Cranberry Orange Bread: Easy 1-Bowl Vegan Loaf with Glaze
This cranberry orange bread is the first thing I bake when fresh cranberries show up at the store in October. The loaf is soft and tender, bright with real orange juice and zest, and studded with tart berries that turn jammy in the oven. It’s made in one bowl with no eggs, no butter and no mixer, which means I can have it in the oven before my coffee is finished.
I love how a loaf like this stretches. One batch gives me breakfast for days, a slice for an afternoon snack and usually a few pieces to wrap up for a neighbor. Bags of cranberries are cheap in the fall, so I keep one or two in the freezer and bake this bread straight through the holidays.
Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 55 to 65 minutes | Total: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus cooling | Serves: 10 slices | Diet: vegan, egg-free, dairy-free
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Orange Bread
- It’s a one-bowl recipe. No mixer and very few dishes.
- It’s truly moist. Applesauce and orange juice keep the crumb soft for days.
- Fresh or frozen berries work. No need to thaw frozen cranberries.
- It’s budget friendly. The whole loaf costs about $4, or roughly 40 cents a slice.
- It makes a great gift. Wrap the cranberry orange bread in parchment and twine and you’ve got a homemade holiday present.
Ingredients
Every ingredient in this cranberry orange bread is easy to find, and most of it is already in a baker’s pantry. Weights are listed in case you like to bake with a scale.
For the Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (8g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (3g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3g)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest, from 2 oranges (6g)
- 3/4 cup fresh orange juice, from 2 to 3 oranges (180ml)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk (60ml)
- 1/3 cup neutral oil, such as canola (75ml)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (60g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped (150g)
For the Orange Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60g)
- 1 tablespoon orange juice (15ml)
Ingredient Notes
Oranges: You need about two to three navel oranges for the zest and juice. Zest them before juicing, since it’s almost impossible the other way around.
Cranberries: Roughly chop them so each slice gets pieces of fruit instead of one or two whole berries. A quick pulse in a food processor works, but don’t turn them into mush.
Applesauce: It replaces the eggs and adds moisture. A mashed half banana works too, though you’ll taste it a little.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread
- Prep the Pan. Heat the oven to 350F (175C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with a parchment sling.
- Rub the Zest into the Sugar. In a large bowl, rub the orange zest into the sugar with your fingertips for 30 seconds until fragrant and slightly damp.
- Add the Dry Ingredients. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Mix the Batter. Make a well and pour in the orange juice, plant milk, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Stir with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. A few lumps are fine.
- Fold in the Cranberries. Fold in the chopped cranberries, then scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
- Bake. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Tent with foil after 40 minutes if the top browns quickly.
- Cool. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour.
- Glaze and Slice. Whisk the powdered sugar and orange juice until thick but pourable. Drizzle over the cooled loaf, let it set 10 minutes and slice.
Tips for the Best Cranberry Orange Bread
Rub the zest into the sugar. It sounds fussy, but 30 seconds of squishing the zest into the sugar releases the orange oils and gives your cranberry orange bread a much stronger citrus flavor.
Don’t overmix. Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixed quick bread turns out dense and full of tunnels.
Toss frozen berries straight in. Frozen cranberries can go in without thawing. Your bake time may run 5 minutes longer.
Use the toothpick test, not the clock. Ovens vary a lot. Start checking at 55 minutes and look for moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Cool before glazing. A warm loaf melts the glaze into a thin, sticky layer. Wait until it’s completely cool for that pretty white drizzle.
Variations and Budget Swaps
- Cranberry and nut bread: Fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans with the berries.
- Cranberry ginger orange loaf: Add 1 teaspoon ground ginger to the dry ingredients and 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger.
- Muffins: Divide the batter among 12 lined muffin cups and bake 20 to 24 minutes.
- Bottled juice: If oranges are pricey, use bottled orange juice, but keep at least one fresh orange for the zest.
- Skip the glaze: Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon coarse sugar before baking for a crunchy lid.
Cranberries are more than a holiday garnish. If you’re curious about why they’re worth eating year-round, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has a good overview of cranberries and their nutrition.
What I Learned Testing This Loaf
My first try at a vegan cranberry orange bread used only orange juice and oil, and it baked up gummy in the middle. Adding applesauce for structure and a mix of baking powder and baking soda fixed it. The soda reacts with the acidic orange juice and gives the loaf a good rise, while the powder keeps working in the oven so the center sets properly.
I also tested whole cranberries against chopped ones. Whole berries burst into big sour pockets and some slices got none at all. Chopping them roughly spreads the tartness evenly, so every bite has a little pop of fruit next to the sweet crumb. If you’ve ever had a slice that was all bread and no berry, this is why.
Finally, the pan matters more than I expected. A dark metal loaf pan browns the crust faster, so check it 5 minutes early. Glass pans take longer, sometimes 70 minutes, and a light metal pan sits right in the middle. Whichever you use, the parchment sling makes it easy to lift the cranberry orange bread out cleanly.
What This Loaf Costs
My rough breakdown this fall: flour $0.45, sugar $0.40, oranges $1.50, cranberries about $1.25 for half a bag, oil and applesauce $0.40, and baking powder, soda, salt and vanilla around $0.30. That’s about $4.30 for a full loaf of cranberry orange bread, including the glaze.
How to Serve It
I eat a slice with coffee for breakfast, slightly warm. It’s also lovely toasted with a little vegan butter, or served as part of a fall brunch spread with my vegan pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. For an afternoon snack board, pair it with a handful of baked cinnamon apple chips and a pot of tea.
Storage
Counter: Wrap the cooled cranberry orange bread tightly and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Fridge: It keeps up to a week in the fridge. Let slices come to room temperature or toast them.
Freezer: Freeze the whole loaf or individual slices, wrapped well, for up to 3 months. Slices thaw in about 20 minutes on the counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use dried cranberries in cranberry orange bread?
Yes. Use 1 cup of dried cranberries and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes first so they don’t pull moisture out of the batter. The bread will be sweeter and less tart.
Why did my cranberries sink?
Thin batter or wet berries can make fruit sink. Toss the chopped cranberries with 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture before folding them in.
Can I make this loaf with less sugar?
You can cut the sugar to 1/2 cup. The bread will be a little less tender and much more tart, so you may want to keep the glaze.
Is this cranberry orange bread gluten free?
Not as written. A cup-for-cup gluten-free baking flour with xanthan gum works well. Let the batter rest 15 minutes before baking.
How do I know when it’s done?
The top should be deep golden and spring back when pressed, and a toothpick in the center should come out with only moist crumbs.
Bake a Loaf This Week
This cranberry orange bread is cozy, bright and easy enough for a weekday morning. It fills the kitchen with orange, keeps well and makes the most of cheap fall cranberries. Bake one for your family and one to share, and you’ll see why it’s on repeat in my house from October to New Year’s. For more ideas, browse my vegan breakfast recipes.
If this loaf brightened your morning, share it with a friend who loves holiday baking, and follow me on Pinterest for more easy vegan bakes on a budget. Once you’ve had a slice, head to the recipe card to leave a star rating, and tell me in the comments if you added nuts. Happy baking!
