Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Bread Recipe

When I uncovered a 1969 Cranberry Date Bread recipe tucked into an old church cookbook, its unexpected ingredient twist convinced me I had to try it.

I stumbled on a Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Bread recipe from 1969 and I cant stop thinking about it. Its old fashioned and simple but the loaf turns out moist and yummy in a way that feels almost wrong, like a secret kept too long.

I like that a bright hit of orange zest plays against the chewy texture of old fashioned rolled oats, makes it stand apart from all the usual quick breads. Folks might call it Cranberry Date Bread or tuck it in with Oatmeal Loaf Bread memories, but this one makes you curious, it wants to be tasted.

Ingredients

• Rolled oats add chewy texture, lots of fiber, keeps you full longer than white flour
• Cranberries bring tart bright flavor plus vitamin C and antioxidants, a nice counterpoint
• Orange zest gives intense citrus oil aroma, boosts flavor with almost no calories
• Fresh orange juice adds acidity and sweetness, helps balance sugar and cranberry tang
• Buttermilk tenderizes crumb, adds tang and protein, reacts with baking soda for lift
• Melted butter lends richness and moistness, healthy in small amounts but mostly fat
• Granulated sugar sweetens and browns crust, adds calories, use less if you like

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1 large orange)
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line it with parchment, set aside.

2. In a large bowl stir together 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon orange zest; save about 1 tablespoon of that flour mixture to toss with the cranberries so they don’t sink.

3. In a separate bowl whisk 1/3 cup fresh orange juice, 1 large egg, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled a bit, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined, don’t overmix, it’s okay if there are a few streaks of flour.

5. Let the batter rest 10 minutes so the oats absorb some liquid and thicken the batter, this makes the bread more moist.

6. Toss 1 to 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries in the reserved tablespoon of flour then fold them gently into the batter so they don’t clump or sink.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, you can brush a little extra melted butter on top for shine if you want.

8. Bake about 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, if the top browns too fast tent loosely with foil after 30 to 35 minutes.

9. Cool the loaf in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing, it slices cleaner when cooled; store wrapped at room temp for a few days or freeze slices for longer.

Equipment Needed

1. 9×5 inch loaf pan, greased or lined with parchment
2. large mixing bowl for the dry ingredients
3. medium mixing bowl for the wet ingredients
4. measuring cups and measuring spoons
5. liquid measuring cup (for the orange juice and buttermilk)
6. whisk
7. rubber spatula or wooden spoon for folding, smoothing and scraping the bowl
8. microplane or zester for the orange zest
9. wire cooling rack (and a pastry brush if you want to brush melted butter on top)

FAQ

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Bread Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour: swap with whole wheat pastry flour cup for cup for a nuttier, slightly denser loaf; if you only have regular whole wheat, use half whole wheat + half AP or add 2 tbsp extra buttermilk so it doesn’t get too dry. A 1-to-1 gluten free baking blend also works with no other changes.
• Granulated sugar: use coconut sugar cup for cup for a similar sweetness and deeper flavor, or replace with honey/maple syrup by using about 2/3 to 3/4 the amount of liquid sweetener and reduce the buttermilk by 2 to 3 tbsp, then bake a little cooler. It’ll brown faster so watch it.
• Buttermilk: substitute with plain yogurt thinned with milk 1 to 1 (stir until pourable), or make a quick buttermilk by mixing 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar, let sit 5 minutes before using.
• Fresh or frozen cranberries: use dried cranberries (about 3/4 cup) tossed with a splash of warm water or orange juice to plump them, or swap for frozen blueberries or chopped tart cherries 1 to 1 for a different but tasty fruity twist.

Pro Tips

– Toast the oats lightly in a dry pan for 3 to 5 minutes until they smell nutty, it gives the loaf a deeper flavor and keeps the texture from getting gluey when they soak up the liquids.

– Let cold ingredients warm up a bit to room temp before mixing, cold egg or buttermilk makes the batter seize and you end up mixing more which makes the bread tough.

– If using frozen cranberries leave them frozen and toss in a little flour or sugar first, fold them in very gently so they dont clump or all sink to the bottom; chopping a few of the bigger berries helps avoid huge wet pockets.

– Use an oven thermometer and check the loaf earlier than you think, every oven is different, and cool the loaf completely before slicing so you get clean slices and it wont crumble.