Name: Healthy Cranberry Orange Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (or vegetable oil); ½ cup pure maple syrup; ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice; 1 heaping tablespoon fresh orange zest; ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (I use 2% Greek yogurt); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 eggs, at room temperature; 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried; 1 cup powdered sugar (icing sugar), sifted; ½ tablespoon butter, softened (optional); 1 to 2 tablespoons orange juice or milk, plus more as needed; 1 teaspoon orange zest; 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

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This Healthy Cranberry Orange Bread is moist and loaded with juicy cranberries, fresh orange zest, and topped with a delicious orange glaze. It’s made with 100% whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, and it’s naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup.

This is our family’s favorite quick bread to make during the holiday season. The combination of orange and cranberry go beautifully together. It’s a tasty balance of sweet and tart flavors that make it a popular choice for Christmas recipes.

This quick bread is easy to make because it doesn’t require yeast, so there’s no need to wait for the bread to rise. You can make this loaf last minute and enjoy a slice with a cup of coffee in the morning or as a snack at your next holiday gathering.

Table of Contents

Healthy Cranberry Orange Bread Ingredients

Butter (or oil): I use unsalted butter in this recipe to limit the added salt. You can use melted coconut oil or vegetable oil instead.

Maple syrup: This helps to naturally sweeten the cranberry orange bread without adding refined sugar.

Orange juice: Adding freshly squeezed orange juice to the quick bread can help tone down the tannic or bitter taste of the whole wheat flour.

Greek yogurt: This helps keep the bread moist and adds a boost of protein. I usually use 2% plain yogurt.

Eggs: I use two eggs for this recipe which help make the bread moist and binds the ingredients together.

Vanilla extract: This gives the bread good flavor.

Fresh orange zest: Fresh orange zest adds a nice bright flavor to this orange cranberry bread.

Whole wheat flour: I use regular whole wheat flour for this recipe. Many healthy quick bread recipes use a combination of both all-purpose and whole wheat flour, but this recipe uses 100% whole wheat flour.

Ground cinnamon: This adds a nice flavor to the bread and pairs well with the orange and cranberries.

Baking soda and baking powder: These are leavening agents that helps the bread rise and results in a light, fluffy loaf.

Fine sea salt: This helps balance the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.

Cranberries: I recommend using fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe. If using frozen, do not thaw.

Orange glaze: My orange glaze is made with powdered sugar, freshly squeezed orange juice (or milk if using), softened butter, fresh orange zest, and vanilla extract.

The glaze contains sugar, but it tastes amazing on this healthy cranberry orange bread. If you are following a no-added sugar diet, then you can skip the glaze and enjoy this bread without it.

How to make healthy cranberry orange bread

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a 8.5″ x 4.5″ loaf pan with parchment paper and grease the inside of the pan to prevent sticking.

Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter (or oil if using), maple syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the eggs and whisk again until smooth.

Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir the dry and wet ingredients together just until combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the fresh cranberries and spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 45-55 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on your bread.

If the top of the loaf is starting to get too brown, you can cover it with foil for the remaining bake time to prevent it from getting browner. I usually check on the loaf at the 30-minute mark.

Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove the cranberry orange bread from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack before glazing. Once cooled, drizzle the orange glaze on top.

For the Orange Glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, softened butter, freshly squeezed orange juice (or milk if using), orange zest, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Add more orange juice or milk to thin it out or more powdered sugar to make it thicker. Drizzle over the cooled bread.

Tips for making this quick bread

Zest the orange before juicing. It’s much easier to zest the orange before juicing it.

Sift the powdered sugar before using. This will ensure that you’ll get an extra smooth glaze.

Spoon and level the flour. Adding too much flour will result in a dense and dry cranberry orange bread. I recommend spooning the flour into a measuring cup, then using a knife to level it off.

Use room temperature eggs. This will help them incorporate more smoothly into the quick bread batter.

Cover your bread with aluminum foil. I mention this in the baking instructions. If you notice that the top of your bread is getting too brown, you can cover it loosely with aluminum foil. This will make sure the bread cooks evenly without the top getting too brown.

Make ahead and storage instructions

To store: This bread tastes best the day it has been made. If you have leftovers, wrap it loosely in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To freeze: You can also freeze the bread glazed or unglazed for up to 3 months. Wrap the entire loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Place the wrapped bread in a freezer-safe bag or container, making sure to remove as much air as possible and store it in the freezer.

To thaw: Remove the cranberry orange bread from the bag, leaving it wrapped in plastic wrap or foil. Leave the bread on the kitchen counter at room temperature to thaw.

Please let me know how you like this Healthy Cranberry Orange Bread recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this cranberry orange bread as much as I do.