Best Ever Cream Cheese Cranberry Bread – Velvety Soft & Easy!
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, cream cheese pound cake from a mix, 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 Pistachio Cookies
- Cream Cheese Cranberry Muffins
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.
Don’t forget to save this recipe to your holiday board on Pinterest!
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! 🙂
Could I substitute frozen blueberries for the cranberries? Or even forgo berries and just go with chocolate chips?
Would I have to make any other adjustments in either case?
Thank you so much in advance for responding.
Hi Jeanette! I think either of those substitutions would work well without any other adjustments. Enjoy! 🙂
Can I use regular butter instead of unsalted butter! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Mary! Yes, you sure can! I would omit the salt from this recipe if using salted butter. Enjoy! 🙂
can you bake in a cake pan?
Hi Sharon! I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe, so I can’t say for sure, but I think it would probably work fine to bake in a bundt pan. I would probably try baking at 325F for maybe an hour and 15 minutes or so (definitely check it sooner though just in case that estimate is way off!). If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it comes out for you!
Absolutely loved this recipe! It was super soft, sweet and tangy with the fresh cranberries. I ended up making a vanilla icing or glaze which made it even more decadent. Kids and Husband approved! I’ll be making this again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Rose! Thank you for taking the time to leave your review! 🙂
Hello, can you use chocolate chips in the recipe in addition to the cranberries? Can a loaf be frozen?
Hi Chris! Chocolate chips are always a good idea, in my opinion. 🙂 Yes, this bread freezes well! Just cool completely and wrap it well with plastic wrap (I like to double-wrap) before freezing. Enjoy! 🙂
Could Blueberries be substituted for cranberries? Any other adjustments to recipe if so?
Super good! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Rose! Yes, I think blueberries would work great with this recipe! Fresh or frozen should both be fine. Enjoy! 🙂
Would there be a way to incorporate orange into this recipe? Could I maybe replace something with orange juice? Also, could you recommend timing for regular sized muffins instead of loaves?
Hi Megan! Adding orange would be delicious! I would actually recommend using some orange zest (a tablespoon or so should be good), then use your fingers to mix the orange zest into the granulated sugar before you get started. This will help to make the sugar orange-scented, and makes it easier to mix in the zest without it clumping up in the batter. Then proceed with the directions as normal. You could also use a little bit of orange extract instead of almond extract. Or make a glaze with orange juice and powdered sugar and drizzle on top (2 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup orange juice whisked together). I haven’t made this bread as muffins, but I’m guessing it would probably take about 20-22 minutes or so. Just keep a close eye on them, and once a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, they’re ready. Enjoy! 🙂
Can you make these into mini loaves? How would you adjust the temperature, amount, and time? I plan to get these in aluminum tins that are purchased and disposable.
Hi Joanne! I haven’t made this recipe in mini loaf pans, but I would imagine it would work fine! I think the recipe would probably make 4-5 mini loaves. They’ll likely bake in less time, so start checking them sooner. I’d start checking them around 30 minutes, but they might take closer to 45 minutes since it’s a thicker batter. If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it works for you! 🙂
We love this cranberry bread! I gave it to several neighbors for Christmas and they all wanted the recipe.
Thanks so much, Christine! I love hearing that it was a hit with your neighbors–such a great way to spread some Christmas cheer! 🙂
Hi could I use crasins or dried cranberries in this recipe?
I think that would be fine, Nicole! Enjoy! 🙂
Can I use Splenda Baking because we are diabetic and can not use regular sugar
Hi Christine! I’m not familiar with Splenda Baking…if it’s a cup-for-cup sugar substitute, it would probably work fine, but I haven’t tested it myself. An option like Lakanto monkfruit sweetener might work, too–I’ve successfully used it in quickbreads in the past, though I haven’t tried it with this recipe. I hope that helps! 🙂
This recipe is easy to follow and the result is probably the best cranberry loaf I’ve ever made. This is one recipe I will use over and over.
What a great compliment, Sharon! Thank you for your kind words–I love hearing that it’s a new favorite! 🙂
So easy and absolutely delish. Just the right amount of sweet and tart. I did add some icing on half for a little extra sweet for my sweet tooth. Loved it and thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Angela! I’m so glad it was a hit. I actually pulled a loaf out of the freezer today (that I made around Thanksgiving) to enjoy–it’s one of my favorites, too. 🙂