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Cranberry Walnut Bread

Cranberry walnut bread is an American quick bread baked until golden with bright cranberries and crunchy toasted walnuts. The loaf bakes with fresh orange zest for a tender crumb and clean toothpick finish.
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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: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

all-purpose flour
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
salt
  • 1 tsp salt
orange zest
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
orange juice
  • 0.75 cup orange juice
large egg
  • 1 large egg
butter, melted
  • 0.25 cup butter, melted
vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
cranberries
  • 1.5 cup cranberries
walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • 0.75 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the loaf pan and oven
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan so the loaf releases cleanly after baking.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest until evenly combined and no dry pockets remain.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk orange juice, large egg, butter, melted, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
Combine and fold in mix-ins
  1. Stir wet into dry just until moistened, keeping the batter thick with a few streaks of flour.
  2. Fold in cranberries and walnuts, spreading them through the batter without overmixing.
  3. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top so it bakes evenly.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake 55-60 minutes at 350F until the loaf is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  2. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

For the best texture, stir the batter only until moistened—overmixing can make the loaf tough. Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze sliced portions up to 2 months. For a lower-sugar option, replace the sugar with a 1:1 baking sweetener designed for quick breads.