Christmas Cranberry Bread

A rectangular loaf cake with white icing is topped with sugared cranberries and rosemary, served on a white plate with sliced lemons and extra cranberries—perfect alongside easy sheetpan pancakes for a festive brunch spread.

This Christmas Cranberry Bread is a moist orange cranberry loaf topped with a simple orange glaze. Great on Christmas morning or gifting a homemade loaf during the holiday season, it's an easy recipe that looks as festive as it tastes.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Budget Frugal

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 55

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 2 10

Servings

Calories 270kcal

Equipment

9 x 5-inch loaf pan
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Wire cooling rack
Microplane or citrus zester
Medium mixing bowl
Large mixing bowl

Ingredients

1 ⅔ cup flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
large egg
¾ cup whole milk
⅓ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons neutral oil
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 ½ cups cranberries
1 medium apple

For the glaze:

¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice or milk
½ teaspoon orange zest (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to make removing the loaf easier.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, milk, orange juice, oil, and orange zest until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until only a few streaks of flour remain. Do not over mix.
Peel, core, and finely chop the apple. Fold the chopped apple and cranberries into the batter until evenly distributed.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the loaf begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent it with aluminum foil during the final 15 minutes of baking.
Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, orange juice (or milk), and orange zest, if using, until smooth. Add a little more liquid if needed to reach a drizzling consistency. Spoon or drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf before slicing and serving.

Notes

Do not over mix the batter. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.

If using frozen cranberries, thaw and drain them well before adding them to the batter.

The loaf slices most cleanly after it has cooled completely.

Nutrition