If you enjoy a great quick bread with your breakfast or as a snack, you are going to LOVE my homemade gluten free cranberry bread. It is loaded with chocolate chips for extra yumminess. This cranberry bread is not only gluten free but dairy-free as well. You can dig into it in about 50 minutes!
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Fresh cranberries are in season, and I am so excited to start making all of my favorite cranberry recipes like these gluten free cranberry streusel muffins!
Thanksgiving is around the corner, and I really wanted to create a decadent, delicious gluten free and dairy-free bread that your family can enjoy with breakfast. I can't wait to hear what you think of this recipe!
If you feel more like cake, this Gluten Free Cranberry Pound Cake is absolutely delicious!
Why We Love This Recipe:
- This simple gluten free cranberry bread is moist and delicious!
- I used coconut sugar to keep it lower glycemic, and it is a great choice to serve with breakfast or brunch without the guilt!
- It freezes well, so you can make extra and enjoy it later.
While you are here, don't forget to check out all of my delicious Gluten Free Bread Recipes!
Allergen Information:
This gluten free cranberry bread recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and soy-free.
Please see the Substitutions section for a gum-free option. This is great for those who react to xanthan gum and guar gum.
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
Ingredient Notes:
- Coconut Sugar - I love using coconut sugar as it is unrefined sugar. You can substitute brown sugar if you don't need a lower glycemic sugar.
- Coconut Oil - I really like to use coconut oil because it adds some sweetness.
- Cranberries - I highly recommend that you use fresh cranberries. Dried cranberries will work, but they will change the texture quite a bit.
- Orange Zest - You can use a navel or mandarin orange to make the zest.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
- Almond Milk - or another non-dairy milk to keep this recipe dairy-free. Do not use canned coconut milk.
- Pure Vanilla Extract - Vanilla bean paste also works well. Do not use imitation vanilla.
- Flaxseed Meal - Make sure to use ground flaxseed meal and not the whole seed.
- Chocolate Chips - bittersweet, dark, or milk chocolate are fine. If you are dairy-free, be sure to use Enjoy Life or another dairy-free chocolate chip brand.
- Optional Nuts - Use pecans or walnuts. You can save money buying nut pieces instead of whole nuts.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Add other fruits like blueberries. You can use any fruit to enjoy year-round when cranberries are not in season.
- If you do not like coconut oil, you can use another oil like avocado or canola oil.
- If you are not dairy-free, regular milk also works in this recipe.
- If you are gum-free, use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend in this recipe.
Tips For Sucess:
- Don't use a stand or electric mixer. Your cranberry bread will turn out dense.
- Frozen cranberries also work in this recipe, but be sure to thaw and drain them before using them to avoid soggy bread.
Equipment Needed:
- Loaf Pan - I like both regular loaf pans and my cast iron loaf pan. For this recipe, I used a regular non-stick loaf pan. My pan is 9 inches.
- Mixing Bowls - You want to mix the wet and dry ingredients by hand to prevent a dense loaf.
- Whisk - This is what I love to use when blending the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients.
- Cooling Rack - Helpful for cooling your quick bread.
How To Make Gluten Free Cranberry Bread:
Preheat your oven to 350º F and move the oven rack to the middle of the oven. This will help your quickbread bake evenly.
Step 1: Wash and chop up your cranberries. Look for bruised ones and toss those in the trash. There are lots of fresh cranberries in this gluten free cranberry bread recipe.
Step 2: Add your dry ingredients to a large
Step 3: Pour your wet ingredients into a smaller bowl and mix well.
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently mix up the wet and dry cranberry bread ingredients.
🔑 Sandi says: You want to be careful not to overmix your batter. If you want a fluffy texture, you need to mix the wet and dry ingredients until they are just barely mixed.
Hands down this non-stick spray is amazing. It is totally inexpensive and it will save your gluten free cakes and muffins from sticking!
Step 5: Pour the batter into a greased loaf tin. I like to use the gluten free baking spray above in my baking tin to prevent the cranberry quick bread from sticking to the pan.
Note that you can also use this recipe to make dairy-free, gluten-free cranberry muffins! Just put your batter into parchment paper-lined muffin cups.
