Cooking and Serving: 16 minutes | 10 slices cranberry bread
Ingredients
How to make gluten free cranberry bread | Recipe tips and tricks | Flavor variations
Description
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour hr | Total Time: 16 minutes | Servings: 10 slices cranberry bread
Ingredients
How to make gluten free cranberry bread
Recipe tips and tricks
Flavor variations
Instructions
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
overhead image of gluten free cranberry bread ingredients in small bowls with.
image of gluten free cranberry bread ingredients in small bowls with words of.
Gluten free flour blend: I used Nicole’s Best and added 1 1/2 teaspoons.
xanthan gum. Be sure you’re using one of my recommended rice flour-based,.
well balanced gluten free flour blends.
and only add xanthan gum if your blend doesn’t already contain it.
Baking powder: Helps the bread to rise in the oven.
Baking soda: Aids rise, neutralizes acid, and helps the loaf brown in the.
Salt: Balances and brightens the other ingredients.
Granulated sugar: Makes the bread tender, and adds enough sweetness to.
balance the tartness of the cranberries. There’s an additional tablespoon of.
sugar that we sprinkle on top of the raw loaf because cranberries are so.
tart, but you can either skip that or add it right to the bread if you.
Buttermilk: Adds moisture, flavor, and tenderness. If you’re out of.
buttermilk, it’s easy to replace 1 cup of it with 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2.
cup milk, or even 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt.
Butter: Adds moisture and flavor. Beating the butter with the sugar and then.
the eggs also lightens the bread * Eggs: Give the bread structure and help it rise.
Cranberries: The star of the show, fresh tart cranberries provide lots of.
flavor and texture. Most bags of cranberries have 12 ounces of berries, but.
this recipe only calls for 10. This allows you to select only the best.
berries. Be sure to cut them in half before adding them to the batter.
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE CRANBERRY BREAD
PREPARE DRY INGREDIENTS; COMBINE WET AND DRY.
Whisk together the dry ingredients (gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum,.
baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a small bowl.
Toss the halved cranberries with a bit of the dry ingredients.
Using a handheld or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter.
Beat in the eggs until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients in 2 parts, alternating with the buttermilk in.
between, and beating just to combine after each addition.
The batter will be smooth and pretty thick.
ADD THE CRANBERRIES, TRANSFER TO THE PAN AND BAKE.
Add the halved cranberries tossed with dry ingredients to the prepared raw.
Mix until the cranberries are evenly distributed throughout.
Transfer the batter to a greased and lined loaf pan, and spread it into an.
even layer; it will mostly or completely fill the loaf pan.
Score the batter down the center about 1/4-inch deep with a knife or offset.
Sprinkle the final tablespoon of granulated sugar evenly over the top.
Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour; let cool, then slice and serve.
Halved fresh cranberries on top of light yellow batter in bowl.
fresh cranberries on top of light yellow batter in bowl.
Raw cranberry bread batter with cranberries mixed in with white spatula with.
cranberry bread batter with cranberries mixed in with white spatula with black.
Hand sprinkling white sugar from small glass bowl onto raw light yellow.
cranberry bread batter in metal muffin tin.
sprinkling white sugar from small glass bowl onto raw light yellow cranberry.
bread batter in metal muffin tin.
light brown baked gluten free cranberry bread with white sugar on top in metal.
brown baked gluten free cranberry bread with white sugar on top in metal loaf.
SLICE THE CRANBERRIES IN HALF
Just be sure to use a sharp knife to slice each of the cranberries in half.
before folding them into the batter. It helps to keep them from clumping during.
TOSS THE CRANBERRIES IN SOME OF THE DRY INGREDIENTS.
Toss about 1 tablespoon of the whisked dry ingredients with the halved.
cranberries. This will help keep them from clumping in the batter and will help.
avoid wet pockets of quick bread.
USE ONLY THE FIRMEST CRANBERRIES
Cranberries usually come in 12 ounce bags, and this recipe calls for 10 ounces.
In every bag of fresh cranberries, some are not very fresh. The fresh.
cranberries aren’t wrinkled or bruised, and they’re very firm. Discard the.
bruised and less fresh berries.
DON’T DEFROST FROZEN CRANBERRIES FULLY.
As soon as cranberries become available, I usually buy 6 or 8 bags of them.
because I bake with them all season and make tons of cranberry sauce for the.
holidays. I store 2 bags in the refrigerator, and put the rest in the freezer.
If your cranberries are frozen first, you’ll need to let them defrost partially.
so you can slice them in half, but don’t let them defrost all the way.
If they’ve been frozen and fully defrosted, they tend to get too soft and don’t.
hold their shape long enough during baking. They’re also more likely to bleed.
color in the raw loaf batter.
FLAVOR VARIATIONS
To make it into a cranberry-orange quick bread, add the zest of one small orange.
to the batter. You wouldn’t have to change anything else.
For even more orange flavor, squeeze the juice out of that orange, too, and use.
it to replace an equal amount of the buttermilk in the recipe. One navel orange.
usually has about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup juice. Reduce the volume of buttermilk by.
the same amount as the juice. The batter may look a bit curdled, but it will.
For a bright lemon flavor, replace 1 tablespoon of buttermilk with 1 tablespoon.
of freshly-squeezed lemon juice. You can also add up to 1 tablespoon of lemon.
Try adding up to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the bread for some.
texture. Don’t reduce the amount of cranberries.
Although the batter for this cranberry bread is thick, the bread is really moist.
and tender. It doesn’t dry out quickly at all. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap,.
and it will stay fresh on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 days. It.
will stay fresher if it’s not sliced, but slices can be wrapped individually and.
stored that way, too.
