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Cranberry Banana Bread

By Brittany Mullins

5

5

Last updated on Dec 06, 2024

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This cranberry banana bread is moist, delicious and the perfect festive breakfast or treat for the holidays. It’s naturally sweetened and studded with juicy cranberries and crunchy walnuts in every bite!

I am a banana bread fanatic so when I had the idea to add fresh cranberries to a loaf for a pop of color and festive spin I knew it would be a winner. And boy, was I right! This easy cranberry banana bread is absolutely delicious and guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser this holiday season.

It’s made with a combo of oat flour and almond flour to make this loaf gluten-free and it’s studded with tart, juicy cranberries and crunchy walnuts. The combo is SO good!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy to make – This recipe comes together quickly with minimal prep work and it requires simple ingredients that are easy to find.
• Healthier – This is a lightened-up recipe so you can feel good about enjoying it and serving it up to friends and family, especially during the holidays
• Festive – The cranberries add a festive pop of color to this loaf making it a great breakfast option for Christmas morning! It also makes for a great homemade gift! See my tips below for how to turn this recipe into a holiday gift for friends and family.

Cranberry Banana Bread Ingredients

• oat flour and almond flour – the combination of these flours makes for the perfect texture for a gluten-free loaf! You can make your own oat flour if you’d like or use store bought like Bob’s Red Mill oat flour. As for the almond flour, make sure you get finely ground blanched almond flour and not almond meal! Bob’s Red Mill almond flour is what I typically buy.
• coconut oil – helps to keep the bread moist. Feel free to use melted butter or another neutral oil like olive or avocado oil if you don’t have coconut oil on hand.
• coconut sugar – the less-processed upgrade for brown sugar. You can sub brown sugar if you don’t have any coconut sugar on hand.
• maple syrup – just a touch to add more natural sweetness and some maple flavor. You can use honey or agave instead if that’s what you have on hand.
• bananas – those bananas you forgot about on the counter that are now overripe? They’re perfect for this recipe! Make sure you’re using ripe bananas with brown spots for the best results. The riper they are the more sweetness they add. Many times I’ll freeze bananas when they’re perfectly ripe so I can use them for banana bread later. Just thaw and use!
• eggs – to bind the ingredients together and give the loaf structure.
• cranberries – adds a nice tart contrast to the sweetness of this banana bread banana bread. And it adds a pop of color! I used frozen cranberries, but fresh cranberries will also work if they’re in season. You can also use dried cranberries in place of the fresh cranberries if you prefer.
• walnuts – this adds a nice crunch and pairs perfectly with the tart cranberries and sweetness of the bananas.

Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.

Dietary Substitutions

• Nut-free: If you’re allergic to nuts or wish to make this recipe nut-free, you can skip the walnuts, or swap them with something like chocolate chips.
• Flour: I haven’t tested this loaf with a substitute for the almond flour, so I’m not sure what a good sub would be. Using all oat flour might result in a drier loaf and you can’t swap the almond flour with coconut flour as it soaks up way more liquid. If you need banana bread that’s gluten-free try my coconut flour banana bread instead.
• Vegan: I haven’t tested a vegan version of this recipe and I’m not sure I would recommend using an egg replacement since this loaf is gluten-free is needs the eggs to help give it structure. One reader did use flax eggs and said it turned out fine, but the loaf didn’t rise as much and had a denser texture. If you’re looking for a vegan banana bread and don’t need it to be gluten-free you can just make my vegan banana bread instead. That might be your best bet!

How to Make Cranberry Banana Bread

Step 1: In a medium bowl, mix together your dry ingredients. In a separate, large bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients. Once combined add it with your dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Step 2: Toss the cranberries with some oat flour until they are coated evenly (this prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf), and then fold them and the chopped walnuts into your batter.

Step 3: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. If desired, add some extra cranberries and walnuts on top. Bake for about 60 minutes checking for doneness with a toothpick or bread knife. Once done, let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips For Success

• Use ripe bananas: Make sure you’re using ripe bananas for the best results. The more brown spots, the sweeter they’ll be.
• Toss cranberries in flour: Don’t skip this! Tossing the cranberries in flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf while baking.
• Don’t over-mix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined. It’s okay if there are a few streaks of flour still visible. Over-mixing can result in a banana bread that’s dense.

Ways to Serve Cranberry Banana Bread

I love eating this banana bread toasted with butter or drizzled with nut butter, but here are some ideas on ways to serve this banana bread:

• For breakfast: Enjoy a slice for breakfast alongside your morning coffee with a little butter or drizzle of nut butter. For a more protein-packed breakfast serve a slice alongside two hardboiled eggs and/or a protein shake.
• For holiday brunch: Serve this cranberry banana bread for Christmas brunch alongside my make ahead breakfast casserole, fruit salad and apple cider mimosas. So festive!
• As a holiday gift: I love giving edible gifts during the holidays—there’s something so special about homemade treats. Mini loaves are perfect for gifting: simply line three mini loaf pans, bake for 30–35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, then let them cool. Wrap each loaf in plastic, add a cute ribbon, and you’ve got a sweet, homemade gift everyone will adore!

How to Store Cranberry Banana Bread

At room temperature: Wrap the loaf in foil or plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

In the fridge: For longer storage, refrigerate the banana bread in an airtight container for up to a week. This helps maintain freshness and prevents mold.

In the freezer: Banana bread stores great in the freezer. Store the loaf or individual slices in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before enjoying.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Quick Breads to Try

• Vegan Apple Bread
• Healthy Pumpkin Bread
• Almond Flour Banana Bread
• Chocolate Banana Bread
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Pumpkin Banana Bread
• Oat Flour Banana Bread

More Cranberry Recipes to Try

• Cranberry Energy Balls
• Cranberry Coconut Granola Bars
• Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal
• Healthy Cranberry Sauce

Be sure to check out all of my healthy quick bread recipes!

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5 from 3 votes

Cranberry Banana Bread

By: Brittany Mullins

This cranberry banana bread is moist, delicious and the perfect festive breakfast or treat for the holidays. It's naturally sweetened and studded with juicy cranberries and crunchy walnuts in every bite!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 9

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 ¼ cup oat flour + 1 Tablespoon for tossing cranberries
• ▢ ¾ cup almond flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
• ▢ ⅓ cup coconut sugar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• ▢ 3 medium overripe bananas, mashed
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup frozen cranberries
• ▢ ⅓ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1 ¼ cup oat flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt.
• In a separate large mixing bowl use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to combine coconut oil, coconut sugar and maple syrup. Add in mashed bananas, eggs and vanilla until well blended.
• Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix.
• In the same bowl you used for the dry ingredients toss the cranberries in 1 Tablespoon oat flour until coated. This helps prevent the cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the banana bread.
• Gently stir in frozen cranberries and walnuts to the batter.
• Pour batter into loaf pan, smooth top and sprinkle a few more walnuts and cranberries on top if desired.
• Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let bread cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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Notes

• Storage: Store your banana bread at room temperature, wrapped or in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep it in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it (whole or sliced) in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months—just thaw before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 205mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 24g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry banana bread

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