Step 6: After I put the batter into a greased baking dish, I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar over the top. This gives the top of this cranberry nut bread loaf a nice little sparkle.
🔑 Sandi says: Some gluten free flour blends are not milled as finely as others. If you use a blend you feel makes your baked goods gritty, let the bread batter sit for 15 minutes. This will help prevent any grittiness to your bread because it gives the rice flour time to soften.
If you are keeping the sugar down, feel free to skip the sprinkles sugar step. Bake the gluten free loaf at 350º F for 40-45 minutes. The actual time can vary a little depending on the size and depth of your loaf tin.
Step 7: Remove the cake from the oven and do the toothpick test to ensure it is baked in the middle. Let the bread sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently tip the quick bread over in your hand and slide the loaf onto a wire cooling rack to cool.
Enjoy the bread when it is room temperature.
Storage:
Store this cranberry bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep fresh for up to 4 days. I always recommend storing in the refrigerator because gluten free baked goods tend to spoil quicker.
You can also freeze this cranberry bread for another time. Wrap a cooled room temperatuere loaf in plastic wrap. Next, wrap it in tin foil. Lastly, put the wrapped loaf into a freezer bag. It will keep in your freezer up to 4 months.
Recipe FAQ:
Nope, the beauty of this gluten free cranberry bread that you make from scratch is using fresh juicy cranberries. Their sweet tartness is what gives this bread its flavor.
I bake this cranberry bread loaf for about 40 minutes. To test and see if it is done, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If the toothpick comes out without crumbs or batter, that means your gluten free cranberry bread is finished.
Are you ready to make your own gluten free cranberry bread? If you love cranberries as much as we do, you may want to check out this Gluten Free Cranberry Banana Bread too!
More Gluten Free Cranberry Recipes:
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Cranberry and Chocolate Chip Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut sugar (*see note)
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 ¾ cup gluten free flour blend (*see note)
- 1 cup almond milk (*see note)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup flaxseed meal ground
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Grease a loaf pan. (I sprayed mine with coconut oil)
- In a large bowl, add all of your dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- In a smaller bowl, add all wet ingredients and whisk. Add cranberries, chips, and nuts.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix. Mix the two until they are just barely mixed. If you over mix your batter your quick bread will be denser.
- Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until done.
- To test doneness, insert a toothpick into the bread towards the middle of the loaf. If your toothpick comes back clean, your bread is done baking. If you see crumbs or batter on the toothpick, you will need to bake it longer.
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend in this recipe. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn't contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, add 1 teaspoon.
- Feel free to substitute brown sugar for coconut sugar if you don't need a lower glycemic sugar option.
- You can use any non-dairy milk, but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- The secret to keeping gluten free sweet bread to be light and fluffy is to "just" mix the batter. Don't over mix it, or it won't be as light!
- Bake time will depend on the depth of the pan you use. To test doneness, insert a toothpick into the loaf. If the toothpick comes out clean, your bread is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, bake it longer.
- Allow the bread to cool before slicing! (I once tried to slice the bread when it was still warm. The slices were a bit messy so I wanted to let you know so that you can learn from my mistake :-).
- This gluten free cranberry bread will keep up to 3 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was originally published 12/12/14 and has been updated with new photos, instructions, and baking tips.
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April
May I leave out the choc? And may I use a flax egg instead?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi April, I haven't tested this recipe with a flax egg so I am not sure. Please write back and let us know how it works out. You can totally omit the chocolate. Thank you 🙂 Sandi
Debra C.
This loaf looks so moist and delicious, I would like a slice to enjoy with a cup of coffee in the morning. I definitely need to get busy then, unless you deliver? 😀
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much...you should come enjoy some with me over a cup of coffee 🙂
Pretty
I need to try making this Cranberry bread for breakfast, it looks so good. Thanks for the recipe.
Sandi Gaertner
You are very welcome 🙂
Luci's Morsels
Yummy! This looks absolutely delicious! I have to try this and I can't wait to have this bread fill my kitchen with its fabulous smell!
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much Luci 🙂