I love making salads that are satisfying and filled with delicious and nutritious ingredients. It is always fun to play around with different flavors, ingredients, and dressings. This Orange Arugula Salad is definitely a favorite. It is fresh, hearty, …
I love making salads that are satisfying and filled with delicious and nutritious ingredients. It is always fun to play around with different flavors, ingredients, and dressings. This Orange Arugula Salad is definitely a favorite. It is fresh, hearty, and filled with flavor! Sharp, peppery arugula is the base of the salad. I add brown…
If you are looking for an easy and healthy meal, I have a the perfect recipe for you! Honey Mustard Salmon with Citrus Salsa. I know it sounds a little gourmet, but this recipe is SO easy! It only takes about 20 minutes to make. You can’t beat th…
If you are looking for an easy and healthy meal, I have a the perfect recipe for you! Honey Mustard Salmon with Citrus Salsa. I know it sounds a little gourmet, but this recipe is SO easy! It only takes about 20 minutes to make. You can’t beat that! The honey mustard sauce is easy…
I love everything cranberry orange, cranberry orange bread, cranberry orange muffins, and cranberry orange scones, just to name a few! The flavors are SO good together, especially during the holiday months. I also love these Cranberry Orange Pistachio …
I love everything cranberry orange, cranberry orange bread, cranberry orange muffins, and cranberry orange scones, just to name a few! The flavors are SO good together, especially during the holiday months. I also love these Cranberry Orange Pistachio Shortbread Cookies. This recipe is from my friend Daniela, who took all of the cookie photos for…
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?
If you’re looking for an easy-to-make dessert that’s crazy delicious with an absolute knock-out wow factor—this creamy, citrusy Puerto Rican-style flan is where it’s at! You can make it up to a week ahead, and it’s ridiculously budget-friendly. Are you ready for a new family favorite?
What Is Flan?
Puerto Rican-style flan is a chilled custard made with eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. The custard base is poured over a layer of caramelized sugar, and then baked in a water bath, ensuring even cooking and preventing the flan from cracking. Once the flan is baked, it’s cooled completely before being inverted onto a serving plate. The caramel sauce flows over the flan, creating a gorgeous, glossy presentation.
Ingredients for Flan
I love how truly simple this recipe is. You probably have everything you need right in your pantry! Here’s what you need to make my easy recipe for Puerto Rican-style flan:
White Sugar: Creates the caramel sauce for our flan.
Orange: The juice and zest of this fruit help flavor the custard.
Sweetened Condensed Milk and Evaporated Milk: Create the base of our custard. You can substitute with Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk and Evaporated Coconut milk.
Heavy Cream: Adds a velvety mouthfeel to the custard. You can substitute it with unsweetened coconut cream.
Bay Leaf: Adds an earthy note to the custard to balance the sweetness. If you don’t have a bay leaf, skip it.
Eggs: Thicken the custard and give it a buttery yellow hue. You need eggs to make this an authentic flan. But if you are trying to make this a plant-based dessert, mix 1/2 cup of cornstarch in 3/4 cup of water and add it to the milk mixture.
Vanilla Extract: Adds a floral note to the custard and helps balance the sweetness.
What To Serve With Flan
In Puerto Rico, flan is usually served plain, but you can top yours with Homemade Whipped Cream or shaved chocolate. Citrus zest is also lovely with this recipe, as are sliced fresh berries. If you want to lean in on the fruit angle, Strawberry Sauce or Cherry Sauce are fantastic with it as well.
How To Store Flan
Flan shouldn’t be left at room temperature for more than two hours. Store leftovers in an airtight container with a sheet of plastic or parchment directly on the surface. It will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge. To freeze flan for up to 2 months, slice leftovers and wrap well, then place in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Find a baking sheet large enough to accommodate a 9-inch pie dish or cake round with a flat top. It must lay flat for the flan to come out of it and onto a serving dish without breaking.
Set a light-colored sauce pot over medium heat and add the sugar and 1/4 cup of orange juice. (If the orange didn’t release a ¼ cup of juice, make up the difference with water.) Heat the sugar and melt it until it turns light golden brown, then take the pot off the heat. The sugar will continue to brown off the heat. Do not stir the sugar, which can cause it to recrystallize and get grainy. Instead, swirl the pan.
Pour the hot sugar syrup into the 9-inch pie dish or cake round, coating the bottom in an even layer. Set aside.
Add the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, bay leaf, strips of orange zest, and a pinch of salt to a medium pot. Heat until steaming, then take off the heat, cover, and steep for 20 minutes.
