Cranberry Orange Bread with Walnuts is aromatic with orange and warm spices, and subtly sweet with a lovely contrasting sweet/tart flavor thanks to fresh cranberries. It’s perfect for breakfast or snack time!
Once the chill of January sets in after the holidays, things can seem a little anticlimactic. Unless you have a tropical vacation planned, there’s not much else to do except hunker down for the winter and make the best of it.
I don’t mind too much though! Cold evenings are perfect for snuggling up with cozy blankets and mugs of steaming hot chocolate, and cold days are perfect for baking.
I buy cranberries as long as I can find them at the grocery store, mostly to make cranberry sauce for topping yogurt, oatmeal (or my noatmeal), and toast. And also, because I like to add fresh cranberries to baked goods to bump up the nutrition and for some seasonal wintry flair.
This recipe for Cranberry Orange Bread with Walnuts was adapted from my recipe for Best Paleo Sandwich Bread over on my other blog, An Edible Mosaic. Because it’s by far my favorite paleo bread! (It has great flavor and texture, and also keeps well in the fridge.)
Here I jazzed that bread up with fresh cranberries, orange zest, walnuts, vanilla, and warm spices with a bit of coconut sugar adds a touch of sweetness.
This bread ended up being perfect for breakfast or a snack along with a cup of coffee. And I like it even better toasted and topped with a pat of butter!
What is Quick Bread?
Quick bread is bread that’s not leavened with yeast. Many quick breads are leavened with baking powder and/or baking soda.
What Are Some Types of Quick Bread?
A few common types of quick bread include:
- Banana Bread
- Zucchini Bread
- Pumpkin Bread
How to Make Quick Bread
Here are the basic steps for how to make quick bread:
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir the wet ingredients into the dry.
- Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake in a pre-heated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs.
- Cool, and then slice and enjoy!
Cranberry Orange Bread with Walnuts Recipe
This paleo recipe for Cranberry Orange Bread is very easy to make! It’s similar to any other quick bread recipe. The main difference is that it uses gluten free flours and paleo-friendly coconut sugar.
Does Cranberry Bread Need to be Refrigerated?
You can store this Cranberry Orange Bread with Walnuts wrapped at room temperature for 2 days. After that, move it to the fridge for up to 3 days more.
Can You Substitute Dried Cranberries for Fresh in This Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe?
Yes! Instead of using 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries, simply use 1/2 cup of dried cranberries. You can use unsweetened dried cranberries or reduced sugar dried cranberries.
Do You Have to Cook Cranberries Before Baking?
No, you don’t need to cook fresh cranberries before baking! They will soften as this bread cooks.
More Gluten Free Bread Recipes:
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- Low Carb Apple Bread
- 1-Bowl Gluten Free Banana Bread
- Easy Low Carb Zucchini Bread
Cranberry Orange Bread with Walnuts (Paleo)
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 6 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- 4 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil (or ghee), melted and cooled slightly, plus more to grease the loaf pan
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond “milk”
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cranberries coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F; generously grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with ghee or coconut oil.
- Whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot starch, flaxseed meal, tapioca starch, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the slightly cooled butter or coconut oil, eggs, almond “milk”, coconut sugar, vinegar, vanilla, and orange zest in a medium bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry all at once and stir until combined, being careful not to over-mix. Fold in the walnuts and cranberries.
- Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes in a metal pan.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Helpful Tips
- Store wrapped at room temperature for 2 days. After 2 days, store any leftovers wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 days more.
- Recipe yields 1 loaf; cut it into 12 slices and 1 slice is 1 serving.
Nutrition
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Hello and welcome! I'm Faith and I believe you can have your cake and eat it too. For breakfast.
Can you swap Xanthan gum and Guar gum for the arrowroot and tapioca?
Dana, I haven’t tried this recipe with those changes (I try to avoid gums because they usually give me stomach cramping, but that doesn’t happen to everyone), but they might work in this recipe. If you give it a try, please let me know how it goes!