Delicious Vegan Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe - Perfect for Christmas (2024)

Are you looking for a delicious recipe to try during the holiday season? It is the perfect time of the year to try our favorite vegan cranberry orange bread recipe and be amazed by the bright bursts of fresh tart cranberries, orange zest, and crunchy pecans.

This delicious loaf is the best recipe for vegan orange cranberry bread - try it and create a new holiday tradition in your home! It is the perfect morning coffee companion or festive afternoon snack.

I hope you're getting into the festive spirit and enjoying time with loved ones as the holidays approach.

Nothing feels more comforting and charming this time of year than enjoying a slice of homemade cranberry orange loaf. It's the perfect holiday treat - this quick bread recipe makes a fantastic breakfast bread with a cup of coffee.

This vegan cranberry orange bread has been a Christmas tradition in our house - I love how the bright bursts of fresh cranberries, tart orange zest and juice, and crunchy pecans come together into something so simple yet mouthwatering.

When I pulled the loaf from the oven, rich, citrusy aromas filled the kitchen, and my husband came straight away, hoping to snag a warm slice directly from the baking dish. This cranberry bread recipe is his favorite around this time of year. But he had to wait to let it cool!

I hope you'll try it and find that this great recipe will also become a new favorite in your holiday home.

This vegan cranberry orange bread with pecans is a great addition to brunch over the holidays or on Christmas morning; serve it alongside this JUST Egg Quiche, JUST Egg Frittata, vegan Buckwheat Banana Waffles, or vegan Banana Oat Pancakes.

Ingredients

Here are the fresh, simple ingredients you need to make the best cranberry orange bread with the perfect balance of flavors:

• Fresh cranberries - you can use frozen cranberries. Cut the fresh or frozen cranberries in half to get that burst of cranberry flavor! You'll need an 8-oz bag of cranberries. Wash the cranberries and pick through any that are soft. Use all the fresh and firm cranberries left to make this bread!
• Flaxseed Meal - this is mixed with a portion of the fresh orange juice to make a "flax egg." I always keep a bag of flaxseed meal in the fridge to keep it fresh.
• Pecans - for their sweet and mild flavor. Toast them to bring out their sweet, nutty taste, then chop coarsely for a bit of crunch. I recommend storing nuts in the fridge or freezer to keep them fresh.
• Fresh oranges - for the bright, citrusy orange flavor. Roll the oranges on the counter to extract more juice from them.
• Vegan butter - I love the buttery flavor in this cranberry orange bread. I used Miyoko's Creamery European-style plant-based unsalted plant milk butter made with coconut oil, cashew milk, filtered water, and organic sunflower oil. Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks would work as well.
• Organic soy milk - unflavored and unsweetened, an excellent replacement for dairy milk due to its protein content. I mix this with apple cider vinegar to make vegan buttermilk.

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to make this Vegan Cranberry Orange Bread

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven according to the recipe below. Grease a standard loaf pan.

Lining the pan with parchment paper with paper extending over the sides is optional for easy removal after buttering the pan. I recommend greasing on top of the parchment paper also.

Mix the wet ingredients

Combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Let sit for a few minutes. After zesting and juicing the orange, place half of the juice in a separate bowl and add flaxseed meal. Stir and let sit for a few minutes.

Whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, soy milk with apple cider vinegar, flaxseed mixture, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients and combine

Whisk the all-purpose flour, organic cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and pink salt in a large mixing bowl.

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Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a spatula, gently stirring in the halved cranberries and pecans. Stir just until moistened.

Note: The wet batter is supposed to be thick, keeping the cranberries suspended in the batter. Avoid overmixing since this can affect the cake's texture.

Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into the corners with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat per the recipe card below for 40-45 more minutes, until the bread is golden on top and a wooden toothpick comes out clean.

Let the bread cool in the baking dish for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack. Carefully remove parchment paper if using, and continue to cool for at least an hour.

Cutting a slice or two out of the cranberry orange bread while it is cooling is tempting. However, the texture of the bread improves as it cools on a cooling rack, making it much easier to slice.

Optional: Make the orange glaze while this quick bread cools - mix fresh orange juice with icing sugar, also known as confectioner's sugar. Add more sugar if it's too thin; if it's too thick and hard to pour, add more orange juice or plant-based milk (I used almond milk).

Hint: Run a thin knife or serving spatula around the loaf pan's edges before inverting the cake for easy removal to ensure it doesn't stick.

Substitutions

Here are some substitutions and variations you can try when making this vegan cranberry bread:

• All-purpose flour - try spelt or whole wheat pastry flour instead, or mix all-purpose and whole wheat flour. Do not use coconut flour. If you add almond flour, replace up to 25% of the flour with it. Using 100% whole wheat flour will make this cake dense.
• Orange juice - if you don't have any oranges handy, try fresh lemon juice instead.
• Pecans - try walnuts instead.
• Vegan butter - use melted coconut oil instead.
• Organic cane sugar - use light brown sugar or a white and brown sugar mix, or try coconut sugar. I don't recommend using a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup since that will affect the texture of the batter and the ratio of liquid to dry ingredients.
• Organic soy milk - use unsweetened almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk.

Variations

Here are some variations you can try:

• Gluten-free - use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend such as the one from Bob's Red Mill.
• Oil-free - replace the vegan butter with apple sauce.
• Pecans - replace with raisins or golden raisins if you like. Or use vegan white chocolate chips (or chopped vegan white chocolate) instead.

Equipment

• 9-inch x 5-inch glass baking dish - I love this one I've used for years. If you use a metal one, your cranberry orange bread may brown too much on the bottom and sides.
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Baking half sheet for toasting the pecans
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Microplane zester
• Citrus squeezer

Storage

Store at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Freezeunglazed cranberry orange bread for up to 1 month. Wrap it in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and place it in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, let it rest on the counter for an hour or two, or put it in the fridge overnight.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite drinks to serve with this cranberry orange bread:

Recipe