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Home ยป Recipes ยป Christmas Recipes

Cranberry Poppy Seed Bread

Updated: Sep 27, 2023 by Mindee ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 1 Comment

Pinnable image 3 for cranberry bread.

Do you love to share sweet quick breads with friends or neighbors during the holidays?  It only takes 10 minutes to whip up a full-size loaf or 3 mini loaves of this poppy seed bread speckled with tart cranberries and topped with a sweet crumbly topping!

A finished loaf of cranberry poppy seed bread placed and sliced on a long plate garnished with fresh cranberries.
A loaf of this sweet bread dotted with brightly colored berries sliced and ready to eat!
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
  • How to Make Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
  • Related Cranberry Recipes
  • Best Cranberry Poppy Seed Bread Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Easy, quick bread recipe! How easy? As easy as Banana Bread!
  • This recipe can be made into one regular-size loaf or into 3 mini loaves.
  • A moist cranberry bread without oranges!
  • A perfect combination of sweet and tart flavors.
  • The bright color of the cranberries, in contrast with the light-colored bread, is eye-catching and perfect for holiday treats!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Butter- either unsalted butter or salted butter works.
  • Cranberries - You must use fresh cranberries (I prefer Ocean Spray brand), never canned cranberries or dried cranberries for this recipe. If you bought some fresh cranberries and tossed the bag in the freezer to use later, that's fine. Let the frozen cranberries thaw out on the countertop before using.
  • Sour Cream - full-fat sour cream works best, but low-fat sour cream may be used. You can also substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
  • Flour - Always all-purpose flour, not cake flour, bread flour, and never self-rising flour.
  • No Orange? - Nope, no orange juice, orange extract, or orange peel in this recipe. This quick bread has an almond sugar cookie-type flavor instead of an orange flavor. If you're looking for cranberry orange bread, see my Cranberry Orange Muffin recipe.
All the ingredients for this cranberry poppy seed bread laid out and labeled.
Everything you'll need to make this recipe!

How to Make Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

  • For best results, adjust your oven rack to be a little lower than the center of the oven.  The top of your bread loaf should be at the center of the oven. This helps it bake evenly all the way through the center of the bread.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  I like to line mine with parchment paper before spraying so I can lift the entire loaf out easily.  I also use office clips to hold the parchment paper in place.
  • Cut the whole cranberries into halves and set them aside.
  • NOTE - I prefer to use hand beaters and a large mixing bowl for this recipe instead of a stand mixer just because the last part of the recipe needs to be mixed in by hand.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. 
  • Add the almond extract and eggs.
  • Beat in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Whisk together the sour cream and milk in a measuring cup.
  • Add โ…“ of the flour to the batter.
  • Add ยฝ the sour cream/milk mixture.
Eggs cracked into the bowl with creamed butter and sugar.
Eggs cracked into the bowl with creamed butter and sugar.
  • Add another โ…“ of the flour.
  • Add the last of the sour cream/milk mixture.
  • Scrape down the side of the bowl well.
  • Sprinkle the remaining flour on the top of the batter. 
  • Dump the cranberries and poppy seeds onto top of the flour.
  • Fold the cranberries into the batter with the last bit of flour and the poppy seeds. This absorbs any cranberry juice without turning your batter pink. Mix just until combined.
  • Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  • Use a rubber spatula to spread it out evenly.
Last bit of flour sprinkled over the cranberries on top of the batter to be folded in last.
The last bit of flour is sprinkled over the cranberries on top of the batter to be folded in last.
  • Prepare the crumb topping by stirring the flour and sugar together with a fork and then cutting in the butter until it is crumbly with the fork or pastry blender.  OR put the flour, sugar, and butter in a food processor and pulse until it is crumbly.
  • Sprinkle the crumb topping on the bread batter.
  • Bake at 350 for 60 minutes, tenting with foil for the last 15 minutes.  
  • A toothpick should come out clean.
  • Cool for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack before removing the bread from the pan to finish cooling.
  • Do not slice until completely cool.
Batter spread into a loaf pan with topping evenly sprinkled across the top.
The batter is spread into a loaf pan with topping evenly sprinkled across the top.

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

Why not just mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients instead of alternating the flour and milk?

It comes down to the butter. Creamed sugar and butter can't absorb much liquid. If all the wet ingredients were mixed together at the same time, the butter would become saturated, the batter would separate, the liquid would stay on top, and the end result would be a heavy, dense loaf. Alternating the milk and flour keeps the proper rate of absorption to get moist quick breads that also have a lighter crumb.

How do I keep the batter from turning pink?

Be sure to fold the cranberries in with the last bit of flour and the poppy seeds. The flour will absorb any extra juice and stop it from coloring the batter. If you're using berries that have previously been frozen, you're more likely to have the batter discolor from extra juice. This technique also works for other berry quick breads like Blueberry Muffins or Raspberry Muffins.

How long should I bake mini loaves?

If you opt to make 3 mini loaves of bread instead of one big loaf, then you will bake them for 18-20 minutes. Check with a toothpick. Cook for an additional 5 minutes if they are not quite done.

