Cranberry Nut Bread

There’s no fruit that makes me think of the holiday season faster than the cranberry. Sure, they aren’t typically the star of anyone’s show, heavily overshadowed by apples and pumpkins. But there’s a delightful uniqueness with the cranberry, one that the other seasonal fruits just can’t touch. They have so much more to offer than just a forgotten sauce on the Thanksgiving table. Put them in the stuffing, use a cranberry relish in a brie en croute, add them into an apple pie for an extra kick, coat them in your favorite chocolate to snack on. And of course, throw together my cranberry nut bread.

This cranberry nut bread recipe is soft, moist, and incredibly nostalgic in my book. The sweet, tangy cranberries, the savory, earthy walnuts, there’s a reason they’re so frequently combined. This bread has made it into my annual fall baking rotation, maybe even more often than pumpkin bread. Serve it warm or at room temperature, with salted butter or a thick layer of cream cheese.

FAQs and Science

Why toast the walnuts before throwing them into the batter?

Toasting the nuts first draws the natural oils out of them. These oils intensify the flavor of the walnuts, leading to a more flavorful bread in the end.

What purpose does rehydrating the cranberries serve? Why not just use fresh berries, in that case?

Dried fruit, when added into any baking project, will suck moisture where they can get it. Hydrating the cranberries in boiling water first will prevent them from taking the moisture out of the bread itself, which would make it very dry.

Fresh cranberries are incredibly tart, on top of holding a ton of water. You would end up with large soggy, acidic patches throughout the bread. Not exactly the flavor and texture you’re looking for, in this case.

Is there a substitute for the yogurt?

Yes! If you don’t have yogurt, you can substitute it with full fat sour cream instead.

Do the milk and yogurt need to be full-fat?

It’s important for the dairy to all remain full fat, baking is chemistry at the end of the day. Fat brings both flavor and a soft texture. If you were to use a lower fat ingredient, it would throw off the balance and you’d have a tougher, more bland cranberry bread.

What You’ll Need

• 9×5 inch loaf pan
• Parchment paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Dry measuring cups
• Liquid measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Baking sheet
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Cooling rack

The Process

Begin by preparing the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350F, and line a 9×5 loaf pan up the two longer sides with parchment paper. Spray the uncovered sides of the pan with nonstick baking spray. Doing this step will ensure that the bread lifts easily out of the pan, with no chance of getting stuck.

When the oven is hot, spread the walnuts onto a clean baking sheet. Bake them for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until the nuts are fragrant and golden brown on the inside.

 Toasting the nuts in this fashion, rather than just adding them into the batter, draws out the natural oils. These oils intensify the walnut flavor, adding more dimension to the bread than it would’ve otherwise had. Set them aside to cool.

Place the dried cranberries in a heatproof bowl, and cover them with boiled water. Allow them to sit for 5 minutes. 

Hydrating the cranberries now will prevent them from sucking moisture out of the bread later on, keeping it a more moist loaf. Drain them and spread them out on a paper towel to dry. Set them aside.

When the nuts have cooled to room temperature, give them a rough chop using a chef’s knife. Set the walnuts aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. I’ve noticed a trend in recent years, where people skip this 15 second step for some reason, presumably because they think it’s pointless. It’s not. 

Whisking the dry goods together prevents there from being a random pocket of salt or baking powder, which would prevent an evenly flavored and risen bread. Taking the 15 seconds to wisk is worth it. Add in the cranberries and chopped nuts, whisking until they’re evenly distributed.

Heat the butter in a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl until it’s just melted. Pour the milk, greek yogurt, egg, and vanilla extract into the melted butter, and whisk them together until homogeneous.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the entirety of the butter mixture. This well helps the liquid to reach the bottom of the bowl, making it easier to hydrate all of the dry goods. 

Using a rubber spatula, gently combine the two until the batter has come together and no streaks of flour remain. Take care not to overmix the batter. Otherwise, you run the risk of overdeveloping the gluten and making the bread tough, not tender. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, scraping the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula to get as much of the batter as you can. Place it into the oven and bake the bread for 70 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.

 Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing it and placing it on a wire rack to finish cooling completely. These 10 minutes give the bread a chance to settle down and release from the pan more easily. Once it’s come down to room temperature, slice the cranberry bread into 10 portions, or your desired amount of slices. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days, and enjoy!

Cranberry Nut Bread

Bake Time: 350F for 70-80 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup whole milk greek yogurt
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F, and line a 9×5 loaf pan up the two longer sides with parchment paper. Spray the uncovered shorter sides of the pan with nonstick baking spray.
2. Once the oven has heated, spread the walnuts onto a baking sheet. Bake them for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until the nuts are fragrant and golden brown on the inside. Set them aside to cool.
3. Place the dried cranberries in a heatproof bowl, and cover them with boiled water. Allow them to sit for 5 minutes, then drain them and spread them out on a paper towel to dry them off a bit. Set them aside.
4. When the nuts have cooled to room temperature, give them a rough chop using a chef’s knife. Set the walnuts aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add in the cranberries and chopped nuts, whisking until they’re evenly distributed.
6. Heat the butter in a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl until it’s just melted. Pour the milk, greek yogurt, egg, and vanilla extract into the melted butter, and whisk them together until homogenous.
7. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the entirety of the butter mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently combine the two until the batter has come together and no streaks of flour remain.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, scraping the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula to get as much of the batter as you can.
9. Place it into the oven and bake the bread for 70 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing it and placing it on a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Once it’s come down to room temperature, slice the cranberry bread into 10 portions, or your desired amount of slices. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days, and enjoy!

Tips

• This cranberry bread can be frozen! Follow the recipe as written. After it’s cooled down, wrap it airtight in plastic and then place it in a freezer safe bag. Keep it frozen for up to 3 months, and thaw it on the counter overnight the day before you’re ready to serve it.
• If you aren’t a fan of walnuts, feel free to swap them out for pecans or almonds! You’re the captain of your own cranberry bread.