For almost as long as I can remember, my family has made my great-grandmother’s special cranberry salad recipe for Thanksgiving. As part of the tradition, we gathered in the kitchen the night before, and each person helped with one step of the process: chopping fresh cranberries, dicing pecans, peeling an orange, pouring in sugar, whipping up raspberry Jell-O, and preparing the decorative mold.
Yet the next day, no matter how hard we tried, the cranberry salad rarely slid out of that metal mold in one piece. We coated it with cooking spray ahead of time, ran it under hot water, used different amounts of gelatin… But by the time I graduated from college, you could count the number of perfectly molded Thanksgiving cranberry salads on one hand.
At least it always tasted good!
Eventually, for some reason many of us can’t recall, we decided to skip the Jell-O and metal mold, and we just tossed the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl on Wednesday evening. At our feast, we transferred our new version (more of a relish than a “traditional” cranberry sauce or salad!) into a nice serving dish, and…
Everyone loved it! The fresh cranberry flavor truly shone, the slightly crisp texture paired perfectly with the moist turkey, and it was so much easier to make.
We’ve made that updated version almost every year since!
However…
Out of habit, we still usually end up buying enough ingredients to make my great-grandmother’s original recipe… Which could easily serve a small army.
As a result, we often end up with lots of extra cranberries and oranges sitting in the fridge many days later, long after the Thanksgiving feast leftovers disappear. So this year, I thought ahead…
And I’m planning on baking this Healthy Cranberry Orange Banana Bread with the leftover fruit! It’s simple to make, and it’s the perfect use for the overly ripe bananas often sitting on my counter too. 😉
This healthy breakfast quick bread is supremely moist, and it’s bursting with so much fruit flavor! Naturally sweet banana, bright sunshiny orange, and a lovely zing from the tangy cranberries. Bonus: each slice is 114 calories!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CRANBERRY ORANGE BANANA BREAD
Let’s go over how to make this healthy cranberry orange banana bread! You’ll start with some dry ingredients: white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda (yes, you need both — more on that in a moment!), and salt.
In case you haven’t heard of it before… White whole wheat flour has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour (like extra fiber and micronutrients!). It also has a lighter taste and texture that’s similar to all-purpose flour. This is because it comes from white wheat, which is softer and lighter in flavor compared to red wheat, which is what regular whole wheat flour is made from. White whole wheat flour is definitely one of my pantry staples!
Then you’ll whisk orange zest into that mixture! The citrus flavor is much more concentrated in the orange’s peel than in its juice, so this is actually what provides the majority of the orange flavor! However, because the citrus flavor can easily overpower the banana flavor, you’ll only use a small amount. (Unless, of course, you’d rather not taste the banana… Then use as much zest as you’d like! 😉 )
Instead of ample amounts of oil or melted butter in traditional recipes, you merely need ½ tablespoon in this one. That really helps keep your healthy cranberry orange banana bread low calorie and low fat! Then I bet you can guess how this loaf gets the rest of its moist and tender texture…
If you said bananas and Greek yogurt, you’re right! I love baking with Greek yogurt because it adds the same moisture to your batter as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your baked treats a protein boost too. Win-win!
The banana plays 3 roles in this healthy cranberry orange banana bread! {a} Fruit flavor (obvious, I’m sure!), {b} moisture (we just covered that!), and {c} natural sweetness. Because of this last role, you want to use the ripest bananas that you have. The ones that look more brown than yellow — or, even better, pure black! — are perfect. This is because extremely ripe bananas have more natural sweetness than the pure yellow ones, so you won’t need to stir in much additional sweetener.
Hint: I used this liquid stevia as the teensy bit of additional sweetener! It’s plant-based, no-calorie, and clean eating friendly. You can use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!
Remember how I said you needed both baking powder and baking soda? It’s because you’ll stir a small amount of vinegar into the batter. The vinegar (an acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base). When they react, they create air bubbles! Those air bubbles help your healthy cranberry orange banana bread rise, and they also give it a more tender texture. By the time your breakfast loaf finishes baking, you won’t be able to taste either one — I promise!
One last ingredient… The fresh cranberries! I always prefer using fresh cranberries when they’re in season. They’re deliciously bright and tart! I blitz them in my food processor instead of chopping them by hand. Super easy!
Before you slide your loaf pan into the oven, remember to cover the top with foil! I try to “bump” up the foil in the center so the batter has room to rise without touching the foil. (You can see how I do that in my video above the recipe here!)
This foil “tent” helps your healthy cranberry orange banana bread bake more evenly. The center of the loaf doesn’t crack nearly as much (if at all!) compared to when you don’t use the foil tent, and it also prevents the top from burning. You’ll remove it partway through baking, just to make sure the top turns a lovely golden color!
