Cranberry orange loaf is a delicious and festive dessert that is perfect for the winter season. Not only is it visually appealing with its bright red cranberries and orange zest, but it also has a delicious and unique flavor that is sure to please. And when it comes to creating the perfect cranberry orange loaf, this may be the best recipe yet! That’s right, my Best Ever Cranberry Orange Loaf is a sweet, delicious loaf that can be enjoyed for breakfast, dessert, or any tine of day!
Friends, when it comes to creating the best ever loaf recipes, I don’t play around. From my Best Paleo Lemon Loaf, to my Apple No-Cider Loaf, to even my Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Bread Loaf, I love creating loaf recipes for a few reasons. One, because they’re delicious, two, because they’re easy, and three, because they’re perfect to enjoy any time of day!
But when it comes to loaves, this Cranberry Orange Loaf may be my new favorite recipe. Not only is it delicious, but it is so easy to make and can easily be prepared in advance. This means you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the company of your friends and loved ones this winter season! Simply mix up the batter, bake the loaf, and let it cool before slicing and serving, then top with this delicious homemade glaze. I promise, you’re going to love it.
And, not to mention, this recipe also happens to be completely vegan-friendly without any substitutions! There are NO eggs needed to make this recipe (or flax eggs!) and it requires vegan butter in order to make it. And if you want to make this recipe gluten-free as well? Simply swap out the all-purpose flour for oat flour! It’s as simple as that!
What You Need to Make This Best Ever Cranberry Orange Loaf
- All-Purpose Flour: This recipe uses good ole’ all-purpose flour to bring this loaf together! However, if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, you can substitute the all-purpose flour for oat flour.
- Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness to this loaf, without the refined sugars.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: A combination of baking powder and baking soda will help this loaf to rise and get its nice, fluffy texture!
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: To add flavor and “spice” to this recipe, we’ll be using a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg. Yum!
- Orange Juice + Orange Zest: Fresh orange juice and orange zest adds the perfect orange flavor to both the loaf and the icing!
- Unsalted Vegan Butter: To keep this recipe dairy-free, we’ll be using unsalted vegan butter. You can also use conventional unsalted butter in this recipe, if you prefer!
- Fresh Cranberries: Fresh cranberries add a burst of tartness to this loaf, and make for the most amazing color!
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is key to making the perfect orange icing.
How to Make This Sweet & Delicious Winter Loaf
To make this loaf, start by preheating your oven to 350 F. Next, add all of your dry ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk them together: the all-purpose flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then, add in your wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix them. If you over mix, your loaf will end up tough and dense!
Gently fold in the cranberries, again being careful not to over mix them, then bake your loaf for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Then, remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool completely.
Once the loaf is cooling, prepare the icing by mixing together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest until a thick icing forms. You might need to add a touch more orange juice to bring the icing together. Finally, pour the icing over the loaf and slice it.
Once done, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to one week.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! And, since I practically live on Instagram, be sure to tag me in your creations so that I can repost them! xx
** Photography by Gayle McLeod
Ingredients
For the Loaf:
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, or substitute oat flour to make this recipe gluten-free!
- 1 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Cup Orange Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Orange Zest
- 1 Stick Unsalted Vegan Butter, melted and cooled
- 1 ¼ Cups Fresh Cranberries
For the Icing:
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Orange Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350 F.
- Next, add all of your dry ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk them together: the all-purpose flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Then, add in your wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix them. If you over mix, your loaf will end up tough and dense!
- Gently fold in the cranberries, again being careful not to over mix them.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Then, remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool completely.
- Once the loaf is cooling, prepare the icing by mixing together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest until a thick icing forms. You might need to add a touch more orange juice to bring the icing together.
- Finally, pour the icing over the loaf and slice it.
- Once done, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to one week.
Rate & review
SELECT A RATING and tell me what you think!
What others are saying
This was hands down best cranberry bread I’ve ever made. Perfect combo of sweet and tart.
It won’t last long here!!
Thanks Nicole
Yay! I am thrilled that you love this recipe, Nancy! Thank you so much for making it, and for leaving such a kind review!
Delicious! Will it freeze well? I made two loaves and want to save one for Thanksgiving.
Hi Sharyn, yes it should! Just pre-slice it and wrap each slice in parchment paper before freezing.
does it hold together without eggs, flax egg or other binders?
Hi Joan, no it does not.
So delicious! I made it with dried cranberries instead of fresh because I couldn’t find fresh cranberries at the grocery store and turned out excellent. Love how moist and fluffy the bread is and has just the perfect amount of sweetness. Everyone loved it.
I’m so happy that this loaf turned out well for you, Alesky! Thank you so much for your review!
Made this today & it was fantastic. Love that it could be made dairy free.
I left off the glaze to limit the amount of sugar and it was still delicious.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Jessica! Thank you so much for your review!
A little confused as to whether there is egg/binder needed for this bread. See comment from Joan on Dec 31. Thank you, love your recipes and content!!
Hi Dawn, no it does not use eggs ☻
Hi Nicole,
I attempted to print this recipe, but it fails to do so. Instead, it redirects me to a different website (Jupiter), but the recipe doesn’t appear there either. Could you please guide me on how to print this recipe?
Thank you,
Oh no! Do you have popups blocked? That could be the reason why.