime in the same season. If oranges aren’t available where you are, limes or lemons would also work well in this cranberry bread recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: This recipe hasn’t been tested with alternative sugars.
- Oil: Any neutral tasting oil will work well. You can also use ½ cup (113 g) melted and slightly cooled butter if you like!
- Sour Cream: Feel free to use an equal amount of buttermilk or full fat greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. If you would like to make this fresh cranberry bread dairy free, use another egg in place of the sour cream for a total of 2 eggs.
- Cranberries: This is a pretty important ingredient in cranberry bread. Feel free to use frozen cranberries in place of fresh ones. You may need to add an additional 5-10 minutes of baking time if using frozen cranberries. You can also use any firm, tart berries such as blueberries.
- Powdered Sugar: Feel free to omit this for a more classic Ocean Spray cranberry bread.
- Nuts: If you would like to make this cranberry nut bread just like the recipe listed on the back of the Ocean Spray bag, add ½ cup chopped nuts of your choice.
How To Make
This fresh cranberry bread with orange glaze recipe takes a few easy steps from start to finish and tastes bakery worthy. Here’s how to make it:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (170 C). Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on two sides. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until well combined.
- In another large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and orange zest together until well combined and like the consistency of wet sand.
- Whisk in the oil, sour cream, orange juice and egg. Whisk well to fully combine with no visible lumps.
- Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the cranberries.
- Pour the orange cranberry bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake the bread for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the moist pumpkin bread comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan. Cool completely before topping with the orange glaze.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with orange juice and orange zest until well combined.
- Top or drizzle the orange glaze on top of the cooled cranberry bread.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- To store leftover slices of cranberry bread: Place the Ocean Spray cranberry cake in an airtight container to store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze the easy cranberry bread: Individually wrap each slice of cranberry bread in plastic wrap. Place each wrapped slice in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To thaw the easy cranberry bread: Remove your desired number of pieces to sit out at room temperature or in the fridge until fully thawed.
M's Expert Tips
- Zest the orange directly into the sugar: Zesting the orange directly into the sugar catches all the citrus oils. This is where so much of the orange fragrance and taste is!
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in moist and perfectly mixed cranberry bread.
- Don’t overmix the cranberry bread batter: Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Toss the fresh cranberries in flour: Coating cranberries in a bit of flour keeps them from sinking to the bottom.
FAQ's
Yes, dried cranberries work well in baked goods. This cranberry bread recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of fresh cranberries. Replace this with 1 cup dried cranberries.Tip: Plump up dried cranberries by steeping them in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature before baking.
Craisins are a registered trademark of Ocean Spray. However, dried cranberries and craisins are essentially the same thing.
When stored in an airtight container, Ocean Spray cranberry bread lasts for one week in the fridge.
Other Cranberry Recipes to Try
If you try this Cranberry Bread Recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! -M
Cranberry Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 zester
- 1 whisk
- 1 spoon or flexible spatula
- 1 9X5 loaf pan
- 1 parchment paper
Ingredients
Cranberry Bread
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp orange zest (one medium orange)
- ½ cup (118 ml) canola oil
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream, room temperature
- ¼ cup (59 ml) orange juice (one medium orange)
- 1 large egg (US), room temperature
- 1½ cups (150 g) fresh cranberries, washed and pat dry (tossed in 2 teaspoon flour)
- ½ cup chopped nuts, optional
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp (15 - 30 ml) orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on two sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until well combined.
- In another large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and orange zest together until well combined and like the consistency of wet sand. Whisk in the oil, sour cream, orange juice and egg. Whisk well to fully combine with no visible lumps.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Fold in the flour coated cranberries.
- Pour the orange cranberry bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake the bread for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the moist pumpkin bread comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan. Cool completely before topping with the orange glaze.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with orange juice and orange zest until well combined. Top or drizzle the orange glaze on top of the cooled cranberry bread.
Notes
- To store leftover slices of cranberry bread: Place the Ocean Spray cranberry bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To make this cranberry bread recipe just like the Ocean Spray Cranberry Bread recipe, reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons, omit the sour cream, increase the orange juice to ¾ cup and add ½ cup chopped walnut or pecans at the same time as the cranberries. Omit the glaze.
Nicole says
Could I add chocolate chips to this? I feel like it may compliment the orange and cranberry well! Or too much?
Megan says
Hi Nicole, I think adding chocolate chips is a great idea! I would decrease the cranberries to 1 cup total and add in 1/2 chocolate chips! Please let me know how this turns out!
Megan says
Hi Lia, they are both similar and both delicious. This version is a bit more traditional and simple to make.
Jess says
So delicious! I had to sub lemon for orange and it was still amazing!
Megan says
Hi Jess, I love the sub with lemon and I'm so happy to read you loved it!
Betsy Bedell says
Rave reviews for this fabulous cranberry bread! So moist and flavorful! I wouldn’t change a thing. ?
Megan says
Hi Betsy, I am so happy to read how much you love this recipe! Thanks for making it!
Nancy says
How many mini loaves would this recipe make? And would i bake at same temperature? I have the Wilton small load pans.
Thank you!
Megan says
Hi Nancy, this cranberry bread recipe should provide enough batter to bake 3 - 4 mini loaves. To bake mini loaves, reduce the temperature to 325 F (163 C) and bake for 25 - 35 minutes. I haven't tested this recipe in smaller loaf pans, so I suggest you start checking for doneness around 25 minutes and for every 5 minutes after until the bread is baked through. Please let me know how this recipe works for you in the smaller loaf pans. I would love to make a recipe note for other bakers to follow. Thanks!