Christmas Banana Cranberry Bread Recipe
This festive Christmas Banana Bread combines rich, moist banana goodness with tangy orange zest and sweet dried cranberries, making it a perfect holiday treat. Enhanced with walnuts for a delightful crunch, this sweet loaf is ideal for gifting or enjoying with your favorite holiday beverage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 large 9-inch loaf (about 10-12 servings) and 1 small loaf 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Banana Bread Batter
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. fresh orange juice
- 2 Tbsp. orange zest
Add-Ins
- 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- ¼ cup walnuts (chopped, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour one 9-inch loaf pan and optionally a smaller loaf pan to ensure easy cake release.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat softened butter with sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a smooth base for your banana bread. Then add the beaten eggs and mix thoroughly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, blending well but gently to avoid overmixing.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in sour cream, mashed bananas, vanilla extract, freshly squeezed orange juice, and orange zest, mixing well to combine all flavors evenly.
- Incorporate Cranberries and Walnuts: Fold in dried sweetened cranberries and chopped walnuts, distributing them uniformly throughout the batter.
- Pour Batter and Bake: Transfer the batter into the prepared pans. Bake the large loaf for 50-55 minutes and the small loaf for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Bread: Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional Festive Wrapping: Once cooled, wrap the loaf with paper and tie a festive string around it to give it a charming holiday presentation perfect for gifting.
Notes
- Use overripe bananas for the best sweetness and moisture in your bread.
- The walnuts are optional but add a pleasant crunch and texture.
- You can substitute dried cranberries with raisins or dried cherries if preferred.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter to keep the bread tender.
- Store wrapped banana bread at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
- For a dairy-free variation, substitute sour cream with coconut yogurt and butter with a plant-based alternative.
Keywords: Christmas banana bread, holiday banana bread, cranberry walnut banana bread, festive banana bread, holiday baking
