Perfect Christmas Cranberry Bread — The Tart-Sweet Holiday Bread

Cranberry bread is the bright tart-sweet Christmas quick bread. With orange zest and almonds, it's the perfect breakfast bread that screams "Christmas" with the red berries throughout.

The classic recipe (makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Zest of 1 orange
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds (or pecans)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Grease a loaf pan
3. Mix flour + sugar + baking powder + baking soda + salt + zest
4. In separate bowl: orange juice + butter + egg + vanilla
5. Combine wet and dry (don't overmix)
6. Fold in cranberries + almonds
7. Pour into pan
8. Bake 60-70 minutes
9. Cool 15 minutes; turn out

Variations

Glazed

• Drizzle with orange glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar + 2 tablespoons orange juice
• Extra festive

With white chocolate

• Add 1 cup white chocolate chips
• Sweet-tart balance

Mini loaves

• 4-6 small pans
• Bake 30-35 minutes
• Gift-perfect

Cranberry-pistachio

• Use pistachios instead of almonds
• Red and green color throughout

Make-ahead

• 2-3 days at room temp
• Wrapped tightly
• Improves on day 2

Cross-references

For perfect Christmas pumpkin bread — adjacent.

For perfect Christmas banana bread — adjacent.

For perfect cranberry sauce — cranberry adjacent.

For Christmas neighbor gifts — gift context.

Perfect Christmas cranberry bread is the bright tart-sweet bread. Red berries; orange zest; almonds. The Christmas quick bread that's both festive in color and perfect with morning coffee.