Bread Recipes – FoodWatcher

Cranberry Orange Bread

sliced cranberry bread on a cutting board. Cranberry Orange Bread is an easy quick bread recipe that’s soft and moist with tons of orange flavor. It’s bursting with fresh cranberries and a delicious orange glaze on top! I love quick bread so much – especially my banana bread recipe and my lemon bread. Orange and cranberry flavors go so well together and…

Cranberry Orange Bread is an easy quick bread recipe that’s soft and moist with tons of orange flavor. It’s bursting with fresh cranberries and a delicious orange glaze on top!

I love quick bread so much – especially my banana bread recipe and my lemon bread. Orange and cranberry flavors go so well together and are perfect at the holidays. This Orange Cranberry Bread is has the best orange flavor throughout – and that sweet orange glaze is the perfect finisher to mix with the tart cranberries. I couldn’t stop sneaking pieces of this bread and it’ll for sure show up on both my Thanksgiving Christmas tables.

ingredients in cranberry orange bread laid out on a white counter.

Ingredients Needed

Sugar: The bread uses granulated sugar and the glaze uses powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar).
Orange: I used orange juice and orange zest to give the best orange flavor – fresh is best.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk is needed for the bread to rise properly. You can also use regular milk or non-dairy milk and add 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice.
Cranberries: This recipe was tested with fresh cranberries. If you use frozen, be sure to thaw them and pat dry.

process shot of cranberry orange bread being made.

How to make Cranberry Orange Bread

Stir together the sugar and orange zest in a large bowl, set aside.
Whisk together buttermilk, orange juice, oil and egg. Set aside.
Whisk together flour mixture, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add wet ingredients to sugar mixture and stir until combined. Stir in dry ingredients, then fold in chopped cranberries.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs (test in the very center of the loaf). Cool before removing from pan.
Once cool, make the glaze by whisking powdered sugar with orange juice and adding just enough cream or milk to get a drizzle. Drizzle over bread; let set. Slice and serve.

Expert Tips

Since I can never find frozen cranberries at my store, I used fresh and this recipe has never been tested with frozen cranberries. If you want to try with frozen, make sure to strain and dry them before adding them in.
Let the icing on this bread dry on a wire rack before serving or storing.
You can store this recipe at room temperature or place in the freezer for about a month or so. Wrap it well in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container.

FAQs

Why does my bread come out crumbly?

This bread will be crumbly until it cools so let it cool completely before slicing.

How do you know quick bread is done baking?

A toothpick will come out clean from the center of the crack in the bread.

Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe

Soft and moist and fluffy – this Cranberry Orange Bread is a quick bread that's bursting with orange flavor and cranberries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 500kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost $10

Ingredients

Bread:

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
¾ cup (177ml) buttermilk
¼ cup (59ml) fresh orange juice
¾ cup (177ml) vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries coarsely chopped

Glaze:

½ cup (57g) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray (or baking spray, the kind with flour in it).
Stir together the sugar and orange zest in a large bowl, set aside.
Whisk together buttermilk, orange juice, oil and egg. Set aside.
Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add wet ingredients to sugar mixture and stir until combined. Stir in dry ingredients, then fold in chopped cranberries.
Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs (test in the very center of the loaf). Cool before removing from pan.
Once cool, make the glaze by whisking powdered sugar with orange juice and adding just enough cream or milk to get a drizzle. Drizzle over bread; let set. Slice and serve.

Notes

If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar or measuring cup, then fill to the ¾ cup mark with milk. Let sit 5 minutes before using.
You can also do this method if using nondariy milk.
This recipe has only been tested with fresh cranberries (I can never find frozen in my grocery stores).
When making the glaze, you can use heavy cream, half and half, milk or nondairy milk. The less fat in the milk the less you’ll need to use – so start with 2 teaspoons and work your way up if not using heavy cream.

