Pumpkin Cranberry Bread or Holiday Bread is a quick and delicious, moist bread recipe where the crunchiness of the nuts is combined with the tanginess of cranberries and the aromatic, sweet fall flavors, making it one of the best desserts to try for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Check out best Christmas recipes and popular Thanksgiving desserts.
About the recipe
This pumpkin bread with cranberries and cashew nuts is one of the best bread loaves you will bake this fall and holiday season. The batter is ready in less than 10 minutes. Your entire house is going to smell amazing with the fall flavors.
You can also make a cream cheese frosting to top this bread for a white Christmas. A total crowd-pleaser at your dinner table.
Check out the best bread recipes to try this holiday season.
Ingredients
Pumpkin: Use homemade or store-bought canned pumpkin puree to make this bread.
Baking powder and soda: Helps the bread rise.
Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin spice (mixture of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger). You can skip the ginger and pumpkin spice but do add the cinnamon for a cozy flavor.
Egg: Makes your bread moist.
Cranberries: The tartness compliments very well with the sweetness of the Pumpkin.
Nuts: Gives a crunchy texture in every bite.
Orange: Orange juice and zest add a delicious flavor and keep the bread from tasting dense.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
Preparation
- In a small pan, dry roast the cashews or walnuts till you get a nice aroma. (optional, but tastes really good)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bread loaf pan or line it with parchment paper and keep it aside.
Making of the batter
- Add butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix using an electric or hand mixer until butter becomes light.
- Add the egg and mix until it is well combined with the butter.
- Now add orange zest (outer skin of orange), orange juice, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, pumpkin puree, and mix.
- Add the all-purpose flour and mix just until the batter is smooth.
- Fold in the cranberries and roasted cashews.
- Spoon the batter into the loaf pan. Spread the batter evenly.
Bake the bread
- Bake for about 60 to 70 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let it cool down completely even before you slice. Serve and enjoy.
Tips
Leftover bread can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for 3 to days or in the refrigerator for ten days. You can also freeze the bread for upto three months. Thaw and reheat in the microwave before serving.
Variations
- You can add pecans, pistachios, and almonds instead of cashew nuts or walnuts.
- Cranberries can be substituted with raisins, currants, dried and chopped apricots, fig, cherries etc.
- Chocolate chips can be added instead of nuts.
- I have kept the bread simple. For a festive look, you can have streusel topping, orange glaze, cream cheese icing, or just top it with powdered sugar.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can also use fresh cranberries instead of dried ones. Note that the flavor and texture will be different.
Add oil instead of butter and apple sauce instead of eggs to make vegan pumpkin cranberry bread.
More cranberry and pumpkin recipes
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Recipe card
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread | Pumpkin Nut Bread | Quick Holiday Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup Unsalted butter 1 stick at room temperature
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 tablespoon Orange zest
- 2 to 3 tablespoon Orange juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin spice optional
- 1 can Pumpkin puree 16 oz
- ⅓ cup Cranberries dried
- ⅓ cup Cashew nuts or walnuts chopped
- 1 ¼ cups All purpose flour
Instructions
Preparation
- In a small pan, dry roast the cashews or walnuts till you get a nice aroma. (optional, but tastes really good)⅓ cup Cashew nuts or walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bread loaf pan or line it with parchment paper and keep it aside.
Making of the batter
- Add butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix using an electric or hand mixer until butter becomes light.½ cup Unsalted butter, ¾ cup Sugar
- Add the egg and mix until it is well combined with the butter.1 Egg
- Now add orange zest (outer skin of orange), orange juice, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, and mix.1 tablespoon Orange zest, 2 to 3 tablespoon Orange juice, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Cinnamon powder, ¼ teaspoon Ginger powder, 1 teaspoon Pumpkin spice, 1 can Pumpkin puree
- Add the all-purpose flour and mix just until the batter is smooth.1 ¼ cups All purpose flour
- Fold in the cranberries and roasted cashews.⅓ cup Cranberries
- Spoon the batter into the loaf pan. Spread the batter evenly.
Bake the bread
- Bake for about 60 to 70 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let it cool down completely even before you slice. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Leftover bread can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for 3 to days or in the refrigerator for ten days. You can also freeze the bread for upto three months. Thaw and reheat in the microwave before serving.
- Add pecans, pistachios, and almonds instead of cashew nuts or walnuts.
- Cranberries can be substituted with raisins, currants, dried and chopped apricots, figs, cherries, etc.
- Chocolate chips can be added instead of nuts.
- I have kept the bread simple. For a festive look, you can have streusel topping, orange glaze, cream cheese icing, or top it with powdered sugar.
Nutrition
Note: We originally posted this recipe in Dec 2015. It has now been modified in Sep 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.
Puneet
Perfectly baked delicious bread!!
Love the recipe!!
Kushi
Thank you Puneet 🙂
Antonia
What a festive bread. I have never had bread with cashews. I bet this is amazing with a cup of coffee!
Kushi
Yeah.. Thank you Antonia 🙂
Jyothi - Currytrail.in
pumpkin and cranberry is an awesome combo Kushi. the bread looks delicious! yummy
Kushi
Thank you Jyothi 🙂