Extra Moist Gluten-Free Cranberry Bread With Buttermilk

Make a festive comforting loaf of gluten-free cranberry bread! This easy quick bread recipe makes a moist, slightly tart and sweet cranberry orange loaf perfect for the holiday season. Fresh cranberries, nuts, and orange zest flavor this homemade treat complete with a yummy orange glaze drizzled on.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 10

resting 15

Total Time 1 35

Servings

Author Melissa Erdelac

Ingredients

Cranberry Bread

⅔ cup (160 g) buttermilk
6 tablespoons (6 tablespoon) unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) orange zest (will need 2 large oranges for entire recipe)
⅓ cup (82.67 g) freshly squeezed orange juice from zested oranges
1 (1) large egg
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
2 cups (272 g) gluten-free all purpose flour I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon (1 teaspoon) salt
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) baking soda
1 ½ cups (150 g) (6 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries coarsely chopped
½ cup (58.5 g) walnuts or pecans

Orange Glaze

1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 8 ½" X 4 ½" loaf pan. Set aside.
In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, cooled butter, orange zest, orange juice, egg, and vanilla extract.
⅔ cup buttermilk, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , 1 tablespoon orange zest, ⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large bowl whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Add liquid ingredients to the dry mixture and stir to combine until no flour pockets remain.
Gently stir in chopped cranberries, and nuts, if using. Transfer the batter to the prepared bread pan and spread evenly. Let the batter rest in the pan for 15 minutes before baking. This gives a head start for the GF starches to start soaking up the moisture and builds the structure of the bread.
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries, ½ cup walnuts or pecans
Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. If the top is becoming overly browned before bread is done baking, loosely tent a piece of foil over the top. The bread is done when a long skewer or knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the bread cool 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. For best results, let the bread cool at least 1 hour before slicing.
After the bread has cooled for at least 30 minutes, prepare the glaze. Stir together the powdered sugar and orange juice until it is smooth and no lumps remain. Place a piece of waxed paper under the cooling rack to catch drips or set the rack, with bread, inside a large baking sheet. Use a small spoon to drizzle glaze over the cranberry bread. Let the glaze sit and harden slightly before slicing and serving.
1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Notes

Using Frozen or Dried Cranberries

If you'd like to make this bread when fresh cranberries aren’t available, look in your freezer section. Coarsely chop the cranberries and then add, still frozen, to the batter. Please note, substituting frozen cranberries increases the baking time.

To use dried cranberries, use 1 cup. For best results, soak them in 1/2 cup boiling water for 5 minutes to plump and hydrate them before draining and folding in batter.

Buttermilk Substitutions

1. Place ½ tablespoon white vinegar in a liquid measuring cup. Fill up with milk or non-dairy milk to the ⅔ cup mark. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.

2. ⅓ cup plain yogurt mixed with ⅓ cup milk

3. ⅓ cup sour cream mixed with ⅓ cup milk

Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Nutrition