FREEZING
For longer storage, either as a whole loaf or individual slices, wrap tightly in.
freezer-safe wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature.
Individual slices can also be microwaved for 20 seconds at reduced power to.
speed up the process.
A close up of the top of the cranberry bread in a loaf pan.
close up of the top of the cranberry bread in a loaf pan.
DAIRY FREE
To make this recipe without dairy, you’ll need to replace the butter and the.
buttermilk. For the butter, try vegan butter in block form, like Melt or.
Miyoko’s Creamy brand. Remember that you need something that can be beaten until.
creamy with the sugar, so don’t use anything that comes in a tub, which is.
mostly oil and won’t whip. For buttermilk, try half nondairy plain yogurt and.
half unsweetened almond milk both.
EGG FREE
There are two eggs in this recipe. If you need to make the recipe without eggs,.
try replacing each of them with one “flax egg” or one “chia egg.” I’ve made a.
chia egg lukewarm water and allowing it to gel.
CRANBERRIES
If you’d like to replace the cranberries in this bread, you can try blueberries,.
but they’re less firm and it may not work. You’re probably better off trying our.
recipe for gluten free blueberry bread.
instead, which is similar but not exactly the same.
A close up of 2 slices of cranberry bread on a white background.
close up of 2 slices of cranberry bread on a white background.
FAQS
Can I make cranberry muffins with this batter?
I haven’t tried making muffins with this batter, but it’s the right consistency.
to make really nice muffins and I think it would work well. Fill the muffin.
wells full of batter, and bake at 375°F for 5 minutes, then lower the oven.
temperature to 350°F until fully baked (at least another 15 minutes). A.
toothpick should come out clean.
Can I use dried cranberries instead of fresh?
No, for this bread you do need to use fresh cranberries because we’re relying on.
the moisture that they release when they bake. For a quick bread that you can.
make with dried pieces of fruit, try replacing the chocolate chips in this.
gluten free chocolate chip bread.
with dried cranberries.
Can I use applesauce in place of eggs?
No, applesauce won’t provide the structure and binding of eggs. To replace the.
eggs, try 2 “chia eggs” or “flax eggs” in their place.
Can this be made into mini loaves?
Yes! A standard 9×5-inch loaf pan holds about 8 cups of batter. You can divide.
that batter into as many mini loaf pans as you can fill full of batter, then.
score the center and bake at 350°F until done. Depending on the size of your.
mini loaf pans, they should take about 30 minutes total to bake all the way.
Can I use frozen cranberries?
Yes! I often freeze fresh cranberries when I buy them. Defrost the berries only.
enough to allow you to slice them in half, and then add them to the batter. If.
you buy them fresh and know you are going to be making this recipe, try slicing.
10 ounces of fresh cranberries in half first and storing them in a freezer-safe.
bag that way. Don’t defrost before using them in the recipe.
Will this recipe work with Namaste gluten free flour blend?
Even though it’s easy to find and well-priced, I’m afraid that’s not one of my.
recommended blends, and it tends to be gritty and not properly balanced. My.
favorite blends are Better Batter original gluten free flour, Nicole’s Best.
multipurpose gluten free flour, and Cup4Cup (although they’ve changed the.
formulation of that blend and it’s unfortunately not as good). You can also make.
an equivalent of Better Batter using my “mock Better Batter” blend.
GLUTEN FREE CRANBERRY BREAD
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins.
Yield: 10 slices cranberry bread.
gluten free cranberry bread sliced in half on white paper.
free cranberry bread sliced in half on white paper.
This gluten free cranberry bread has a moist and tender crumb, is studded with.
tart cranberries, and is just sweet enough.
EQUIPMENT
Stand mixer with paddle attachment or handheld mixer.
INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon.
2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten.
2 ½ cups (350 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend.
(I used Nicole’s Best; please click thru for appropriate blend info).
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum, (omit if your blend, like Better Batter or.
Cup4Cup, already contains it).
1 teaspoon baking powder.
½ teaspoon baking soda.
¾ teaspoon kosher salt.
10 ounces fresh cranberries, halved.
INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon.
2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten.
2 ½ cups (350 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend.
(I used Nicole’s Best; please click thru for appropriate blend info).
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum, (omit if your blend, like Better Batter or.
Cup4Cup, already contains it).
1 teaspoon baking powder.
½ teaspoon baking soda.
¾ teaspoon kosher salt.
10 ounces fresh cranberries, halved.
Notes
* Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a standard 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
* In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large
bowl with a handheld mixer, place the butter and 1 cup of sugar. Beat on
medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
* Add the eggs and beat on medium speed until smooth.
* In a separate, medium-size bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, baking
powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk to combine well.
* Place the cranberry halves in a separate, small bowl. Add about one
tablespoon of the dry ingredients to the cranberries, and toss to coat. Set
the cranberries aside.
* To the bowl with the butter and sugar mixture, add the dry ingredients in two
parts, alternating with the buttermilk, beating after each addition. Be sure
to begin and end with the dry ingredients. The mixture will be thick but
* Add the cranberries and reserved dry ingredients, and mix gently into the
batter until evenly distributed throughout.
* Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. It will most or
completely fill the pan, depending on the exact depth of your loaf pan.
* Smooth the top with a wet spatula, score down the center of the raw loaf
about 1/4-inch deep with a knife or offset spatula. Sprinkle the top with the
remaining tablespoon of sugar.
* Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake, rotating once,
until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out
clean (about 1 hour).
* Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before
transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
About the buttermilk.
The buttermilk can be replaced cream (120 g) or 1 cup (227 g) plain whole milk yogurt.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on a full loaf divided into 10 equal
Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 338mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber:
3g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 314IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron:
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
The inside and outside views of cranberry bread
inside and outside views of cranberry bread