Dark in color and filled with warm spices, this Cranberry Molasses Quick Bread is just the perfect amount of sweet you need – have a slice for breakfast with your coffee or as an after dinner dessert!
After the holidays, we tend to have these random leftovers – those bits and pieces, scraps of cookie doughs and discs of unbaked pie crusts in the freezer. Leftover cranberry sauce, pumpkin puree in jars, and that half bag of fresh cranberries you bought for that one specific dessert. Last week, I found myself wondering what to do with those fresh cranberries and this Spiced Cranberry Molasses Quick Bread came to mind! Craving something tart yet warm with fall spices, with a bite of sweetness from the cranberries after being baked, it’s seriously a new favorite of mine.
Just make sure to soak the dried fruits and nuts a week before – but if you forget, even a couple of hours of soaking in brandy will make this bread extra delicious! It comes together super fast – use a mixture of whatever your favorite spices are, but I do love using vanilla powder and orange powder – it gives this bread a light citrus and vanilla flavor that was just what it needed! Bake up this recipe – and since it makes two loaves, give one away to your neighbor. Just because the holidays are over, doesn’t mean that the season of giving has to end.
I hope you enjoy this quick bread recipe!
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- 1 cup chopped dried fruit
- ½ cup brandy
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup coconut oil, softened
- ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla powder or extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- One week before, soak the nuts, dried fruit, and brandy in an airtight container. Store until you're ready to bake.
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease two loaf pans.
- To make bread, cream the butter, coconut oil, apple sauce, and brown sugar until fluffy.
- Incorporate the eggs, cranberries and molasses.
- Add all of the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
- Pour batter into loaf pans and bake for 40-50 minutes.
I have not heard of orange powder before, can orange zest be a good replacement and if so what amount?
You can use orange zest in equal amount!
I don’t see any mention of measurements for the cranberries.
Sorry about that – it’s one cup of fresh cranberries!
this spiced-cranberry-molasses-bread looks great. thanks
I wish I could modify this to make it in my old one pound bread machine.
This looks great! I certainly have leftover cranberries AND molasses from all the holiday baking. Now I know exactly what I’m doing today!
Treats like this should totally last all winter long!