Name: Cranberry Orange Soda Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt; 1 3/4 cups buttermilk (cold); 1 egg; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups whole wheat flour; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 3/4 teaspoon sea salt; 1 1/2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen, chopped or dried); 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 3/4 cup chopped walnuts; 1 tablespoon orange zest

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

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Cranberry orange soda bread is an Irish-style quick bread made with whole wheat flour, fresh cranberries, walnuts and orange zest. The cranberries add tartness, and the orange adds a touch of brightness. There’s no yeast and no rising, so it goes from mixing bowl to oven in about 15 minutes.

a close up picture of Cranberry soda bread

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My mother used to make a cranberry orange bread every holiday season, but it was always more like a cake than bread to me, and I prefer things less sweet. So I took my whole wheat Irish soda bread, the one we only make around St. Patrick’s Day, and turned it into a holiday version. Since I started making it, it’s the one thing my family asks for at Christmas breakfast.

Recipe Highlights

Lightly sweet. One tablespoon of sugar plus a little maple syrup on the cranberries.
Half whole wheat. Heartier and nuttier than an all-white loaf.
Fresh, frozen or dried cranberries can be used.
Makes two loaves. Serve one and freeze the other, or give it away.

Ingredients for cranberry orange soda bread: whole wheat and all-purpose flour, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, egg, fresh cranberries, walnuts, orange zest and maple syrup

Ingredient Notes

Flour: I like to use a mix of whole wheat flour and white flour. Whole wheat gives the bread a nuttier flavor. If you prefer white flour, you can swap the whole wheat flour for white. I don’t recommend using all whole wheat flour because it made the loaves too dense when I tried it.
Buttermilk: The acid in the buttermilk is what activates the baking soda. If you don’t have buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into a cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the dough mixture.
Greek yogurt: Adds tang and moisture. Plain whole-milk yogurt works too.
Sugar: Just a little bit to add a touch of sweetness. If you want it sweeter, use up to 3 tablespoons.
Baking soda and baking powder: Make sure both are fresh. Old leavening is the most common reason soda bread comes out flat.
Cranberries: Fresh or frozen, work. Frozen can go in straight from the freezer. Dried cranberries work too: but skip the maple soak.
Maple syrup: A quick toss with the cranberries takes the bitterness off of fresh cranberries without making the bread sweet.
Walnuts: Pecans are an easy swap, or leave the nuts out.
Orange zest: One medium orange gives you about a tablespoon. Zest it before you do anything else with the orange.
Sea salt: Table salt is fine. Use a little less.

How to Make Cranberry Orange Soda Bread

Prepare: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two 8-inch cast iron skillets (or cake pans) with parchment paper. Chop the cranberries.

Soak the cranberries. Toss the chopped cranberries with the maple syrup in a small bowl and set aside. (Skip this if you’re using dried cranberries.)
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine both flours, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt, and orange zest.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, cold buttermilk, and yogurt.
Combine. With a wooden spoon or an electric mixer on low, gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry until a shaggy dough forms. Don’t overwork the dough.
Add the cranberries and walnuts. Mix them in by hand until they’re spread through the dough.
Shape and bake. Divide the dough into two equal mounds, one per skillet. Scoring an X on top is optional. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

a collage of 4 process steps needed to make cranberry orange bread

NOTE: If you prefer a loaf-shaped soda bread, over a round loaf, you can use two loaf pans instead of a cast iron skillet.

an overhead view of cranberry soda bread

Make it Your Way

This bread is easy to change up. Keep the base the same and swap the fruit, the nuts or the flavor for something different.

Fruit: Dried cherries, golden raisins, or chopped apples or pears in place of the cranberries.
Nuts: Pecans or pistachios instead of walnuts, or none at all.
Flavor: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon with raisins. Or go savory: skip the fruit and maple, and add 3/4 cup shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup chopped herbs and a tablespoon of caraway seeds.
Finish: Stir in white chocolate chunks, or drizzle an orange glaze over the top once it cools. I skip both because I like it less sweet, but they’re good options if your crowd wants something closer to a coffee cake.

If you’re planning more of the holiday table around this, get my free holiday dinner countdown cheat sheet.

How to Store leftovers

Wrap what’s leftover in parchment and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days. I store mine in a breadbox like this one and it keeps homemade bread fresh-tasting for a few days.

To freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Making it for holiday breakfast: Bake it the day before. Wrap it once it’s fully cool, then warm it in the oven or toast slices the next morning.

Serving suggestions

At our house this goes on the Christmas breakfast table with an air fryer frittata, impossible breakfast pie and apple sage turkey sausage. It’s also good toasted with butter, alongside a chopped salad for lunch, or sliced on a brunch board.