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Cranberry Walnut Bread

Cranberry walnut bread with bright cranberries and toasted walnuts baked into a golden quick-bread loaf. Easy mixing method for a tender slice with orange zest aroma.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
Wet ingredients
  • 0.75 cup orange juice
  • 1 large egg
  • 0.25 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Add-ins
  • 1.5 cup cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 0.75 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the loaf pan and oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Make sure the pan is ready so batter can go in right after mixing.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest in a bowl until evenly combined. The orange zest should be dispersed throughout the dry mixture.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk orange juice, large egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. The mixture should look glossy and fully blended.
Combine and add-ins
  1. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture just until moistened. Stop when no dry pockets remain to keep the loaf tender.
  2. Fold in cranberries and walnuts, then spread the batter into the prepared pan. Distribute add-ins so you’ll see red cranberry flecks and crunchy walnut pieces in each slice.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Look for a set center and a fragrant, browned top.
  2. Cool the bread for 10 minutes in the pan, then fully cool on a rack before slicing. The loaf will firm up as it cools for cleaner slices.

Notes

Pro tip: chop cranberries roughly and toast walnuts until fragrant so they stay crunchy inside the loaf. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze slices for up to 2 months. For a lower-sugar option, use a 1:1 baking sweetener blend in place of the sugar, keeping the rest of the measurements the same.