Cranberry Nut Bread is a delicious quick bread for the holiday season. Chock full of fresh cranberries and pecans, this is an easy bread recipe you’ll want to make again and again.
Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Since we host Thanksgiving, I currently have a list several items long of things that need to get accomplished before I need to start cooking for Turkey Day.
So of course, I decided today was the day to rearrange my office and satisfy my craving for Cranberry Nut Bread, and then practice using my new speedlight by taking photos of said cranberry bread.
For someone who hates procrastination, I sure can procrastinate like a champ when I want to.
My friend Jamie from My Baking Addiction recently got me turned onto using a speedlight for flash food photography. I’ll be honest that I thought she was kind of bonkers at first, until I saw her photos for her Pecan Slab Pie.
Then our friend Megan from Stetted got into the game and I saw her photos for Maple Pecan Pie.
And suddenly I was a believer that 1) my friends really know what they’re doing when it comes to pecan pie and 2) I needed to get myself a speedlight ASAP.
As it turns out, it hasn’t been too hard to learn, and has actually made picking up my camera fun for the first time in ages. It’s hard to find good lighting in our 90-year-old house, but I don’t have to worry about that when using flash.
Game.changer.
So much of a game changer, that I am actually ecstatic to share this Cranberry Nut Bread recipe with you today. Not just because it is delicious (and it is), but because I had a hella good time baking it and taking the photos.
My cranberry nut bread recipe
To make this Cranberry Nut Bread, I decided to riff on my Sparkling Cranberry Muffins recipe. That recipe was given to my momma by the mother of my preschool boyfriend, Jacob, so it’s a recipe we’ve been enjoying since I was 4.
I thought it was time to turn it into cranberry bread. Ya with me?
The primary tweaks I made to the original recipe (aside from turning it into a single loaf of bread instead of muffins), was to swap some of the granulated sugar for brown sugar and add some pecans.
If you prefer walnuts to pecans, feel free to use those instead. I just happen to prefer pecans almost always. (See also: butter pecan bread and applesauce bread.)
The resulting Cranberry Nut Bread is tart and just sweet enough, with some amazing crunch and texture from the nuts. It would make a delicious breakfast, afternoon snack alongside a cup of tea, or hostess gift this holiday season.
If you really want to take this over the top as a holiday gift, you could package up some Cinnamon Honey Butter in a small mason jar and tuck it into a basket alongside the Cranberry Nut Bread.
How to make cranberry nut bread
Like so many quick bread recipes, you can toss the batter for this bread together in almost no time at all. Sit back, relax, read a book, and wait for your delicious bread to be done baking!
Ingredients you’ll need
To make my cranberry nut bread, you will need:
- 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar (divided use)
- ¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 2¼ cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup chopped pecans
I love snacking on dried cranberries or using them in recipes such as frosted cranberry orange drops, but I tend to be Team Fresh Cranberries when possible. I just LOVE the tartness they bring to the table!
If you can’t find fresh cranberries, feel free to use frozen. Don’t thaw them before chopping them and mixing them with the sugar.
I’ll be honest: I rarely have buttermilk on hand. If you’re like me, make a simple substitute by adding a scant tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup, then adding enough milk to make 3/4 cup. Let this sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the batter.
Making this bread
This recipe makes an 8×4-inch loaf of bread. Spray an 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, and set it aside.
Mix together the roughly chopped cranberries, half of the granulated sugar, and all of the brown sugar. Stir to coat the cranberries and set the bowl aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, the rest of the granulated sugar and the baking soda and salt.
In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir just until combined.
Add in the sugared cranberries and pecans and fold to combine.
Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. The bread is done when the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the bread cool for a few minutes in the pan before lifting it out with the parchment and let cool on a wire rack before slicing and enjoying.
Storage and freezing
This cranberry nut bread will keep, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
One of the things I love most about quick breads, such as this one, is that you can easily freeze them for enjoying later.
If you get an afternoon free, bake up a few loaves of Cranberry Nut Bread and freeze them to enjoy throughout the season.
To freeze, allow the bread to cool completely on a cooling rack. Then wrap the bread tightly in foil before placing the loaf in a zip-top freezer bag.
When you’re ready to enjoy the bread, simply remove it from the freezer several hours before you want to eat it.
Whether you enjoy a slice plain or toasted and buttered alongside a cup of coffee, Cranberry Nut Bread is a classic quick bread you and your family will love throughout the holiday season.
You can even use it as an excellent procrastination tactic.
Ask me how I know.
Cranberry Nut Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- ¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line (1) 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine chopped cranberries, ¼ cup granulated sugar and all of the brown sugar. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Create a small well in the dry ingredients, pouring the wet ingredients into the well and stirring just to combine. Fold in sugared cranberries and pecans.
- Spread batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Evan and I are going to make this on Wednesday night. I can’t wait!!
Love that!!
I was looking for different bread recipes and I am so glad I found yours.
Well, I’m glad you found it as well! I hope you enjoy!
This recipe sounds really good. Can I use whole wheat flour since that’s all I have at the moment?
Thank you
Hi Maria – Using only whole wheat flour might result in a bread that’s a little more dry than intended. I usually recommend swapping no more than of the AP flour for whole wheat flour in order to maintain the same texture as the original recipe.
I made this recipe tonight and are muffins. I rarely make a big loaf because it takes so long to bake. And my kids like muffins ‘cause they’re easy for them to eat. Great recipe. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed! Thank you for sharing.