Cranberry bread with glaze and canned cranberries – a soft loaf of homemade bread that is packed with tart cranberries and topped with a sweet, sugary glaze for a bread that is versatile enough to be enjoyed for breakfast or as a dessert.
This flavorful cranberry bread is moist and delicious, making it one of my all-time favorite bread recipes! Every time that I take it to a party or potluck, I always have people asking me for the recipe. Everyone loves the tartness of the cranberries mixed with the sweetness of the glaze on top. Be careful with this one – you may want to make extra loaves, because once you start eating it, it’s hard to stop!
This bread is made of layers of batter alternated with layers of cranberry, meaning that there are yummy cranberries in every bite. The batter is simple (and has sour cream in it – my favorite secret ingredient for a moist loaf) and bakes in under an hour. Just stir up the topping while the bread is in the oven, pour it over the top, and your cranberry bread will be ready to enjoy.
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Bread
- This cranberry bread is a delicious combination of tart and sweet.
- It’s packed with flavor.
- It’s simple to make.
- It looks pretty on any dessert table.
- It is very versatile – it can be enjoyed for breakfast, for dessert, or even wrapped up and gifted to a friend.
- The recipe calls for canned cranberries, making cleanup and prep much easier.
Ingredients For Your Cranberry Bread
- Margarine- Is perfect for baking dessert breads because it has a softer texture.
- Eggs- Are used to bind everything together.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda- Soda helps the bread rise while powder increases the volume and lightens the texture.
- Salt- Actually enhances the sweetness of this bread.
- Almond Extract- For added flavor.
- Granulated Sugar- To add flavor and to sweeten.
- All-Purpose Flour- Is used for the base of this bread because it is sturdy. We are going to add lots of other ingredients so we need a sturdy flour.
- Sour Cream- Will help add moisture, it also help the baking soda do its job.
- Cranberries- I prefer to use canned cranberries because they have the perfect moisture content and flavor.
- Powdered Sugar- Is need to add the perfect texture and sweetness to the glaze.
How To Make THow To Make A Cranberry Bread with Glaze
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour (3) mini loaf pans and set aside.
- With a Kitchen-aid mixer or hand mixer cream softened margarine, eggs, and granulated sugar together until fully incorporated.
- Add baking powder, salt, baking soda, flour, and 1 tsp of almond extract to softened butter. Mix together until well combined. Then, add sour cream and fold in until fully incorporated.
- Scoop the batter into the loaf pans filling them ⅓ of the way full.
- Layer the cranberries on top of the batter saving ½ of the can.
- Add the remaining batter over the cranberries, leaving room for another layer of cranberries. (Don’t forget that the batter will rise in the pan)
- Layer the rest of the can of cranberries over the batter.
- Bake for 40-45 mins. Before removing the bread from the oven use a toothpick to make sure the bread is baked in the middle. Poke the center of the loaf with a toothpick, if it comes out clean it is fully baked. If it comes out dirty bake it longer.
- Let the bread cool for 5 mins. then remove it from the pans and glaze.
What to Serve/Pair with Your Cranberry Bread
If you are serving your cranberry bread for breakfast, it pairs well with a warm mug of coffee (or iced coffee if that’s your favorite), eggs, and a side of fresh fruit.
If you’re serving this cranberry bread as a dessert, it pairs well with just about anything! I personally like to combine it with something chocolatey, like a chocolate mousse or a scoop of chocolate ice cream. It would even pair well with this Chocolate Lasagna. This combination will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth!
Popular Substitutions & Additions
If you want to make this cranberry bread a little healthier, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream. The measurements will stay the same.
If you like the combination of orange and cranberry, add a little orange zest into the mixture. You can even top or garnish with a few orange slices.
How To Reheat & Store Cranberry Bread with Glaze
This cranberry bread can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 1 day, or in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
You can also freeze this bread. Make sure that it is sealed really well (I wrap mine in saran wrap and put it in a gallon bag), and it will freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight to serve.
Cranberry Bread Tips
- To make this a large loaf in a 8 x 4 baking pan. Increase the baking time to 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- To ensure that your bread bakes evenly. Halfway through the baking process loosely cover the top of the loaf with foil. This will allow the center and sides to bake evenly and prevent the top from being burnt.
Cranberry Bread With Glaze FAQs
Sure. If you don’t want your cranberry bread to be extra sweet, you can leave off the glaze. Keep in mind, if you’re going to eat your bread leftover, the glaze really soaks into it over time and makes it extra yummy. If you really just don’t want it on top, you can even leave it on the side in case anyone wants to dip their bread into it.
Sure. I think that canned cranberries are easier to use when you’re baking, but you can also use fresh ones.
You can find this at most grocery stores. It’s usually near the baking and spices. You’ll probably find it wherever you find a vanilla extract.
You’ll know that your bread is done when you stick a toothpick in it and the toothpick comes out clean. Your bread should feel pretty firm on the top, but shouldn’t be too brown.
This ingredient is actually one of my favorite parts of this recipe! It adds a little bit of flavor, but it mainly keeps your bread from being too dry.
Other Easy Bread Recipes You’ll Love To Make
Don’t Forget To Come Back And Let Me Know How Your Cranberry Bread Turned Out!
Cranberry Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup margarine (softened)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 15 oz. can whole cranberries
Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour (3) mini loaf pans and set aside.
- With a Kitchen-aid mixer or hand mixer cream softened margarine, eggs, and granulated sugar together until fully incorporated.
- Add baking powder, salt, baking soda, flour, and 1 tsp of almond extract to softened butter. Mix together until well combined. Then, add sour cream and fold in until fully incorporated.
- Scoop the batter into the loaf pans filling them ⅓ of the way full.
- Layer the cranberries on top of the batter saving ½ of the can.
- Add the remaining batter over the cranberries, leaving room for another layer of cranberries. (Don't forget that the batter will rise in the pan)
- Layer the rest of the can of cranberries over the batter.
- Bake for 40-45 mins. Before removing the bread from the oven use a toothpick to make sure the bread is baked in the middle. Poke the center of the loaf with a toothpick, if it comes out clean it is fully baked. If it comes out dirty bake it longer.
- Let the bread cool for 5 mins. then remove it from the pans and glaze.
Glaze
- In a medium mixing bowl add powdered sugar, 1 tsp of almond extract, and hot water. Mix together until there are no lumps.
- Pour over bread and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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In love. Super festive and the glaze makes it even better!
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this.
I love the combination of almond extract and cranberries. This is a great bead recipe!
The absolute best bread for the festive season! Looks and sounds so delicious – I bet everyone would be fighting over it in my house!
I am going to be dreaming about this cranberry bread! That glaze sounds like it would be addicting and hard to not eat before topping the bread with it.
I love anything cranberry, so, this is definitely going in my recipe book. This bread is perfect for my Thanksgiving table.
This is a perfect seasonal treat. Could eat this for breakfast or a snack.
I love anything with cranberries! This bread looks incredible and I can’t wait to try it!
I love this easy version of cranberry bread. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
My best friend used to make this for me as a Christmas present… I absolutely loved it! When I asked for the recipe, she sabotaged it with inaccurate measurements ( like 24 ounces of sour cream, 5 eggs, etc…)
We are no longer friends…
I am SOOOOOOOO very happy to have found this recipe, as this IS IT!!!
Hahaha, Linda, I can now make this myself!
HAHA, that is too funny. I’m glad you found the recipe!!