This whole wheat Cranberry Orange Bread will have your house smelling like Christmas! Still a dessert, but made healthier with whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt and less sugar.
I normally don’t post on Saturdays, but it’s the 21st- which mean it’s Recipe Redux time! This month’s theme is about gearing up for the holidays, baking style:
The holiday baking season is upon us. And this month we’re going way beyond grandma’s banana bread. From sweet to savory and whole-grain to gluten-free, show us your new quick bread creation fresh from the oven. And if you have a tip for wrapping and giving your lovely loaf, please share that too!
I wanted to bake with something that is in season right now, so I chose cranberries. And what goes better with cranberries than oranges? While this Cranberry Orange Bread is baking I promise your house will smell like Christmas and sunshine – at the same time. It is heavenly!
Actually, the first time I baked this I left it in the oven for about 15 minutes too long…oops! Let’s just say the outside was nice and crunchy and had a certain burnt orange flavor to it. I hurried and whipped up a second batch and gave the first loaf to my parents. 😉 They still liked it, even with the crispy outer layer! So you KNOW this has to be a good recipe if it tastes good burnt! The second time around it turned out MUCH better. Funny what happens when you don’t over-bake things?!
The citrus and cranberry flavor combine perfectly with the nutty crunch of the pecans. I used whole wheat pastry flour, which allowed for a lighter texture than regular whole wheat flour. I also subbed in non-fat plain Greek yogurt instead of oil and used less sugar than is commonly used in many quick bread recipes. Even though it is still a treat, each slice has 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein! So it is a healthier treat! 🙂
Just a note, the cranberries can be somewhat tart – so if you want to substitute in dried cranberries (reduce amount to 3/4 cup) instead, that is fine. I did make another loaf with dried cranberries instead of fresh cranberries and it was sweeter and less tangy than this loaf with the fresh cranberries.
My toddler didn’t like the fresh cranberries (they were too sour for his liking) and picked them out of the slice I gave him from this loaf. When I gave him a slice from the loaf with dried cranberries he ate the whole slice, dried cranberries and all. So, depending on your tastes and preferences you could use either version of cranberries in this recipe.
Bake up a bunch of loafs and wrap them with a cute label to give to your neighbors for Christmas!
Be sure to download your free label if you want to share this yumminess with your friends and neighbors! (The label is fitted to print on a 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper. You will have to add some extra paper to the back for it to fit all the way around the loaf. Use a piece of tape to connect the paper on the bottom of the loaf, then tie with a ribbon!)
Print
Cranberry Orange Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Cranberry Orange Bread will have your house smelling like Christmas! Still a dessert, but made healthier with whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt and less sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (you could also use white whole wheat flour)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 Egg
- 3/4 cup 100% orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest (about one large orange)
- 1 cup cranberries (you can sub in 3/4 cup dried cranberries instead, if you wish)
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. (I love using Baker’s Joy)
- In medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, blend together the yogurt, egg and orange juice. Stir in the flour mixture. Fold in the orange zest, cranberries and chopped pecans.
- Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional: Wrap up and give to neighbors as a gift!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 178
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 198
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 16 mg
For more quick bread inspiration, see the recipe below!
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