Do I need to keep this poppy seed bread in the fridge?

You can, but it's not necessary. Keeping it in the fridge will keep it fresh longer, but you won't become ill from it being kept at room temperature on the countertop. You can read this guide on How to Store Muffins and Quick Breads for more info.

Can I freeze my loaves?

This delicious cranberry bread also freezes well! Wrap tightly with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil, and pop in the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw out in the fridge or at room temperature. For a great cheat sheet on freezing baked goods, see this article on How To Freeze Baked Goods.

Related Cranberry Recipes

  • Cranberry Crumble Bars - pairs nicely with a cup of coffee!
  • Savory Cranberry Bread - a great alternative to sweet quick breads!
  • Bakery Style Cranberry Lemon Scones - this one is a great recipe when you have extra cranberries!
  • Nantucket Cranberry Pie - full of mouth-watering cranberry flavor!

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!

A baked loaf of cranberry poppy seed bread on a decorative plate garnished with fresh cranberries

Best Cranberry Poppy Seed Bread Recipe

Mindee
It's that time of year that we love to share treats with neighbors and friends for the holiday season!ย  It only takes 10 minutes to whip up a loaf of this poppy seed bread speckled with tart cranberries and topped with a sweet, crumbly topping!ย ย 
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Quick Breads
Cuisine American
Servings 1 Loaf
Calories 2997 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 10 Tbs. Butter Softened
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 teaspoon Almond Extract
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ยฝ teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ยผ teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Cups Halved Raw Cranberries
  • 1 Tbs. Poppy Seeds
  • ยฝ Cup Sour Cream
  • ยฝ Cup Milk
  • 2 Cups Flour

Crumb Topping

  • ยผ Cup Flour + 1 Tbs
  • 3 Tbs. Sugar
  • 2 Tbs Butter softened

Instructions
 

  • For best results, adjust your oven rack to be a little lower than the center of the oven.ย  The top of your bread loaf should be at the center of the oven. This helps it bake evenly all the way through the center of the bread.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. ย Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.ย  I like to line mine with parchment paper before spraying so I can lift the entire loaf out easily.ย  I also use office clips to hold the parchment paper in place.
  • Cut the whole cranberries into halves and set them aside.
  • NOTE
    - I prefer to use hand beaters and a large mixing bowl for this recipe instead of a stand mixer just because the last part of the recipe needs to be mixed in by hand.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar.ย 
  • Add the almond extract and eggs.
  • Beat in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Whisk together the sour cream and milk in a measuring cup.
  • Add โ…“ of the flour to the batter.
  • Add ยฝ the sour cream/milk mixture.
  • Add another โ…“ of the flour.
  • Add the last of the sour cream/milk mixture.
  • Scrape down the side of the bowl well.
  • Sprinkle the remaining flour on the top of the batter.ย 
  • Dump the cranberries and poppy seeds onto top of the flour.
  • Fold the cranberries into the batter with the last bit of flour and the poppy seeds. This absorbs any cranberry juice without turning your batter pink. Mix just until combined.
  • Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  • Use a rubber spatula to spread it out evenly.
  • Prepare the crumb topping by stirring the flour and sugar together with a fork, and then cut in the butter until it is crumbly. ย OR put the flour, sugar, and butter in a food processor and pulse until it is crumbly.
  • Sprinkle the crumb topping on the bread batter.
  • Bake at 350 for 60 minutes, tenting with foil for the last 15 minutes. ย A toothpick should come out clean.
  • Cool for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack before removing the bread from the pan to finish cooling.
  • Do not slice until completely cool.

Notes

  • To be able to lift the loaf out of the bread pans easily, you can line it with parchment paper before spraying the pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • To get the parchment paper to stay in place, clip the parchment paper to the edges of the bread pan with office clips.
  • Butter- either unsalted butter or salted butter works.
  • Cranberries - You must use fresh cranberries (I prefer Ocean Spray brand), never canned cranberries or dried cranberries for this recipe. If you bought some fresh cranberries and tossed the bag in the freezer to use later, that's fine. Let the frozen cranberries thaw out on the countertop before using.
  • Sour Cream - full-fat sour cream works best, but low-fat sour cream may be used. You can also substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
  • Flour - Always all-purpose flour, not cake flour, bread flour, and never self-rising flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 2997kcalCarbohydrates: 619gProtein: 35gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 412mgSodium: 2578mgPotassium: 840mgFiber: 16gSugar: 341gVitamin A: 1511IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 1435mgIron: 20mg
Keyword best cranberry bread, cranberry bread, cranberry orange bread, ocean spray cranberry bread, quick bread with cranberries
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to check out some of my most popular recipes before you go!

  • Easy Lemon Bundt Cake
  • Soft Crumbl Oreo Cookies
  • Black Tie Mousse Cake
  • No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
  • Dill Pickle Deviled Eggs
  • Copycat Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread

More Christmas Recipes

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  • Candy Cane Cookies aka Peppermint Chocolate Chip
  • Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup
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  1. Mindee

    March 20, 2021 at 5:59 am

    My favorite!

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

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