Bursting with tart, fresh cranberries and sweet orange, cranberry orange muffins are special enough for a holiday weekend breakfast but easy enough to make any day of the week. If you’re having guests over for the holidays, there’s one thing I know for sure: you’re gonna want some easy breakfast options on hand. Especially if …
Bursting with tart, fresh cranberries and sweet orange, cranberry orange muffins are special enough for a holiday weekend breakfast but easy enough to make any day of the week.
If you’re having guests over for the holidays, there’s one thing I know for sure: you’re gonna want some easy breakfast options on hand.
Especially if you have family members that all get up at different times. You need to have something on hand for the early birds and the late risers.
I like making a pan of my make-ahead breakfast casserole, thawing some frozen fruit, and setting out a batch of freshly baked muffins. There’s a little something for everyone!
This year, I’m definitely going to be making these cranberry orange muffins.
Cranberry Orange Bread is a wintertime classic. The tart cranberries and sweet citrus are both in season and they offer such a bright and welcome contrast to the usually heavy foods of winter. In our house, this was a staple every Thanksgiving and Christmas morning, but it’s great to have a slice with coffee any day of the year. And since this Cranberry Orange Bread freezes beautifully, you can take a slice out and warm it up whenever you need a little taste of sunshine. :)
If you love to have a little sweet baked treat along with your homemade cup of coffee, this cranberry orange bread recipe is going to be your new fav. The loaf is sweet, rich, filled with orange essence, and dotted with fresh tart cranberries. The sweet glaze on top makes the perfect juxtaposition to the tart cranberries and the whole thing is absolutely addictive!
Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Bread
Here’s what you’ll need to make a loaf of this delicious cranberry orange bread:
Butter: Butter keeps the loaf rich, moist, and dessert-like. We use salted butter because it’s easier to keep just one kind of butter in your fridge!
Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar in the bread to sweeten everything up, and powdered sugar to create the thick orange glaze on top.
Eggs: Eggs help leaven the loaf and give it strength so it doesn’t collapse after baking.
Sour Cream: Sour cream is added to give the loaf moisture, richness, and even more flavor.
Orange: We use both the orange juice and zest in this bread, in the batter and in the icing that is drizzled over top.
All-Purpose Flour: Would it be “bread” without flour? Regular all-purpose flour is used to give the loaf body and strength.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Because of the acidic ingredients in the batter (sour cream, orange juice, and cranberries), we use a combination of both baking powder AND baking soda to leaven the bread.
Salt: A little salt always helps make the individual flavors pop and allows you to taste every element.
Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this bread. If using frozen, allow them to thaw before folding into the batter.
How to Store Leftovers
This cranberry orange bread will stay good in the refrigerator for about five days, or you can freeze it for longer storage. To freeze, slice the bread and then stack the slices with parchment between each slice. Place the stacked bread in an air-tight container, like a freezer bag, and then store it in the freezer. You can take out one or as many slices as needed and thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving or microwave until warm.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Zest and juice the orange. You'll need about ⅓ cup juice (divided) and a ¼ tsp zest for this recipe. Wash and slice the cranberries in half.
In a large bowl beat together the butter, sugar, and ¼ tsp orange zest with a hand mixer or stand mixer on high until the mixture is soft and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
Add the sour cream and ¼ cup of the orange juice to the batter and beat again for about 2 minutes. Save the remainder of the orange juice to make the glaze later.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add about half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat with low speed until combined. Add the rest and beat until combined again. Finally, fold the sliced cranberries into the batter.
Grease an 8.5 x 4.5-inch bread pan and then dust lightly with flour. Spread the cranberry bread batter into the bread pan and smooth out the surface.
Bake the cranberry orange bread for 60 minutes in the preheated 350ºF oven, or until it is browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay, just no wet batter).
Allow the bread to cool in the bread pan while you make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar with just enough orange juice to create a thick glaze (about 1.5 to 2 Tbsp). You can add a pinch of orange zest to the glaze, if desired.
When the bread has mostly cooled, use a knife to loosen the edges, then remove it from the bread pan. Drizzle the glaze over top, then slice and serve.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Zest and juice one orange. For the bread batter and icing you’ll need about ⅓ cup juice (divided) and about ¼ tsp zest (or more if desired). Wash and slice 2 cups of fresh cranberries in half.
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together 8 Tbsp room-temperature salted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and ¼ tsp orange zest on high until soft and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add one large egg and beat together until smooth and creamy (another 2 minutes).
Add ¼ cup orange juice and ½ cup sour cream, then beat together until smooth and creamy once again.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt.
