Switch Things Up This Thanksgiving With A Loaf of Crowd-Pleasing Cranberry Bread

Cranberries are a staple Thanksgiving food; nearly 80 million pounds of the tart fruit are consumed on this day alone! But having the same cranberry dish year after year can get tiring. I don't know about you, but I'm not the biggest fan of a cylinder of sour jelly jiggling around on a plate.

A few years ago, my grandma made the switch from cranberry sauce to this delicious cranberry bread, made sweet and a little crunchy with orange zest and walnuts, and I decided that this year it was time for me to try my hand at this family favorite.

Cranberry Walnut Bread

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:55 mins
• Total Time:1 hr 5 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries chopped

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 350° and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper.

  

• Step 2

  In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

  

• Step 3

  Whisk until well combined.

  

• Step 4

  In a smaller bowl, whisk together egg, melted butter, orange juice and zest, and almond extract.

  

• Step 5

  Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until batter is consistent.

  

• Step 6

  Take a dry pan and toast walnuts over low heat. This will bring out their flavor and also keep them crisp when they are baked into the bread.

  

• Step 7

  Add toasted walnuts and chopped cranberries to batter and stir until fully combined.

  

• Step 8

  Pour batter into loaf pan and place in preheated oven.

  

• Step 9

  Bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the top of the bread is golden brown.

  

• Step 10

  Allow bread to cool before slicing and serving.

  

My favorite way to eat this bread is warmed up with a pat of butter spread over the slice, but if someone decides that the Thanksgiving table just isn't complete without the classic cranberry sauce, a little spoonful would complement this baked treat rather nicely.