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This gluten free cranberry bread is super moist, lightly sweet and pleasantly tart. It's the perfect quick bread for your holiday table, and one my family has come to ask for by name over the years I've been making it. Grab your fresh cranberries as soon as they hit the grocery store shelves!
This classic holiday quick bread should be on every table this season. I love it when cranberries start to appear in the grocery store, but they can be so tart that you really need to add something sweet or they'll really make you pucker.
This bread is perfectly browned on the outside, then soft and lightly sweet on the inside. It takes about an hour to bake, since there's a full cup of buttermilk in the batter and the berries release their moisture as they bake. The reward is a super moist and tender bread, and one that doesn't burn during baking even if you end up baking it a little too long.
You can also make this into a cranberry orange bread by juicing a navel orange and using that juice in place of an equal amount of the buttermilk in the batter. Add the zest of that orange as well for more orange flavor.
Recipe ingredients
- Gluten free flour blend: I used Nicole's Best and added 2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum. Be sure you're using one of my recommended rice flour-based, well balanced gluten free flour blends, and only add xanthan gum if your blend doesn't already contain it.
- Baking powder: Helps the bread to rise in the oven.
- Baking soda: Aids rise, neutralizes acid, and helps the loaf brown in the oven.
- Salt: Balances and brightens the other ingredients.
- Granulated sugar: Makes the bread tender, and adds enough sweetness to balance the tartness of the cranberries. There's an additional tablespoon of sugar that we sprinkle on top of the raw loaf because cranberries are so tart, but you can either skip that or add it right to the bread if you prefer.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture, flavor, and tenderness. If you're out of buttermilk, it's easy to replace 1 cup of it with 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup milk, or even 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt.
- Butter: Adds moisture and flavor. Beating the butter with the sugar and then the eggs also lightens the bread by whipping air into it.
- Eggs: Give the bread structure and help it rise.
- Cranberries: The star of the show, fresh tart cranberries provide lots of flavor and texture. Most bags of cranberries have 12 ounces of berries, but this recipe only calls for 10. This allows you to select only the best berries. Be sure to cut them in half before adding them to the batter.
How to make gluten free cranberry bread
Prepare dry ingredients; combine wet and dry
- Whisk together the dry ingredients (gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a small bowl
- Toss the halved cranberries with a bit of the dry ingredients
- Using a handheld or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of sugar
- Beat in the eggs until smooth
- Add the dry ingredients in 2 parts, alternating with the buttermilk in between, and beating just to combine after each addition
- The batter will be smooth and pretty thick
Add the cranberries, transfer to the pan and bake
- Add the halved cranberries tossed with dry ingredients to the prepared raw batter
- Mix until the cranberries are evenly distributed throughout
- Transfer the batter to a greased and lined loaf pan, and spread it into an even layer; it will mostly or completely fill the loaf pan
- Score the batter down the center about 1/4-inch deep with a knife or offset spatula
- Sprinkle the final tablespoon of granulated sugar evenly over the top
- Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour; let cool, then slice and serve
Recipe tips and tricks
Slice the cranberries in half
Just be sure to use a sharp knife to slice each of the cranberries in half before folding them into the batter. It helps to keep them from clumping during baking.
Toss the cranberries in some of the dry ingredients
Toss about 1 tablespoon of the whisked dry ingredients with the halved cranberries. This will help keep them from clumping in the batter and will help avoid wet pockets of quick bread.
Use only the firmest cranberries
Cranberries usually come in 12 ounce bags, and this recipe calls for 10 ounces. In every bag of fresh cranberries, some are not very fresh. The fresh cranberries aren't wrinkled or bruised, and they're very firm. Discard the bruised and less fresh berries.
Don't defrost frozen cranberries fully
As soon as cranberries become available, I usually buy 6 or 8 bags of them because I bake with them all season and make tons of cranberry sauce for the holidays. I store 2 bags in the refrigerator, and put the rest in the freezer. If your cranberries are frozen first, you'll need to let them defrost partially so you can slice them in half, but don't let them defrost all the way.
If they've been frozen and fully defrosted, they tend to get too soft and don't hold their shape long enough during baking. They're also more likely to bleed color in the raw loaf batter.
Flavor variations
To make it into a cranberry-orange quick bread, add the zest of one small orange to the batter. You wouldn't have to change anything else.
For even more orange flavor, squeeze the juice out of that orange, too, and use it to replace an equal amount of the buttermilk in the recipe. One navel orange usually has about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup juice. Reduce the volume of buttermilk by the same amount as the juice. The batter may look a bit curdled, but it will bake beautifully.
For a bright lemon flavor, replace 1 tablespoon of buttermilk with 1 tablespoon of freshly-squeezed lemon juice. You can also add up to 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.
Try adding up to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the bread for some texture. Don't reduce the amount of cranberries.
