Christmas is already this weekend, Sidney will be two in a couple of weeks, and Viggo will be one in a few short months! Tony and I have been busy getting our new house ready for move-in and I’ve been trying to work ahead on all content for the New Year. SO MANY EXCITING THINGS.
By now you all probably know how much I love anything and everything orange, and I especially loved it during my pregnancies. It’s like the one thing I still can’t stop eating and lucky for me, oranges are in season, making them perfect for putting in everything and anything.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve made Italian orange cookies, an orange-infused overnight french toast bake, orange creamsicle baked oatmeal, and even this fabulous orange gingerbread swirl loaf. YUM.
Today, I’m bringing back this stunning healthy cranberry orange bread that’s fresh, moist, flavorful, full of citrus notes, naturally sweetened and SO dang beautiful I could cry. It’s easy to make in one bowl and the perfect baking project for the holidays!
What makes this cranberry orange bread amazing?
If you can’t tell, I’m a little bit obsessed with how delicious this paleo cranberry orange bread is. It’s not your average cranberry loaf for a few distinct reasons:
- It’s gluten and grain free thanks to almond flour. and coconut flour. These flours also add a boost of healthy fats!
- It’s naturally sweetened with a touch of honey and fresh orange juice.
- It’s super easy to make, fluffy, incredibly moist and bursting with fresh cranberries. A little sweet and tart in every bite.
- To top it all off, it has a sweet and simple orange glaze that you’ll want to put over EVERYTHING.
Everything you’ll need to make paleo cranberry orange bread
This healthy cranberry orange bread is naturally sweetened and made with a mix of simple and nourishing gluten free and grain free friendly ingredients. Here’s what you need:
- Flours: we’re using a mix of almond flour and coconut flour to keep this bread gluten and grain free.
- Eggs: you’ll need three eggs to help this gluten free cranberry orange bread bake up properly.
- Sweetener: this bread is naturally sweetened with a bit of honey!
- Baking staples: you’ll of course need some baking soda and salt to bake this bread.
- Oil: you’ll also need some melted coconut oil to give this bread the perfect moisture.
- Delicious flavors: we’re adding freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon and almond extract to give this bread a wonderful, cozy orange infusion.
- Mix-ins: I love adding fresh or dried cranberries and some chopped walnuts to give the bread texture and even more flavor.
- Icing: that gorgeous icing is made with powdered sugar, a little fresh orange juice and orange zest.
Optional ingredient swaps
If you’re missing a few ingredients or want to make swaps, here’s what I’d recommend for this healthy cranberry orange bread:
- For the coconut oil: feel free to use melted butter.
- For the cranberries: if you don’t have fresh cranberries, you can thaw out frozen cranberries and then chop them and toss with 1 teaspoon of coconut flour. If you’re using dried cranberries, I suggest using 1/2 cup instead of 3/4 cup as they’re rather sweet.
- For the icing: feel free to try my paleo powdered sugar for the icing to keep the bread paleo!
Can I use all purpose flour?
I would not recommend using any different flours in this recipe as the texture will greatly change. Try one of these recipes if you’re looking to use all purpose flour!
Check out all of our delicious bread recipes here!
How to make the best gluten free cranberry orange bread
- Prep your oven & pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Spray it with nonstick cooking spray, too, as gluten free baked goods can tend to stick.
- Mix the dry. Whisk together all of your dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix the wet. In a separate large bowl, mix together all of your wet ingredients.
- Make your batter & bake. Slowly add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the walnuts and cranberries, add your batter to the pan, and bake!
- Glaze party. While the bread is cooling, mix together the ingredients for the icing until they’re smooth. Pour or drizzle the icing on your cooled loaf and enjoy!
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: this gluten free cranberry orange bread should be kept well-covered in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days, then I recommend transferring to the fridge or freezer.
- To freeze: this healthy cranberry orange bread freezes well! I recommend freezing it without the glaze. Simply wrap in plastic, then tightly in foil and finally place in a reusable bag or freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature once you are ready to eat. You can also feel free to freeze individual slices for a quick on-the-go treat!
What to serve with cranberry orange bread
I love serving this bread with a bunch of other yummy, savory goodies for holiday brunch. Here are a few suggestions to try:
Get all of our amazing breakfast & brunch recipes here!
I hope you love this simple one bowl healthy cranberry orange bread! Please let me know if you make it by leaving a comment below and rating the recipe — I appreciate it! xo.
Paleo Cranberry Orange Bread
Incredible paleo cranberry orange bread made with a mix of coconut and almond flour and naturally sweetened with honey. This gorgeous dairy free and gluten free cranberry orange bread has delicious bites of cranberries, crunchy walnuts, fresh orange juice & zest, and an amazing orange icing.
- Dry ingredients:
-
1 ½
cups
packed fine blanched almond flour -
⅓
cup
coconut flour -
1
teaspoon
baking soda -
1/2
teaspoon
cinnamon -
¼
teaspoon
salt - Wet ingredients:
-
3
eggs, at room temperature -
1/4
cup
honey -
3
tablespoons
melted and cooled coconut oil -
½
cup
freshly squeezed orange juice - Zest of 1 large orange
-
¼
teaspoon
almond extract - Mix-ins:
-
3/4
cup
diced fresh cranberries (or sub dried cranberries) -
1/3
cup
chopped walnuts (optional) - For the orange icing:
-
½
cup
powdered sugar -
½-1
tablespoon
fresh orange juice, plus a little more if necessary to thin the glaze -
1
teaspoon
orange zest
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 1/2 x 4 ½ loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: eggs, honey, melted coconut oil, orange juice, orange zest and almond extract. IMPORTANT: make sure your coconut oil is melted and cooled otherwise it will become clumpy. This goes with your eggs too — it’s best to run them under very warm water for 1 minute to bring them to room temperature before baking.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon to combine. Fold in diced cranberries and walnuts. Add batter into prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly, smoothing the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Allow loaf to cool completely in the pan before removing.
For the glaze: Mix together powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest until smooth. You may need to add in more orange juice to thin out the glaze, but remember we want it to be a thicker glaze. Pour or drizzle over the top of the loaf and spread towards the sides. Cut into 10 slices.
If you don’t have fresh cranberries, you can thaw out frozen cranberries and then chop them and toss with 1 teaspoon of coconut flour.
If you use dried cranberries, I suggest using 1/2 cup instead of 3/4 cup.
Read the full post for storing & freezing instructions.
Nutrition
Servings: 10 slices
Serving size: 1 slice
Calories: 248kcal
Fat: 16.8g
Saturated fat: 4.7g
Carbohydrates: 22.1g
Fiber: 4.2g
Sugar: 14.5g
Protein: 6.7g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on December 23rd, 2020, and republished on December 21st, 2021.
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