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    Home » Desserts

    Vegan Cranberry Orange Bread

    Published: April 18, 2020 | 1:30 am, Modified: Nov 19, 2022 by Connie Edwards McGaughy This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Vegan Cranberry Orange Bread 🍊 An easy & delicious recipe for a sweet, citrusy, and moist quick bread loaf made with oranges & tangy cranberries.

    A loaf of vegan orange cranberry bread drizzled with icing and sprinkled with orange zest.

    What could be cozier than a freshly baked loaf of vegan cranberry orange bread topped with a generous drizzle of citrusy icing and orange zest? It's the perfect pairing with a cup of coffee or tea. A slice of a yummy homemade quick bread like this one, or my vegan pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, or vegan banana bread, is such a nice way to start (or end) a day!

    A loaf of vegan orange cranberry bread.
    Jump to:
    • 🍊 Ingredients
    • 🥕 Cranberry Tip
    • 🍊 Instructions
    • 🍊 Equipment
    • 🥕 Baking Tip
    • 🍊 FAQ's
    • Recipe
    • Food Safety

    I've been on a mission recently to create new dishes and recipes incorporating oranges as key ingredients. The other day I was in the mood to bake and thought I would try a citrus-centric quick bread recipe. Like the name suggests, a quick bread is just that – a leavened flour-based loaf that does not require yeast or additional time for rising/proofing in order for the bread to increase in volume. Quick breads rise while baking, much like cakes and muffins. For this recipe, we will use baking soda and baking powder as leavening agents.

    vegan orange cranberry bread

    I started searching for something I could prepare with ingredients I had on hand and ran across this popular recipe for Cranberry Orange Loaf on Allrecipes. It looked really good and had great reviews but it wasn't vegan, so I decided to swap out some ingredients here and there and add a few of my own.

    In the process, I ended up making this 100% vegan cranberry orange bread. It's so good! Sweet, but not too sweet, moist with a nice dense texture that holds together really well.

    How to make the best vegan cranberry orange bread!

    Ingredients for preparing vegan cranberry orange bread.

    See the printable recipe below for quantities and complete details.

    🍊 Ingredients

    Batter

    • Flour - I used unbleached all-purpose flour. Can be substituted with whole wheat or a 1:1 gluten-free of your choice.
    • Baking powder
    • Baking soda
    • Salt
    • Orange zest - freshly grated
    • Cranberries - dried or fresh cranberries - see tips below
    • Vegan butter - substitute with applesauce for an oil-free version
    • Sugar - see FAQ's below
    • Vegan egg replacer - see FAQ's below
    • Orange juice - fresh or bottled

    Citrus icing

    • Powdered sugar
    • Lemon juice - fresh is best. May be substituted with orange juice.

    🥕 Cranberry Tip

    If you use fresh cranberries, rinse them well with water and remove any stems or mushy berries before adding to batter. If you use dried cranberries, I suggest soaking them for 5-10 minutes in about a ¾ cup of warm orange juice. It helps plump them up and boosts the flavor.

    vegan orange cranberry bread ingredients

    🍊 Instructions

    Gather your ingredients. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease and dust with flour. Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Set aside.

    Orange juice being poured into a mixing bowl.

    In a large mixing bowl, cream together vegan butter, sugar and egg replacer. Stir in ¾ cup of orange juice.

    Cranberries in a mixing bowl with orange bread batter.

    Stir in cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to wet ingredients, stirring (by hand) until just combined. Don't over-stir, as it can cause the bread to have a tough texture.

    Vegan cranberry orange bread batter in a parchment lined loaf pan.

    Pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake at 350° for one hour.

    A freshly baked loaf of vegan cranberry orange bread in a baking pan.

    The bread is done baking when it bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger. Place onto a wire rack to cool.

    A loaf of vegan cranberry orange bread cooling on a wire rack.

    Remove from pan and prepare the citrus icing. In a small mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar with lemon juice, adding just one tablespoon at a time until it reaches a desired consistency.

    A loaf of vegan orange cranberry bread drizzled with icing and sprinkled with orange zest.

    When the loaf is cool, drizzle with icing and sprinkle with remaining orange zest. Serve & enjoy!

    vegan orange cranberry bread

    🍊 Equipment

    • 1 large mixing bowl
    • 1 medium mixing bowl
    • Measuring cup
    • Measuring spoons
    • Citrus zester
    • Citrus juicer
    • One rubber or silicone spatula
    • whisk
    • 9" x 5" loaf pan
    • Parchment paper (optional)

    🥕 Baking Tip

    Tip # 2 - Use fresh ingredients, including flour, baking soda and baking powder. All-purpose white flour has a shelf life of about 3-8 months. Gluten-free and whole wheat flours may become stale sooner. Unless you bake a lot, it's better to purchase flour in small quantities. Baking soda and baking powder can lose their rising oomph after a few months, so I like to keep an extra unopened box or tin on hand, just in case.

    🍊 FAQ's

    What type of sugar should I use in vegan cranberry orange bread?

    Believe it or not, sugar is not always vegan. In the U.S., most white and brown cane sugar is processed with bone char (also referred to as natural carbon). The exception is organic sugar, beet sugar and coconut sugar - all which are vegan. You can use organic or raw white sugar in this recipe, but it can cause the texture of the bread to be coarse. If you prefer a softer texture, you'll want to use a finer sugar. I haven't tried maple syrup, but would be interested in hearing your experience if you do! Learn more about vegan sugar options in this article.

