This gluten free cranberry bread is super moist, lightly sweet and only just a bit tart. It's the perfect quick bread for your holiday table!
Cranberries are a bit of a funny little fruit. They can be so tart that they make you pucker just to think about them.
But they cook down quickly, so they're barely recognizable—especially when you add some sugar. Since this is the time of year we have to bake and cook with cranberries. And with this gluten free cranberry recipe, you'll want to.
A proper quick bread should be perfectly browned on the outside, then soft and lightly sweet on the inside. This is definitely a proper quick bread. It takes about an hour to bake, since there is plenty of moisture in the batter. The reward is a super moist and tender bread, and one that doesn't burn during baking.
The fresh cranberries are indeed tart. They have a tendency to clump, like anything you might mix in to quick bread batter. You want them to be spread all throughout the batter during baking.
Just be sure to follow the instructions below for halving the cranberries, and then tossing them with a tablespoon of the dry ingredients before folding them into the batter. It helps them stay put during baking.
Delicious flavor variations for this cranberry quickbread
This classic holiday quick bread should be on every table this season. To make it into a cranberry-orange quick bread, add the zest of one small orange to the batter.
For even more orange flavor, squeeze the juice out of that orange, too, and use it to replace some of the milk in the recipe. The batter may look a bit curdled, but it will bake beautifully.
Festive 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 Better Batter; please click thru for appropriate blend info)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 ounces fresh cranberries halved
- ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) milk at room temperature (See Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup (108 g) sour cream at room temperature (See Recipe Notes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease or 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. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the 1 cup of granulated sugar and the eggs, beating well after each addition.
- 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, alternating with the milk and sour cream, beginning and ending 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 nearly fill the pan.
- Smooth the top with a wet spatula, and sprinkle 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
Festive 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 Better Batter; please click thru for appropriate blend info)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 ounces fresh cranberries halved
- ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) milk at room temperature (See Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup (108 g) sour cream at room temperature (See Recipe Notes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease or 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. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the 1 cup of granulated sugar and the eggs, beating well after each addition.
- 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, alternating with the milk and sour cream, beginning and ending 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 nearly fill the pan.
- Smooth the top with a wet spatula, and sprinkle 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
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Ella-maye says
I have this in the oven right now but am very concerned its not “right” the texture was like a very thick glue. I followed the instructions verbatim and double checked all of my measurements and made no substitutions. I used your mock BB flour. Any idea what went wrong?
Nicole Hunn says
As you can see from the photos, Ella-maye, it’s quite a thick batter. It doesn’t sound like anything went wrong.
Glenna Gayle says
Can I add half cup orange juice instead of milk?
Nicole Hunn says
Definitely worth a try, Glenna!
Cheryl Balcom says
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it for Thanksgiving! I have a non-gf pumpkin cranberry-nut bread recipe that I love but have struggled to make it gluten free and taste good. Would it be possible you think to add in some pumpkin here somewhere to this recipe? Any suggestions?
Nicole Hunn says
I have a better solution, I think, Cheryl! Use my recipe for gluten free pumpkin bread, and mix in some halved fresh cranberries and nuts at the end.
Cheryl Balcom says
Well, this looks fabulous too! I am new to your blog so I had not seen this recipe. I have to tell you I was won over by your gluten free pumpkin roll recipe – my family LOVES it! Excited to try some more! ? Thank you!
Donna says
I have made this a few times in last year or two and it is awesome! Thanks for great rcipe.
Karen Doran says
Thank you! Grain free is easy enough to work with but sugar free gives me my biggest challenge. I have used the coconut sugar. I’ll have to see how brave I feel. A lot of ingredients to waste if it does not work. Will let you know if I try it though. Thank you again.
Victoria Donaldson says
I have successfully used coconut sugar in recipes very similar to this, as I can’t eat refined sugar. Can even try cutting it down by 1/3. Hope that helps.
Kelli Brown says
If I want to use frozen cranberries do I defrost them first so I can cut them in half? They tend to go very soggy.
Nicole Hunn says
Great question, Kelli! Definitely don’t defrost them. You can cut them in half while they’re still frozen. By the time you finish slicing them, they’ll have begun to defrost a bit but not too much. Then, toss them in the dry ingredients and you’ll be all set.
Kelli Brown says
Thanks so much Nicole. I’ll do that. It’s hard to get fresh cranberries here in Australia. :)
Judy Morin says
Have you seen (and tried) the new (to me) extra fine almond flour from Bob’s Red Mill? And I found a different G-F flour from the same people that doesn’t have the bean flour in it. Have you tried it out also? Both were at Sam’s Club and extremely inexpensive compared to other brands.
Karen Doran says
I use a brand from CostCo because it is more affordable and Bob’s . I continue to use Bob’s almond meal. I don’t belong to Sam’s but will check it out. Thank you so much for the suggestion
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Judy, I am very familiar with the Bob’s all purpose GF flour that is rice-based. It will not work in my recipes, I’m afraid. It’s an unbalanced blend and the rice flour is very gritty. Bob’s products are inexpensive because they source from wherever is the cheapest at any given time. Sorry!
Judy Morin says
Sorry, I thought it was a new one since it didn’t have the bean flour, but sorghum flour.
