Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Light, moist, and tender crumb – undetectably gluten-free!
Taste: Orange + almond extract + cranberry = full of flavor!
Ease: Easy to make and great for gifting.
Top Tips: I love using fresh cranberries in this sweet bread, but you can use frozen cranberries too.
Recommended GF Flour: Use a high-quality flour that contains xanthan gum. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour for this recipe, but King Arthur will work too.
Would I make these again? 100% yes! It’s a Christmas morning go-to for my family, plus I love making mini loaves to give as gifts during the holidays. This recipe works for breakfast, dessert, or a snack!
xoxo erin
This post was originally published in November 2023. It was updated with new instructions in October 2024.
This perfect quick bread recipe is one of my favorite treats for the holiday season. Sweet oranges infuse the batter and glaze thanks to ingredients like freshly squeezed orange juice and fresh orange zest. Then fresh cranberries are dotted throughout the batter for a pop of sweet, tart flavor in every bite!
I like to serve this sweet bread with a gluten-free quiche or sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole on Christmas morning. It makes a delicious meal that feels special — but isn’t too hard to put together. No matter when you make this gluten free cranberry bread, it’s sure to be a holiday favorite!
Featured Comment
From Megan: “Cranberry and orange sounded new to me so I tried making it one weekend. The fresh cranberries add a burst of tartness, perfectly balanced by the sweet orange. Easy to make, delicious. Very nice.”
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Bread
- Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
- Can this gluten-free cranberry orange bread be made dairy-free?
- Can this gluten-free cranberry orange bread be made into muffins?
- Can I use dried cranberries in this bread?
- Recipe Tips
- More Gluten-Free Quick Bread Recipes
- Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free cranberry orange bread. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Orange juice/zest: I love using freshly squeezed orange juice for this recipe. I also add the zest of one orange to the quick bread batter for extra flavor.
- Milk: Any type of milk will work for this gluten-free cranberry bread, but I typically use unsweetened almond milk.
- Vanilla and almond extract: These two ingredients give the bread an amazing depth of flavor!
- Gluten-free flour: Be sure to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum for this recipe. I tested this with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour.
- Oil: Any type of neutral oil will work, including vegetable oil, avocado oil and grapeseed oil (my favorite!).
- Cranberries: I like to use fresh, whole cranberries for this gluten free cranberry orange bread, but you can use frozen cranberries too.
You also might like these gluten-free cranberry orange muffins or gluten-free cranberry white chocolate cookies!
How to Make Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Bread
Here’s an overview of how to make this bread. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. I use this one! Set aside.
Make the Bread
- In a large bowl: Combine gluten-free flour, baking powder/soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl: Whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, milk, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla/almond extract.
- Add wet to dry: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. I like to use a rubber spatula to stir the batter until there are no dry streaks left.
- Add in cranberries: In a small bowl, mix together the cranberries and 1 tablespoon of gluten-free flour. Gently fold them into the bread batter.
- In a prepared loaf pan: Pour the batter into the pan and smooth.
- Bake: Bake for 45-60 minutes. Halfway through, loosely cover with foil so the top doesn’t get too brown. Use a toothpick to test for doneness — if it comes out clean with just a few small crumbs, it’s done. Start checking every 5 minutes once it hits the 45-minute mark to be safe. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove it from pan and let it cool the rest of the way on the wire rack.
Make the Glaze
- In a small bowl: Whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. You can adjust the consistency with more orange juice (for thinner) or powdered sugar (for thicker). It needs to be thick, but pourable.
- Pour on bread: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread. Let it sit for a few minutes, then slice. Enjoy!
For more holiday favorites, try this gluten-free gingerbread cake or this gluten-free monkey bread.
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: You can prep the dry and wet mixtures 1 day in advance and then combine when ready to bake. Store the dry ingredients separate from the wet ingredients in airtight containers in the fridge.
To Store: Let cool, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight container. Store for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge.
To Freeze: Let cool, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap before storing in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Can this gluten-free cranberry orange bread be made dairy-free?
Definitely! Use dairy-free milk and you’re all set for amazing dairy-free, gluten-free bread.
Can this gluten-free cranberry orange bread be made into muffins?
Good news! I have a cranberry orange muffin recipe that’s similar to this bread recipe. The recipe gives you all the specifics for making delicious gluten-free muffins with the same flavor profile.
Can I use dried cranberries in this bread?
I don’t recommend using dried cranberries in this recipe because it will change the bread’s consistency. Stick with fresh or frozen cranberries for the best texture!
Recipe Tips
- I use 2 large oranges to make this gluten-free cranberry bread. It works best to zest the oranges before you squeeze out the juice.
- I tested the recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour and got excellent results. King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour should work too.
- I slightly prefer to use fresh cranberries, but frozen cranberries will also work great!
More Gluten-Free Quick Bread Recipes
Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Bread
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups (262g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80ml) neutral oil I use grapeseed oil
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk of choice I use almond milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest about the zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup (100g) fresh cranberries rinsed and patted dry
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
Orange Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon orange zest optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×4-inch loaf pan (I use this one!) with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Make the Bread
- In a large bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, eggs, oil, milk, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract and almond extract.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cranberries and 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a rubber spatula until no dry streaks remain. Gently fold in the floured cranberries. Pour/spoon batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. All ovens vary, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 45-minute mark.
- Remove the cranberry bread from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and place the loaf directly on the wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk the orange glaze ingredients together. Adjust the consistency with more orange juice or more powdered sugar as needed to make a thick, but pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cooled bread. Let the glazed bread sit for a few minutes before slicing. Slice and enjoy!
LOVE cranberry and orange together. We genuinely couldn’t stop eating this at Thanksgiving. I think it was a bigger hit than the pumpkin pie. Fantastic!
Foolproof recipe! My new go-to bread for breakfast, snack and after dinner with tea. So in other words, all day long!!! You absolutely have to make this.
Hi Kay, thank you for the wonderful review! This definitely would be the perfect post-dinner tea accompaniment!
Since I am also grain free, can this be made with almond flour¿
Hi Gerri, we haven’t made this bread with almond flour. My guess is that it will change the texture and it may lack structure if you use 100% almond flour. Let us know if it works out for you!
This recipe was to die for!! It is a perfect blend of cranberry, orange and almond flavors and there was literally a party in my mouth! I chopped the cranberries up into smaller chunks in my food processor for my kids sake but I ended up loving it because there was a little cranberry in every bite! This recipe is a keeper in our house!
Yay! We’re so happy to hear everyone loved the recipe so much and that it’s one you’d make again! Thank you for the kind feedback, Katie!