Nutrition

Other Cranberry & Orange Recipe

Chocolate Chip Orange Cookies

Brownies & Bars

Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cake

Orange Pound Cake

Breakfast Recipes

Cranberry Cinnamon Roll Bake

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Buttermilk Biscuits

Close-up of freshly baked, golden-brown biscuits on a metal baking tray. The biscuits are flaky and layered, with a soft texture. The background is a blurred, light gray surface with a hint of a striped cloth. Learn how to make the best ever Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe! They’re tender, soft, flakey, and buttery biscuits made with just a few ingredients and done in under 45 minutes, perfect as a side dish with butter or gravy or as breakfast with jam! NOTHING compares to soft and fluffy homemade buttermilk biscuits – these are…

Learn how to make the best ever Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe! They’re tender, soft, flakey, and buttery biscuits made with just a few ingredients and done in under 45 minutes, perfect as a side dish with butter or gravy or as breakfast with jam!

NOTHING compares to soft and fluffy homemade buttermilk biscuits – these are soft and buttery with tender, flakey layers and that classic crunchy bottom that comes with a restaurant style biscuit. These have a few more steps than drop biscuits, but it’s totally worth it – it’s way easier than you think.

I used to think biscuits from a can or from the yellow box were superior – until I made this recipe. Once I realized how easy it really is to make them I never went back to store-bought again. This biscuit recipe is sure to become your absolute favorite!

Ingredients needed

Self-Rising Flour or All-Purpose Flour: You can use either one in this recipe, with a few substitutions. Self-rising flour includes leavening agents and salt. If you use self-rising flour you only need 3 ingredients, but if all you have is AP flour you can just add salt and baking powder.
Butter: cold salted butter that’s cubed, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing
Buttermilk: The acidity in the buttermilk adds a nice tang and also works with the self-rising flour to help the biscuits rise. I recommend buying buttermilk not making your own for this recipe.

How to make Buttermilk Biscuits

Place flour (and salt and baking powder, if using AP flour) in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or 2 forks.
Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk, stirring with a fork to work the flour into the buttermilk just until moistened and it’s a shaggy dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press it to get it into a cohesive ball. At this point we’re going to laminate the dough to make it flakey – fold it over on itself 3-4 times. (This is a similar process to making puff pastry or croissant dough.)
Roll or pat out to desired thickness. Cut biscuits with a pastry cutter or drinking glass to cut into rounds. Place on buttered cookie sheet or cast iron pan.
Brush the tops with the melted butter. Bake until they are puffy and golden brown.

video showing woman's hands folding biscuit dough on floured wooden cutting board. — How to laminate biscuit dough.

A baking tray with freshly baked golden-brown biscuits, showcasing their flaky, layered texture. The biscuits are arranged closely together on a silver tray, on a gray surface.

Expert tips

Use cold butter and buttermilk in the biscuits to keep them tender – the little bits of butter help create those flakey layers.
Don’t overflour your work surface or your biscuits will turn out dry. Similarly, do not overwork your biscuit dough.
Make sure your self-rising flour is not expired. Self-rising flour includes baking powder which will lose its potency over time and cause your biscuits to not rise properly and not be flaky and tender.
I don’t recommend using homemade buttermilk in this recipe – for biscuits you want to buy actual buttermilk.
Laminating the dough a few times is what creates those flaky layers!
Serving biscuits: these are delicious plain, as a sandwich, with butter, sausage gravy, or jam. We use them as a side dish mostly, but I’ve also been known to eat one (or two) for dessert!

Storing Biscuits

Store leftover biscuits at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple of days. You can wrap them well in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for a month or so.

FAQs

What does buttermilk do to biscuits?

The buttermilk reacts to the rising flour, creating a perfectly tender biscuit.

Should buttermilk be cold when making biscuits?

Yes, it should be cold to get the best results.

Why didn’t my biscuits rise?

Was your self-rising flour or baking powder expired or old? This will cause the biscuits to not rise, as will using warm butter or buttermilk.

Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe

These are the BEST Biscuits made with self-rising or all-purpose flour. They're tender, flakey, buttery, and the perfect breakfast or side dish.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings biscuits (depending on size)

Calories 193kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost 6