Tart cranberries meet warm spices and zesty orange flavor in this easy cranberry bread recipe.

Cranberry Bread Recipe: 4 Tips for Making Cranberry Bread

Cranberry bread is a quick bread made from fresh (or frozen) cranberries, flour, sugar, eggs, and a liquid, like [buttermilk](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/easy-buttermilk-recipe). Quick breads, like [zucchini bread](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/zucchini-bread-recipe) or [pumpkin bread](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pumpkin-bread-recipe), are made with leavening agents rather than yeast, and cranberry bread is no exception: The addition of buttermilk helps activate the baking soda and guarantees a tender, moist crumb.   

Serve cranberry bread at breakfast with a swipe of cream cheese or Italian [mascarpone](https://gql.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-mascarpone) and sliced pecans, or drizzle it in icing and serve it for dessert.
If it’s your first time making this sweet bread studded with tart pops of acidity, here’s what to know: 

1. __Fresh vs. frozen cranberries__. You can make cranberry bread with fresh or frozen cranberries. If you choose to use frozen cranberries, avoid thawing them before adding them into the batter because the excess moisture will lead to a soggy loaf. (Dried cranberries won’t result in the same level of tartness, so reserve them as a mix-in for walnut or [banana bread](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/the-best-banana-bread-easy-recipe-and-variations).)
2. __Add different flavorings__. While standard cranberry bread is full of flavor, you can add diced pineapples or apples, walnuts, cloves, maple syrup, or chocolate chips to the batter to create a more complex bite. 
3. __Prepare for a lengthy bake time__. Like all quick bread recipes, cranberry bread requires close to an hour in the oven. To prevent the top from burning while the rest of the loaf catches up, loosely cover with aluminum foil about halfway through baking as needed. 
4. __Storage__. Cranberry bread will keep at room temperature covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil for a few days, and you can also freeze it. Simply wrap the loaf whole or sliced in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil, and store it for up to six months in the freezer.
Tart cranberries meet warm spices and zesty orange flavor in this easy cranberry bread recipe.

Cranberry bread is a quick bread made from fresh (or frozen) cranberries, flour, sugar, eggs, and a liquid, like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/easy-buttermilk-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/easy-buttermilk-recipe","linkCopy":"buttermilk","category":null}'>buttermilk</a>. Quick breads, like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/zucchini-bread-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/zucchini-bread-recipe","linkCopy":"zucchini bread","category":null}'>zucchini bread</a> or <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pumpkin-bread-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pumpkin-bread-recipe","linkCopy":"pumpkin bread","category":null}'>pumpkin bread</a>, are made with leavening agents rather than yeast, and cranberry bread is no exception: The addition of buttermilk helps activate the baking soda and guarantees a tender, moist crumb. Serve cranberry bread at breakfast with a swipe of cream cheese or Italian <a href='https://gql.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-mascarpone' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://gql.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-mascarpone","linkCopy":"mascarpone","category":null}'>mascarpone</a> and sliced pecans, or drizzle it in icing and serve it for dessert.

What Is Cranberry Bread?

If it’s your first time making this sweet bread studded with tart pops of acidity, here’s what to know: <ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Fresh vs. frozen cranberries. You can make cranberry bread with fresh or frozen cranberries. If you choose to use frozen cranberries, avoid thawing them before adding them into the batter because the excess moisture will lead to a soggy loaf. (Dried cranberries won’t result in the same level of tartness, so reserve them as a mix-in for walnut or <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/the-best-banana-bread-easy-recipe-and-variations' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/the-best-banana-bread-easy-recipe-and-variations","linkCopy":"banana bread","category":null}'>banana bread</a>.) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Add different flavorings. While standard cranberry bread is full of flavor, you can add diced pineapples or apples, walnuts, cloves, maple syrup, or chocolate chips to the batter to create a more complex bite. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Prepare for a lengthy bake time. Like all quick bread recipes, cranberry bread requires close to an hour in the oven. To prevent the top from burning while the rest of the loaf catches up, loosely cover with aluminum foil about halfway through baking as needed. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Storage. Cranberry bread will keep at room temperature covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil for a few days, and you can also freeze it. Simply wrap the loaf whole or sliced in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil, and store it for up to six months in the freezer. </li></ol>

4 Tips for Making Cranberry Bread

Cranberry Bread Recipe

Tart cranberries meet warm spices and zesty orange flavor in this easy cranberry bread recipe.

Tart cranberries meet warm spices and zesty orange flavor in this easy cranberry bread recipe.
