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This vegan cranberry orange bread is a cherished family recipe that’s been passed down through five generations. The most recent version came from my Oma (German for ‘grandma’)! I’ve given it a vegan twist, but it still has everything I love about the original: a soft, moist texture, just the right amount of sweetness, and plenty of tart cranberries.
It’s been a holiday favorite in my family for years, and I hope it becomes one in yours too!
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: Tart, nutty, citrusy, sweet.
- Texture: Tender, soft and moist with crunchy pecans.
- Difficulty: Easy- you just need one bowl and a glass measuring cup to make the batter.
- Time: About an hour and a half with prep and baking.
Why We Love This Vegan Cranberry Bread : Every family has that one recipe that feels like the holidays. For me, it’s this cranberry bread—a recipe passed from my Oma to my mom, and now to me. This year, I decided to take the original recipe and make it dairy- and egg-free so I can continue enjoying it every holiday season!
Ingredients:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
All Purpose Flour: I use King Arthur’s All Purpose Flour. The key is to not overmeasure. Use a digital scale or the spoon and level method to measure it.
Orange: This recipe calls for one large navel orange. This recipe uses both the fresh orange zest and juice. In my grandma’s original recipe, the focus wasn’t on measuring a specific amount of juice but rather using the juice from a single orange. This means you don’t need to cut open multiple oranges—we simply adjust with oat milk to make sure the total liquid equals ¾ cup. This keeps the process simple and true to her original method.
Cranberries: This bread uses fresh cranberries that are cut in half, and this step is important! If the cranberries are added whole, they can create overly tart pockets, and if they’re chopped too small, they won’t distribute evenly throughout the bread. Halving them makes sure there is a perfect balance of flavor and texture in every bite. You’ll need about half a bag of cranberries.
Dairy-Free Yogurt: This acts as the vegan egg substitute in the recipe! I used Kite Hill’s Unsweetened Almond Milk Yogurt, which has approximately 7% fat, 3% protein, and 5% carbs. For the best texture in the bread, I recommend using a yogurt with similar nutritional values—around 7g fat, 3g protein, and 5g carbs per 100g. This will give the right balance of moisture and structure in the final loaf!
Helpful Equipment
- 8.5×4.5″ Metal Loaf Pan
- Large Bowl
- Glass Measuring Cup
- Parchment Paper
- Citrus Juicer
How To Make the Vegan Cranberry Bread
*Ingredient Quantities are in the Recipe Card Below!*
STEP 1: Wash the cranberries and cut them in half. Set aside.
STEP 2: Add sugar to a large mixing bowl. Zest the orange into the bowl.
STEP 3: Massage the zest into the sugar until evenly distributed.
STEP 4: Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the sugar. Whisk well to combine.
STEP 5: Add the halved cranberries and the chopped pecans to the dry ingredients.
STEP 6: Mix well so all the cranberries are coated in flour. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf! Make a well in the center.
STEP 7: Melt the vegan butter in a glass measuring cup. Add the juice from one orange. Together with the butter, it should be right around 1/2 cup of liquid. A little more or less is okay!
STEP 8: Add in enough oat milk to make 3/4 cup when combined with the orange juice and melted butter. This should be about 1/4 cup, but adjust as needed.
STEP 9: Whisk in the vanilla and vegan yogurt. The liquids should be well combined and slightly frothy.
STEP 10: Pour into the dry ingredients and mix to create a very thick batter.
STEP 11: Transfer to the loaf pan. Smooth out the top.
STEP 12: Now it’s time to bake! Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F (while the loaf is still in the oven) and bake for another 35-40 minutes.
How to Serve the Bread
This sweet bread is delicious on Christmas morning alongside a warm cup of coffee. It’s lightly sweet, and the zesty orange flavor is perfect for the holiday season.
Make sure to cool the loaf completely before slicing—my grandma’s recipe card even notes that cooling it overnight gives it an even better texture and flavor the next day!
When ready to store it, be sure to wrap the loaf well in plastic. It can be stored at room temperature for several days or in the fridge for 1–2 weeks.
Why This Recipe Works
To make my grandma’s cranberry bread recipe vegan, I had to do a few recipe tests to figure out how to replace the egg and balance the other ingredients. Each test taught me something new (see the image below!), and the final loaf stays true to her original, with a perfectly moist, sweet crumb and great structure!
Test #1
For the first test, I replaced the egg with extra melted butter to account for the fat in the egg. The loaf sank in the middle, which I suspected was due to two factors: slightly too much sugar (causing a hard, sugary crust to form) and too much leavening for the amount of flour in the original recipe. Without the egg to provide structure, the loaf just couldn’t hold up as it rose.
Test #2
For the second test, I replaced the egg with vegan yogurt (my go-to for loaves and cakes), reduced the sugar slightly, and cut back the baking soda by ¼ teaspoon. I also baked the loaf at a higher initial temperature to help it rise beautifully as the air bubbles expanded before the crust set. This test was so close to perfect, but the loaf turned out just a bit dry.