Karen says
Really want to try this quick bread! Any suggestions for substitutes of the milk, sour cream and sugar? I’m sure almond milk will work and maybe coconut cream but would you think raw honey will work in place of sugar? I’m worried about the liquid to dry replacement. Thank you!
Nicole Hunn says
Those are quite a lot of substitutions, Karen! I would actually try almond milk for the cow’s milk and nondairy sour cream for the sour cream. I do not recommend coconut cream in this recipe, no. And you can’t use a liquid sweetener in place of a granulated one. If you are trying to replace granulated sugar with an unrefined sugar, you can try coconut palm sugar, which is granulated. You’ll have to experiment though, as I haven’t tried those substitutions. And you’re making quite a few at once, so I really can’t promise results!
Autumn Beck says
I would recommend using dairy free buttermilk ( 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar) in place of the milk and sour cream.
Karen Tobin Cole says
This bread is amazing! I made it last night and it’s already gone. I think it might be my favorite quick bread. I usually find quick breads a bit too sweet and this one is perfect. Thanks for the great recipe!
Julie Sorbo says
Here it is! Had to crop- my comment is below
Julie Sorbo says
This is my 1st gluten free on a shoestring recipe. I must admit I was quite skeptical. As I was mixing the consistency was so thick & fluffy it went up the beaters of my handmixer like nothing I’ve seen before. This cranberry bread is absolutely delicious! I didn’t have time to halve the cranberries so I put about half in the bullet (mini food processor) for just a quick sec- which made some tiny bits & I left the rest whole. The cranberries were still nice and evenly distributed throughout. I also got brave and substituted 1/4 cup orange juice & 1/2 cup milk (for the 3/4 cup milk) I can’t taste the orange much but it did work without messing up the recipe. I used better than cup4cup. I can’t wait to try another recipe now. The measuring seemed a bit complicated but I can say that it was worth the extra effort! I made my better than cup4cup late at night while everyone was sleeping, and got some of the prep done ahead of time. Can’t wait for the gluten free on a shoestring bakes bread in ibooks. Will make a great Christmas present- hint hint hubby :-)
Lynn A. Decker says
I made this, and it was AMAZING (I went the lazy route and used Cup4Cup).
One note, though: I used a glass (Pyrex) loaf pan that was slightly smaller than the dimensions cited, and it took FOREVER to bake the bread, and I ended up tenting it so that it wouldn’t burn. I think using the correct size pan is key (and I’ll do that next time!). It was still amazingly delicious.
I think I’m going to try to make it into a coffee cake with a streusel topping next time, as my niece didn’t care for the cranberries (she’s 7 – she can be funny about some kinds of fruit), but loved the berry-free cake part. I may even run a layer of streusel down the middle *and* on top.
Lynn A. Decker says
Here’s a picture of my bread… as you can see, it’s quite brown on top (my sugar looks like sesame seeds – LOL!), but it was (at the risk of being redundant), AMAZING.
Nicole Hunn says
Love the picture, Lynn! Two things about your baking issue: Glass pans are not my first choice for baking because they run very hot and tend to burn the outside before the inside is baked. If it took a long time to bake, you’re right that the size of the pan would make for a denser loaf which would take longer to bake on the inside. Do you use an oven thermometer? If it took forever to bake, I’d say that your oven might actually be (believe it or not) running too cold. The glass pan would make the outside cook really fast, but the not-hot-enough-oven would make it take too long to bake all the way to the center. Does that make sense?
Lynn A. Decker says
It absolutely makes sense, and I will be trying this again (I was at my sister’s house, and all she has is Pyrex. I don’t use Pyrex for baking for exactly this reason).
Oh – and I wanted to share that I have created Excel spreadsheets to calculate what I need to make your Better Than Cup4Cup blend — all I have to do is type in the number of “cups” I need, and it will tell me how many grams of each component I will need. Cool, huh?
Margi says
Holy moly that looks good. I’m so making this for Thanksgiving. I can hear the oohs and ahhs, now. I might have to make a test loaf first . . . Heh.
Nicole Hunn says
Stands to reason, Margi. ;)
Leanne Carter Dupont says
This will be my first time making any type of gluten free baked good from scratch
. I want to add the OJ and zest but want to do it right. Should I supplement the OJ for all of the milk, or half the milk and then add the rest OJ? Also, can I use gluten free bisquick? Thanks!!
Dana Gerstlauer says
I’ve preordered the bread book and am eagerly waiting for it to arrive! My funniest bread baking story is when I made a batch of dinner rolls. I turned the oven on for a minute or two to warm the oven a little and then popped my dough into the oven to rise in a bright yellow plastic bowl. When I returned in an hour to check on it I found that I had forgotten to turn the oven off. My dough had risen, but the bowl had completely melted! What a mess…..I never have forgotten to turn the oven off again when prewarming it!! Thanks for all that you do, Nicole!
calipidgious says
I am looking forward to exploring with the new bread book. I haven’t pre-ordered but it is on my annual Xmas Wishlist that goes out to friends and family. My fondest bread memories are of when I was a child. On snow days my mother who worked at Fantini Bakery in Haverhill, Mass would bring me in with her and I remember that there was a spot where the loaves that didn’t come out just right went. I could be found pulling the still hot inside of the loaves out and eating it. I have loved bread my entire life but that is my earliest memory of absolute bread heaven!