    What can I use instead of egg in this recipe?

    Traditionally, this recipe calls for eggs, which I’ve substituted with vegan egg replacer. There are several packaged powdered egg replacers available which work well. You can also make your own by combining one tablespoon ground flax meal with three tablespoons of water (per egg). Allow it to sit 5 – 15 minutes to thicken before using. Another option is replacing the eggs with an equal amount of carbonated water.

    How to store vegan cranberry orange bread?

    I suggest keeping the loaf intact, only slicing as much as you want to serve at a time. It's a good idea to cut off about a 1" thick slice of the heel end of the loaf and use it to seal off the exposed loaf (to help keep it moist). Place the loaf in an airtight ziplock bag or wrap in food safe plastic wrap. Store at a cool room temperature or refrigerated up to 3 days.

    Orange ya glad you saw this? 🍊 Here's a few more citrus-centric recipes!

    • Tofu Orange Veggie Skillet
    • Orange Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
    • Vegan Coconut Orange Curd
    • Maple Cranberry Orange Yams

    If you’ve enjoyed this recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ please rate it below.

    Thanks a bunch!🥕

    Recipe

    vegan orange cranberry bread

    Vegan Cranberry Orange Bread

    by Connie🥕
    Vegan Cranberry Orange Bread 🍊 An easy & delicious recipe for a sweet, citrusy, and moist quick bread made with fresh orange & cranberries.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine American, Vegan
    Servings 12
    Calories 218 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 large mixing bowl
    • 1 medium mixing bowl
    • Measuring cup
    • Measuring spoons
    • Citrus zester
    • Citrus juicer
    • One rubber or silicone spatula
    • whisk
    • 9" x 5" loaf pan
    • Parchment paper (optional)

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 C flour all purpose
    • 1-½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoon orange zest
    • ¾ C dried cranberries or fresh cranberries. 🥕See notes below
    • ¼ C vegan butter 🥕See notes below for oil-free version
    • 1 C white sugar
    • 1 vegan egg replacer* equivalent of one egg 🥕See notes below
    • 1-½ C orange juice* 🥕See note below

    Citrus Icing

    • ½ C powdered sugar
    • ¼ C lemon juice

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°
    • Line loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease and dust with flour
    • If you use dried cranberries, soak cranberries in ¾ C warm orange juice for 5-10 minutes - drain off juice and set cranberries aside.
    • Using a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
    • In large mixing bowl, cream together vegan butter, sugar and egg replacer.
    • Stir in ¾ C orange juice.
    • Stir in cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest.
    • Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Don't over-stir
    • Pour batter into loaf pan.
    • Bake at 350° for one hour, until bread bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger.
    • Cool completely on a wire rack. Remove from pan.
    • When cool, drizzle with citrus icing and sprinkle with remaining orange zest. Serve & enjoy!

    Citrus Icing

    • In a small mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar with lemon juice, adding just one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.

    Notes

    🥕This recipe can be prepared oil-free by substituting the vegan butter with ¼ C apple sauce.
    🥕 If you use dried cranberries, reserve ¾ cup of the orange juice to soak them in. 
    🥕You can use organic or raw white sugar in this recipe, but it can cause the texture of the bread to be coarse. If you prefer a softer texture, you'll want to use a finer sugar. I haven't tried maple syrup, but would be interested in hearing your experience if you do!
    🥕You can also add-in chopped walnuts or pecans if you like. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 218kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 2gFat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 174mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 205IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg

    These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Food Safety

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Annette

      January 15, 2023 at 7:17 am

      5 stars
      Sweet and tangy at the same time. Great for when you want distinctive flavor but not heavy. Also simple quick to make.

      Reply
      • Connie Edwards McGaughy

        January 15, 2023 at 7:34 am

        Oh my gosh Annette, I think you read my mind! I was just considering baking a loaf of cranberry orange bread this morning too! So glad you enjoyed it, thank you!

        Reply
    2. Anne Hails

      October 23, 2022 at 7:19 am

      I recently had a kidney removed & am type 2 diabetic. Here’s a tough one for you ~. Do you have any low carb, zero sugar, zero salt baking recipes ?

      Reply
      • Connie Edwards McGaughy

        October 23, 2022 at 12:01 pm

        Hi Anne, thank you for asking. Unfortunately, I don't think any of my baking recipes would be what you are looking for. I did a quick Google search and found this vegan recipe site that focuses on diabetic-friendly ingredients. Here is a link to baking recipes, perhaps you might find something you like. Here's to your health!💚🥕 https://diabetic-vegan.com/sweet-treats/

        Reply
    3. Crystal

      October 22, 2022 at 5:02 am

      Can you sub the egg replacer with a flax egg?

      Reply
      • Connie Edwards McGaughy

        October 22, 2022 at 10:02 am

        Hi Crystal, yes absolutely! Check the FAQ's section in the recipe post, where I discuss different options for vegan egg replacers, including flax meal.

        Reply
    4. Connie Edwards McGaughy

      December 10, 2020 at 6:26 am

      5 stars
      A quick & easy citrusy loaf to enjoy anytime of the day. It's the perfect 'something sweet' to nibble on with a mug of coffee in the morning, a cup of tea in the afternoon or a glass of glass of wine after dinner.🍊

      Reply

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