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Cranberry Walnut Bread

Cranberry walnut bread with a tender quick-bread crumb and bursts of bright cranberries, baked until golden and clean on a toothpick. Fold in toasted walnuts and orange zest for a fragrant slice-ready loaf.
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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: 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 egg
  • 0.25 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Fruit and nuts
  • 1.5 cup cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 0.75 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
  2. Toast walnuts until fragrant, then chop them for even pieces in the loaf.
Mix the dry and wet
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest until evenly combined and no streaks remain.
  2. Whisk orange juice, egg, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
Combine and bake
  1. Stir wet into dry just until moistened, keeping the batter thick and avoiding overmixing.
  2. Fold in cranberries and walnuts, then spread the batter into the loaf pan so it fills the corners.
  3. Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350°F until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool the loaf for 10 minutes in the pan so it sets without crumbling.
  2. Transfer to a rack to cool fully before slicing for clean, thick slices.

Notes

Pro tip: measure cranberries loosely and chop to similar sizes so they distribute through every slice. Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze sliced portions up to 2 months. For a lighter option, replace half the sugar with light brown sugar or a sugar substitute that measures 1:1 (texture may be slightly less tender).