Then once your healthy cranberry orange banana bread finishes baking… and fully cools to room temperature…
Cut yourself a slice (or two!) and enjoy! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 😊) I’d love to see your healthy cranberry orange banana bread!
| Healthy Cranberry Orange Banana Bread | | Print |
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp orange zest (about 1 medium; see Notes!)
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp liquid stevia
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup (260g) mashed banana (about 2 medium; see Notes!)
- 2 tbsp (30mL) plain white vinegar
- 6 tbsp (90mL) orange juice (about 2 medium; see Notes!)
- 1 ½ cups (150g) fresh whole cranberries, diced (see Notes!)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the orange zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the mashed banana. Stir in the vinegar. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and orange juice, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in the cranberries.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Cover the top with foil, crimping the edges around the pan’s rim to seal, and try to push up the foil in the center to ensure it doesn’t touch the batter while baking. Bake covered at 350°F for 35 minutes. Acting very quickly, remove the pan from the oven, and carefully remove the foil. Immediately put the pan back in the oven, and continue baking the banana bread for an additional 33-38 minutes (for a total of 68-73 minutes) or until the top feels firm to the touch and looks golden or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully lifting out and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, top with the chocolate drizzle, if using.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
Remember to measure the flour with this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much will make your banana bread dry.
I do not recommend substituting for the liquid stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too! I buy it online here because that's the best price I've found.) However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the banana bread, substitute 6 tablespoons (72g) of coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar and reduce the orange juice to 3 tablespoons (45mL). Alternatively, substitute 6 tablespoons (90mL) of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave and omit the orange juice. The baking time may vary with any of these substitutions.
For best results, use the ripest, darkest, most spottiest bananas you can find! The ones that are purely brown or with more brown color than yellow are ideal. They have a stronger and sweeter banana flavor than pure yellow bananas. Measure the bananas by cups or grams. Not all “medium” bananas are the same size!
The mashed banana and Greek yogurt combined need to measure 1 ¼ cups. If you have slightly more than 1 cup mashed banana, then reduce the Greek yogurt by the same amount, and vice versa.
The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the banana bread rise and create a more tender texture. Don’t skip it! (And I promise you can’t taste it!)
Measure the orange zest and orange juice with measuring spoons! Do not measure by “medium” oranges. Not all “medium” oranges are the same size! This is especially important for the zest. Too much zest will overpower the banana, and you won’t be able to taste the banana flavor.
To quickly dice fresh cranberries, pop them in a food processor and pulse a few times! Frozen and thawed cranberries may also be substituted.
If you prefer using dried cranberries… Add ¾ cup of dried cranberries to a microwave-safe bowl, and pour water on top until they’re completely covered. Seal plastic wrap over the top (or place a plate on top!), and microwave the bowl on high for 1 minute. If you let the cranberries sit while mixing together the batter, this little trick hydrates them so they’re soft and plump!
You must cover the batter with foil during the first stage of baking. This allows the center to cook through without the top turning overly brown or burnt. Work very quickly when removing the foil! If you leave the pan out of the oven for too long, the loaf will start to collapse, and it won’t recover to fully rise properly. You can see how I cover the pan with foil in my video here above the recipe (it's for a similar recipe!).
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins
♡ Healthy Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Scones
♡ Healthy Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
♡ Healthy Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread
♡ Healthy Cranberry Pecan Banana Bread
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy banana bread recipes!
Ohhhhh Jello “salads…” We had one as a staple from my Grandma at all Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings… She called it “ribbon salad” and the colors of the jello were dependent on the holiday… red and green for Chris and yellow and orange for Thanksgiving… There were two layers with a layer of a sickeningly sweet (canned) pineapple cream cheese filling in the middle… Even as a child, I could never stand the dish!! But it’s a find memory all the same. 🙂 Ours was much more simply made in a glass baking dish, so no worries about the mold! 😂
*red and green for CHRISTMAS *FOND memories 🙈
Two peas yet again!! 😉 Your grandma was so smart to use a glass baking dish, and those colors for each holiday sound so festive! The recipe we used had SO much of the other ingredients (cranberries, pecans, and orange zest) that the Jell-O mainly acted like a glue to bind everything together… So it was never sickeningly sweet, especially with an entire HUGE bag of fresh cranberries! Those are super tart! 😂
If I turned these into muffins how should I alter the cooking time??
