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If you love banana bread, this Cranberry Banana Bread is the perfect festive twist. Bright, tart cranberries balance the sweetness of ripe bananas for a moist, delicious loaf you can enjoy all season.
Banana Cranberry Bread
If you love banana bread but want something a little brighter for the holidays, this Cranberry Banana Bread is the perfect twist. Ripe bananas keep it naturally sweet and moist, while fresh or frozen cranberries add pops of tartness in every bite. It’s easy to make, freezer-friendly, and lighter than traditional quick breads — the kind of cozy bake that works for breakfast, snacking, or gifting during cranberry season.
Why This Works
I bake banana bread all the time for recipe testing, and I love finding new, lighter twists that still taste amazing. Today it’s snowing—the kind of day I look for any excuse to turn on the oven and fill the house with something warm and cozy. I had ripe bananas on the counter and cranberries left over from yesterday’s apple-cranberry crumble, so I knew exactly what I wanted to make.
- Tart cranberries balance the natural sweetness of ripe bananas.
- Uses pantry staples and comes together in one bowl.
- Freezer-friendly: perfect to bake ahead for the holidays.
- Lighter than traditional banana bread without sacrificing moisture.
Featured Comment
This is an absolute family favorite! I use King Arthur’s GF flour and whole eggs. I make a double batch of muffins which seem to last longer(in my mind)for when all the kids come home😊
What You’ll Need
Here’s the ingredients to make this banana cranberry bread along with variations. See recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Fresh or frozen cranberries – add bright, tart pops of flavor
- Sugar – lightly sweetens the cranberries as they cook
- White whole wheat flour – adds fiber while keeping the loaf tender, all purpose flour can also be used.
- Baking soda – helps the bread rise and stay light
- Salt – balances the sweetness
- Softened butter – gives moisture and a soft crumb. Dairy-free butter can also be used.
- Brown sugar – adds sweetness and a little depth. You can also use brown monk fruit sweetener.
- Egg whites – keep the bread light while adding structure
- Ripe bananas – the natural sweetener that makes banana bread moist
- Vanilla extract – enhances the warm, cozy flavor
- Turbinado sugar – adds a crisp, golden top
How To Make Cranberry Banana Bread
Here’s how to add fresh or frozen cranberries to your banana bread. See recipe card below for printable directions.
- Cook the cranberries: Simmer the cranberries with a little sugar and water until they burst and soften, then set them aside to cool slightly.
- Prep the oven and pan: Heat your oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with baking spray.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar with a mixer. Add the egg whites, mashed bananas, and vanilla, and beat until the mixture is thick and smooth.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low just until combined—don’t overmix.
- Fold in the cranberries: Gently fold the cooked cranberries and any juices into the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle the top with a little turbinado sugar, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 25 minutes, then transfer it to a rack to finish cooling before slicing.
Variations
- Add nuts, like walnuts or pecans.
- Use dried cranberries instead of fresh or frozen.
- Make them in muffin tins, bake 350F about 25 minutes, or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Tips for Success
- Use ripe bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful the bread will be.
- Don’t overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined to keep the loaf tender.
- Fold gently: Add the cooked cranberries at the end so they stay distributed without staining the whole batter.
- Line the pan: Spraying the pan and adding a parchment sling makes it easy to lift out after baking.
- Let it cool fully: The texture improves as the loaf cools, so resist slicing too soon.
Storage & Freezing
- Room Temperature: Store cooled slices tightly wrapped or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Keeps well for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or microwave slices straight from frozen.
More Banana Bread Recipes You Will Love
- Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Classic Banana Bread
- Banana Nut Bread
- Sourdough Discard Banana Bread
- Chocolate Oat Flour Banana Bread
Cranberry Banana Bread
This lightened-up Cranberry Banana Bread is moist, bright, and bursting with tart cranberries—an easy, festive bake you can enjoy for breakfast or gifting.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 slice
Ingredients
- 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons sugar, or sweetener of choice
- 2 tablespoons water
- baking spray
- 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour, or all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened (or dairy-free butter)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, not packed (or sweetener of choice)
- 2 large egg whites
- 3 medium ripe bananas, lightly mashed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Prep the pan: Preheat your oven to 350F and lightly spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with oil, then line it with parchment for easy removal, if desired.
- Cook the cranberries: In a small saucepan combine the cranberries water and sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat until the cranberries burst, about 4 minutes.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, bananas, and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
- Blend: Add flour mixture and blend at low speed until combined, do not over mix.
- Fold in the cranberries: Add the cranberries and pour batter into the prepared loaf pan; sprinkle with turbinado sugar on top.
- Bake in the center rack for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the pan cool at least 25 minutes, bread should be room temperature before slicing.
Last Step:
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Notes
Variations:
- If you want to add nuts, try it with walnuts or pecans.
- Swap fresh cranberries with dried instead and skip the step of cooking them first.
- Make them in muffin tins, bake 350F about 25 minutes, or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 94 kcal, Carbohydrates: 20 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 2 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 4 mg, Sodium: 105 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 11 g
