This Eggless Cranberry Orange Bread has a moist and tender crumb. It’s sweet and tangy, and the glaze takes it over the top. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or a snack with coffee or tea! The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips.
Eggless Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe Highlights
Quick Bread is one of my favorite things to bake, and this Eggless Cranberry Orange Bread is not just wholly delicious but beautiful.
It is super moist and tender, with the perfect amount of sweetness and just a hint of tartness. Coated in an irresistible orange glaze, this easy, quick bread recipe is easy to make with pantry staples that you’ll already have on hand.
I recommend making two cranberry-orange loaves because trust me, they will disappear quickly.
Let’s get baking!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
You’ll need:
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
For the Bread:
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here; skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour. Make sure to measure accurately; a kitchen scale is the best way to measure your ingredients, in my opinion.
- Baking powder & Baking soda: Make sure they’re not expired or too old. To avoid a chemical aftertaste, make sure your baking powder is labeled aluminum free. I usually use the Clabber Girl brand, and though the ingredients state aluminum, I’ve never noticed an aluminum aftertaste.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Orange: You’ll need the juice and zest for this recipe.
- Milk: For baking, I like to use whole milk. However, you can use any milk you have handy.
- Vanilla Extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract! If you are looking for non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring, I recommend Simply Organic Vanilla Flavoring.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar o caster sugar. I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the bread.
- Cranberries: Fresh or frozen will work well for this recipe. If using frozen, do not need to thaw.
For the Orange Sugar Glaze:
- Confectioner’s sugar: Regular confectioner’s sugar, also known as powdered sugar.
- Fresh orange juice: For more orange flavor!
- Heavy Cream: For extra richness! You can also use milk.
Overview: Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Step 1 – Preheat The Oven & Prepare The Pan
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper with cooking spray.
Step 2 – Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3 – Combine Wet Ingredients
Mix orange juice, milk, and vanilla extract in a measuring cup or bowl.
Step 4 – Cream Butter And Sugar
Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter until creamy on medium-high speed, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 4 minutes until creamed and pale, scraping down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add orange zest and beat for 1 minute.
Step 5 – Mix In Dry And Wet Ingredients
Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk-orange mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Step 6 – Stir In The Cranberries
I like to toss the fresh cranberries with a tablespoon of flour, so they don’t sink all the way to the bottom of the bread.
Step 7 – Pour Batter Into The Pan
The orange cake batter is thick, so use a spatula to spread it into the pan, if necessary.
Step 8 – Bake
Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center.
Step 9 – Make The Glaze
This orange glaze is out-of-this-world delicious! To make it, you just need to whisk all the icing ingredients together and then drizzle it over the cooled bread.
Eggless Quick Bread Success Tips
Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
Line your loaf pan with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the long sides to form a sling for an easy, unmold process.
Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes before you get started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the batter.
Bake the bread as soon as the batter is ready.
If the loaf is browning too much, you can tent the loaf pan with foil during the last 10 -15 minutes of baking. The tenting tip helps prevent the top from browning too much while baking the bread throughout.
Don’t open the oven door until the loaf has set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time is stated in the recipe, at least.
Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Adapt This Recipe for Other Food Allergies
This recipe is egg-free and nut-free, but you can certainly adapt it to other food allergies.
GLUTEN-FREE: Substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour. This is my favorite brand. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the baked goods proper structure. Also, gluten-free batters need to rest. So let your batter rest for about 30 minutes, so the flour has time to hydrate and soften before baking it.
DAIRY-FREE: Use your favorite plant-based milk, dairy-free, or vegan butter. Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors.
My favorite dairy-free butter brands for baking are:
Substitutions & Additions
- FROZEN CRANBERRIES: Yes, you can use frozen cranberries in the same quantity and add them frozen (do not thaw). You may need to bake just a few minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- DRIED CRANBERRIES: You can substitute with 2/3 cup dried cranberries and reduce the sugar in the recipe to 2/3 cup since dried cranberries aren’t as tart. The dried cranberries will be juicier if you soak them in very warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before using.
- NUTS: If desired, you can fold in 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios when adding the cranberries to the batter.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Here’s how to store leftover eggless cranberry bread:
LEFTOVERS
Eggless cranberry bread leftover can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days. Be sure to keep it covered. You can store it in the fridge for up to a week.
FREEZER
Here’s how you can freeze homemade pumpkin bread without eggs:
- Let the eggless cranberry bread cool completely.
- Wrap it up in aluminum foil, then with plastic wrap.
- Place inside a large freezer Ziploc bag and freeze the whole loaf for up to 3 months.
Ready to eat it? Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. If using frozen, do not need to thaw.
Yes, you can. In that case, add 2/3 cup dried cranberries and reduce the sugar in the recipe to 2/3 cup since dried cranberries aren’t as tart. The dried cranberries will be juicier if you soak them in very warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before using.
Yes, you can, but keep in mind that the texture and color of your bread will be different than mine.
In some cases, it may be possible to switch between oil and butter in recipes, but it is not something I recommend for this recipe. This recipe is made by the creaming method – beating butter and sugar together – which helps to incorporate air into the batter to make it fluffy; if oil is used, the quickbread will be flatter and denser.
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Recipe Card 📖
Eggless Cranberry Orange Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cup (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh orange juice
- ¾ cup (180 ml) milk (I used whole milk)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries rinsed and patted dry (toasted with one tablespoon of flour)
Orange Sugar Glaze
- 1 cup 120 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted sifted
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) heavy cream or milk (you can substitute for more orange juice for a more intense orange flavored glaze)
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup or bowl, mix together orange juice, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter until creamy on medium-high speed, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 4 minutes until creamed and pale, scraping down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add orange zest and beat for 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk-orange mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beat until just combined, about 30 – 45 seconds. Do not overmix.
- Stir in the cranberries. NOTE: I like to toss the fresh cranberries with a tablespoon of flour, so they don't sink all the way to the bottom of the bread.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. NOTE: The orange cake batter is thick, so use a spatula to spread it into the pan, if necessary.
- Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center. Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then, remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. The bread must be completely cool before frosting.
Make the glaze:
- Whisk all the icing ingredients together and drizzle over the cooled bread.
- Frozen Cranberries: Yes, you can use frozen cranberries in the same quantity and add them frozen (do not thaw). You may need to bake just a few minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Dried Cranberries: You can substitute with 2/3 cup dried cranberries and reduce the sugar in the recipe to 2/3 cup since dried cranberries aren’t as tart. The dried cranberries will be juicier if you soak them in very warm water for 10 minutes then drain and pat dry before using.
- Nuts: If desired, you can fold in 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios when adding the cranberries to the batter.
- Gluten-Free: Substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour. This is my favorite brand. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the baked goods proper structure. Also, gluten-free batters need to rest. So let your batter rest for about 30 minutes, so the flour has time to hydrate and soften before baking it.
- Dairy-Free: Use your favorite plant-based milk, dairy-free, or vegan butter. Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors. My favorite dairy-free butter brands for baking are Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.
- Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Line your loaf pan with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the long sides to form a sling for an easy, unmold process.
- Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes before you get started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the batter.
- Bake the bread as soon as the batter is ready.
- If the loaf is browning too much, you can tent the loaf pan with foil during the last 10 -15 minutes of baking. The tenting tip helps to prevent the top from browning too much while baking the bread throughout.
- Don’t open the oven door until the loaf has set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time is stated in the recipe, at least.
- Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Wrap the bread in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on December 2021. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information have been added to the post in October 2022 to make it as helpful as possible!