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Becca! If you’d like to make 12 standard-sized muffins, then the baking temperature remains the same but the baking time will be much less. Start checking on them around 18 minutes. They may take a little more time to bake, but it’s always easier to bake them longer than salvage burned muffins! 😉 They’ll be done when the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe if you end up trying that! 🙂
Hi Amy, this recipe looks delicious! I would like to bake it for someone on a very low sodium diet, using sodium free baking powder. I read your explanation regarding the need for baking soda but could it still turn out nice without the baking soda (and salt)? Is there something I could replace it with? And would I then omit the vinegar? Thank you!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Diane! You’re so thoughtful to want to bake it for your low-sodium friend. 🙂 I really don’t recommend omitting the baking soda; this banana bread will turn out rather dense without it. However, you should be able to (a) reduce the baking soda to ½ teaspoon, (b) reduce the vinegar to 2 tablespoons, and (c) increase the orange juice to 7 tablespoons. The banana bread may be a bit denser, but it shouldn’t be too noticeable!
If you omit the salt + use sodium-free baking powder + use that alternative above, then there will be 70mg of sodium per slice (as opposed to 205mg in the original recipe). Will that reduce it enough? 🙂
I’d love to hear what you and your friend think of this banana bread if you try making it!
Dear Amy,
Your advice is so helpful – thank you so much! I am going to make it for the holidays, and I will definitely let you know how it turns out with the adjustments you suggest.
I greatly appreciate this blog, which allows those of us who strive to eat clean and have other health limitations access to such a wide array of healthy treats!
Best wishes!
HI, Amy, This is more of a question about an ingredient than a comment. I have not been trying cakes, quick breads etc that you have been posting lately due to the use of liquid stevia in the majority of them. I did buy the liquid vanilla creme stevia you used to use in your recipes and did not enjoy the flavor at all. Is this newer one less bitter do you think? I do not mind using granulated stevia in baking but not sure how to convert from the liquid in your recipes. But, that said, I do make your waffle all the time!! as well as scones, breakfast cookies, and muffins occasionally, so thank you so much for all of your awesome recipes. I look forward to your posts. 🙂
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Susan! I think this new liquid stevia is a less bitter than the previous one. It has a cleaner and purer sweet taste, if that makes sense! What’s the exact granulated stevia that you enjoy baking with? We may be able to adapt some of my recipes to use that! 🙂
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my other recipes, especially the waffles! That truly means the world to me that you make them so often. You just made my whole day — thank you for taking the time to let me know!! 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving, Amy! I am glad I made your day! 🙂 I have your waffles in my freezer at all times for Sunday mornings. Currently they are gingerbread waffles. Still need to do the chocolate ones. I like the banana waffles, too, because I often have a surplus to use up. Hmmm…maybe I do that on purpose.:)
I may order the liquid stevia you are currently using if you think it has a cleaner flavor. I don’t have anything special or expensive for granulated stevia. Supposed to measure cup for cup with sugar but for me it is way too sweet to use that much. I would say less than half the amount. I do have some Truvia packets I use if only a little is needed. Thank you so much for your nice reply and enjoy this delicious holiday with all the food traditions and remembering those we love when we make them.:)
Happy belated Thanksgiving Susan!! I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating with your loved ones! 🙂 And you just keep on making my days better and better… My heart is about to burst! I’m SO honored that you’ve made that many of my waffle recipes!!!
Is the stevia product that you have Stevia In The Raw Baker’s Bag? Or a store-brand equivalent? If so, the amount will vary from recipe to recipe, along with other modifications you may need to make, but you can definitely use that in this recipe! For this banana bread, you’d need 6 tablespoons to equal the amount of liquid stevia that I use. If you think that’s too sweet, then try 3-4 tablespoons instead! I think it should be fine to leave the amount of orange juice as is. I’d love to hear what you think of this banana bread if you give that a try!
I just made this orange cranberry bread and had my first piece. So tender and delicious! The cranberries are quite tart so next time I might add a pinch more sweetener br I like this recipe very much, thank you:)
I made your Buckeyes as well, love them!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this banana bread and the buckeyes Roberta! I truly appreciate you taking the time to let me know! 🙂 I completely understand about the cranberries being tart — I’d love to hear how you like the banana bread with additional sweetener too!
Would you be able to substitute almond flour or tapioca flour?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Jennifer! While I don’t recommend using either one as a single substitute for the white whole wheat flour, my recommended gluten-free flour blend in the Notes section (located directly underneath the Instructions!) does use tapioca flour, and you can use almond flour in place of the brown rice flour in my recommended gluten-free blend. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of this banana bread if you try making it!
Oh my! What a fantastic recipe. I made this yesterday and my whole family has been loving it. Thank you!