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Christmas Cranberry Bread 6-min

When gift giving season rolls around there’s often a sense of panic that comes with it. Who wants what, when are the best sales, and are we forgetting anyone?? While not all shopping can be avoided, I’ve tried my best to shift to homemade gifts when possible and for me that means food. These Christmas Cranberry Loaves are a fan favorite with friends and family alike and make the perfect last minute goodie. Packed with tart cranberries and topped off with a buttery crumble, it’s sure to be love at first bite.

Christmas Cranberry Bread 1-min
Christmas Cranberry Bread 2-min
Christmas Cranberry Bread 3-min

Overall, this recipe is very simple. The batter is mixed together in one bowl and there’s only one step that might trip up a new baker: beating the sugar and eggs. As you’ll see in the recipe, the first step is to beat the duo until they double in size. This step is crucial and will help your loaves rise properly. Don’t skip it!

Christmas Cranberry Bread 7-min
Christmas Cranberry Bread 5-min
Christmas Cranberry Bread 10-min

Bake the loaves until they’re just starting to turn golden on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. You can cover the top with foil if you’re worried your loaves are browning too much before the center is done (this step is usually necessary if you’re making one large loaf). Allow the loaves cool before slicing into them for the best texture, I know it’s hard, but it’s worth it! Hope you enjoy this sweet holiday treat as much as we do!

Christmas Cranberry Bread 9-min

Christmas Cranberry Bread 11-min

Yield(s): Makes 2 loaves

15m prep time

50m cook time

4.5
Rated 4.5 out of 5
Rated by 327 reviewers
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you're making mealtime meaningful.
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • ¾ cup butter, room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 (8 oz) bag fresh cranberries
Crumble
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ⅓ cup butter
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and thoroughly grease 2 loaf pans (this can also be made as one very large loaf or in a 9-inch cake pan).
  2. In a large bowl, add eggs and sugar and beat for 5 minutes, or until the volume of the mixture has nearly doubled (don’t skip this step!).
  3. Mix in butter, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.
  4. Gently mix in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined, then fold in cranberries.
  5. Transfer batter to the prepared pans.
  6. In a small bowl, mix together all topping ingredients until sandy in texture. Sprinkle over loaves.
  7. Bake for 45-50 minutes for 2 loaves or 60-70 minutes for 1 large loaf. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Allow loaves to cool before slicing.

Recipe adapted from Barefeetinthekitchen.com