Gluten free cranberry walnut bread is tender and moist, studded with juicy cranberries and crunchy walnuts, and made in just one bowl!
Similar-ish to my gluten free cranberry orange bread, but with the added crunch of nutty walnuts, gluten free cranberry walnut bread is an easy one-bowl quick bread that's soft and sweet! I love it at the holidays along with other seasonal treats like a gingerbread loaf cake or a batch of gluten free persimmon muffins, but you don't need to save it just for winter baking! Keep a bag of cranberries stashed in the freezer so you can make this lovely loaf anytime.
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This Festive Gluten Free Cranberry Bread is So Good!
Cranberries are the star of my kitchen come November and December, and I'm always looking for ways to add them to recipes! Nibble on warm and flaky gluten free cranberry scones spread with butter, then bake up this easy loaf cake for yourself or to share! Here are some of my favorite things about it:
- One bowl is needed! Streamlining the preparation process, just one bowl is required to make this recipe.
- Great edible gift. I love giving away whole or mini loaves of cranberry bread at the holidays, tucked into a festive bag for easy gift-giving.
- Make ahead friendly. This is a nice, moist bread that keeps well. So if you're expecting company, go ahead and make it a few days in advance to have it ready.
- Fresh and bright. From the sweet-tart cranberries to the crisp nuts, this loaf is packed with flavor and texture.
Ingredients Needed
You can use fresh or frozen cranberries here; you don't need to defrost frozen cranberries first. I prefer to use fresh/frozen cranberries rather than dried cranberries to really add pops of flavor. If you want, though, you can substitute 1 cup of chopped dried cranberries. The full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Butter - Unsalted butter softened to room temp will easily cream with the sugar.
- Oil - You can use vegetable oil, or try avocado or coconut oil.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Dry ingredients - Baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, fine sea salt.
- Sour cream - I use full-fat or low-fat sour cream. Try plain Greek yogurt if you don't have sour cream.
- Gluten-free flour - I developed this recipe using my homemade gluten free flour blend, but you can use any gluten-free flour blend you prefer.
- Cranberries
- Walnuts - Feel free to leave these out if you don't eat nuts, or swap pecans for a change.
How to Make Cranberry Walnut Bread
Here's a quick look at how you'll make this loaf, with the full instructions included in the recipe card lower down.
- Prepare pan: Lightly grease a standard-size loaf pan and line it with a parchment paper sling.
- Make the batter: Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs.
- Prep cranberries: Cut each berry in half, then toss the berries with ¼ cup flour.
- Finish batter: Add the remaining ingredients except the cranberries and walnuts.
- Fold in berries: Now gently fold in the cranberries and nuts.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, rest it for 20 minutes, then bake at 350℉ for about an hour. Cool in the pan, then turn it out to cool completely.
Baking Tip: Add Lemon Zest
For a little citrusy zing, zest 1 organic lemon into the sugar and rub it in with your fingers to release the oils and infuse the sugar with lemony flavor and fragrance. You could also do this with the zest of 1 orange or 2 lemons. Then proceed with the recipe as written.
Some Tips & Substition Options
- Skip the nuts. Yes, this wouldn't be a cranberry walnut bread without the walnuts, but it's totally OK to leave out the nuts and make it into a simple cranberry bread.
- Make mini loaves. This recipe bakes beautifully into 2 small loaves. I like to bake a double batch and give them away as edible holiday gifts.
- Rest the batter. Hydrate that gluten-free flour by letting the batter rest while the oven heats, or even better, for up to 20 minutes. This will produce a smoother, more tender crumb without any grittiness.
- Use dried cranberries. You can absolutely substitute 1 cup of dried cranberries for the fresh berries. I like to roughly chop the dried berries if I do this. Or, you could try a mix of fresh and dried berries.
- Another berry. Use this recipe as your base for other fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries in season.
Proper Storage
- Counter - Place cranberry bread in an airtight container, or sealable bag, or cover it tightly with foil and leave it on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge - Wrap the bread in foil or place it in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Wrap the whole loaf or leftover loaf in a layer of plastic, then a layer of foil, then store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread thoroughly in the fridge before serving.
More Gluten Free Cranberry Recipes
If you try this gluten-free cranberry walnut bread recipe, please let me know! And if you have any questions, always feel free to reach out in the comments or by email. I hope you love it! ❤️
Gluten Free Cranberry Walnut Bread
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 cups gluten free flour 240 grams
- 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup walnuts
Instructions
- Lightly grease a standard-size loaf pan and line it with a parchment paper sling.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup vegetable oil, and ⅔ cup granulated sugar until smooth. Add the 2 large eggs one at a time, beating to combine.
- Stir in the 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ¾ cup sour cream.
- Cut the cranberries in half. Measure out ¼ cup of the 2 cups gluten free flour and toss it with the 1 cup cranberries, then stir in the remaining flour to the batter. Now gently fold in the floured cranberries and the ½ cup walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, using a rubber spatula to smooth the top. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and rest the batter while the oven heats. Then, place the loaf in the oven and bake for 55-65 minutes, until set and a tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Skip the nuts. Yes, this wouldn't be a cranberry walnut bread without the walnuts, but it's totally OK to leave out the nuts and make it into a simple cranberry bread.
- Make mini loaves. This recipe bakes beautifully into 2 small loaves. I like to bake a double batch and give them away as edible holiday gifts.
- Rest the batter. Hydrate that gluten-free flour by letting the batter rest while the oven heats, or even better, for up to 20 minutes. This will produce a smoother, more tender crumb without any grittiness.
- Use dried cranberries. You can absolutely substitute 1 cup of dried cranberries for the fresh berries. I like to roughly chop the dried berries if I do this. Or, you could try a mix of fresh and dried berries.
- Another berry. Use this recipe as your base for other fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries in season.
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