Cranberry Orange Nut Bread - Amish Recipe
Fall and winter bring a medley of flavors, and this cranberry orange walnut bread is the embodiment of the season's spirit. The zesty tang of oranges, the tartness of cranberries, and the rich crunch of walnuts come together in a symphony of flavors that will make your taste buds dance.
When you cut a slice of this cranberry walnut bread, you'll discover a wonderful mix of textures and flavors. The bread's soft and moist interior, complemented by the tangy cranberry bursts and the delightful nutty crunch of walnuts, showcases the beauty of homemade baking.
Using fresh cranberries and oranges, this easy-to-follow recipe captures the essence of the season. Whether it's gracing your holiday table or simply brightening your day, this cranberry orange nut bread is a delightful reminder that everyday ingredients can create extraordinary moments.
Cranberry Walnut Quick Bread
Quick bread is a delightful, time-saving way to create delicious bread. It doesn't involve kneading or the lengthy rise time that yeast bread recipes do. Instead, it relies on baking powder or baking soda as a leavening agent, allowing the dough to rise rapidly.
Whether you're making a walnut cranberry loaf, pumpkin bread, apple cinnamon bread, zucchini bread, or simple banana bread, they're all perfect choices for those who enjoy tasty, homemade sweet loaves with minimal effort.
In the world of quick bread, there's no need for a dough hook, a fancy bread machine, or long fermentation times—just some quick and easy steps to create a homemade treat that's ready in no time. Simply combine basic ingredients like eggs, oil, flour, and sugar to create an easy sweet bread.
The hardest part is resisting the temptation to slice into your creation as it cools on a wire rack. It's delightful when it's warm from the oven. However, if you cut into the loaf before it's cooled, it may want to crumble.
Quick breads are great for the holiday season and a perfect treat year-round. I love having a slice of quick bread with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning.
Ingredients
1. All-purpose flour serves as the bread's sturdy foundation, providing the necessary structure to hold everything together and form a substantial loaf.
2. Sugar plays a dual role by balancing the tartness of cranberries and introducing a delicate touch of sweetness that elevates the overall flavor profile.
3. Baking Powder works as a leavening agent, creating a light and airy texture in the bread, resulting in a satisfyingly fluffy consistency.
4. Eggs act as the culinary glue, binding all the ingredients together while contributing a richness that makes each bite feel indulgent. (Use room temperature eggs.)
5. Buttermilk introduces a delightful tangy flavor that complements the other ingredients, and its moisture ensures that the bread is moist and tender.
6. Oil adds moisture, ensuring that the bread is never dry, and plays a crucial role in creating a tender crumb that's simply irresistible.
7. Grated orange zest invites you with a vibrant and citrusy aroma that awakens the senses and provides a refreshing zest that brightens up every slice.
8. Orange juice infuses the bread with a delightful citrus flavor, bringing a subtle tang that complements the zesty notes from the orange zest.
9. Cranberries provide a burst of tartness and delightful bursts of flavor in every bite, adding a beautiful contrast to the sweetness.
10. Nuts add a satisfying crunch and a layer of depth to the bread's texture, making it even more enjoyable to savor.
In the end, it's the perfect combination of these ingredients that shapes the overall taste and texture of your Cranberry Walnut Orange Bread. Whether you're baking it for the holiday season or enjoying it year-round, you'll relish the delightful blend of sweet, tangy, and nutty notes in this easy and delicious quick bread.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you...
Cranberry Bread Recipe with Fresh Cranberries
During the holiday season, fresh cranberries can be found everywhere, and they are used to create delightful treats. Although they're quite tart on their own, when combined with sugar in recipes, their flavor is truly amazing!
Homemade cranberry salad is a perfect side dish with turkey and stuffing and is always part of our Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday meals.
To make this fresh cranberry walnut bread, you'll want to chop the cranberries at least a little bit. You can either cut them in half or coarsely chop them with a knife, or you can use a chopper. I use my Ninja chopper and give it a few quick pulses. You don't want them too fine, but also not whole berries.
Cranberry Orange Bread with Buttermilk - Buttermilk Substitute
This delightful cranberry walnut no-knead bread recipe is made with buttermilk. Using commercial buttermilk, found in the dairy section at the supermarket, is always a good choice.
