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Satisfy your cravings with a delectable slice of my easy Moist Cranberry Orange Quick Bread. It is guaranteed to bring joy to your taste buds.

 

Cranberry orange quick bread is the ultimate comfort food for the holidays. At least it is for me. The aroma of cranberries and oranges filling the kitchen is total intoxicating. And will make you want to bake this bread repeatedly this holiday season.

 

Why do cranberries and oranges go so well together?

 

When cranberries and oranges come together, they create an irresistible harmonious balance of flavors that is both refreshing and comforting. The tanginess of the cranberries cuts through the sweetness of the orange, creating a delicious contrast that keeps you coming back for more. And each bite of Cranberry Orange Quick Bread is a delightful dance between sweet and tangy, leaving a lingering taste that is simply irresistible.

 

 

But it’s not always just about the flavor. These two fruits are packed with healthy goodness that makes this bread easier to justify eating the whole loaf in one sitting. I’m kidding! Or am i?

 

Cranberries are packed with antioxidants that help promote your overall health and well-being. Orange have delicious vitamin C that boosts your immune system keeping you healthy. Especially during flu and cold season in the winter months. Which is precisely when these fruits are in season!

 

 

Why is cranberry orange quick bread a scrumptious comfort food?

 

For me, it’s not so much the flavors, but the time of year this combination of flavors is super popular. THE HOLIDAYS! Cranberries and cranberry sauce are a staple at holiday meals. Oranges are in season, and, for some, a holiday gift given to family and friends. Or a holiday craft that made the house smell oh so delicious.

 

Cranberries are also perfectly delicious and comforting in recipes like these sourdough cranberry muffins.  Or you can change up the fruits and make these cranberry banana muffins.  And since we just went through pumpkin week, you can make these sourdough pumpkin cranberry muffins.  Talk about the ultimate in comfort food!

 

 

There’s a story that St. Nicholas would toss bags of gold down the chimney for Christmas. This gold wound up in the girls’ stockings hanging by the chimney to dry. That’s why some would find oranges in their stockings at Christmas. Another tradition of leaving oranges in stockings came about during the Great Depression. Oranges were not easy to come by, so receiving one in your stocking meant that person must have spent either a lot of time finding one or money buying to gift it to you. Either way, you were special.

 

For those crafters, I remember sitting with mom making orange crafts. We would take cloves and stick them into oranges for an aromatic treat to put in bowls on tables. The combination of the oranges and cloves filled the air and just smelled like the holidays.

 

 

Why is this moist cranberry orange quick bread perfect for the holidays?

 

Well, I mean, besides the delicious combination of flavors, it’s a super easy recipe that you can make quickly. Like quicker than most quick breads because you don’t have to wait for butter to come to room temperature. It’s made with olive oil! Which, I think, makes this bread super moist and delicious. No, you don’t taste the olives of the olive oil. Heck, you could make it with orange scented olive oil for an even more tasty bread!

 

You can make this bread with frozen or fresh berries. If you’re using fresh, you might want to up the brown sugar to 1/2 cup in case your berries are super tart like mine were. But the flavor of the oranges and sugar was enough for me to compliment the tartness of the cranberries. And if you’re using frozen berries, there’s really no reason to thaw them. Just pop them in the batter as is.  Heck, you could even use this cranberry orange congealed salad to make this bread.

 

 

The olive oil and yogurt make this bread super moist and delicious. Even days after making it if it lasts that long. The crumb is still tender. The top of the bread is not dry and crumbly. And the flavors are still vibrant and super tasty.

 

The cranberries infuse the bread with a burst of tartness, adding a refreshing tang that cuts through the richness of the bread. As you take your first bite, you’ll be greeted with the burst of juicy cranberries that lend a burst of brightness to each mouthful. Their vibrant, ruby-red color not only looks visually appealing but also adds a beautiful tartness that complements the sweetness of the bread.

 

 

How do you make moist cranberry orange quick bread?

 

That’s super simple! You combine the flour with the baking powder and baking soda with a whisk and you set that aside until you’re finished with the liquid ingredients. The whisk helps aerate the mixture and make sure there’s no lumps and it’s thoroughly combined.

 

Combine the sugar with the brown sugar, olive oil, and yogurt and stir with the whisk until the sugars begin to dissolve or the mixture is creamy and light. Then you stir in the egg, the orange juice, and the zest.

 

 

Toss the cranberries in the flour mixture then add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Stir sparingly! You don’t want to over mix so it’s thoroughly combined. You want some lumps, but you don’t want to see any dry bits of flour. Then let the batter sit while you heat the oven and prepare the pan.

 

Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes. I used a glass pan so I lowered the temperature to 325 and cooked it for 50 to 60 minutes. There’s something about the material of the pan that makes a difference in how you bake it. I’ve failed too many times with glass pans to no drop the temperature and just cook it for longer.

 

See how simple that is? It’s easy to whip up and tastes oh so delicious. It’s a moist and simple quick bread that you will make throughout the holiday season. Because your kitchen and whole house will have an intoxicating orange aroma that just screams holidays!  

 

Have some leftover cranberries?  Then try this cranberry coffee cake.  With just a cup of cranberries you can make some delicious cranberry jam or this cranberry jam that has apples in it!  What about a mustard?  Try this whole grain cranberry mustard with your leftover berries.