This Orange and Dried Cranberry Quick Bread is easy to make, with small cranberry pieces throughout and a light sugar topping. No frosting needed.

Step by step photos

These visual instructions show the process step by step. The full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the end of the post.

Chop the dried cranberries, then toss lightly in flour to help them stay evenly spread through the loaf.
Flour mixture: In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Egg mixture: In another bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, egg, sour cream, orange zest, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Add the flour mixture and chopped dried cranberries to the egg mixture.
Stir gently just until no dry flour remains, overmixing can make the loaf dense.

Spoon the batter into the lined loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the top to create a lightly crisp finish.
Bake until the loaf lightly browned on top, and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

If you enjoy quick breads like this one, you may also like these: 8 Sweet Quick Bread Recipes (No Yeast).

Storage

Room temperature: Store the loaf wrapped or in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.
Freezing: Wrap the cooled loaf (or individual slices) well and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Ingredients

Instructions

About 5–8 minutes before the batter is ready, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). For fan ovens, use 320°F (160°C fan).
Line a 9×5-inch (23 × 13 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper (baking paper)
Dried cranberries: Place the chopped dried cranberries in a small bowl, add the flour, and toss to coat. Set aside.
Flour mixture: In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the flour mixture.
Egg mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the egg mixture until smooth.
Add the flour mixture and chopped cranberries to the egg mixture and stir gently just until combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the surface.
Bake on the middle rack for 40–45 minutes. Check at 30 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the centre of the loaf.
If the toothpick comes out with wet batter and the top is already well browned at this stage, loosely cover with foil and continue baking until the toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then lift out and cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Room temperature: Store the completely cooled loaf in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.
Freezing: Wrap the cooled loaf (or individual slices) well and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes

Dried cranberries: Chop the dried cranberries into small pieces and lightly coat them in a tablespoon of all-purpose flour before adding. This helps them mix evenly and prevents sinking.

Nutrition

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