Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Quick Bread

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At this time of year when we’re transitioning from fall recipes to winter confections, I love turning to gluten free cranberry orange quick bread to bridge the gap.

I’m never one to let go of pumpkin — the flavor, the color, the nutrition — there are really so many things to love about pumpkin. But the tart pop from gorgeous cranberries is something I look forward to in my recipes for months leading up to winter. Cranberries make it easier for me to let go of pumpkin.

This recipe post is a little different for a couple reasons: first, I’m giving you two recipe choices; second, I’ve invited a guest blogger to share her recipe here because it kicks cranberry bootie.

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Quick Bread

Seriously, I’ve tried her gluten free cranberry orange bread recipe (multiple times) and it’s the best. The bomb. The bomb-diggity, as my kids have been known to say. Or maybe that was me; it’s hard to keep up with the cool phrases.

If you’re looking for a low-fat, oil-free pumpkin version of cranberry bread, I highly recommend you check out this recipe I created for e-how. You can find it by clicking on the video photo link below.

 

Jules video for ehow making gluten free cranberry pumpkin orange bread

If you’re looking for the best, bomb-diggity gluten free cranberry orange quick bread, allow me to introduce you to Karen, the blogger behind Healthy Gluten Free Family.

I saw this picture of her bread on Instagram and I literally (yes, I mean literally) dropped everything and went into my kitchen to make it myself. In fact, we were out of orange juice, so I literally (yes, I mean literally) juiced fresh oranges just so I could make this recipe immediately. And it didn’t disappoint.

Karen's Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Quick Bread
@HealthyGFfamily’s Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Quick Bread

Here’s Karen’s take on her soon-to-be-famous Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Quick Bread:

What’s your favorite holiday food? Of all the holiday food traditions my family has (and coming from a big Italian family there are many!), this Cranberry-Orange Quick Bread is my absolute favorite!  It makes its first appearance at our holiday table on Thanksgiving, then has a starring role as a Christmas morning treat. 

I’ve loved this bread since I was a child because it’s moist, not too sweet or tart, and has a slight orange flavor.  As a cook, I love that it’s made with recognizKaren's Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Quick Breadable ingredients and pantry staples, it’s low fat and it’s packed with goodness like chopped walnuts, orange zest and lots of fresh cranberries. As a bonus, the bread smells amazing when it’s baking and gives the house a festive feel!

Now for a shameless (and unsolicited!) plug about gfJules Gluten Free Flour: My son was diagnosed with celiac disease over six years ago and we’ve been loyal users of gfJules Flour ever since.  

 

gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour is a blend that allows us to substitute one for one directly into any family recipe without any further thought.  Given the importance of food traditions in my family, it is truly a lifesaver!  

This Cranberry Bread recipe works so well with gfJules Flour the rest of the family says they do not notice any difference!

Gluten free cranberry orange bread

Are you ready to try this next-level gluten free cranberry orange quick bread? Aside from chopping the cranberries (and nuts if you’re using them), the recipe practically makes itself. Ok, well not actually, but that’s why it’s called a “quick bread.” 

There’s no yeast, so no rise time, you mix it up almost like cookie dough or cake batter, scoop it into the pan, smooth the top and let the oven do the rest.

gluten free cranberry orange bread batter

This batter is thick, so don’t be put off about that.

The cranberries add more moisture as they bake and make the perfect texture for this delicious quick bread.

gluten free cranberry bread in pan
Gluten Free Cranberry-Orange Quick Bread in Emile Henry fluted pan.

 

It’s done when the top resists a light touch, it’s browning nicely, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few wet crumbs. Be sure to test in a few spots so you’re not hitting a cranberry!

If you’re like my family, there’s no waiting around for this yummy bread to cool — you’re just gonna want to dive in.

gluten free cranberry orange quick bread on board with knife

 

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Quick Bread

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Quick Bread

Yield: 1 large loaf
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour (we use gfJules Flour)
  • 1  cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup butter or vegan butter (we used Earth Balance®)
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 egg, well beaten
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped (may use frozen berries)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1 Tbs. orange zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles a coarse cornmeal (Jules note: or use paddle attachment on a stand mixer and mix just until butter forms small pebbles throughout).

In a separate bowl, combine orange juice, orange rind and egg (Jules note: fresh squeezed OJ is amazing, but not required). 

Pour all at once into dry ingredients, mixing just enough to dampen. Carefully fold in the nuts & cranberries.

Spoon into a lightly oiled or oiled and GF floured 9″ or 10″ loaf pan. Spread corners and sides slightly higher.

Bake for 1 hour. A knife should come out of the center cleanly. (Jules note: in my oven this loaf baked for 67 minutes; begin checking with a toothpick at 1 hour and remove when toothpick comes out with only crumbs attached and no wet batter.)