Test #3
In the third test, I added back some of the sugar (which adds both sweetness and moisture) and increased the butter slightly for a more tender crumb. I also reduced the baking soda further to avoid over-leavening and shaved about 5 minutes off the bake time. This version was wonderfully moist and sweet, but it didn’t rise quite as much as test 2 and didn’t have as golden an exterior.
Final Recipe
The final recipe is a combination of tests 2 and 3. While it technically has more leavening than standard baker’s ratios, the batter’s acidity—from the orange juice, cranberries, and vegan yogurt—helps neutralize some of the baking soda. This version rises beautifully, has a tender crumb, and tastes even better the next day—just like my grandma said it would on her recipe card.
Helpful Tips for Amazing Vegan Cranberry Bread
- Cut the Cranberries in Half: Halving the cranberries makes sure they are evenly distributed throughout the bread and prevents overly tart pockets or mushy textures. Avoid chopping them too small, as this can impact the loaf’s texture.
- Use the Juice of 1 Orange: Squeeze the juice of a large navel orange, then adjust with oat milk to make sure the total liquid equals exactly ¾ cup—no more, no less. This balance is key for the perfect texture.
- Choose Unsweetened Vegan Yogurt: Look for an unsweetened vegan yogurt with similar nutrition to Kite Hill (7g fat, 3g protein, 5g carbs per 100g) to make sure the bread has the best texture and structure.
- Start Baking at a High Temperature, Then Lower It: Begin baking at 425°F for 15 minutes to help the bread rise quickly. Then, reduce the temperature to 350°F for the remainder of the bake to cook it through evenly without over browning.
More Vegan Holiday Recipes:
- Gingerbread Banana Loaf
- Vegan Gingerbread Apple Snack Cake
- Italian Pear Almond Cake
- Vegan Panettone
- Classic Vegan Gingerbread Cutout Cookies
Vegan Cranberry Orange Bread
Rate this RecipeIngredients
Dry Ingredients:
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 175g
- 1 tbsp orange zest, 5g or the zest of 1 large navel orange
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, 240g spooned from the bag into a measuring cup and leveled off
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 7g
- ¼ tsp baking soda, 2g
- ¾ tsp fine table salt, 5g
- ½ cup chopped toasted pecans, 60g
- 1 ¾ cups fresh cranberries, cut in half 175g
Wet Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp melted salted vegan butter, 42g
- Juice of 1 large navel orange, about 5-6 tbsp of juice
- 3-4 tbsp oat milk, or enough to make ¾ cup total when combined with melted butter and orange juice- see instructions below
- ¼ cup unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, 60g, I used Kite Hill Unsweetened Almond Milk Yogurt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Line an 8.5×4.5” metal loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest. Use your fingers to massage the zest into the sugar until it’s fragrant and evenly incorporated. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then whisk to combine.¾ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tbsp orange zest, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp fine table salt
- Add cranberries & nuts: Cut the cranberries in half and add them along with the pecans to the dry ingredients. Stir to mix, making sure all the cranberries are evenly coated in flour. Make a well in the center of the mixture.½ cup chopped toasted pecans, 1 ¾ cups fresh cranberries
- Melt butter & juice orange: In a glass measuring cup, melt 3 tablespoons of vegan butter. Juice one orange directly into the melted butter. The combined liquid should equal about ½ cup—slightly more or less is fine.3 tbsp melted salted vegan butter, Juice of 1 large navel orange
- Add oat milk: Add oat milk until the total liquid measures exactly ¾ cup. This will usually require about 4 tablespoons, or ¼ cup, of oat milk, depending on how juicy the orange is.3-4 tbsp oat milk
- Add vegan yogurt & vanilla: Add the vegan yogurt and vanilla extract to the measuring cup and whisk until the mixture is smooth, slightly frothy, and well combined.¼ cup unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Mix batter: Pour the liquid mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until a very thick batter forms.
- Add to pan and bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. With the loaf still in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 35–40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and springs back slightly when touched.
- Cool: Remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Recipe notes
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Categories:
Baked Goods, Breakfast & Brunch, Christmas, Desserts, Recipes, Seasonal, Tried & True Vegan Classics, Winter,
Absolutely excellent, everyone in my family loved it!
I had to add more oat milk since the batter was too dry. Will add more orange zest next time because I like that extra flavor.
Hi Jill, I’m so glad you all enjoyed the recipe!
Do you know if I can make the following substitutes? Flax egg/banana/applesauce instead of yogurt, avocado oil instead of butter and almond milk instead of oat? I know it seems like a lot of changes so I apologize in advance. Thank you!
Hi Isabel, you should be able to replace avocado oil for the vegan butter and almond milk for the oat milk. I recommend adding an extra pinch of salt since the vegan butter is salted and avocado oil is not.
I don’t recommend subbing the vegan yogurt as I haven’t tested these substitutions. Applesauce tends to create a coarser texture and banana will add excess sugar which may cause the loaf to sink. Vegan yogurt adds moisture and fat that flax egg won’t provide. Let me know if you have any other questions and if you give the recipe a try, I’d love to know how it turns out!