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Cranberry Walnut Bread

Cranberry walnut bread is an American-style quick bread loaded with bright cranberries, toasted walnuts, and orange zest. Mix wet and dry just until moistened for a tender crumb, then bake in a 9x5 loaf pan until golden.
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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
  

Cranberry Walnut Bread
  • 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
  • 0.75 cup orange juice
  • 1 large egg
  • 0.25 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 0.75 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the pan and oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, then grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan so the bread releases cleanly.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest until evenly combined, with no visible streaks of zest.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Whisk orange juice, large egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
Combine and add mix-ins
  1. Stir wet into dry just until moistened, stopping as soon as the flour disappears and the batter looks thick but not dry.
  2. Fold in cranberries and walnuts, then spread the batter into the loaf pan evenly.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes, until the loaf is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  2. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then fully cool on a rack before slicing so the crumb sets.

Notes

Pro tip: Stir wet into dry only until moistened—overmixing can make the loaf tough. Store the bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze slices in an airtight bag for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, reduce sugar by 2-4 tbsp and expect a slightly less sweet loaf.