Libby’s Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

Libby’s cranberry pumpkin bread is perfect for sweater weather and the holiday season with its tender, soft texture and cozy flavor. It’s full of delicious pumpkin, pops of tart cranberries, and warming spices!

Easy cranberry pumpkin bread

Libby’s cranberry pumpkin bread is the perfect quick bread recipe to transition from fall to winter. It’s packed with cozy fall flavors from pumpkin, aromatic spices, and cranberries, everyone’s favorite winter berries.

The bread has an incredibly soft, fluffy texture and is a great way to use leftover canned pumpkin. So if you’re itching for some cozy flavors, this is the perfect quick bread to try!

And if you love baking with Libby’s, check out Libby’s pumpkin roll, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin bread next!

Ingredients

Pumpkin, cranberries, and spices are really all you need here. It’s perfect when your sweet tooth hits and you have leftover pumpkin from another recipe. All measurements are listed in the recipe card below!

• Canned pumpkin: What’s pumpkin bread without pumpkin puree? Libby’s is best because it’s compact and flavorful. Make sure you’re buying pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has a bunch of ingredients added and won’t work here.
• Cranberries: You can use both fresh and frozen cranberries. You could also use dried cranberries, but they won’t provide the same burst of tartness.
• Pumpkin pie spice brings on that fall flavor. To make your own homemade spice mix, combine 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp ground cloves.
• All-purpose flour: Either measure the flour with kitchen scales or employ the spoon and sweep method. First, fluff the flour to loosen it up. Then spoon flour into your measuring cup until the flour is piled over the rim. Use the blade of a butter knife to scrape off the excess flour back into the bag or container.
• Baking powder is the leavener that makes the bread fluffy and light.
• Salt: A touch of salt boosts the flavor and balances the sweetness.
• Sugar provides sweetness and moisture to the loaf.
• Eggs: We added 2 large eggs for moisture, binding, and structure.
• Vegetable oil helps carry the bread’s flavor and creates a bouncy texture.You can use canola or coconut oil if you don’t have vegetable oil.
• Orange juice gives a citrus punch and rounds out the delicious pumpkin and cranberry flavors. Freshly squeezed is best, but unsweetened bottled orange juice is fine too.

How to make Libby’s cranberry pumpkin bread

This sweet bread is so simple to make! You’ll be surprised how quickly it comes together and how wonderful it tastes! It’s a great way to utilize leftover pumpkin and give it new life in a delicious way.

#1: Combine dry ingredients

• Whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

#2: Mix wet ingredients

•  In a large mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin, sugar, eggs, oil, and orange juice until well blended.
• Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just moistened and you no longer see streaks of flour. Avoid overmixing.

#3: Fold in cranberries

• Toss the cranberries with 1 tablespoon flour. Add to the batter and gently fold in.

#4: Bake

• Pour the batter into a lined baking pan and bake at 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4 for 65 to 85 minutes.
• To check the doneness, insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. But if you still see liquid batter, the bread needs to bake longer.

#5: Cool + serve

• Let the cranberry pumpkin bread cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then transfer the loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• If desired, dust your cranberry pumpkin bread with powdered sugar before serving. Cut the loaf into slices and serve when ready.

Baker’s tips

I’ve baked Libby’s cranberry pumpkin bread many times because I love the cranberry-pumpkin combo and eat it year-round. Over the years, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks that make this bread even better:

• More flour: I found that using slightly more flour than the original recipe yields better results, especially if you live in the mountains like me. The extra flour helps to absorb the pumpkin better and prevents that gummy bottom you sometimes get with pumpkin bread. You want to add 1/4 cup flour.
• Toss cranberries: I recommend tossing the cranberries with 1 tablespoon flour before stirring them into the batter. This helps to keep them from sinking to the bottom of your bread while baking.
• Don’t overmix: When you combine the dry and wet ingredients, be careful not to overmix, or the bread won’t have the light, moist, and soft texture that makes this recipe so wonderful.
• Perfect baking time: Unlike other quick breads, pumpkin bread doesn’t continue to bake in the pan after you remove it from the oven. While you don’t want to overbake the loaf, you also don’t want to underbake it. The baking time is 70 to 85 minutes, and the bread is ready when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. A few crumbs are fine, but there should be no liquid batter.
• Tent the bread: The long baking time means the top of the bread might be browning too quickly. If that’s the case, tent the loaf pan loosely with tin foil after 35 to 40 minutes of baking.

Variations

• Other fruit: Replace the cranberries with 1 1/2 cups blueberries or chopped apples.
• Raisins: Feel free to substitute the cranberries with 1 cup raisins like in this Bisquick pumpkin bread.
• Cinnamon: To simplify the recipe, use ground pumpkin instead of pumpkin pie spice.
• Orange zest: Zest the oranges before juicing and add 1 tablespoon orange zest to the batter.
• Chocolate chips: Stir in 1 cup white chocolate chips for a decadent treat.
• Nuts: Add 1 cup nuts, such as pecans or walnuts.
• Crumble topping: Top the bread with the streusel mixture I used for these Dunkin Donuts pumpkin muffins.
• Cream cheese frosting: Ice your cranberry pumpkin bread with a layer of fluffy cream cheese frosting.
• Mini loaves: Divide the batter between mini loaf pans. Bake the mini breads in a 350°F oven for a total of 30 to 35 minutes.

Storage instructions

How to store Libby’s cranberry pumpkin bread

Orange cranberry pumpkin bread is the perfect make-ahead breakfast or snack because it just gets better as it sits overnight and the flavors mingle together.

Allow the loaf to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freeze pumpkin bread with cranberries

You can freeze the bread for about 3 months. Again, make sure to keep it tightly wrapped and sealed to avoid freezer burn and dryness.

Thaw frozen cranberry pumpkin bread on the counter overnight or microwave slices for 20 to 30 seconds, just until warmed through.

More pumpkin baking recipes

If you need more ideas to bake with pumpkin, check out these other recipes! They are delicious and perfect for the holidays or just because.

• Condensed Milk Pumpkin Bread
• Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Muffins with Spice Cake Mix
• Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin Pie Cookies
• White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

More cranberry recipes

After you’ve tried Libby’s pumpkin cranberry bread, see how this delicious winter berry enhances so many other treats. You’ll love the fruity cranberry flavor that emanates through each of these simple, delicious recipes!

• Cranberry Banana Bread
• Ocean Spray Cranberry Bread
• Panera Cranberry Orange Muffins
• Dried Cranberry Muffins
• Cranberry Bliss Bars
• Cranberry Truffle Smoothie

More quick bread recipes

Once you start baking this pumpkin cranberry bread, you’re going to want more! To save you some time, I’ve put together some of our most loved quick bread recipes. They are so good, and you can whip them up anytime!

• Condensed milk Banana Bread
• 3-Ingredient Apple Bread
• Nutella Bread
• Peanut Butter Bread
• Lemon Banana Bread