Vegan Orange Cranberry Bread

5 from 4 votes

Elevate your winter baking with our Vegan Orange Cranberry Bread recipe! Packed with cozy spices, this quick bread boasts a dense, moist texture complemented by the delightful balance of sweet and tart flavors from the sweet oranges and tangy cranberries. It's a minimal-ingredient wonder that captures the essence of the season's flavors! Completely Vegan + Gluten-free Option.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Keyword: baked, banana bread, blood orange, breakfast, brunch, cake, cranberry, dairy-free, dessert, healthy, loaf, vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 261kcal

Author: Shanika

Ingredients

BREAD:

2 cups organic all-purpose flour
½ cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen (See Notes!)
2 tsps baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup organic brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 cup Almond milk (You can use your fave plant-based milk)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup vegan butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

ORANGE GLAZE:

2 cups organic powdered sugar
1 medium navel orange, freshly-squeezed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

TO MAKE THE BREAD:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it using vegan butter or coconut oil.
In a bowl, add the milk and apple cider vinegar, stirring it together and letting the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes or until it slightly thickens and everything "activates".
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and sea salt and whisk until combined.
Stir in the milk-ACV mixture, melted butter, and vanilla, mixing until combined and the batter become thick and smooth. NOTE: DO NOT OVER-MIX! Fold in the cranberries.
Pour batter in the prepared loaf pan (evenly spreading it out) and add a few extra cranberries on top (gently pressing them in) if you'd like!
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife that is inserted in the middle comes out clean. NOTE: Midway, I like to poke VERY SMALL holes all over the bread to allow heat to penetrate through and to ensure it cooks through.
Once done, remove bread from oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes before gently removing it from loaf pan to cool completely.

TO MAKE THE GLAZE:

In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and freshly-squeezed orange juice until smooth and the glaze is thick enough, but slowly slides off whisk when lifted. NOTE: If too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk; if too thin, add 1-2 Tbsps more of the powdered sugar.
Once cooled, drizzle the glaze atop bread, slice and enjoy!
Bon Appetit!

Notes

STORAGE: Refrigerate leftover bread by tightly wrapping it in foil paper or keeping it fully covered in a cake stand—lasts up to a week. Can also be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: To make this bread GF, I recommend using a GF Flour Blend (Bob’s Red Mills has a great version!). **NOTE: If the bread mixture is too ‘thin + runny’, simply add additional GF flour, ¼ cup at a time.**
MILK: You can use any plant-based milk for this recipe. I love using Califia Farm’s Almond Vanilla or Oats + Roasted Almonds Milk or So Delicious Dairy-Free’s Almond Milk, however, you can use Soy, regular Almond, Macadamia, Coconut, etc.
CRANBERRIES: If using frozen cranberries, be sure to lightly toss them in 1 tablespoon or so in arrowroot starch or flour before folding them into the batter. This controls the moisture while cooking and ensures that muffins bake thoroughly through.

Nutrition