Storage instructions
Although the batter for this cranberry bread is thick, the bread is really moist and tender. It doesn't dry out quickly at all. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and it will stay fresh on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 days. It will stay fresher if it's not sliced, but slices can be wrapped individually and stored that way, too.
Freezing
For longer storage, either as a whole loaf or individual slices, wrap tightly in freezer-safe wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature. Individual slices can also be microwaved for 20 seconds at reduced power to speed up the process.
Popular ingredient substitution suggestions
Dairy free
To make this recipe without dairy, you'll need to replace the butter and the buttermilk. For the butter, try vegan butter in block form, like Melt or Miyoko's Creamy brand. Remember that you need something that can be beaten until creamy with the sugar, so don't use anything that comes in a tub, which is mostly oil and won't whip. For buttermilk, try half nondairy plain yogurt and half unsweetened almond milk both by volume.
Egg free
There are two eggs in this recipe. If you need to make the recipe without eggs, try replacing each of them with one “flax egg” or one “chia egg.” I've made a chia egg by mixing 1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds with 1 tablespoon lukewarm water and allowing it to gel.
Cranberries
If you'd like to replace the cranberries in this bread, you can try blueberries, but they're less firm and it may not work. You're probably better off trying our recipe for gluten free blueberry bread instead, which is similar but not exactly the same.
FAQs
I haven't tried making muffins with this batter, but it's the right consistency to make really nice muffins and I think it would work well. Fill the muffin wells full of batter, and bake at 375°F for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F until fully baked (at least another 15 minutes). A toothpick should come out clean.
No, for this bread you do need to use fresh cranberries because we're relying on the moisture that they release when they bake. For a quick bread that you can make with dried pieces of fruit, try replacing the chocolate chips in this gluten free chocolate chip bread with dried cranberries.
No, applesauce won't provide the structure and binding of eggs. To replace the eggs, try 2 “chia eggs” or “flax eggs” in their place.
Yes! A standard 9×5-inch loaf pan holds about 8 cups of batter. You can divide that batter into as many mini loaf pans as you can fill full of batter, then score the center and bake at 350°F until done. Depending on the size of your mini loaf pans, they should take about 30 minutes total to bake all the way through.
Yes! I often freeze fresh cranberries when I buy them. Defrost the berries only enough to allow you to slice them in half, and then add them to the batter. If you buy them fresh and know you are going to be making this recipe, try slicing 10 ounces of fresh cranberries in half first and storing them in a freezer-safe bag that way. Don't defrost before using them in the recipe.
Even though it's easy to find and well-priced, I'm afraid that's not one of my recommended blends, and it tends to be gritty and not properly balanced. My favorite blends are Better Batter original gluten free flour, Nicole's Best multipurpose gluten free flour, and Cup4Cup (although they've changed the formulation of that blend and it's unfortunately not as good). You can also make an equivalent of Better Batter using my “mock Better Batter” blend.
Gluten Free Cranberry Bread
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or handheld mixer
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, (I used Nicole's Best; please click thru for appropriate blend info)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, (omit if your blend, like Better Batter or Cup4Cup, already contains it)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 ounces fresh cranberries, halved
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) buttermilk, at room temperature (See Recipe Notes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a standard 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the butter and 1 cup of sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and beat on medium speed until smooth.
- In a separate, medium-size bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk to combine well.
- Place the cranberry halves in a separate, small bowl. Add about one tablespoon of the dry ingredients to the cranberries, and toss to coat. Set the cranberries aside.
- To the bowl with the butter and sugar mixture, add the dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with the buttermilk, beating after each addition. Be sure to begin and end with the dry ingredients. The mixture will be thick but smooth.
- Add the cranberries and reserved dry ingredients, and mix gently into the batter until evenly distributed throughout.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. It will most or completely fill the pan, depending on the exact depth of your loaf pan.
- Smooth the top with a wet spatula, score down the center of the raw loaf about 1/4-inch deep with a knife or offset spatula. Sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
- Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake, rotating once, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 1 hour).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you use egg replacers with this recipe??? I have an egg allergy.
I’m alergic to casine. Any suggestions for replacing the milk products? Don’t have time to experiment this close to “T” Day. I also have your other books (also donated copies to my public library) & am waiting on my Amazon pre-order. Thanks for sharing so many wonderful recipes on your blog. Love, Doris
Hi Doris, I am a rebellious friend of Nicole’s. Anytime she posts a recipe I want to make, I tweak it to make it dairy free so I can eat it without being sick. I actually made this recipe this morning. Instead of butter, I used 50% vegan margarine and 50% shortening. (Margarine has more water than butter does, and shortening has no water at all.) Then, I used almond milk for the milk and sour cream (going a little shy on the amount since the milk is thinner than sour cream, of course). I actually do this quite regularly with her recipes – use dairy-free milk in place of sour cream or yogurt, and it seems to work well for me. Is it exactly like hers? Probably not. Is it very moist and tasty, with the right balance of sweet and a little sour from the cranberries? Definitely! I don’t think I will hear any complaints from my family!
