Cranberry-Chocolate Chip Bread with Orange Glaze

Welcome cranberry season with Cranberry-Chocolate Chip Bread with Orange Glaze. The crunchy streusel topping and orange glaze makes this quick bread a moist and flavorful treat anytime you slice it!

Happy Friday! How about a sweet treat for your weekend?

This Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread is a delicious way to welcome cranberry season!

The bright berries make for a pretty loaf when cut and their tart flavor balances the sweet chocolate chips in the bread. This recipe is adapted from Taste of Home. I added some orange flavor to the glaze and some orange zest to the batter, which pairs well with both the cranberries and the chocolate.

You can use fresh or frozen cranberries in this quick bread, so you can enjoy it anytime of year. I made this bread several weeks ago before fresh cranberries were available in the store, so I used frozen berries. You don’t need to thaw frozen cranberries before baking with them. This recipe calls for the cranberries to be halved so just allow the frozen berries to sit for 5 minutes or so at room temperature, long enough for them to soften enough to cut.

The streusel layer on top of the bread adds a sweet layer and crunch!

The zest of an orange adds a bright note to the batter, juicing the orange to make the glaze.

A few notes for baking success:

For accurate measuring of flour, fluff your flour from the canister or bag and then spoon into your measuring cup so it’s overflowing, then level off with the edge of a knife. Scooping flour directly from the bag or canister will yield a heavier cup and larger amount that can negatively affect your recipes. –> see this video.

Oven temperatures vary, depending on brand, age, whether electric or gas and it’s not unusual for an oven to run 5 or 10 degrees hotter or colder. Using an oven thermometer is the best way to insure your oven temperature is accurate if your oven hasn’t been calibrated recently. Also, make sure you preheat your oven long enough, at least 20 minutes.

About halfway through baking, loosely cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil to prevent the top from overbrowning before the center bakes through.

You might also like Cranberry-Orange-Pistachio Loaves. . .

The red and green from the cranberries and pistachios make these mini loaves of bread

merry and bright, as well as sweet, tart and nutty.

Print Recipe

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread with Orange Glaze

Cranberries add a bright burst of color and tart flavor to balance the sweetness of the chocolate chips. A streusel topping and orange glaze finishes this quick bread for a satisfying afternoon or breakfast treat.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate chip, cranberries, Orange, quick bread

Servings: 16 servings

Equipment

•   9 x 5 inch loaf pan

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 orange zested, reserved for juice
• 6 tablespoons butter melted
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries halved
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Streusel

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cold butter

Orange Glaze

• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 - 3 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottom of a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan with parchment; grease parchment.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• Whisk the egg, orange zest, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips. Transfer to prepared pan. Top with streusel.
•  Bake 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, Cool for 10 minutes in pan; loosen sides of bread. Remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

To make streusel

• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter in pan.

 For the glaze

• Mix confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice until smooth. Add additional 1 tablespoon juice to reach desired consistency if needed.
• Drizzle glaze over top of bread; allow to sit 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

• About halfway through baking time, loosely cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil to prevent the top from overbrowning before the center bakes through.
• If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw before adding to the batter. Allow frozen berries to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to make for easier cutting in half.
• When zesting any citrus, zest the outer peel only, avoiding the white pith which is bitter.
• For accurate measuring of flour, fluff your flour from the canister or bag and then spoon into your measuring cup so it’s overflowing, then level off with the edge of a knife. Scooping directly from the bag or canister will yield a heavier cup and larger amount that can negatively affect your baking recipes.
• Oven temperatures vary, depending on brand, age, whether electric or gas and it’s not unusual for an oven to run 5 or 10 degrees hotter or colder. Using an oven thermometer is the best way to insure your oven temperature is accurate if your oven hasn’t been calibrated recently.  Also, make sure you preheat your oven long enough, at least 20 minutes.

Find 20+ recipes to bake your spirits bright and make your holidays extra sweet, HERE. You’ll also find some easy no-bake treats and food gift ideas too.

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