Lemon Cranberry Bread
This gorgeous lemon cranberry bread features a lemon-scented loaf swirled with juicy cranberries. I love to bake this recipe in mini loaves and give them as edible holiday gifts!
A riff on my lemon yogurt cake, this easy and festive cranberry lemon bread combines the best of both a cranberry cake and a lemon quick bread for a festive, delicious treat.
Bake the batter in a large loaf pan and cut thick slices to nibble on while you rip into presents on Christmas morning, or divide it up between mini loaf pans and wrap them up for pretty holiday gifts. I love it both ways!
What You'll Love
While orange and cranberry is a familiar and classic combo, I am more partial to the slight tartness from the lemon that pairs so beautifully with the tart, crunchy cranberries. This loaf is:
- Moist and sweet. Thanks to the yogurt, this loaf is wonderfully moist and there's enough sugar here to make it seem like a dessert (though it's lovely at breakfast, too).
- Made in one bowl! Layer in the ingredients, give them a good stir, and you're ready to bake with just one bowl needed!
- Sizing variety. Make mini loaves as I've shown in these photos, or bake a larger loaf! You can also bake the cake in an 8-inch round cake pan if you like. So many options.
Ingredients
Here's a quick look at what you'll need to bake this pretty loaf. Scroll down to my recipe card to see the full amounts and detailed instructions.
- Lemon - Use the zest of one whole lemon. Any variety is fine.
- Granulated sugar
- Yogurt - I like to use whole milk plain yogurt, but you can use low-fat or non-fat yogurt, too.
- Eggs - Large eggs are best.
- All-purpose flour - Use the spoon and level method when measuring out your flour for the best accuracy.
- Baking powder
- Salt - I use fine sea salt or table salt.
- Vegetable oil - Substitute canola oil or melted coconut oil as needed.
- Cranberries - Fresh or frozen cranberries work great!
Instructions
Here's an overview of how to make this beautifully simple cake:
- Step 1: Mix lemon and sugar together in a bowl.
- Step 2: Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Step 3: Pour batter into a greased and lined standard-size loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans.
- Step 4: Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 30 minutes, then cool.
Tip
Make it a cake! Fancy this beauty up by baking it in an 8 or 9-inch cake pan. Then, make a vanilla buttercream frosting and spread it thickly atop the cooled cake. To finish, scatter about ¼ cup of sugared cranberries over the top.
Recipe Notes
- Use dried cranberries. In a pinch, use 1 cup of chopped dried cranberries. This will make more of a holidayish cranberry bread. Add ⅓ cup chopped walnuts for crunch.
- But fresh or frozen is best! However, I really prefer fresh or frozen cranberries for that juicy pop! No need to defrost the cranberries, just stir them in frozen.
- Cut the berries in half. If you like, you can cut each cranberry in half so the cranberry flavor is not quite so bold.
- Swap a little whole grain flour. Add some whole grains by swapping ½ cup of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour.
- Make it gluten free. Substitute 1 ¾ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour for the all-purpose flour.
- Do a glaze. Whisk 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice to form a drizzly glaze to drip over the top of the loaf.
Proper Storage
- Counter - Cover the loaf with foil or place it in an airtight container and store it on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge - Keep the loaf in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezer - Wrap loaf in plastic, then foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
If you tried this recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments below! And I always appreciate a star rating if you loved it ❤️
Recipe
Lemon Cranberry Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a standard-sized loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans, then cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom, leaving enough overhang on each side that you can grab easily to remove the baked loaf.
- In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar for about 1 minute. Whisk in the yogurt and eggs until well combined, then whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt. The batter will be thick. Now whisk in the oil and keeping whisking and stirring until smooth. Fold in the cranberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans, then place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes for 1 loaf, or about 30 minutes for mini loaves, until a tester inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper to gently lift out the loaf and let cool cool completely on the rack.