When the milk mixture has finished steeping, beat 4 eggs with 1 tablespoon of vanilla in a large bowl. Pour the steeped milk mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the egg mixture and mix. Do not whip; you don't want to incorporate air into the liquid.
Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil for the water bath. Pour the milk and egg mixture into the prepared 9-inch pie dish or cake round, then place the pie dish or cake round onto the baking pan. Place the baking pan in the oven and fill halfway with boiling water to surround the pie dish or cake round, creating a water bath.
Lower the temperature of the oven to 350°F. Bake the flan for 60 to 70 minutes until the custard has set but still jiggles like thick lava in the middle. Let the flan cool completely. Then, place it in the fridge to set for at least 8 hours.
To serve the flan, run a knife around the edges of the pan. Then, top the 9-inch pie dish or cake round with the serving plate and carefully flip it over. Tap the baking dish gently to help the flan release. When you hear the flan release from the pie dish, remove the pie dish carefully and let caramel sauce flow over the flan.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Find a baking pan large enough to accommodate a 9-inch pie dish or cake round with a flat top. It must lay flat for the flan to come out of it and onto a serving dish without breaking.
Set a light-colored pot or skillet over medium heat and add ¾ cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of orange juice. (If the orange didn’t release a ¼ cup of juice, make up the difference with water.) Heat the sugar and melt it until it turns light golden brown, then take the pot off the heat. The sugar will continue to brown off the heat. Do not stir the sugar, which can cause it to recrystallize and get grainy. Instead, swirl the pan.
Pour the hot sugar syrup into the 9-inch pie dish or cake round, coating the bottom in an even layer. Set aside.
Add one 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk, one 12oz. can of evaporated milk, one cup heavy cream, one bay leaf, strips of zest of one orange, and one pinch of salt to a medium pot. Heat until steaming, then take off the heat, cover, and steep for 20 minutes.
When the milk mixture has finished steeping, beat 4 eggs with 1 tablespoon of vanilla in a large bowl. Pour the steeped milk mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the egg mixture and mix. Do not whip; you don’t want to incorporate air into the liquid.
Pour the milk and egg mixture into the prepared 9-inch pie dish or cake round. Place the pie dish or cake round into the baking pan.
Boil 2 quarts of water. Place the baking pan in the oven and fill halfway with boiling water to create a water bath around the pie pan. Lower the temperature of the oven to 350°F.
Bake the flan for 60 to 70 minutes until the custard has set but still jiggles like thick lava in the middle. Let the flan cool completely. Then, place it in the fridge to set for at least 8 hours.
To serve the flan, run a knife around the edges of the pan. Then, top the 9-inch pie dish or cake round with the serving plate and carefully flip it over. Tap the baking dish gently to help the flan release. When you hear the flan release from the pie dish, remove the pie dish carefully and let caramel sauce flow over the flan.
Orange fluff comes together in a matter of minutes to create a dreamy dessert that is perfect for just about any occasion. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of fluffy desserts. From Cranberry Fluff to Ambrosia Salad, these sweet and creamy desserts are some of my faves. In our house, fluff desserts were …
Orange fluff comes together in a matter of minutes to create a dreamy dessert that is perfect for just about any occasion.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of fluffy desserts. From Cranberry Fluff to Ambrosia Salad, these sweet and creamy desserts are some of my faves.
In our house, fluff desserts were always one of those sneaky mom desserts that packed in a little extra nutrition without you ever being the wiser. My mom’s recipe always included cottage cheese, meaning our sweet treats were actually packed full of protein.
She’d whip up fluff-style desserts to keep in the fridge for quick weeknight desserts. Since they’re super simple to make and require only a handful of ingredients, they were the perfect dessert recipe for a working mama with a busy schedule.
Although she made a variety of flavors from lemon to strawberry-banana to pineapple fluff, orange fluff has always been my favorite.
I love making salads that are satisfying and filled with delicious and nutritious ingredients. It is always fun to play around with different flavors, ingredients, and dressings. This Orange Arugula Salad is definitely a favorite. It is fresh, hearty, and filled with flavor! Sharp, peppery arugula is the base of the salad. I add brown… 
If you are looking for an easy and healthy meal, I have a the perfect recipe for you! Honey Mustard Salmon with Citrus Salsa. I know it sounds a little gourmet, but this recipe is SO easy! It only takes about 20 minutes to make. You can’t beat that! The honey mustard sauce is easy… 
I love everything cranberry orange, cranberry orange bread, cranberry orange muffins, and cranberry orange scones, just to name a few! The flavors are SO good together, especially during the holiday months. I also love these Cranberry Orange Pistachio Shortbread Cookies. This recipe is from my friend Daniela, who took all of the cookie photos for… 
