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Best Easy Orange Cranberry Quick Bread with Glaze Recipe

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This orange cranberry quick bread is a tender, buttery loaf with tart cranberries and a sweet citrus glaze. It’s simple enough for a beginner baker but impressive enough for any holiday gathering or brunch.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus 1 tablespoon for tossing with cranberries)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg (room temperature)
  • ¾ cup milk (whole milk preferred, but 2% works fine)
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries (coarsely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted if lumpy)
  • 2–3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (for glaze)
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest (optional, for glaze)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position the rack in the center of the oven. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides. Lightly grease the exposed sides with butter or nonstick spray.
  2. Rinse 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries and pick out any mushy ones. Coarsely chop them. Toss them in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
  3. Zest and juice your orange. You need about 1 tablespoon of zest for the batter and maybe another ½ teaspoon for the glaze. Squeeze out ¼ cup of juice.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
  5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 1 egg, ¾ cup milk, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons melted butter, ¼ cup fresh orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
  6. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold together just until no dry flour remains (about 10-12 strokes). A few small lumps are fine.
  7. Gently fold the flour-coated cranberries into the batter with as few strokes as possible.
  8. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release air bubbles.
  9. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.
  10. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then use the parchment sling to lift it out and transfer to the cooling rack.
  11. Cool completely before glazing (at least 1 hour).
  12. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice. Add more juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until thick but pourable. Stir in ½ teaspoon orange zest if using.
  13. Place the cooled loaf on a serving plate or wire rack with parchment underneath. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the top. Let set for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter; a few lumps are fine. Room temperature ingredients matter for best texture. Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. Use fresh cranberries when possible; if using frozen, don’t thaw them first. Let the bread cool completely before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting off. This bread freezes beautifully (unglazed, wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil).

Nutrition

Keywords: orange cranberry bread, quick bread, cranberry bread, orange glaze, holiday bread, easy bread recipe

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