Moist and healthy, vegan Cranberry Orange Bread recipe made with fresh cranberries and orange juice is the ultimate, easy holiday breakfast or snack bread. Plus, it’s completely oil-free, egg-free and dairy free with no butter, just simple plant-based ingredients that come together, creating a wonderful, sweet orange bread bursting with tart, juicy cranberries, and is absolutely delicious!
I’m currently working my way through a big bag of fresh cranberries, and this is the second recipe of the season using cranberries, the first was this warm and delicious Apple-Cranberry Crisp. Also, from the archives are these clean eating, no-bake Cinnamon Cranberry Energy Bites and this Roasted Delicata Squash & Cranberry Salad, both use fresh cranberries as well. So if you ever have a bag of cranberries on hand, there you have it, a few great recipes to try out!
If you’re looking for a healthy and easy holiday bread, this vegan cranberry orange bread is it! I pretty much finished my loaf within a day, the flavor combination is so addicting. And if you’re into making edible gifts, this would make a perfect edible gift. I would be delighted to be given a loaf of this vibrant, flavorful bread for the holidays!
Vibrant and colorful, cranberries are a great addition to your healthy lifestyle. Full of antioxidants and phytonutrients, they have been shown to protect against cardiovascular disease, inflammation and urinary tract disorders. Plus, cranberries have a good amount of vitamin C and fiber, and contain only 45 calories per cup.
We all know oranges are full of vitamin C and good for us! Just like cranberries, they too are full of antioxidants and should be a part or your healthy diet. Perfectly packaged, they are a good source of fiber and make great to-go snacks.
How to make Cranberry Orange Bread
- Gather your dry ingredients (flour, organic pure cane sugar, baking powder and baking soda) and combine together in a bowl (shown above). Next add the wet ingredients (applesauce, orange juice and optional vanilla extract) and stir to mix, just until flour is incorporated, add the cranberries, and mix again.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan (shown below), add a few more cranberries to the top, and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F. for 50 – 55 minutes. Once done, let cool and enjoy this moist, delicious quick bread!
Tasty Optional Add-Ins:
- 1 – 2 teaspoons vanilla (add with orange juice)
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon or ginger powder (add with dry ingredients)
- 1 – 2 tablespoons orange zest, optional (add with cranberries)
A Few Tips & Suggestions:
I left my cranberries whole, free free to slice them in half.
For the applesauce, if you don’t make your own, it’s so handy to have the store bought to-go cups on hand, pref. unsweetened. They are 1/2 cup serving size, making them the perfect size for this recipe.
This bread will get even better the next day, once it’s had time to rest, it will moisten up and the flavors will enhance. Also, it will slice much cleaner once completely cooled, but I know it’s so tempting to cut a slice right away, just know that it will not slice as clean and that’s normal.
I’ve made this recipe with King Authors white whole wheat bread flour, as shown here, and it was perfection. Also, I’ve used whole spelt flour with great results as well.
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I make this cranberry orange bread gluten free? Absolutely! You can use any gluten free flour blend or buckwheat flour, replacing 1 – 1 the amount of flour called for. I don’t recommend using coconut flour by itself, as it’s a tricky flour for vegan baking.
Can I make this recipe without baking soda? Yes! Often times I will only use 2 heaping teaspoons baking powder with great results!
Can I freeze this quick bread? Sure thing! It will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months if stored in a freezer safe container or bag. Simply let thaw in the refrigerator before eating. Quick breads can also be stored, covered, on the counter for up to 3 – 4 days. Or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can I make muffins out of this quick bread recipe? Yep! Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line or lightly grease the holes of a muffin tin, spoon or pour batter into each muffin hole, place in center of the oven and bake for 20 – 30 minutes. Test with the toothpick method, if poked in the center of muffin and it comes out clean, muffins are ready.
More Quick Bread Recipe Inspiration
Because you can never have too many quick bread recipes on hand. Try these other various breads for a change of pace!
- Blueberry Banana Oat Bread
- Applesauce Bread (Oil-Free)
- Classic Pumpkin Bread
- Vegan Banana Bread (Healthy + Easy)
FAVORITE CRANBERRY ORANGE BREAD
Made with fresh cranberries, orange juice and applesauce in place of oil, it’s the ultimate, easy holiday breakfast or snack bread!
- Prep Time: 10min
- Cook Time: 55 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Makes 8 - 10 Slices 1x
- Category: Quick Bread
- Cuisine: Oil-Free Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) light spelt, white whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (150 g) organic cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- generous pinch of salt
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 heaping cup (129 g) fresh or frozen cranberries, plus more for the top*
Tasty optional add-ins:
- 1 – 2 teaspoons vanilla (add with orange juice)
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon or ginger powder (add with dry ingredients)
- 1 – 2 tablespoons orange zest, optional (add with cranberries)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stir to combine.
Add in the applesauce, orange juice and optional vanilla, mix until flour is incorporated, don’t over mix, stir in the cranberries and optional orange zest, give a few extra stirs.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, strategically arrange a few more cranberries on top, and place on center rack in the oven, bake for 50 – 55 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool and enjoy.
Store, covered, on the counter for up to 3 days, or keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Also, you can freeze your bread, stored in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months, let thaw in the refrigerator.
NOTE:
*I left my cranberries whole, free free to slice them in half. If using frozen cranberries, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for a few hours before using.
For the applesauce, if you don’t make your own, it’s so handy to have the store bought to-go cups on hand, pref. unsweetened. They are 1/2 cup serving size, making them the perfect size for this recipe.
This bread will only get better the next day, once it’s had time to rest, it will moisten up and the flavor will greatly enhance. Also, it will slice much cleaner once completely cooled, but I know it’s so tempting to cut a slice right away, just know that it will not slice as clean and that’s normal.
I’ve made this recipe with King Authors white whole wheat bread flour, as shown here, and it was perfection. Also, I’ve used whole spelt flour with great results as well.
If you don’t have applesauce on hand, use 1/3 cup light flavored olive oil or your favorite neutral cooking oil.
