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Cranberry Walnut Bread

Cranberry walnut bread is an American quick bread baked until golden and tender with bright red cranberries, toasted walnuts, and orange zest throughout. The batter mixes wet into dry just until moistened for a thick slice that bakes up clean and slices neatly after cooling.
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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: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
Wet ingredients
  • 0.75 cup orange juice
  • 1 large egg
  • 0.25 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Add-ins
  • 1.5 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 0.75 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Visual cue: the pan should be ready for batter as soon as the oven reaches temperature.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest in a mixing bowl. Visual cue: the dry mixture looks evenly speckled from the zest.
  3. Whisk orange juice, large egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Visual cue: the wet mixture becomes glossy and uniform.
Mix and bake
  1. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Visual cue: the batter should look thick with no large pockets of dry flour.
  2. Fold in fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped and walnuts, toasted and chopped, then spread the batter into the loaf pan. Visual cue: cranberries and walnuts are evenly distributed across the surface.
  3. Bake for 55–60 minutes at 350°F until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Visual cue: the top turns deep golden and springs back lightly when pressed.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool the bread for 10 minutes in the pan. Visual cue: edges pull slightly away from the sides.
  2. Transfer to a rack to cool fully before slicing. Visual cue: the loaf firms up and slices cleanly without crumbling.

Notes

For the best crumb, mix wet into dry just until no dry streaks remain—overmixing can make the loaf tough. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days; freeze slices in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use a 1:1 plant butter meant for baking and melt it before mixing.