This easy Cranberry Orange Loaf is the perfect balance of sweet citrus and tart cranberries, making it a delicious treat for the holiday season. It comes together quickly, uses simple ingredients, and bakes up moist and full of bright flavor.

Sliced Cranberry Orange Loaf on a cutting board surround by sugared cranberries and sliced oranges. — *Cranberry Orange Loaf with Orange Vanilla Glaze.*

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Whether you serve this for breakfast, dessert, or wrap it as hostess gifts, this cranberry orange bread is a cozy, crowd-pleasing recipe you’ll want to make all season long.

Close up shot of Cranberry Orange Loaf on a cutting board with a bowl of fresh cranberries in the background. — *The Ultimate Holiday Cranberry Orange Loaf.*

The Players for Cranberry Orange Loaf

Ingredients:

Butter – You’ll need softened butter to make this orange cranberry bread. I always use salted butter because that’s what I purchase, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you have.
Sugar – Plain granulated white sugar is all you’ll need to help balance out the tart cranberries.
Eggs – Two room temperature eggs are needed.
Orange Zest – The zest from one orange boosts the orange flavor and adds fresh, aromatic citrus notes.
Flour – Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly here.
Baking Powder – Gives this cranberry bread recipe its lift so it bakes up nice and fluffy.
Salt – Just a pinch of salt melds all of the flavors together.
Orange Juice – Adds moisture and bright orange flavor throughout the loaf. You’ll need about 3 oranges for both the loaf and the glaze.
Milk – My family drinks whole milk, so that’s what I use, but use whatever is in your fridge!
Cranberries – The star ingredient: fresh cranberries!
Powdered Sugar – For the simple orange glaze, you’ll need confectioners’ sugar.
Vanilla Extract – Using 100% pure vanilla extract brings warmth and sweetness to this orange-glazed cranberry bread.

Tools:

Loaf Pan – A standard 9-inch loaf pan is perfect for this recipe. It helps the loaf bake evenly and gives it that classic, tall bakery-style shape. I use the same loaf pan to make my Old Fashioned Apple Fritter Loaf Bread.
Parchment Paper – Makes it easy to lift the loaf out of the pan without sticking. A cool trick I learned recently is to take a piece of parchment, roll it up, run it under tap water, and squeeze out the excess. This allows the parchment to fit nicely inside the pan without fighting with it.

a slice of cranberry orange loaf with some candied cranberries on the cutting board next to the slice. — *Moist and Bright Cranberry Orange Loaf Recipe.*

How to Make Cranberry Orange Loaf

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.

Make the Batter

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

a measuring cup with sugar being held over a bowl of butter that has been creamed. — *In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.*

Add the eggs and mix well. Stir in the orange zest.

two eggs added to the creamed butter and sugar. — *Add the room temperature eggs to the butter and sugar.*

orange zest added to the mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. — *Add the room temperature eggs to the butter and sugar.*

In a separate small bowl, mix together the milk and orange juice and set aside.

a small glass bowl with milk sits next to a measuring bowl filled with freshly squeezed orange juice. — *Mix together the milk and orange juice and set aside.*

To the bowl of butter and eggs, add the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, and salt.

flour, baking powder, and salt added to the bowl of creamed butter, sugar, and eggs. — *To the large bowl of creamed butter and eggs, add in the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, and salt.*

Pour in the orange juice mixture and mix gently to combine without over mixing.

a measuring bowl filled with milk and orange juice being held over the mixing bowl. — *Pour in the wet ingredients and mix gently to combine.*

Gently fold in the juicy cranberries.

a small glass bowl of cranberries being added to the mixing bowl that contains the cranberry orange batter. — *Add the fresh cranberries to the mixing bowl.*

fresh cranberries that have been folded into cranberry orange batter. — *Add the fresh cranberries to the mixing bowl.*

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with minimal crumbs.

cranberry orange loaf batter poured into a pan with parchment paper to bake. — *Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake the Cranberry Orange Loaf for 60-65 minutes.*

Allow the loaf to cool in the pan before moving to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Make the Orange Vanilla Glaze

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the top and allow it to set before slicing. Enjoy!

ingredients for the orange vanilla glaze laid out on a black counter top. — *While the loaf is cooling down, make the orange vanilla glaze.*

cranberry orange loaf on a wire rack with the orange vanilla glaze over the top of it. — *While the loaf is cooling down, make the orange vanilla glaze.*

Storage and Reheating Instructions

To Store:

Once the Cranberry Orange Loaf has cooled, store it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. It will stay fresh for 3–4 days on the counter.

To Reheat:

Take a slice of orange bread and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Warm a slice in the microwave for 15 seconds for a soft, bakery-style texture.

Three slices of cranberry orange loaf on a cutting board with loose sugared cranberries around the slices. — *Bakery-Style Cranberry Orange Loaf Recipe.*

Pin it for Later!

If you end up trying this Cranberry Orange Loaf, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

cranberry orange loaf slices on a cutting board next to sugared cranberries. — *Save this Pin to Bake Later!*

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