Let's make Cranberry Oat Bread with an Orange Cream Cheese Swirl this holiday season! The warm and gooey cream cheese swirl is naturally flavored with honey and orange zest- and is present in every tender bite of homemade cranberry bread.
Moist and fluffy, a little sweet, and a little tart - this is the perfect holiday oat flour bread recipe!
'Tis the season, friends! Looking for a cozy holiday breakfast bread or a seasonal brunch recipe that WOWS your friends and family, but also want something healthier and gluten-free, look no further!
This easy quick bread recipe perfectly blends the hallmark holiday flavors of cranberry and orange with healthy, wholesome, real food ingredients. And, because we're baking with oat flour, this amazing cranberry cream cheese bread is naturally gluten-free!
Simple to make and always a hit, this is a heart-healthy holiday breakfast you can feel good about! While you are enjoying a slice of warm cranberry-orange oat bread, go ahead and make a mug or two of this amazing oat milk hot chocolate, or treat yourself to a proffee (https://healthywithachanceofsprinkles.com/protein-coffee/protein coffee) that will keep you full all morning!
Need more gluten-free Christmas breakfast recipes? You'll love these oat flour gingerbread pancakes topped with my homemade cinnamon whipped cream! So yummy!
CRANBERRY OAT FLOUR BREAD INGREDIENTS
Very Ripe Bananas - Overripe bananas are sweeter and moister. We're using bananas in this recipes to add moisture and a natural sweetness to our oat flour bread. This bread will not have a banana flavor once baked.
Oat Flour - Make your own or buy store-bought oat flour.
Coconut Oil - Butter or olive oil can be used
Eggs -
Baking Powder- For fluffy banana bread, it's best to use fresh baking powder.
Ground Cinnamon -
Pure Vanilla Extract- Vanilla is optional but recommended.
Maple Syrup- or use honey is preferred.
Salt
Fresh Cranberries - Thawed if using frozen cranberries
Orange Zest- The orange zest adds a burst of freshness and added orange flavor to cranberry bread.
ORANGE CREAM CHEESE SWIRL INGREDIENTS
Cream Cheese - I've used low-fat cream cheese, but feel free to use fat-free or full-fat if you prefer
Eggs - using an egg helps the cream cheese mixture set up while baking
Orange Extract - Using orange extract gives this cream cheese swirl an amazing orange flavor and compliments the cranberry bread so well!
Honey - only a small amount of honey is used to naturally sweeten the cream cheese.
CRANBERRY BREAD INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
Mash your bananas with a fork or potato masher in a medium-sized bowl
Stir in melted coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla
Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until the cranberry bread batter is mixed and the oat flour is incorporated.
Stir in cranberries
Pour the orange cream cheese batter over the top of the unbaked cranberry loaf.
Swirl the cream cheese mixture into the cranberry oat bread batter with a knife. Do not over swirl the cream cheese mixture - 4 or 5 swirls are plenty.
Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when testing for doneness.
ORANGE CREAM CHEESE SWIRL INSTRUCTIONS
Combine room temperature cream cheese, egg, orange extract, and honey in a bowl and mix until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Gluten-Free - Oats are naturally gluten-free yet sometimes processed in a facility that processes other grains containing gluten. To ensure oats are truly GF look for a certified gluten-free label when buying.
Fresh Cranberries - Frozen cranberries can be used after thawing.
Orange Zest - I highly recommend using orange zest, but it can be omitted if needed.
Honey- Maple syrup is a great natural sweetener alternative in this recipe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW TO STORE CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE BREAD
Homemade breads containing a cream cheese swirl should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days and not left on the counter for more than 2 hours.
CAN YOU FREEZE CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE BREAD
Cranberry bread freezes well and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze individual slices, half loaves, or the whole loaf. Simply wrap loaves or slices in foil and store in a freezer zip-top bag, removing as much air as possible.
To thaw, leave the cranberry oat bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
WHY OAT FLOUR IS MY FAVORITE GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR TO BAKE WITH
Oat flour is simply ground old-fashioned oats meaning when you bake with oat flour, you are getting all the health benefits you've come to expect from a bowl of oatmeal. Not only are oats naturally gluten-free, packed with nutrients, and easily made at home, but they also make some seriously tender and fluffy baked goods.
