Cranberry Banana Bread with Orange Zest and Vanilla Icing Recipe
This Cranberry Banana Bread is a delightful twist on classic banana bread, blending ripe bananas with tart cranberries and a hint of orange zest. Topped with a simple vanilla glaze, it’s perfect for breakfast, snack time, or dessert with a moist texture and vibrant flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (about 8-10 slices) 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 3 medium bananas (ripe, about 1 ½ cups)
- ⅓ cup butter (melted)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups cranberries (roughly chopped)
- 2 tsp orange zest
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp heavy cream (or milk)
- 1 dash vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter an 8″x4″ bread loaf pan and lightly dust it with flour, tapping out any excess. Set aside.
- Mash bananas and combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mash the peeled ripe bananas with a sturdy fork until smooth. Stir in the melted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until the mixture is well combined.
- Add dry ingredients and mix: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and pinch of salt to the banana mixture. Stir gently to blend everything together. Then fold in the chopped cranberries and orange zest evenly through the batter.
- Bake the bread: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the bread is golden brown.
- Cool the bread: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.
- Prepare icing: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream (or milk), and a dash of vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust thickness by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or more milk to thin, as desired.
- Drizzle icing and serve: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled banana bread evenly. Slice and enjoy your flavorful cranberry banana bread!
Notes
- Use ripe bananas for optimal sweetness and moisture.
- Roughly chopping cranberries helps distribute their tart bursts throughout the bread.
- The almond extract is optional but adds a lovely depth of flavor.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter and heavy cream with vegan alternatives.
- If fresh cranberries aren’t available, frozen cranberries can be used but toss them lightly in flour to prevent sinking.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before applying the icing to prevent it from melting too much.
Keywords: cranberry banana bread, banana bread recipe, cranberry bread, quick bread, fruit bread, homemade banana bread
