Recipe

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

By Tatum Kenrick at Michigan State University

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
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

Tatum Kenrick

Step 1

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

Tatum Kenrick

Step 2

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

Tatum Kenrick

Step 3

Whisk until well combined.

Tatum Kenrick

Step 4

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

Tatum Kenrick

Step 5

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

Tatum Kenrick

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.

Tatum Kenrick

Step 7

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

Tatum Kenrick

Step 8

Pour batter into loaf pan and place in preheated oven.

Tatum Kenrick

Step 9

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

Tatum Kenrick

Step 10

Allow bread to cool before slicing and serving.

Tatum Kenrick

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.