Cranberry Walnut Bread
This festive Cranberry Walnut Bread is a moist and buttery quick bread filled with tart cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and bright lemon zest. Perfect for Thanksgiving breakfast or Christmas morning, this easy holiday loaf makes two loaves — ideal for gifting or freezing for later.
Servings: 2 loaves (about 16 slices total)
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, plus more for pan
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for pan
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup low-fat yoghurt (see notes)
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ cups dried cranberries (see notes for fresh option)
- ½ cup walnut pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter and flour two loaf pans, and set aside.
- In a very large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Whisk in vanilla, yoghurt, milk, and butter.
- Add to flour mixture; stir to combine (batter will be thick).
- Fold in cranberries and walnuts.
- Divide batter between two prepared loaf pans; spread evenly.
- Bake about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Transfer pan to a wire rack; let bread cool 30 minutes. Invert onto rack, then immediately turn right side up to cool completely.
Notes
- Yogurt: Low-fat or Greek yogurt adds moisture and richness to the bread.
- Cranberries: You can use fresh cranberries instead of dried. Be sure to cut them in half so they bake evenly and don’t sink to the bottom.
- Walnuts: Pecans can be substituted, or omit for a nut-free version.
- Flavor swap: Try orange zest instead of lemon for a citrus twist.
- Storage: Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Serving idea: Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with a simple glaze for a festive touch.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 210.23kcal | Carbohydrates: 34.56g | Protein: 3.93g | Fat: 6.68g | Saturated Fat: 3.01g | Cholesterol: 38.43mg | Sodium: 118.61mg | Potassium: 141.34mg | Fiber: 1.22g | Sugar: 18.61g | Vitamin A: 169.66IU | Vitamin C: 0.73mg | Calcium: 66.34mg | Iron: 1.16mg