Cranberry Banana Bread is a delicious twist on the traditional quick bread that’s incredibly moist and tender and loaded with tart cranberries. Add walnuts or chocolate chips for even more flavor!
Quick breads make the tastiest contributions for potlucks, holidays, or even just to have with your morning cup of coffee or tea! This Starbucks Banana Bread and Applesauce Bread are also great contenders when deciding which quick bread to whip up!
Cranberry Banana Bread can be enjoyed in so many different ways that you could honestly eat it all day long! Warm up a slice for breakfast with a layer of Butter or cream cheese or even as a midday snack!
This bread even dresses up beautifully for dessert by serving it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! I have to admit this is easily one of my favorite ways to enjoy Cranberry Banana Bread!
With just 10 minutes of prep, you’ll be sliding your loaf pan into the oven to bake up this sweet bread! You’ll find everyone making their way into the kitchen as the smell of this delicious bread fills the air!
Cranberry Banana Bread Ingredients
This recipe calls for pantry staples like flour, vegetable oil, baking soda, salt, sugar, and vanilla extract. As well as an egg, buttermilk, large bananas, and chopped fresh cranberries.
To get the best flavor, make sure you use very ripe bananas! You’ll know they’re the desired ripeness when the skin is black and the peel pretty much falls off.
How To Make Cranberry Bread
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set it aside. Using a separate bowl, combine the egg, sugar, and vegetable oil.
- Next, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Then add the buttermilk, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas and mix it all together.
- Then fold in the cranberries. before pouring the batter into your loaf pan.
- Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven for about 1 hour. Once a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean your bread is done!
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack. It needs a few minutes to finish cooking in the pan but any more than 15 minutes and the bottom can start to get soggy.
Cranberry Variations
I recommend using fresh cranberries but frozen or dried cranberries work well too! Dried cranberries will need to be rehydrated by soaking in hot water for 15 minutes and then drained.
If using frozen cranberries I suggest you thaw and rinse them first, then allow them to dry. This will prevent them from bleeding into the batter and turning your bread pink!
What Makes It A Quick Bread?
This bread doesn’t require yeast for the bread to rise. Instead, it uses baking soda or baking powder to leaven it.
How To Store
Loaves will last up to 3 days at room temperature or 1 week in the refrigerator if wrapped in plastic. Freeze them for up to 3 months by wrapping them tightly, twice, in plastic wrap and once in aluminum foil.
For the bread to thaw evenly I recommend placing it in the refrigerator for one day before serving.
If you love banana bread that’s extra moist and has that sort of sticky to the touch top, then you’ll want to let this bread sit overnight in an airtight container.
Cranberry Banana Bread makes such a great option when switching up your breakfast menu! We also love this recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Mini Loaves!
These muffin recipes will also make great additions!
- Easy Banana Muffins – Packed with crunchy walnuts and topped with a sugary crumble!
- Cranberry Orange Muffins – Fresh juicy cranberries meet orange zest for the perfect muffin!
- Blueberry Muffins – This homemade classic is always a family favorite!
- Strawberry Coffee Cake Muffins – Light and fluffy with a vibrant strawberry flavor!
- Chocolate Chip Muffins – A sweet breakfast treat that the kids will go crazy for!
Cranberry Banana Bread
Pin It For LaterClick the button above to save this delicious recipe to your board!
Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!
Cranberry Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ripe medium-large bananas mashed
- 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F for a glass pan or 350°F for a nonstick pan. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, and vegetable oil until combined. Add in the flour mixture and mix just until combined, then mix in the buttermilk, vanilla, and mashed bananas until combined.
- Fold in the chopped cranberries and pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 to 15 minutes on a wire rack and remove from pan. Slice and serve warm or room temperature with or without butter. The taste and texture is best after sitting overnight. Letting it cool before slicing will lead to cleaner slices.
Notes
- Always use very ripe bananas for the best flavor, the skin should be almost black and the peel should pretty much fall off.
- Don’t use frozen bananas for this recipe, when you freeze bananas they take on extra moisture which they retain even after being thawed and can mess with the outcome of the recipe.
- I prefer to use a mixing bowl and whip this recipe up by hand, but you can use a stand mixer or hand mixer if you prefer.
- For best texture and flavor, let this banana bread sit for a day after baking in an airtight container, then enjoy.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack. It needs a few minutes to finish cooking in the pan but any more than 15 minutes and the bottom can start to get soggy.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Don’t forget to share it with me on Instagram @sugarandsoulco and follow on Tiktok @sugarandsoulco and Pinterest @sugarandsoulco for more!
Share your thoughts!
Love this recipe? Share your thoughts with me below and leave a review! And don’t forget to connect on your favorite social platform below!