Add about half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat them together on low speed until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low speed until a smooth batter forms. Do not overmix.
Fold the sliced cranberries into the batter.
Grease an 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan, then dust it lightly with flour. Spread the bread batter into the loaf pan.
Bake the bread in the preheated 350ºF oven for 60 minutes or until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (it may have a few crumbs but should not have wet batter coating it). Allow the cranberry bread to cool in the pan.
When the bread is mostly cool, prepare the icing. Stir together 1 cup powdered sugar with 1.5-2 Tbsp orange juice, and a pinch of orange zest if desired. Add just enough orange juice to create a thick glaze. Remove the bread from the pan, then drizzle the glaze over top.
I guess I take pleasure in the little things because I get the most excited about this Homemade Cranberry Sauce recipe out of all the Thanksgiving food every year! The amount of flavor that comes out of just three simple ingredients is unreal. And because homemade cranberry sauce is this easy to make, I’ve started making it as a side dish for my dinners all winter long. It’s great with so many different meals!
Cranberry sauce is so incredibly easy to make that you’ll only need these simple ingredients:
Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make this sauce. Make sure to look for plump and firm cranberries and pass on any that look dull, mushy, or wrinkled.
Sugar: Cranberries are incredibly tart on their own, so we’ll need a good dose of sugar to balance their tart flavor.
Water: A little water helps the cranberries boil and creates a saucy texture with the sugar.
Orange: This ingredient is optional, but I find that the addition of a little orange juice and a pinch of orange zest really adds a nice little dose of freshness on top of the bright cranberry flavor.
Sugar Substitutions
If you don’t want to use white sugar in your cranberry sauce, you can substitute the sugar with honey or maple syrup, keeping in mind that they will produce slightly different flavors and textures in the final sauce. And while I have seen recipes that use sugar-free sweeteners, like stevia or erythritol, I have not tried making cranberry sauce with these ingredients myself.
What Else Can I Add?
This simple cranberry sauce recipe can be modified in various ways to add other flavors. Here are some other ingredients you can add to cranberry sauce to make it your own:
Jalapeños
Red wine
Apples
Figs
Raspberries
Cinnamon or Nutmeg
Vanilla extract
Cloves
Ginger
Balsamic vinegar
How to Store Leftovers
This cranberry sauce holds up beautifully in the refrigerator, so feel free to make it a day or two ahead of your Thanksgiving meal. It will stay good in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days, or you can freeze it for up to three months.
How to Use Cranberry Sauce
We all know and love cranberry sauce with Thanksgiving turkey, but it’s also awesome served in other ways! Try adding it to chicken, stirring it into your oatmeal, adding it on top of buttered toast or an English muffin, on top of a bagel with cream cheese, or even on some vanilla ice cream! And you can use it to make my favorite Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip for New Year’s Eve. ;)
Add the sugar and water to a medium saucepot. Stir to combine. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Rinse the cranberries, then add them to the boiling sugar water, and place a lid on top. Allow the water to come back up to a boil, at which point the cranberries will begin to pop.
Once all the cranberries have popped, remove the lid, give it a stir, and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the pot continue to simmer over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the cranberries have completely broken down and the mixture has thickened. You can simmer longer if you prefer an extra thick cranberry sauce.
While the cranberries simmer, zest and juice the orange
Once the cranberry sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and stir in2 Tbsp orange juice and 1/4 tsp zest to the sauce. Allow the sauce to cool slightly, then serve.
Try serving this homemade cranberry sauce over a wheel of baked brie for an extra special holiday treat!
How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce – Step by Step Photos
Start by adding 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a medium sauce pot. Stir to combine, then place the pot over medium heat and allow it to come to a boil.
While waiting for the water and sugar to boil, rinse one 12oz. package of fresh cranberries. You can actually use either fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe. If using frozen, just allow them to thaw first. Add the rinsed cranberries to the boiling sugar water. Place a lid on top and allow it to return to a boil.
When the pot returns to a boil the cranberries will begin to pop (that’s why you need a lid). Once all of the cranberries have popped, remove the lid, give it a good stir, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Continue to let the cranberries simmer over medium-low, without a lid, until they have broken down and thickened (about 5-7 minutes). Stir the mixture occasionally as it simmers.
While the cranberries are simmering, zest and juice one small orange. You’ll only need about ¼ tsp zest and 2 Tbsp juice unless you really like citrus and then you can measure with your heart!
Stir the juice and zest into the cooked cranberry sauce.
