Cranberry Praline Bread

Moist, sweet-tangy, buttery, nutty, and with a praline topping that brings this Cranberry Bread over the top – guaranteed deliciousness in every bite! I have served this many times and it’s always so loved!

So, I still had some fresh cranberries left-over from the holiday season that’s begging to be used. I didn’t fancy making cookies nor cooking extra cranberry sauce.

Then an idea struck me when I saw my Apple Praline Bread. Why not try the same recipe for Apples but use Cranberry instead?

I know I had to make some adjustments as the cranberries are tart and not as sweet as the apples but with some minor tweaking the result was a truly moist and scrumptious bread, I dare say, as good as the Apple version!

From now on this is how I will be making Cranberry Bread! Why haven’t I thought of this earlier when there were more Cranberries. Oh well, better late than never!

Since cranberries are sharper in flavor (tangy and tart) compared to the sweet apples, I had to add a little more sugar to the recipe. You still have a good contrast between the sweet and tart so it’s not overly sweet at all.

In fact the addition of cranberries gave it that extra tang which made the bread so delicious. I wasn’t sure if sour cream on its own would be enough to moisten the bread so initially, I added a little oil to the batter – it came out really moist and flavorful.

The next time, I omitted the oil and just used sour cream – it still came out well, moist, and not dry at all. So feel free to add or omit the oil as you please.

With regard to the praline topping – you can use the maximum amount (1/2 cup each of butter and sugar – see photo above) and the bread still won’t be overly sweet – at least for me, but if you want a lower fat version – opt for the 1/4 cup – it will still be good, just a little less sweet.

This bread is so versatile that way and that’s why I love it! Enjoy, if you still have some left-over cranberries!

 Moist, sweet-tangy, buttery, nutty and with a praline topping that bring this Cranberry Bread over the top – guaranteed deliciousness in every bite! I have served this many times and it's always so loved!!

 

FOR FULL RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS and to PRINT, SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW.

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS FOR Cranberry Praline Bread

  • Flour
  • Baking Soda
  • Baking Powder
  • Ground Cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Sour Cream
  • Brown sugar, firmly packed
  • White sugar
  • Eggs, room temperature
  • Butter or Vegetable Oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Fresh or frozen Cranberries, coarsely chopped – If you wish to use dried cranberries, make sure to rehydrate them first in water so they don’t dry up the bread.
  • Nuts (walnut or pecan or a combo), divided

HOW TO MAKE Cranberry Praline Bread

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or butter a  9x5x3-inch loaf pan (preferably a light-colored one). Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the chopped cranberries. (You can also fold the cranberries with the pecans later).

Beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well blended.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture stirring as you go until everything is mixed through.

Fold in half the nuts into the batter. Reserve the other half as topping.

Transfer the batter into the greased loaf pan.

Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If it’s browning a little too much on the top, cover with a tent foil and continue to bake until fully cooked. Mine is perfect at exactly 50 minutes.

Cool in the loaf pan for about 10-15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the praline sauce:

In a small saucepan,  place the butter and brown sugar and melt using medium heat.  Cook until it starts to bubble and the sugar and butter have completely mixed together.  Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool completely. You can also opt to let the bread completely cool first and then drizzle the buttery topping afterward.

NOTES: If you wish to use dried cranberries, make sure to rehydrate them first in water so they don’t dry up the bread.

 Moist, sweet-tangy, buttery, nutty and with a praline topping that bring this Cranberry Bread over the top – guaranteed deliciousness in every bite! I have served this many times and it's always so loved!!

Below is the version with the pecans added after baking and not before it.

Moist, sweet-tangy, buttery, nutty - hints of deliciousness in every bite PROMISE

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Cranberry Praline Bread

Manila Spoon
Moist, sweet-tangy, buttery, nutty, and with a praline topping that brings this Cranberry Bread over the top – guaranteed deliciousness in every bite! I have served this many times and it’s always so loved!
4.50 from 10 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 10 slices

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup melted unsalted Butter or 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup nuts walnut or pecan or a combo, divided

For the praline sauce:

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or butter a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan (preferably a light-colored one). Set aside.
  • Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the chopped cranberries. (You can also fold the cranberries with the pecans later).
  • Beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well blended.
  • Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture stirring as you go until everything is mixed through.
  • Fold in half the nuts into the batter. Reserve the other half as topping.
  • Transfer the batter into the greased loaf pan.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If it’s browning a little too much on the top, cover with a tent foil and continue to bake until fully cooked. Mine is perfect at exactly 50 minutes.
  • Cool in the loaf pan for about 10-15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the praline sauce

  • In a small saucepan, place the butter and brown sugar and melt using medium heat. Cook until it starts to bubble and the sugar and butter have completely mixed together. Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool completely. You can also opt to let the bread completely cool first and then drizzle the buttery topping afterward.

