Christmas Cranberry Bread Recipe
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Christmas Cranberry Bread Recipe made in cast iron is a citrus-flavored bread, perfect for holidays or as a delicious breakfast bread. After all, fruit and bread complement each other perfectly.
Christmas Cranberry Orange Bread is one of those unexpected pops of flavor your family will love. This dessert-like bread is easy to make and pairs well with orange marmalade or a sweet glaze. You can also make it into muffins if you prefer. Consider it the ultimate Christmas cranberry bread recipe for your holiday table.
CAST IRON Christmas Bread
This easy bread recipe is a family favorite for so many reasons. We often bring this bread into holiday celebrations, which carries along some warm fuzzy feelings and memories.
It doesn’t change the flavor, but it somehow enhances it with those memories in play. That doesn’t mean this bread needs to be exclusive to the holidays.
It’s easy to make all year round and brings a freshness to snack time or breakfast that can’t be beat. Personally, we can’t image breakfast without a fresh, citrus-y kick to start the day, especially with this Christmas cranberry bread or Cranberry Muffins.
SAVORING THE BEST Cranberry Orange Bread
How to store Christmas Cranberry Bread Recipe
This bread is the perfect blend of sweet and moist, which means you’ll want to store in an airtight container for optimal longevity. You also can cover with foil or plastic wrap, or if you prefer you can put it in a plastic bag to help keep the bread moist.
At room temperature, your bread will last 2-3 days. But if you really want to get some mileage out of it, store your cranberry orange bread in the refrigerator for up to a week. It’s one of the best ways to preserve your Christmas cranberry bread.
Can Christmas Cranberry Bread Recipe be frozen?
Your cranberry orange bread can be frozen to savor for later! The tricky part is, you want to keep your bread moist. However, you do not want a ton of ice crystals to form.
The trick to this is to wrap your cool bread tightly with plastic wrap (or aluminum foil) and then place in a heavy duty freezer bag. To thaw, simply allow your bread to thaw in the refrigerator and enjoy!
How to make Christmas Cranberry Bread Recipe
What kind of cast iron do you need for cranberry orange bread? A cast iron bread pan will do the trick. The other major equipment you’ll need is a stand mixer. Beyond that, you’ll need flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, slivered almonds, fresh cranberries, an orange (for the magical zest!), fresh squeezed orange juice, an egg and a little vegetable oil.
For our fabulous glaze, you’ll need powdered sugar and whole milk or heavy whipping cream. (We lean toward heavy whipping cream for the decadence factor.)
Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare using the instructions below, baking for 40 minutes. Pro tip: Make sure to grease your cast iron well, this helps keep the bread from sticking to the pan and assures the cast iron can do its magic.
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Also, don’t forget to check out our homemade white bread, utilizing a cast iron loaf pan.
CHOOSING CAST IRON
As we mentioned above, a loaf pan is key to this recipe. Not all cast iron is created equally and we definitely have our favorites. We recommend this cast iron bread pan as it never fails to bake a perfectly crisp edge but moist bread.
It’s also important to take good care of your cast iron. It’s pretty easy with some basic maintenance, but keep your pan in good condition by properly seasoning/oiling. This is one of the biggest steps you can take to keep your pan in tip-top shape.
What to serve with your bread
Looking for a way to bring it all together for a full meal plan? This section in every post will help you pair the recipe you’re viewing with other flavorful dishes to make your mealtime much easier. Enjoy this section of posts? Leave a comment below and let me know!
- Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls – This incarnation of cinnamon buns is heavenly.
- Blueberry Biscuits – These nuggets of blueberry goodness are a nice balance to cranberry orange!
- Baked Potato Bacon Egg Breakfast Skillet – This would be a savory balance to our sweet cranberry orange bread.
Related to Christmas Cranberry Bread
Christmas Cranberry Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted then measured
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 zest orange
- 1 eggs
- 3-4 freshly squeezed oranges substitute 3/4 cup store bought orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Easy Glaze
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (aka confectioners)
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk or heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F and center the rack.
- Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl or stand mixer.
- Combine egg, orange juice, orange zest, and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Add to dry ingredients and stir.
- Fold in cranberries and almonds.
- Pour batter into greased cast iron loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes.
- Remove from loaf pan and rest on a wire rack.
- Optional: for a dessert, bread combine milk and powdered sugar to create a glaze.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
Can dried cranberries be used instead of fresh cranberries, and would liquid need to be adjusted. Thank you, this looks delish
You can use dried cranberries, no adjustment needed.
If one does not have a cast iron pa, what kind of loaf pan would you suggest?
I often use this pan too> https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Nonstick-Bakeware-Bread-2-Piece/dp/B01BLEHWS6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=camepm-20&s=gateway
But any loaf pan will work.