THE BEST healthy and gluten-free cranberry nut bread recipe! It is incredibly moist with chunks of nuts and bursts of cranberry zing in a sweet orange flavored bread loaf.
I hope my photos do justice to this cranberry nut quick bread because it is beyond outstanding! I mean truly, major shout out to the heavens how mouthwatering delicious this gluten-free cranberry nut bread is! It is tried and tested a gazillion times to perfection and I teach you all the right tips to make a foolproof orange cranberry nut bread loaf with an incredibly moist texture! Baking for the holidays? Make my gluten-free pumpkin bread too.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 25 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 55 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees F
- ⏳ Total Time: about 1 hour 20 minutes, plus cooling (wrap and store overnight for best slicing)
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 slices, 1 loaf
- ⚡ Calories: 155kcal per slice made with monk fruit sugar, per the recipe card
- 🥣 Ingredients: gluten-free flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, orange juice, unsweetened applesauce, monk fruit sugar, avocado oil, orange peel, chopped cranberries and pecans or walnuts
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet orange bread with tart cranberry bursts and crunchy nuts
- ✋ Difficulty: Two bowls, fold, bake
Quick Answer
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Combine 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour, ½ cup almond meal, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt. In a small bowl whisk 1 cup monk fruit sugar, ¾ cup orange juice, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 beaten eggs and 2 tablespoons oil, pour it into the dry ingredients with 1 teaspoon orange peel and mix just until moistened. Fold in 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries and ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, spoon it into the greased and floured pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan, then on a wire rack. It makes 12 slices.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Gluten-Free Cranberry Nut Bread Stays Moist
- Why You'll Love This Cranberry Nut Bread
- Key Ingredients
- Cranberries and Natural Sweeteners
- How to Make Cranberry Nut Bread
- Expert Tips
- More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes
- Cranberry Nut Bread FAQs
- More Holiday Quick Breads
- Gluten-Free Cranberry Nut Bread
It encompasses all the comforting flavors of fall and winter with fresh cranberries and orange juice. It takes as little as 10 minutes to whip together, then just let it bake!
Why This Gluten-Free Cranberry Nut Bread Stays Moist
Click to see why it works
- Apple sauce is the secret ingredient. Gluten-free flour is much drier, so an extra binding agent is needed. Two eggs plus ½ cup apple sauce binds the loaf so it is not flaky and keeps it moist.
- Almond meal adds richness next to the gluten-free flour.
- Orange juice and orange peel flavor the whole loaf and balance the tart cranberries.
- Mix just until moistened. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stop as soon as they come together.
- The right flour. A 1-to-1 gluten-free flour without flax keeps the center from sinking or browning too fast.
Why You'll Love This Cranberry Nut Bread
- Incredibly moist with chunks of nuts and bursts of cranberry zing.
- Gluten-free and dairy-free, with no processed sugars.
- Almost sugar-free. Using monk fruit makes each slice of cranberry nut bread 3 grams of sugar!
- Quick to mix. It takes as little as 10 minutes to whip together, then just let it bake.
- Tested again and again. I made this recipe about 6 times using different flours to get it just right.
Key Ingredients
The dry ingredients of this easy gluten-free cranberry nut bread dough are gluten-free flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Wet ingredients needed are orange juice, eggs, unsweetened apple sauce and avocado oil. Then add in the crunch and flavor of fresh cranberries and chopped pecans!
- Gluten-free flour - a 1-to-1 blend works best. Learn more about gluten-free flour.
- Almond meal - for a tender, rich crumb.
- Baking powder and baking soda - for lift.
- Eggs and unsweetened apple sauce - the binders that keep it moist.
- Orange juice and orange peel - the sweet orange flavor.
- Monk fruit sugar - or xylitol or coconut sugar.
- Avocado oil - just 2 tablespoons.
- Fresh cranberries and pecans or walnuts - coarsely chopped.
See recipe card for quantities.
Cranberries and Natural Sweeteners
Cranberries are rich in antioxidants. They are a versatile fruit that goes well in smoothies, sauces, and baked goods including these Cranberry Smoothie Bowls, Maple Orange Cranberry Sauce, Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Bars, Cranberry Corn Salsa, and Orange Cranberry Oat Cakes!
