This easy cranberry bread recipe is the perfect breakfast treat for the holiday season. It's moist and flavorful, with fresh cranberries, orange zest and a hint of cardamom, plus a delicious almond streusel topping. It's sure to be a hit at any gathering!
There's no kind of cake I would rather bake than an easy loaf cake, and this one is absolutely perfect for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas! It's lightly spiced with warming cinnamon and cardamom, and there's plenty of tartness and flavor from tart cranberries and fresh orange zest and juice.
But the real kicker when it comes to flavor is almond extract! My mom and grandma always added a dash of almond extract to our Christmas sugar cookies, so to me, it's the best nostalgic holiday flavor. It makes this cranberry bread extra special, especially paired with a crisp, buttery almond streusel topping.
The batter comes together in just a few minutes, and it always turns out perfectly moist, tender and delicious. My only warning: it will probably disappear quickly!
It also makes for a lovely edible holiday gift, alongside our candied pecans or homemade Bailey's Irish Cream.
How to Make Cranberry Bread
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients: Combine the orange zest and sugar in a large bowl. Using your fingers, rub together the zest and sugar until well combined (about 1 minute). This helps intensify the orange flavor by releasing essential oils.
Add in the butter and beat on medium speed with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the almond and vanilla extracts and continue mixing.
Add the eggs one at a time while continuing to mix, then add in the yogurt and orange juice, mixing until the batter is smooth.
Combine: Add in the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Fold in the cranberries until well incorporated. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan lined with parchment paper and top with another handful of fresh cranberries (this is optional, but makes the bread look extra pretty!).
Mix the streusel: In a small bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and flour, using a knife or your hands and mixing until well combined. Stir in the sliced almonds. Top the bread with clumps of streusel in an even layer.
Bake for 60-70 minutes in the preheated 350˚F oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached. Start checking the bread around 50 minutes – if it's browning too quickly, you can cover the top with aluminum foil while it finishes baking.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
Make the glaze (optional): Whisk together the powdered sugar and cranberry juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set before slicing. (You can also sub orange juice for an easy orange glaze!)
How to Store Leftovers
You can keep the cranberry bread stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days (though it never lasts that long in our house!). For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to a week.
To freeze, wrap the cooled bread tightly and transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Lexi & Beth's Recipe Tips
Don't overmix the batter. This is the key to a moist, tender loaf (nobody wants a dry cake!). To avoid this, stop mixing the dry ingredients just after the batter comes together. You can even start folding in the fresh cranberries before the flour is completely incorporated to avoid overmixing.
Use room temperature ingredients. Specifically, room temp butter, yogurt and eggs. Cold eggs and yogurt can cause your butter to seize up and may prevent the batter from becoming evenly mixed.
Allow your cake to cook fully before slicing. We know, it's so hard to resist. (Your house will smell incredible!) But cutting into it too quickly doesn't allow time to set and it may be crumbly or gummy in the center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh cranberries will make for the most moist, flavorful bread, but you can use dried in a pinch. For best results, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding to the batter. If using dried, cut the quantity in half (to ¾ cup).
Yes! They will be slightly more dense than traditional muffins, but still delicious. Spoon the batter about ¾ of the way into a lined muffin tin and top with a small handful of streusel. Bake at 350˚F for 18-22 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.
Absolutely. It's equally delicious plain, or just with the cranberry glaze. You can also substitute a different nut, like chopped walnuts or pecans, in place of almonds.
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Easy Cranberry Bread with Almond Streusel
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This easy cranberry bread recipe is the perfect breakfast treat for the holiday season. It's moist and flavorful, with fresh cranberries, orange zest and a hint of cardamom, plus a delicious almond streusel topping. It's sure to be a hit at any gathering!
Ingredients
For the cranberry bread:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 large orange)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons orange juice (about ½ large orange)
- 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries + plus another handful for topping (optional)
For the almond streusel topping:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
(Optional) For the cranberry glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon cranberry juice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350˚F/180˚C. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients: Combine the orange zest and sugar in a large bowl. Using your fingers, rub together the zest and sugar until well combined (about 1 minute). This helps intensify the orange flavor by releasing essential oils.
Add in the butter and beat on medium speed with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the almond and vanilla extracts and continue mixing.
Add the eggs one at a time while continuing to mix, then add in the yogurt and orange juice, mixing until the batter is smooth.
Combine: Add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Fold in the cranberries until well incorporated. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and top with another handful of fresh cranberries (this is optional, but makes the bread look extra pretty!).
Mix the streusel: In a small bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and flour, using a knife or your hands and mixing until well combined. Stir in the sliced almonds. Top the bread with clumps of streusel in an even layer.
Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached. Start checking the bread around 50 minutes – if it's browning too quickly, you can cover the top with aluminum foil while it finishes baking.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
Make the glaze (optional): Whisk together the powdered sugar and cranberry juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set before slicing.
Notes
Keep this bread stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, or in the fridge for a week. You can also wrap it tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 392
- Sugar: 27.1 g
- Sodium: 103.3 mg
- Fat: 18.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.1 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 7.3 g
Min says
Easy recipe to impress!
Nora S says
Your recipe doesn't say what size loaf pan?
Lexi says
We used a standard one-pound loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 inches)
Greer says
This bread looks soooooo yummy. Can I use frozen cranberries?
Lexi says
Yes, just toss them in 1-2 tbsp of flour before adding them to the batter!
Georgia Abela says
Easy to follow recipe and mostly ingredients on hand. Absolutely delicious. I didn't not make the strudel or the glaze as it was just for me to enjoy. I will certainly make again with the strudel and the glaze to give away.