Lemon Cranberry Bread with Almonds
Dec 07, 2020, Updated Dec 26, 2022
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Quick breads are a holiday staple. It doesn’t get more festive than this glazed lemon cranberry bread topped with slivered almonds.
Serve lemon cranberry bread as a special Christmas breakfast or add it to the dessert table. It’s wonderful matched with coffee or tea.
Double or triple the recipe and bake up loaves for friends and family. Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and tie with a ribbon for an enticing homemade present.
This quick bread really is quick to whip up! It takes just over an hour to make, including bake time. Get the kids involved for an easy holiday baking activity.
Lemon Cranberry Bread with Almonds
Equipment
- loaf pan
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup almond slivers
Glaze
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- In a small bowl, toss cranberries with 1 tablespoon of flour and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs and beat an additional minute.
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated.
- Add half of the milk and mix on low speed for 20 seconds.
- Add remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated.
- Add the remaining half of milk and mix on low speed for 20 seconds.
- Fold in cranberries and lemon zest.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and top with almond slivers. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
- Once the bread is fully baked, transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the bread from the pan.
- While the bread is cooling, make the glaze by combining the sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and cooking over medium heat. Bring it to a boil and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
- Once the bread is cool, use a pastry brush to evenly apply the glaze on top the of the bread loaf.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like all recipes, there are a few vital steps to getting things right. Don’t skip flouring your cranberries before adding them to your bread mixture. This step ensures the cranberries will be evenly dispersed in the bread. Otherwise, the cranberries will sink to the bottom of your bread.
Also, be sure to let the bread cool completely before adding the glaze. If you rush this step, the heat from the bread will cause the glaze to run right off. If you’d like, you can use a toothpick to poke a few holes in the top of the bread before glazing it, to allow some of the glaze to penetrate the center of the bread.
We hope this festive bread helps you have an even more festive holiday season! Be sure to let us know how you enjoy it. Share your reviews in the comments below. Tag us in your holiday baking photos on Instagram @theproducemoms.
Here are some other quick bread recipes you might also enjoy:
- Zucchini and Chocolate Bread
- Avocado, Strawberry, Blueberry Bread
- Tomato Quick Bread
- Apple Streusel Bread
Hello! I don’t see the step where the almonds are incorporated. Are any folded into the mix or are they just added on top of the glaze at the end? Thanks!
It’s in the 10th step. You put them on top of the batter before baking!