Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread is loaded with tart cranberries, mini chocolate chips, pecans, and the flavor of sweet oranges. It is a perfect sweet treat for the holidays, brunches, or teas.

Cranberry Bread sliced on a white cutting board.

I have to be honest when I first tasted this bread's flavor combination of cranberries, chocolate, and nuts I thought it tasted like Christmas and the much-maligned, errr....dare I say its name?... Fruitcake.

But this Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread is far better than any fruitcake made with candied fruit. The crumb is tender with the flavor of sweet oranges and it is bursting with cranberries, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans. Overall this bread is sweet with small bursts of tart cranberries. You will love the first bite and look forward to the next.

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Ingredients
Instructions
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As you read through the ingredients you will see that this quick bread contains two leavenings: baking powder, and baking soda to give it the perfect lift. Plus, it has a double boost of orange flavoring with orange juice and orange zest. There is nothing unusual about the method for mixing this cranberry bread and the batter comes together very quickly.

If you love my Banana Nut Bread and Zucchini Bread, you will definitely love this Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread.

So, let's cook!

Ingredients

Here's what you will need for this delicious Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread:

Cooking Spray - A spritz of cooking spray will make it easy to slide the bread from the pan after it has baked.
All-Purpose Flour - Simple all-purpose flour is best for this quick bread.
White Granulated Sugar - Simple and sweet, white granulated sugar works well in this recipe.
Baking Powder - I prefer to use an aluminum-free baking powder for the best taste for everyone. Some people are especially sensitive to the flavor of aluminum which can leave a bitter aftertaste.
Baking Soda - Since there is citrus (orange) juice in this bread, baking soda is a natural choice for a little extra leavening lift in this fruit-heavy bread.
Salt - Just regular salt, nothing fancy here.
Orange Juice - Can be freshly squeezed or a good quality fresh or frozen juice.
Grated Orange Peel - Finely grated and from one large orange or 2 small oranges.
Melted Butter - Let the butter cool slightly before adding it to make the batter.
Large Egg - You will need one large egg well beaten for the batter.
Fresh Cranberries - Choose cranberries that are deep red and firm to the touch. Use them whole or give them a rough chop with a knife or chop them in a food processor with a few short pulses.
Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips - Mini chips will disperse well throughout the batter for chocolate in every bite.
Chopped Pecans - I love the crunch of nuts that takes this bread to the next level.
Powdered Sugar - (Optional) Totally optional to give the top of this bread a dusting of powdered sugar.

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Instructions

A loaf pan line with parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9” x 5” loaf pan with cooking spray. Make a parchment sling the length of the pan and longer than the width. Line the pan so the ends hang off on the long sides. Set aside for later.

Sifting the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Adding the orange zest, melted butter, beaten egg, and orange juice to the dry ingredients.Adding the melted butter, orange zest, beaten egg, and orange juice to the dry ingredients.

The batter is made by mixing the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.

Stir in the orange juice, orange peel, melted butter, and beaten egg. Mix until well blended.

The cranberries, chopped pecans, and mini-chocolate chips are added to the batter.

The cranberries, pecans, and chocolate chips are mixed into the batter.

Fold in the cranberries, chocolate chips, and pecans.

The batter is spread in the prepared loaf pan and ready to be baked. — Left image: Batter made with whole cranberries. Right image: Batter made with chopped cranberries.

Spread the batter evenly in the loaf pan. Bake the loaf for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The baked bread in the loaf pan cooling on a wire rack.

Remove the loaf from the oven and cool it on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Lift the parchment sling to remove the loaf from the pan and cool completely. Dust the top with powdered sugar, if desired.

Cranberry Bread sliced on a white plate.

My Top Tips

I've made this Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread with whole cranberries and also with cranberries that have been roughly chopped. The bread made with whole cranberries will have a burst of tart cranberry in various bites of the bread. If you give the cranberries a rough chop, you will have cranberry in every bite of the bread.

Don't open the oven too soon to test the bread, which may cause the top to collapse. I recommend letting the bread bake for 55 minutes before testing.

Substitutions & Variations

Substitute Walnuts - Instead of pecans you can use walnuts.
Substitute Any Neutral Flavored Cooking Oil - Instead of safflower oil, you can use any cooking oil that is neutral flavored.
Omit the Nuts - You can omit the nuts and double the mini chocolate chips
Omit the Chocolate Chips - You can omit the chocolate and double the nuts for cranberry orange nut bread.

Make-Ahead & Storage

This Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread can be made ahead and stored if wrapped in cling wrap for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients

Instructions

My Top Tips

Substitutions & Variations

Make-Ahead & Storage

More Great Quick Bread Recipes

📖 Recipe