This gluten-free cranberry nut bread contains no gluten, dairy, or processed sugars! I like to make it with monk fruit or xylitol from (birch), but you can also use coconut sugar. Using monk fruit makes each slice of cranberry nut bread 3 grams of sugar, almost sugar-free! Nutrition on the card is calculated using monk fruit sugar, so regular sugar or coconut sugar will change the calories and sugar content.
How to Make Cranberry Nut Bread
1Combine the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2Whisk the wet ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, orange juice, apple sauce, eggs, and oil. Pour into the dry ingredients and add the orange zest and mix just until moistened.
3Fold in the cranberries and nuts. Fold in the chopped cranberries and pecans or walnuts.
4Bake. Spoon the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes (my oven does exactly 60 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
5Rest overnight. Wrap and store overnight for best slicing.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Pick the right flour. For the best results use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour. Using a flour that contains flax will alter the recipe and cause the center to sink in or overly brown. I made this recipe about 6 times using different flours and all of the brands of gluten-free flour that had more quinoa flour in the mix and flax caused the bread to brown too fast during baking.
- Check it at 55 minutes. It needs about 60 minutes to finish baking but that depends on the oven. I have a brand new oven and sixty minutes makes the center perfectly cooked. Under sixty minutes, the center came out slightly under-cooked.
- Don't substitute the apple sauce. I tested this using one egg, then two eggs, then two eggs with ½ a cup of apple sauce, and that is the secret ingredient that takes this bread to the "WOW" factor!
- Grease and flour the pan so the loaf releases cleanly.
- Slice it the next day. Wrap and store overnight for the cleanest slices.
More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes
More gluten-free quick breads to bake: Gluten-Free Banana Bread With Streusel Topping, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread, Gluten-Free Butternut Squash Flax Bread Loaf, Healthy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Quick Bread, Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Bread and Gluten Free White Bread Recipe.
More cranberry recipes: Oatcakes Recipe, Cranberry Smoothie Bowls, Maple Orange Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe and Healthy Cranberry Ice Cream With Butter Rum Chocolate Sauce (Vegan).
For the holiday table, add my Paleo Pumpkin Bread and Cranberry Butternut Squash Stuffing.
Cranberry Nut Bread FAQs
Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour. Flours that contain flax or a lot of quinoa flour made the center sink in or brown too fast.
A flour that contains flax will cause the center to sink in or overly brown, and pulling the loaf before about 60 minutes can leave the center slightly under-cooked.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 to 60 minutes. Check it at 55 minutes, and it is done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Yes. Monk fruit, xylitol or coconut sugar all work. The card nutrition is calculated with monk fruit, so coconut sugar or regular sugar will change the calories and sugar content.
Yes. Use ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts.
Cool it completely, then wrap and store it overnight for the best slicing.
More Holiday Quick Breads
Keep the oven busy with Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread, Paleo Pumpkin Bread, Gluten-Free Banana Pecan Bread and Cranberry Smoothie Bowls. If you make this orange gluten-free cranberry nut bread recipe from Delightful Mom Food I would love to see your creations! What are you making this holiday that is your favorite meal? Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Gluten-Free Cranberry Nut Bread
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour
- ½ cup almond meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs beaten
- ¾ cup orange juice
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce or ⅓ cup oil
- 1 cup monk fruit sugar (I use xylitol , monk fruit or coconut sugar)
- 2 tablespoons oil (I used avocado oil)
- 1 teaspoon orange peel
- 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, orange juice, apple sauce, eggs, and oil. Pour into the dry ingredients and add the orange zest and mix just until moistened. Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.
- Spoon batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Wrap and store overnight for best slicing.
Rita Mammano says
Can you use almond flour instead of meal?
Danielle Fahrenkrug, Certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach says
Yes.
May says
What type of oil can be substituted for the applesauce? Can melted butter be subbed?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Yes, you can use avocado oil or melted butter.
Pat says
Can frozen cranberries be used?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Yes, frozen cranberries can be used, just thaw, chop and drain any extra liquid first.
brittanyalyss says
Danielle, your pictures look fantastic. In fact, I am mixing ingredients as I post this comment. Just so you know, your ingredients list is missing the orange peel (or rind amount as I am using). Either way. cannot wait to taste the cranberry, orange goodness.
admin says
Thank you Brittany for bringing it to my attention:-) Glad you are making it - it is 2 tsp orange peel (just fixed it) 🙂