Healthy Cranberry Bread
This quick bread is an irresistible combination of bright tangy cranberries and cozy, comforting flavors! It’s really soft and moist, and it tastes even better on the second and third day. Don’t rush the final chilling step – it makes a huge difference in this cranberry bread’s flavor!Leftovers will keep for at least 5 days (if not longer!) if stored in the refrigerator tightly sealed inside of plastic wrap or inside of an airtight container. Individual slices freeze and thaw really well too!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (300g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 ½ tsp almond extract
- 2 tsp liquid stevia
- 3 tbsp (36g) confectioners' style erythritol
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp (210mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 1 ½ cups (150g) whole fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9x5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil and egg whites. Whisk in the almond extract and stevia. Whisk in the erythritol. Stir in the Greek yogurt, making sure no lumps remain. Stir in 6 tablespoons of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For the best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) 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 pushup 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 cranberry bread for an additional 25-35 minutes(for a total of 60-70 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 transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once at room temperature, tightly seal the loaf inside of plastic wrap and refrigerate. For the best flavor, chill for at least 24 hours before slicing and serving. (See Notes!)
Notes
IMPORTANT – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s SO important to chill this quick bread for 24 hours, so please plan ahead! It makes a huge difference in the overall flavor, as well as the cranberries’ texture. I’ve covered this in more detail in my blog post above and the “Chilling for 24 Hours” note below, but it’s so important that I’m adding a note for you here too. I promise this cranberry bread is worth the wait!
Do not use a stand or hand-held mixer to make the batter. To ensure the best possible texture, use a whisk where explicitly instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE: 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 cranberry bread dry.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
NUTMEG + GINGER NOTE: If you cut into this loaf on the same day it was baked, then there will be fairly prominent nutmeg and ginger flavors. However, if you chill it for 24 hours as instructed, the spices’ flavor mellows and melds into a more subtle background richness and coziness.
If you’re not a huge spice fan, then decrease both of these to ¼ teaspoon instead.
TO USE WHOLE EGGS: You must use all 3 egg whites. Without all 3 egg whites, your loaf will collapse some while cooling. If you prefer to use whole eggs, then use 3 whole eggs and reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.
ALMOND EXTRACT ALTERNATIVE: Vanilla extract may be substituted for the almond extract, if you prefer. Your cranberry bread won’t taste quite as sweet, but it’ll still taste delicious!
STEVIA NOTE + ALTERNATIVES: I do not recommend substituting for the liquid stevia, if at all possible. I buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!
For a sweeter flavor, increase the liquid stevia by ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
However, if you prefer, you may substitute ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (210mL) of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave for the liquid stevia AND omit the milk. Alternatively, substitute ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (168g) of coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar for the liquid stevia AND decrease the milk to 7 tablespoons (105mL). The baking time may vary slightly with any of these options.
ERYTHRITOL ALTERNATIVES: Coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar may be substituted for the erythritol. Granulated sucralose will also work, as a no-calorie option.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
FRESH CRANBERRY ALTERNATIVE: Frozen and thawed cranberries may be substituted for the fresh.
DRIED CRANBERRIES OPTION: 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 the lid or a plate on top!), and microwave the bowl on high for 1 minute. Let the cranberries sit while mixing together the batter, then thoroughly drain just before folding them in. This trick hydrates them so they’re soft and plump!
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: 1 ¼ cups (150g) millet flour, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 2 teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like Bob’s Red Mill!) will also work, if measured like this.
IMPORTANT FOIL NOTE: 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. (It also creates a beautiful evenly domed top without any major cracks!) 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!).
CHILLING FOR 24 HOURS: Yes, this is a long time to wait before slicing into your loaf. However, it makes a huge difference in the flavors and textures! The spices meld, turn mellower, and have a much cozier background taste. The cranberries also soften, turn almost juicy, and lose some of their tartness. (I wouldn’t go as far as to call them sweet… But they’re much less tart!) Personally, I think this cranberry bread tastes better the longer it chills, even past the initial 24 hours. Day 3 tasted even better than Day 2 to my taste testers and me! I wrap it in Stretch-Tite (← I've found it clings and seals tighter than other brands!) before storing in the refrigerator.
FREEZING TIP: Cut the loaf into individual slices prior to freezing to make it easier (and faster!) to thaw.
TO MAKE MINI LOAVES: Divide the batter between 3 mini loaf pans (about 5 ¾” x 3” in size – I use these!). Cover the top of each with foil, just like as instructed with the 9x5” loaf pan. Bake covered at 350°F for 25 minutes. Quickly and carefully remove the foil. Continue baking uncovered at 350°F for an additional 25-30 minutes (for a total of 50-55 minutes) or until the tops feel firm to the touch and look 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 transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once at room temperature, follow Step 4 of the Instructions above.
{gluten free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar, sugar free}
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.