This pumpkin bread with fresh cranberries and pecans is easy to bake and will bring joy to you and your family during the cold season. This recipe makes two loaves of bread, perfect for gifting to family and friends.
I love pumpkin and I have many recipes on the blog that use this beautiful ingredient. Try this Whiskey Flavored Pumpkin Pie, Easy Pumpkin Muffins Recipe, or Pumpkin Seed And Apricot Pumpkin Sweet Bread. They are all unique and perfect for this time of year.
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Pumpkins and cranberries are the stars of the cold season in the US. We use them in savory and sweet recipes, and holidays would not be the same without them. I always keep some cans of pumpkin puree in the pantry and fresh cranberries in the freezer, which I use for Thanksgiving and sometimes Christmas. However, I like freezing cranberries, as I use them later during the winter, after they disappear from the stores, just to make different recipes.
After the frenzy of pumpkin season fades, this is one of my favorite recipes to make. It's an easy, straightforward dish where you simply mix all the ingredients together and fold in fresh cranberries.
I haven't found many pumpkin bread recipes that use fresh cranberries. Because cranberries can be quite tart, this bread naturally contains a bit more sugar than the typical pumpkin bread recipes you might come across.
Honestly, if I had to choose between pumpkin bread with raisins or dried cranberries and one with fresh cranberries, I'd choose the fresh cranberries. I appreciate how the sweetness of the bread balances with the tartness of the fresh cranberries. I also enjoy adding nuts, which bring more texture to the bread.
Key Ingredients
I feel like this recipe uses mostly pantry staples or at least ingredients that are easy to find. Let's see what you need:
All-purpose flour: This popular flour is good for most baked goods. I like unbleached all-purpose flour, and if you can find organic one, you will become my best friend.
Granulated sugar: Please do not use less sugar, as the recipe has fresh cranberries that can be quite tart and you need the balance between the two worlds.
Pumpkin puree: I used a can of pumpkin puree, and I believe most people will do the same.
Vegetable oil: I used sunflower oil, but canola oil or vegetable oil are good as well. The idea is to use a neutral-tasting oil. It also helps the bread retain moisture and keeps it fresh longer.
Fresh cranberries: To make this bread all year round, you can freeze fresh cranberries when they are in season. Otherwise, you can use dried cranberries. Just remember that using dried cranberry will add sweetness to the bread.
Nuts: I used pecans, but you can substitute walnuts if pecans are not available, or skip them entirely.
Baking powder: Baking powder helps the bread rise. Do not replace it with baking soda, as they behave differently.
Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the taste of every baked good. Do not be afraid to use it.
Cinnamon powder, ginger powder, allspice, nutmeg: These spices are popular in fall and winter, and almost all pumpkin bread recipes carry them. I personally love them but feel free to skip some of them if not a fan. You can use pumpkin spice instead.
For the complete list of ingredients, please scroll to the bottom of the article for the recipe card.
Expert Tips For A Perfect Pumpkin Bread With Fresh Cranberries
This pumpkin bread is easy to make, even if you're not an experienced baker. Here are a few tips to help you get the best results.
- Gather your ingredients first. This is called mise en place. Measure everything before starting so you don't discover halfway through that you're missing an ingredient.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Turn it on before mixing the batter so it's ready when you are.
- Use two bowls. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in one bowl. In another, mix the eggs, oil, and pumpkin puree. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine.
- Make two loaves. This recipe makes two loaves, so you can enjoy one now and give the other away or freeze it for later.
- Check for doneness. Bake for 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, without wet batter. Let the loaves cool in their pans for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Freeze for up to three months. Wrap the cooled loaves in parchment paper and foil, or freeze individual slices with parchment paper between them. Label and date everything before freezing.
- Thaw and serve. Thaw the bread overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature. For a freshly baked feel, warm individual slices in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
How To Serve Pumpkin Bread
It is a sweet bread, so you can serve it warm in the morning, with a little bit of butter or cream cheese and a cup of coffee or tea. Or you can eat it by itself. It is absolutely delicious. If you have kids in school, they can take a slice in their lunch bag and have it as a snack or even as dessert during the day. Drizzle some honey over the bread and enjoy it for a pick-me-up snack at work.
More Pumpkin & Cranberry Recipes
- Easy Baked Pumpkin Mac And Cheese
- Cranberry Orange Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Bread With Walnuts And Raisins
- Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
- Sweet and Savory Cranberry Recipes
- Cranberry Custard Pie with Cream Cheese Crust
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 4 eggs
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- ½ cup vegetable oil like sunflower or canola oil
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries thawed
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 9x5-inches loaf pans.
- in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and pumpkin puree.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Gently fold in the cranberries and nuts.
- Spoon the batter into the pans and bake for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Cool for 5-10 minues before removing the breads from the pans.
- Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Instead of using cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice, you can use 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice if you already have it in the pantry.
- Instead of using walnuts, use pecans or chopped almonds.
Colleen says
Can you sub roasted pumpkin seeds for the walnuts?
Gabriela says
Yes, of course. That is actually a great idea.