A Beautiful Recipe for Gluten Free Cranberry Bread – with Cranberry Glaze

Come Thanksgiving, there are some things that are non-negotiable; for example, cranberry bread for breakfast. Typically, I dutifully whip up a classic recipe loaded with chopped cranberries, orange zest and walnuts. But after 22 years of essentially making the same recipe (now a gluten-free version), I decided to get wild. This recipe for gluten-free cranberry bread is redolent with orange and rosemary and topped with a sweet tart cranberry glaze.

Recipe card, description and images updated 11/3/21.

You’ll love this delicious recipe for gluten-free cranberry bread!

It could be argued that this cranberry-studded confection isn’t actually a bread. The fact that it’s drizzled in a luscious, rosemary and orange spiked pink glaze and topped with sugared cranberries might lead one to believe that this falls into the cake category and is, therefore, a dessert.

I beg to differ. Since this I bake this gluten-free quick-bread in a loaf pan, it is decidedly a bread. And breads are breakfast foods. Surely the amount of orange zest and cranberries must have some redeeming qualities. Vitamin C, perhaps?

Each year my Mother-in-Law ships us the most beautiful, fresh cranberries from Annies Crannies on Cape Cod. I use them in sauce and relish, and bake them into apple pies, cranberry frangipane tarts (another non-negotiable Thanksgiving must-have), and yes, cranberry bread.

In this year’s cranberry bread, I nixed the walnuts (don’t tell my MIL) and added fresh minced rosemary. The whole thing gets topped with a sweet tart cranberry glaze, redolent of orange and rosemary, and garnished with sugared cranberries (which are, incidentally, fabulous on a holiday cheese board).

Sure, this gluten-free cranberry bread would look amazing on your Thanksgiving dessert table. But it would also be a perfect morning-of breakfast with a cup of hot coffee. Consider it a little something to fortify you for the day of marathon cooking that awaits.

Here are some more delicious cranberry recipes to try!

• Gluten Free Boozy Mini Cranberry Cheesecake Tarts
• Cranberry Gin Slush Cocktail
• Gluten Free Cranberry Frangipane Tart

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Recipe for Gluten Free Cranberry Bread with Cranberry Orange Glaze

Alison Needham

This gorgeous glazed cranberry loaf cake (or BREAD) is redolent with orange and rosemary and topped with a sweet tart glaze.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 slices

Calories 449 kcal

Equipment

• 9×5 inch loaf pan

Ingredients

  

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• 6 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2½ cups all purpose gluten-free flour blend I love Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 these days
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your flour blend contains it – Bob’s does
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup whole milk or non-dairy milk of your choice
• ½ cup buttermilk sour cream or non-dairy milk soured with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• zest from one orange
• 2 tablespoons orange juice from about half of the orange
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh rinsed cranberries roughly chopped (a food processor is great for this)

For the Cranberry Glaze

• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

 

Make the Cranberry Bread

• Preheat your oven 350°F. Grease a standard (9×5 inch) loaf pan and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until fully incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time to the butter sugar mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
• Add the flour, xanthan gum (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Spin the blade a few turns to mix.
• Add the milk, buttermilk, rosemary, orange zest and juice, and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is smooth. Fold in the chopped cranberries.
• Pour batter into your prepared baking dish and bake for approximately one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen bread, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Once cool, drizzle with cranberry glaze and top with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs for garnish, if desired.

Make the Glaze

• Add 1 cup of fresh cranberries, 1 cup of sugar and one cup of water to a sauce pan with two sprigs of fresh rosemary and 2 strips of orange rind.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries pop and the syrup is thick and glossy.
• Strain syrup though a sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Add ¼ of this syrup to 2 cups of powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Reserve the rest of the syrup for a gin rosemary spritz.

Notes

Crown this gorgeous loaf with sugared cranberries, because she’s worth it. You can find an easy recipe here. The cranberry syrup used to make the glaze is more than you need. Use the extra syrup to make these Cranberry Gin Slush Cocktails.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 449kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 332mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 4gSugar: 66gVitamin A: 501IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 2mg

Keyword recipe for gluten free cranberry bread

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