This Cranberry Cream Cheese Loaf is smooth, soft, and loaded with fresh cranberries for a tasty holiday quick bread.
If you are looking for a festive treat for a holiday party or Christmas morning breakfast you are going to love this cream cheese cranberry bread.

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I always look forward to the arrival of fresh cranberries in my grocery store. The small red orbs signal the start of the holiday season and I can’t help but grab a bag or two to make a few recipes and add to our holiday decor.
My Instant Pot cranberry sauce has been a staple in our home during the holidays for years. I serve it with turkey and ham, of course, but you’ll also find me swirling it into oatmeal or spreading it on toast.
Beyond cranberry sauce, I adore using cranberries in baked goods. Nantucket cranberry pie is one of my favorites, and this cream cheese cranberry bread really knocks it out of the park!
It’s like cream cheese pound cake dotted with fresh cranberries. It’s moist and tender, sweet and studded with the slightly tart addition of cranberries.
Cream cheese helps provide a moist and tender texture in this bread, just like in my cream cheese cookies and chocolate cream cheese pound cake.
This bread is perfect for breakfast but could also be served for dessert. And when you are looking for something more than cookies, make a few loaves and wrap them up as gifts.
More Delicious Cranberry Recipes to Try:
- Instant Pot Nantucket Cranberry Pie
- Festive Cranberry Streusel Pie
- Cranberry Pistachio Bread
- Cranberry Orange Muffins with Pecans
- Cranberry Banana Bread

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake is Perfect for Holiday Baking
Homemade gifts are my favorite, and baked goods are always a hit. This fresh cranberry bread is so good and since this recipe makes 2 8×4 loaves, it’s perfect for giving as a gift.
Quick breads are so easy to make (that’s one reason why my holiday pistachio bread and eggnog bread are always a hit) and this cream cheese cranberry bread is no exception.
In just one hour you can have two festive loaves to give as a gift. But I highly recommend you keep one for yourself!

How to Make Cream Cheese Cranberry Loaf
It’s really easy to make fresh cranberry bread.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Unsalted Butter
- Cream Cheese
- White Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Fresh Cranberries

How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Combine the Wet Ingredients. First, you’ll beat the butter and cream cheese then add in the sugar and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla and almond extracts.

Add the Dry Ingredients. Next, you’ll combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, whisking well.

Add them into the wet ingredients, just mixing until incorporated (don’t overmix!). Fold in the cranberries gently.

Bake. Last, you’ll spoon the batter into loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Notes and Adaptations:
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
- If you enjoy nuts in your bread you can stir in some chopped pecans or walnuts when you add in the cranberries.
- You can freeze the loaves–simply cool completely before wrapping tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze.

Recommended Equipment:
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Loaf pans <–these are my favorites
- Bread bags and pretty gingham ribbon for gifting
Cream Cheese Cranberry Bread

This velvety soft cream cheese cranberry bread makes a festive dessert or holiday breakfast treat!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8-oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups whole fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease two 8x4" loaf pans.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Add sugar and beat until fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix to combine.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
- Stir in cranberries, mixing gently to incorporate.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16 servingsServing Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 306Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 183mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

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This recipe sounds wonderful. I wonder if I can use frozen cranberries as I have a couple of bags I froze last Thanksgiving.
Hi Barbara! I think frozen cranberries would work fine! I would not recommend thawing them first–just add them in frozen. Enjoy! 🙂
This recipe calls for baking powder; others I’ve seen say baking soda. Just wanted to make sure it’s powder. Thanks!
Hi Kay! Great question–yes, I do use baking powder. Enjoy! 🙂
Amazing bread thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Roxana! Thank you for your comment! 🙂
How do you store this bread?
Hi Julie! I store mine in an airtight container at room temperature. It never lasts longer than 2-3 days, so I don’t know how well it holds up after that point, but it keeps well for the first few days!
The nutrition says 16 servings. Is that per loaf, or for 2 loaves. It looks great. Thank you.
Hi Emily! That’s for two loaves–so 8 slices per loaf. Of course, you could always make thinner slices to adjust the serving size. Enjoy! 🙂