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Cranberry Walnut Bread

Cranberry walnut bread with a tender, golden crumb studded with bright cranberries and toasted walnuts, finished with orange zest for a fresh aroma. Quick bread loaf baked until a toothpick comes out clean, then cooled for neat slices.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Baking, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 285
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 fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 0.75 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x5-inch loaf pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep pan
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F, then grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment or paper lining. Use a sheet pan under the loaf pan for easier handling while baking if needed.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined. Stop once the orange zest is evenly distributed.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk orange juice, large egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until smooth and glossy. Ensure there are no visible egg streaks.
Combine and add mix-ins
  1. Stir wet ingredients into dry just until moistened, taking care not to overmix. The batter should look lumpy rather than fully smooth.
  2. Fold in roughly chopped cranberries and toasted chopped walnuts, then scrape batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Distribute cranberries so they’re not all clustered in one area.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F for 55-60 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it. This helps the crumb set so slices stay intact.
  2. Transfer to a rack and cool fully before slicing. Wait until the loaf is no longer warm for the cleanest slices.

Notes

For the best crumb, mix dry and wet just until moistened—overmixing can make quick breads tough. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezing is yes: wrap slices (or the whole loaf) airtight and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, replace half the sugar with honey or maple syrup (use slightly less if your batter seems too loose).