Stir everything together then let it cool slightly (it will thicken as it cools). Then it’s ready to serve! You can make this a day or two ahead of time if needed.
Fresh cranberry sauce is so delicious and you can put it on just about anything. Of course, it is good on all of the usual Thanksgiving items but don’t forget it on your turkey sandwich the next day! Because it is so jam-like it’s also amazing on a piece of toast with butter in the morning. Try it over ice cream too! What do you put your cranberry sauce on?
Inside: If you are looking for an amazing and unique appetizer to take your next holiday party, look no further – this creamy cranberry dip is easy to make and …
Inside: If you are looking for an amazing and unique appetizer to take your next holiday party, look no further – this creamy cranberry dip is easy to make and sure to be a hit.
We are at the time of year where holiday gatherings are starting and everyone is rushing to think of what foods to take to share with friends and family. It can be hard to think of something unique that people will like, but this festive dip that I am going to share today fits the bill.
When most people think of cranberries during the holidays, they think of fresh cranberry sauce. Even though it is a common food to share at Thanksgiving, a lot of times there is a lot of leftovers since it isn’t always the most popular dish. Today, I am going to share a recipe for another recipe that uses fresh cranberries, but that is combined with delicious brie and gouda cheeses which makes for a creamy dip that everyone will love.
What is Cranberry Dip?
Cranberry dip is one of many cranberry recipes that you can make for holiday parties. This particular easy dip recipe combines fresh ingredients, like tart cranberries, coconut sugar, cinnamon, orange juice and orange zest, with brie and gouda cheeses. It is then baked in the oven and served with crackers. This is a perfect appetizer, because it is easy to make and easy to share. People can scoop it up onto their plate and enjoy it with their favorite crackers or even just with a spoon.
A common variation is to use cream cheese if you prefer that over brie and gouda, but I find that these decadent cheeses make a huge difference and everyone seems to love it! If you have all the ingredients, you can even make it at the last minute, because it doesn’t take long at all to through together.
How do you make this Cranberry Dip?
To make this perfect holiday party appetizer, you will gather the following simple ingredients:
1 bag of fresh cranberries (you can use frozen cranberries if that is what you have)
4 Tbsp of coconut sugar
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Juice from one orange
1/2 tbsp of orange zest
Brie cheese
Smoked Gouda, cut into cubes (optional)
Fresh rosemary
You will start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a small bowl combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Next, in a 9×13 inch baking dish combine cranberries, coconut sugar and cinnamon mixture, and the fresh orange juice and zest, and stir well.
Finally, add the round of brie cheese to the middle of the dish and add the cubes of smoked gouda and the rosemary. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Once cooked, remove from the oven, give it a quick stir, and serve with and assortment of crackers, tortilla chips, pretzel crisps, or pita chips.
If you don’t have brie cheese, you can replace it with a block of cream cheese and it will still have a similar creamy texture and taste.
This recipe is great right out of the oven, but you can also save any leftover dip for the next day. Just keep it in an airtight container, or in the same serving dish with plastic wrap over the top and it will be ready to continue enjoying later.
The delicious seasonal flavors of this dip make it a perfect option for family gatherings any time of year, and it is my new favorite way to use cranberries.
If you are looking for an amazing and unique appetizer to take your next holiday party, look no further - this creamy cranberry dip is easy to make and sure to be a hit
Sweet bananas and tart cranberries combine for a winter twist on an old favorite in this cranberry banana bread. It’s finally cranberry season! I love tart cranberries. I always try to buy extra bags during the holiday season to freeze because I never know if I’ll find them again before the next winter. And I …
Sweet bananas and tart cranberries combine for a winter twist on an old favorite in this cranberry banana bread.
It’s finally cranberry season!
I love tart cranberries. I always try to buy extra bags during the holiday season to freeze because I never know if I’ll find them again before the next winter.
And now I can add this cranberry banana bread to my list of random cranberry cravings. After all, I love a sweet-tart combo, and there’s not a much better one than sweet bananas and tart cranberries.
If you’re looking for a tasty and healthy breakfast or snack, these banana cranberry muffins are the perfect choice. They’re packed with fresh bananas and cranberries, loaded with fiber rich oats, and they’re bursting with delicious Fall flavors too! T…
If you're looking for a tasty and healthy breakfast or snack, these banana cranberry muffins are the perfect choice. They're packed with fresh bananas and cranberries, loaded with fiber rich oats, and they're bursting with delicious Fall flavors too! There's nothing quite like a soft, fluffy muffin. And these Cranberry Banana Muffins are my new...
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