However, if you don't have any buttermilk in your refrigerator, you can always make your own. This recipe asks for a 3/4 cup of buttermilk. So add one heaping tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a 3/4 measuring cup and fill it up with either whole or 2% milk. Let it rest for at least five minutes, after which, it should be thick and work like buttermilk.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Quick Bread
Whether you're a seasoned baker or trying your hand at homemade bread for the first time, this easy quick bread recipe will leave you with a perfect loaf of sweet and tangy cranberry goodness. So, roll up your sleeves, and let's get baking!
1. Prepare the Cranberries: Wash and coarsely chop the fresh cranberries and mix them with 1/4 cup of sugar. Set this mixture aside.
2. Zest and Juice the Orange: Wash the skin of the orange then use a zester or grater to scrape the outer orange peel, avoiding the bitter white part. After zesting, squeeze the orange to make 1/4 cup of juice.
3. Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, oil, buttermilk, orange zest, and orange juice until well combined.
4. Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
5. Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture. Stir, scrape the sides of the bowl, and mix only until moistened.
6. Add Cranberries and Walnuts: Gently fold in the sugared cranberries and chopped walnuts until they are evenly distributed in the batter.
7. Bake the Cranberry Nut Bread:
- Spray a standard-sized loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs.
- Cool completely and carefully slice with a sharp bread knife.
Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Bread
This quick cranberry walnut bread recipe can easily be turned into gluten-free cranberry bread. My oldest daughter is on a gluten-free diet, but she loves cranberry orange bread. So I used this recipe to make her a loaf.
I substituted the all-purpose flour with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free flour blend cup for cup. It was the only thing I changed, and she absolutely loved it.
Christmas Gifts
As the holiday season approaches, there's nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked cranberry orange walnut bread wafting through the kitchen. This recipe is a delightful way to usher in the joyous festivities and create warm, memorable moments with loved ones.
With the perfect balance of tart cranberries, sweet sugar, and a hint of citrus from the orange zest, it's bound to be a family favorite.
And if you are looking for a thoughtful, homemade gift to share with friends and family during the holiday season, look no further. This cranberry bread loaf is a heartfelt gift that can be wrapped in love and ribbons.
More Amish Christmas Holiday Recipes
Visit my shop to purchase my Cookbook
If you get to try this recipe for cranberry walnut bread, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread (No Knead) - Amish Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup fresh cranberries (coarsely chopped)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg plus one egg yolk (room temperature)
- 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- approx. 2 teaspoons grated orange peel zest (zest from 1 orange)
- 1/4 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped) or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Spray a 9x5" loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.
- Coarsely chop the cranberries and add 1/4 c. of sugar. Mix and set aside.1 heaping cup fresh cranberries (coarsely chopped), 1/4 cup sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, oil, buttermilk, zest, and orange juice.1 large egg plus one egg yolk (room temperature), 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil, 3/4 cup buttermilk, approx. 2 teaspoons grated orange peel zest (zest from 1 orange), 1/4 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed)
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the wet mixture, scrape the sides of the bowl, and mix only to moisten.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup sugar
- Add the sugared cranberries and walnuts and stir to combine.1/4 - 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped) or pecans
- Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes to an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
- Cool completely before slicing with a sharp bread knife.
- Store in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Quick breads are typically even better on the second day. Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 2 months.
Donna LeClair
I just found you a week ago. I'm excited to try this bread for Thanksgiving. I've got mine in the oven now! Only change I'm making is to bake some of these in my square brownie pan and some in my mini muffin pan.
Thank you for sharing your recipes!!
Anna
You're welcome. I hope you enjoyed it.
Maggie Herron
I just made this into 3 mini loaves. It is absolutely delicious and will be great for the holidays. But more importantly I love how you enter the measurements with each step! Makes following your recipes so much easier. And the notes/tips at the end are very helpful i.e. more sugar option but I prefer the way it is and also the alternative when you don't have buttermilk! Thank you!
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a nice comment! Glad you enjoy my recipe.
Kimberly
Thank you for including a gluten free variation! This recipes sounds delicious!
Anna
You're welcome.