It's also worth noting that oat flour is higher in fiber and protein when compared to traditional all-purpose flour. To read more about the nutritional benefits of oat, here's a good article for the Harvard School of Public Health.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE OAT FLOUR
- Add old-fashioned (rolled oats) to a blender or food processor.
- Blend or process on high until oats have turned into a fine flour.
MORE HEART-HEALTHY OAT RECIPES
BLUEBERRY OATMEAL BREAKFAST BARS
BANANA OAT BARS WITH PEANUT BUTTER DRIZZLE
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📖 Recipe
Holiday Cranberry Oat Bread with an Orange Cream Cheese Swirl
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups oat flour store bought or homemade
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 3 bananas very ripe
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup cranberries fresh, not dried cranberries
- 1 orange zested
Orange Cream Cheese Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese low fat, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon orange extract
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
- Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mash your bananas with a fork or potato masher in a medium-sized bowl3 bananas
- Stir melted coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup, orange extract, orange zest and vanilla with the mashed bananas½ cup coconut oil, ½ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon orange extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla, 2 eggs, 1 orange zested
- Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until the banana bread batter is mixed and the oat flour is incorporated.2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 ½ cups oat flour
- Stir in cranberries¾ cup cranberries
- Swirl the cream cheese mixture into the cranberry oat bread batter with a knife. Do not over swirl the cream cheese mixture - 4 or 5 swirls are plenty.4 oz cream cheese, ½ teaspoon orange extract, 1 egg, ½ cup maple syrup
- Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when testing for doneness.
How To Make Orange Cream Cheese Swirl
- In a small bowl, mix room temperature cream cheese, egg, honey and orange extract together until the batter is smooth.½ teaspoon orange extract, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons honey, 4 oz cream cheese
Notes
WHY USE BANANAS IN THIS RECIPE?
We're using bananas to add moisture and to act as a natural sweetener for our oat flour bread. This bread will not have a banana flavor once baked.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Gluten-Free - Oats are naturally gluten-free yet sometimes processed in a facility that processes other grains containing gluten. To ensure oats are truly GF look for a certified gluten-free label when buying. Fresh Cranberries - Frozen cranberries can be used after thawing. Orange Zest - I highly recommend using orange zest, but it can be omitted if needed. Honey- Maple syrup is a great natural sweetener alternative in this recipe.HOW TO STORE CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE BREAD
Homemade breads containing a cream cheese swirl should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days and not left on the counter for more than 2 hours.CAN YOU FREEZE CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE BREAD
Cranberry bread freezes well and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze individual slices, half loaves, or the whole loaf. Simply wrap loaves or slices in foil and store in a freezer zip-top bag, removing as much air as possible. To thaw, leave the cranberry oat bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE OAT FLOUR
- Add old-fashioned (rolled oats) to a blender or food processor.
- Blend or process on high until oats have turned into a fine flour.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
The nutritional information provided here is approximate and calculated using an online nutritional calculator. We strive to give you accurate information, but many factors can cause this data to vary widely. For more information, please read our full Nutritional Disclaimer.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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Anabella says
So delicious and easy to make! My whole family loved it!
Nic says
I LOVE oat bread. I LOVE cranberries. My only question is how have I not come across soemthing like this sooner. Thanks for the recipe!
Jessica says
It's so good! I hope you love it as much as we do!
Dannii says
I love cranberry bread and the orange cream cheese sounds amazing.
Jessica says
I hope you love it as much as we do!
Amanda Dixon says
This bread was so great, and the cranberries made it perfect for the holidays! I just love the decadent touch the cream cheese swirl added.
Jessica says
So happy you loved my cranberry bread! Thank you!
Cathleen says
Orange and cranberry might be one of my favourite flavour combos over the holidays. This bread is definitely going to be a staple in my house for Christmas.Thanks so much for the recipe!
Jessica says
Thank you so much, Cathleen!