Donia
Is your book going to be available for Ibooks? If so when, I want to buy the book but I use it on my IPad. I have your other books as well?
It sure will be, Tanya. I’m afraid I don’t know when, just as I don’t know when it will be available in kindle format, except that it will all certainly be available by the official publication date, 12/10. I hope that helps!
That looks yummy Nicole! can’t wait to try it. Hey, what is going on with Amazon? they sent me a third shipping delay on your cookbook–check this out-they are driving me crazy!
Hunn, Nicole “Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread: (Biscuits, Bagels, Buns, and More)”
Estimated arrival date: December 13, 2013 – December 17, 2013
Hi, Karen, I’m afraid that delay is on my publisher’s end once more (although it will NOT happen again as I am expecting a review copy hot off the presses any day now). BUT, the good news is that my publisher’s amazon rep has promised to do everything he can to ship pre-orders still on November 25, as originally planned (even though amazon will be receiving the book a week later than originally planned). So ignore that date from amazon, and get ready to receive the book (fingers crossed!) the week of Nov. 25 (depending upon the speed of your shipping!).
Hope so…I just got the delay message too, ordered in August…can’t wait!
Me too – on.the.verge.of.tears.!!!
SO SORRY! I’m really so so sorry, everyone. It apparently took the production department at my publisher quite a long time to incorporate very carefully all of the changes I did in the last stage of production. That is what my editor said caused the delay. So it’s my fault, I guess! But I am actually expecting a hot-of-the-presses copy “any minute” so I know it’s not going to be delayed again! And, Karen, ALL denominations of prayer are gratefully accepted! Pray pray pray!
OK! We are all going to pray that this comes out on November 25 so we all stop whining to you! :-)
I keep looking at your flour percentages. I can not figure out the best way to do this. I can do ounces but these percentages throw me. Is there a way to figure out easily?
Charlotte, please read the top section on the flour page about “How to Use These Infographics.” It gives an example using 1 cup of the Mock Better Batter mix. The percentages are used to make the recipe adaptable to smaller and larger amounts of flour than just 1 cup.
Nicole, you are my hero! Taking a leave day tomorrow to get ready for
the painter, will pop this in the oven so I can have a treat when I’m
done with the linen closets!
Sounds good, Louanne! Oddly, organizing the linen closets sounds like a great day to me. :)
I made your bread last Friday – so delicious and just perfect for the season. The husband loved it and asked me to make it weekly. I tossed in some walnuts just because we love nuts – love!
Thank you for another great recipe – this looks divine – both yummy and pretty! I can’t wait to see what else you have up your sleeve for the holidays!
Thanks, Jennifer!!
Could I use coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar?
Hi, Kayla, Good question. I haven’t tried this recipe with that substitution, so I can’t be sure. Although I love baking with coconut palm sugar, I find that it does behave a bit differently than regular granulated. I’d try experimenting with a bit less coconut sugar, by weight (say, 175 grams instead of 200?). Let us know how it turns out!
Leave the sprinkling of sugar off the top? Really? There are people who do that? Huh. I am not those people!
I know, right, Anneke?! I try to accept people and their differences. But sometimes, I struggle. ;)
This is why we all get a long….
I will be making this today! I have a mega bag of cranberries (yes, from my beloved Costco), and I was going to search your site last night for cranberry recipes. But then I had do emergency bake some white sandwich bread for lunches today, so I didn’t.
Oh, and one of my favorite quickbreads pre-GF was the cranberry orange bread off the fresh cranberries package (Ocean Spray brand, maybe?). So I might have to do a taste-off between your bread with and without a little orange… ;)
Ooooh that sounds good, Donia! Try replacing a bit of the milk with orange juice (fresh-squeezed if you can) and add some orange zest. I bet it would be awesome! xo Nicole
I concur – that would be so lovely – tell us how it goes Donia. And I have another recipe for you with cranberries that I’m loving – naturally GF too! I will send today.
I was just coming on here to ask what you thought of incorporating some orange. I made this recipe this afternoon and it was delicious! But I do think I would like a bit of orange in it, and I was wondering if just zest would do it or if I should use some oj, too. Do you think maybe 1/3 cup oj as a milk replacement? And by the way, I love your recipes. I haven’t tried one yet that doesn’t come out just like you show it! This was a beautiful loaf of bread, and a great use for the cranberries that have been in my freezer for awhile – they worked just fine thawed and sliced in half.
The Ocean Spray recipe I referred to above uses all orange juice as the liquid and 1 Tbsp grated orange peel.
oooo…something possessed me to purchase a ginormous bag of chopped candied orange peel from nuts.com – they might be going into this bread as well as into any/all muffins, hot breakfast cereal, and anything else that lends itself to orange!