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!
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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 350ยฐF 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 375ยฐF for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350ยฐF 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 350ยฐF 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 ยฝ 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
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- ยพ 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 350ยฐF. 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
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Hi, Iโm 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 arenโt good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, โgood, for gluten freeโ just isnโt good enough! Come visit my bio!
Bobbi says
I made 3 of these for the neighbors and 1 for my husband and me for Thanksgiving.
My one neighbor is gluten free and I wanted her to have something special. Delicious!
Even my husband (who does not like things like this) ate a piece and said it was good ๐๐ป.
Passed recipe out to hairdresser and a few other neighbors.
Bobbi
Nicole Hunn says
That’s so lovely of you, Bobbi, to make something special for your neighbor. I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread, and thank you for your kindness in sharing the recipeโand the results!
Emily says
I’ve made this cranberry bread twice now using a bundt pan- excellent results. The second time I added orange zest – also delicious. The bread is moist & not too sweet. I might add a light glaze next time, but I’m not convinced it needs it. Thank you for a great recipe!
Nicole Hunn says
Good to know that it worked in bundt pan, Emily. That’s not a given, so that’s great and thank you for sharing your experience!
Vini says
I have king Arthurโs gluten free flour and guar gum.
How do I substitute that gum for xanthan gum for this cranberry loaf?
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid that I can’t promise that you’ll get good results using King Arthur’s gluten free flour blends in my recipes, Vini. Please see the all purpose gluten free flour blends page for full information. Guar gum is also not a perfect substitute for xanthan gum, as it’s not as good in heated applications. You can try using an equal amount of it, but it won’t work quite as well.
Melody Parnes says
Iโm going to try this recipe tonight! Thanks for sharing this. Looks delicious.
Nicole Hunn says
You’re so welcome, Melody!
Karen says
Delish! Subbed yogurt for applesauce as I didn’t have any. Added orange juice and zest. Turned out perfect…great recipe!
Liz says
This is so GOOD! I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour (blue label). I used a spoon to put it in the measuring cup & leveled it, don’t scoop it. I used the substitute that was given for the buttermilk (I used unsweetened almond milk and unsweetened almond yogurt). I didn’t have parchment paper, so I used olive oil pan spray. I will be making this again!! TY
Monika says
I made this recipe and it was quite a bit of work especially cutting the cranberries. SO DISAPPOINTED. It was so dense, felt like I could choke if I took too big of a bite. I have made your apple cake recipe before and it was delicious, so I expected the same.
Nicole Hunn says
I understand how frustrating it can be when a recipe doesnโt turn out as expected. Iโm sorry youโre having that experience. Even though we intend to faithfully follow a recipe carefully, we all have habits in the kitchen that we think donโt matter, but do end up affecting the end result.
Here are some of the ways that Iโve found over the years itโs common to run into trouble:
Did you make ingredient substitutions, particularly the gf flour blend? Unfortunately, they’re not all created equal, and some I actively recommend against. Sadly, some of the most readily available, most affordable blends like Bobโs Red Mill create poor or at best inconsistent results. Please see the AP GF flour blends page on the blog, which is linked in every recipe that calls for one for full info on what blends I recommend, which to avoid, and how to make your own โmockโ version of my favorite blends if you canโt access the readymade ones.
Did you measure by weight, not volume? I wish we could get accurate measurements by volume, but Iโd get a different amount every time, even using the same measuring cups. Itโs just not possible to avoid human error that way, and cup sizes are just not standardized in the U.S., at least.
Again, I really hope these troubleshooting tips are helpful, and that youโre able to use the recipe successfully. I know how much we all miss our old favorites, and I work really hard to try to help bring them all back. I hope this is helpful!
Sharon says
This recipe sound great.
Can you substitute raisins instead of cranberries? I have been trying to find a sweet gluten free bread recipe that uses yeast fir our families traditional Christmas bread. Do you know a recipe that I could make. If the raisins wouldn’t work I will try the cranberries. Thanks for all of your great recipes.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Sharon, I’m afraid not raisins, no, since you need a fresh, not dried fruit. In this recipe we need the moisture from the cranberries. I think I may cover this in the FAQs, but my recipe for gluten free chocolate chip bread should work with raisins instead of chocolate chips, by weight. And thank you so much for the kind words. I’m afraid neither of these recipes is a yeast bread, though. They’re both quick breads, made with baking powder/baking soda, not yeast. For a yeast bread, you can trying adding raisins to my gluten free artisan bread, which is a very simple yeast bread, though, if you only add about 4 ounces, no more. I haven’t tried it, though, so I can’t be positive but I think it’s worth a shot if you’d like a yeast bread. I hope that’s helpful, and thank you for the kind words!
Ardell says
I made this and it is really delicious
I did not tell anyone it was GF and they never guessed
I will make it again
Nicole Hunn says
That’s so great to hear, Ardell. Thank you for sharing that!
Dave Saunders says
Can this be made using honey instead of granulated sugar?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Dave, I’m afraid you can’t substitute a liquid sugar for a granulated sugar without adjusting the moisture content, and I’m just not comfortable guessing by how much. It would take a fair amount of trial and error. So sorry!
Dave Saunders says
Thank you Nicole. My diet is aimed at removing refined sugar completely replacing it with natural sugars. Please let me know if any of your recipes follow this approach. Love what you do.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Dave, only my recipes that have the word “Paleo” in the name will be free of refined sugars. I’m afraid the rest use refined sugars. So sorry!
Ken says
Hi can your cranberry loaf be made in a bread maker
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Ken, since it’s a quick bread and not a yeast bread, I don’t know that it’s appropriate to make in a bread maker. I’ve never actually made a quick bread in a bread maker, to be honest, so I’m not even sure what’s possible. So sorry I can’t provide more information!
Penny Ayers says
I’ve made this cranberry bread the last two holiday seasons and it’s one of my favorites. It’s not too sweet and it’s a nice use of fresh cranberries. It bakes up so pretty and it’s a treat to have a homeade dessert, as opposed to always buying a premade sweet when I get the urge. You do a great job at developing good gf recipes and proof that we can have/eat yummy food without gluten.
Nicole Hunn says
That’s so great to hear, Penny! I’m so happy to hear how you love it, and how it seems to give you a sense that you can help yourself to eat well, and live a great life without gluten. Thank you so much for sharing that. It means so much to me!