Remove to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment (and maybe even a picture!) below or share a photo on Instagram! Be sure to tag me! @gfJules

 

You’re definitely going to want to double this recipe if you plan on sharing!

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gluten free cranberry orange quick bread |gfJules

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Quick Bread

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  1. Can you please tell me how to substitute Maple syrup instead of sugar? And I plan to use Oat flour…any change in the amount?

    Reply
    • Hi Christy, subbing liquid sugars for granulated sugars will always result in a change in finished product. You’ll need to adjust the liquid in the recipe and reduce it by the same amount of liquid you’re adding (this is a general rule of thumb but it will require tweaking). Regarding oat flour, you can’t just sub that in as a replacement for the gfJules Flour called for in my recipes, as oat flour is a whole grain flour. My gfJules Flour is a combination of whole grain gluten free flours with gluten free starches, modified starches and xanthan gum to make a combination that mimics wheat flour. Simply subbing in oat flour will mean that the end product won’t be as light and airy, will be more dense, and won’t hold together well. Here’s more information on gluten free flours to help explain it better.
      ~jules

      Reply
    • Thank you! It IS awesome!!! Dried cranberries can be used but the texture will be different. It may be a bit disconcerting to bite into the dried cranberries, as opposed to undried ones — they’ll be more like raisins, texture-wise. But if that’s all you have and you want to give it a try, you may decide you love it!
      ~jules

      Reply
  2. Dear Martha
    I loved this bread. It is so soft and moist.
    My kid who is gluten free loved it. Can I replace cranberry ? It is really hard to get it here.
    Vijaya

    Reply
    • Hi Vijaya, I’m so glad you loved it! If cranberry is hard to source, you can always replace with something like blueberries or leave them out altogether. This kind of berry doesn’t add a lot of moisture to the bread like a strawberry or raspberry would, so you should be ok to leave it out if you need to. The flavor will be different, of course, but it will still allow you enjoy the bread!
      ~jules

      Reply
        • That would be lovely, Ellen. You just have to be sure that they aren’t adding too much liquid. I would definitely roll them in more gfJules Flour before adding so that they don’t sink to the bottom, and if the bread becomes too wet and heavy, then you’ll know for next time to cut the other liquid in the recipe to account for the juicy cranberries!
          ~jules

          Reply
    • Hi Martha, there’s always a work around! Can you do unrefined coconut palm sugar? It’s a 1:1 replacement, usually. There are also other baking products like baking Stevia, Just Like Sugar and Swerve — be sure to use the ones recommended for baking and follow the product’s recommendations for ratios to substitute.
      Enjoy!
      ~jules

      Reply
  3. Love Love Love this bread!!! My best friends kids demolished the whole loaf in an afternoon (with some help from me and their mom and dad of course) After baking a loaf with some cranberries that I had left over from Christmas I decided that one loaf just wasn’t going to be enough. So I searched high and low to find more cranberries which are obviously out of season. Finally found some and bought all they had because this is a new favorite and will be a regular treat!!!

    Reply
  4. Jules… any thoughts on making this with less sugar or sugar free? I have someone who doesn’t do any “sweetness” sugar, honey, fake or other. The sugar/ sweet causes anxiety. Love to hear your ideas!
    Lora

    Reply
    • Hi Lora – you need some sweetness to balance out the tartness of the cranberries, but you could certainly reduce it. Not sure if sweeteners like Swerve would work? They’re a perfect 1:1.
      ~jules

      Reply
    • Hi Vanessa, it actually stays fresh for many days when made with my gfJules Flour because it has a natural preservative in it, which helps your baked goods stay fresh longer. I forgot I had any left over from the last time I made this recipe last week, and 5 days later found the rest of the loaf in my cabinet (protected from my cats – LOL!). It was still super yummy. Enjoy!
      ~jules

      Reply
  5. love the article and the idea for the bread sounds so good, i passed it onto my mom =)…

    but I’m not trying to start an argument or anything but fat is most definitely not bad for people.. there’s a really good podcast on the issue that might be worth checking out about the whole low-fat deception stuff by a very reputable scientist from cambridge who did their doctorate on the issue. https://chriskresser.com/the-truth-about-saturated-fat-with-zoe-harcombe/

    Thank you for the inspiration and I hope this isn’t coming off as rude I just listened to this podcast yesterday and it was super fascinating is all =)

    Much love, and thanks again, sorry if i came off rude or contentious not my intention but ugh okay haha do check out that podcast though lol:)…

    Reply
  6. I’m with you on pumpkin, but do need to get in cranberry mode now! I like that the cranberries are coarsely chopped in this recipe. The ones that use whole cranberries have way too tart of a bite for me!

    Reply
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