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 in the season 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 would choose for 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 they 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. If you are more ambitious, you can make your own pumpkin puree from the pumpkins you like. Thye bring flavor and moisture to the bread.
Vegetable oil: I used sunflower oil. 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 are different.
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
While this recipe doesn't raise any difficulties, as you need two bowls, ingredients, and an oven, there are some things to remember, especially if you are not a baker.
- Mis en place. This is a French term for "gathering" or "putting in place," which is used in professional kitchens but can also be applied at home. Gather all the ingredients and make sure you have everything you need for the recipe. Nothing is more annoying than wanting to make a delicious dessert and discovering that there are no eggs, not enough flour, or whatever you need to prepare the recipe.
- Preheat the oven. When you have everything on the table, preheat the oven to 350F. Always make sure that your oven is warming up while working on the recipe. If you are not an experienced baker or have never baked before, this is one piece of advice you really need to follow. When you finish the recipe, your oven will be ready for use.
- Use just two bowls. The dry ingredients, such as flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices, go in one large bowl. In the other bowl, you mix the eggs, oil, and pumpkin puree and pour this mixture over the dry ingredients. How easy is that?
- You get two loaves of bread from one batter. This recipe makes two beautiful loaves of pumpkin bread with fresh cranberries. You can gift one loaf or freeze it for later.
- Know when to remove the loaves from the oven. Bake the loaves in the oven for about 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean. If they are sticky and have batter on them, bake some more. Remove the pans from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then, remove the bread from the pan and place it on a metal rack to cool completely.
- Freeze it. It should taste good for up to three months in the freezer when wrapped in foil. I usually wrap my breads in parchment paper, then foil and freeze them like that. Freeze the whole bread or individual slices. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap or place parchment paper between slices to prevent sticking. Always label and date, so you know exactly how old the bread is.
- How to Thaw the Bread. You can thaw the bread at room temperature on the counter or in the fridge overnight. To bring it back to life, heat it slightly 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.
- 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 into dry ingredients.
- Gently, fold in cranberries and nuts.
- Grease two 9x5-in.loaf pans.
- 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 pumpkin 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.