Healthy Cranberry Orange Banana Bread

 
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

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 1 loaf, 12 slices

This delicious banana bread is perfect for the fall! It’s supremely moist and tender, packed with bright fruit flavors, and simple to make. I love enjoying it for breakfasts and snacks… Or even a little pre-bedtime treat! Leftovers will keep for at least five days (if not longer!) if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly sealed in plastic wrap. (This is my favorite plastic wrap. It clings much better than other brands, which keeps my baked treats tasting fresh much longer!)

4.84 from 6 votes

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Ingredients 

• 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!)

Instructions

• 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.

Notes

For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: 1 ¼ cups (150g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 2 teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.

 

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}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

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!