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This Cranberry Orange Bread is everything you want in a holiday quick bread — a tender, buttery crumb made extra moist with sour cream, loaded with tart cranberries, and finished with a bright orange glaze that takes it over the top. A touch of cinnamon and the magic of rubbing orange zest directly into the sugar gives this loaf a depth of flavor you won’t find in other recipes.
That Orange Glaze Though.
So here’s the story — my sister-in-law, Kristin, used to bring this incredible cranberry orange bread to every holiday gathering. We’d fight over the last slice. Turns out? It was from a box mix. No shame, it was that good.
Then one year, she couldn’t find it anywhere. Discontinued, seasonal, who knows. We were devastated. Like, unreasonably upset about bread.
So we set out to recreate it from scratch. And honestly? This version is better. The orange zest situation is unreal — it’s in the batter, it’s in the glaze, it’s basically a citrus takeover and the cranberries are the perfectly tart sidekick.
I’ve been slicing off pieces at all hours — morning coffee, after dinner when I want something sweet but not too sweet, and absolutely slathered with butter for breakfast. Fair warning: this one disappears fast. Consider making two loaves.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It’s Perfectly Balanced. The tartness of fresh cranberries meets sweet, tender bread and a bright citrus glaze — no single flavor overpowers the others.
- It Stays Moist for Days. The sour cream is the secret weapon here. Unlike some quick breads that dry out overnight, this one actually improves as it sits.
- It Has Incredible Depth of Flavor. Brown sugar adds caramel notes, rubbing the zest into sugar releases all those orange oils, and a hint of cinnamon ties everything together.
- It’s Easier Than It Looks. No fancy equipment needed. The gorgeous glaze drizzle makes it look bakery-worthy with minimal effort.
- It’s Perfect for Gifting. Wrap it in parchment and tie with twine for an impressive homemade holiday gift that costs almost nothing but looks like a million bucks.
Ingredients
- Fresh or Frozen Cranberries. Either works perfectly here. Chopping half and leaving half whole gives you varied texture in every bite — some bursts of tartness, some pockets of jammy fruit.
- Orange Zest and Juice. This is where the magic happens. Rubbing the zest into the sugar before mixing releases the essential oils for maximum orange flavor.
- Sour Cream. The secret to a moist, tender crumb that stays soft for days. Greek yogurt works too if that’s what you have.
- Brown Sugar + White Sugar. The combo creates more complexity than white sugar alone — a subtle caramel depth that makes this bread taste more sophisticated.
- A Touch of Cinnamon. Just a hint adds warmth without being overpowering. It makes this taste like the holidays.
Tips for Making This Recipe
Rub the zest into the sugar. This step takes one minute and makes a huge difference. The friction releases the orange oils and infuses the sugar with flavor before you even start mixing.
Coat the cranberries in flour. This simple step keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf. Toss them with about 1/2 tbsp. of flour before folding into the batter.
Use room temperature ingredients. Cold eggs or sour cream can cause the butter to seize up. Let everything sit out for about 30 minutes before starting.
Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing develops gluten and results in a tough, dense bread.
Cool completely before glazing. If you glaze while the bread is still warm, it melts right in instead of setting on top with that pretty drizzle effect.
Orange Bread with Orange Glaze
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Electric Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Citrus Zester or Microplane
- 8.5 x 4.5-Inch Loaf Pan
- Wire Cooling Rack
Ingredients
For the Cranberry Orange Bread
- 1 1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour — plus 1/2 tbsp. for coating cranberries
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 c. Unsalted Butter — softened to room temperature
- 1/2 c. Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 c. Light Brown Sugar — packed
- Zest of 1 Large Orange — divided, reserve 1 tsp. for glaze
- 2 Large Eggs — room temperature
- 1/3 c. Sour Cream — room temperature
- 2 tbsp. Fresh Orange Juice
- 1/2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 c. Fresh Cranberries — rinsed and patted dry half coarsely chopped, half left whole
For the Orange Glaze
- 1 c. Powdered Sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp. Fresh Orange Juice — or more to reach desired consistency
- 1 tsp. Orange Zest — reserved from above
Optional
- Top with Streusel Instead of the glaze
Save this recipe!
Instructions
For the Cranberry Orange Bread
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and orange zest (reserving 1 tsp. for the glaze). Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugars for about 1 minute until fragrant and the sugar looks slightly damp — this releases the orange oils for more intense flavor.
- Add the softened butter to the sugar mixture and beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the sour cream, orange juice, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
- Coarsely chop half of the cranberries, leaving the other half whole. In a small bowl, toss all the cranberries with 1/2 tbsp. flour to coat. Gently fold the coated cranberries into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil around the 30-minute mark.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
For the Orange Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and reserved orange zest until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable — add more orange juice a little at a time if needed.
- Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled bread. Let set for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yes! Use 2/3 cup dried cranberries and reduce the sugar in the batter to 2/3 cup since dried cranberries are sweeter. For extra juiciness, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding.
Absolutely. This bread keeps well at room temperature, wrapped loosely, for up to 3 days. It actually tastes better on day two! For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze (unglazed) for up to 3 months.
Yes! Fold in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans when adding the cranberries. They add a lovely crunch.
They likely weren’t coated in flour first. The light flour coating helps them stay suspended in the batter as it bakes.
Yes! Fill lined muffin cups about 2/3 full and bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Absolutely — it’s a perfect 1:1 swap and works beautifully. Although I would recommend a less dense Greek Yogurt — skip the thick whole milk kind. Or! Add some milk for additional moisture.
It gives you the best of both worlds — the chopped ones distribute flavor throughout the batter while the whole ones give you those beautiful pops of tart fruit in every slice.