Notes

TIPS & TRICKS
 
If you wish to use dried cranberries, make sure to rehydrate them first in water so they don’t dry up the bread.
Keyword cranberry praline bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Last updated on December 11th, 2023 at 11:09 pm

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43 Comments

  1. January 19, 2014 / 7:17 pm

    Oh wow, Abby! This looks amazing and so delicious.

    • January 20, 2014 / 7:39 pm

      Thanks, Cindy! It really is. It was my breakfast this morning. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

      • Christine
        January 2, 2021 / 11:53 am

        Can this be frozen?

        • abigail
          Author
          January 4, 2021 / 6:28 pm

          Yes, but I would probably just add the praline topping after it’s been thawed and when I’m ready to serve it.

    • February 3, 2014 / 2:22 pm

      Thank you so much Marie. Coming from you, it's a huge compliment. Glad you stopped by.

  2. November 11, 2014 / 3:28 pm

    What a gorgeous loaf of bread, Abby. I seriously can't wait to try this. It's pinned so I can't lose the recipe. Wow!

    • November 12, 2014 / 1:06 am

      Thank you so much, Lorinda. Appreciate it much and hope you enjoy it.

  3. December 6, 2015 / 8:41 pm

    This looks so good! Nice and festive, and I can only imagine how yummy it is. Well, that is until I make it, which needs to be soon!! yum

  4. December 6, 2015 / 11:00 pm

    Cranberries and pralines are two of my favorite flavors! I can't wait to try this bread.

  5. December 6, 2015 / 11:56 pm

    Oh yum this would be a great holiday gift for neighbors.

  6. December 7, 2015 / 3:57 am

    Perfect festive loaf for the holidays, I just love this!! Wish I had a slice!!

  7. December 7, 2015 / 4:51 am

    This cake looks so moist and delicious!

  8. December 7, 2015 / 6:57 am

    It so happens I DO have fresh cranberries that need using at the moment! This looks like a fantastic way to use them up! I love breads like this. That Praline topping is 'to die for'!

  9. December 7, 2015 / 1:58 pm

    I love fresh cranberries and their tart taste, especially when used for baking. This cranberry praline bread looks absolutely delicious! Wish I could get some fresh cranberry now to try this.

  10. December 7, 2015 / 2:30 pm

    I love the sound of the tart cranberries against that dreamy praline topping!

  11. December 7, 2015 / 3:58 pm

    Your cake looks so easy to make and that topping is totally "crave worthy". Drooling!

  12. December 7, 2015 / 7:11 pm

    Good gracious this bread looks just scrumptious! Love the caramel topping!

  13. December 7, 2015 / 8:38 pm

    This bread looks so festive and delicious!

  14. December 8, 2015 / 2:40 am

    What a gorgeous loaf of bread! I love cranberries for the holiday season 🙂

  15. November 5, 2018 / 9:41 pm

    I would like it but I cannot share so I have it

    • abigail
      Author
      November 8, 2018 / 5:00 pm

      It’s big enough to share but I will understand if you don’t wish to as it’s so good!! 🙂

  16. Wendy Genaros
    November 7, 2018 / 10:24 pm

    Can you use apple sauce in place of the oil or butter? Thank-you

    • abigail
      Author
      November 8, 2018 / 4:59 pm

      I haven’t tried it with this bread (though I have used applesauce for other baked recipes) so I cannot say for sure. Please let us know if you try it. Thanks!

  17. Karen
    December 11, 2018 / 8:09 pm

    How well would this freeze for Christmas? Looks so good!

    • abigail
      Author
      December 13, 2018 / 9:06 am

      I haven’t frozen it as it’s always eaten well. But it should freeze just like ordinary bread.You may wish to pre-slice it for easier handling.

  18. Kathy Hancock
    October 12, 2019 / 1:47 pm

    Can this be made gluten-free?

    • abigail
      Author
      October 12, 2019 / 9:28 pm

      I haven’t tried it gluten-free but you can certainly try it with a gluten-free mix. Let us know if you do. Thanks!

  19. Janice
    December 17, 2019 / 11:25 am

    Can you use craisins instead of fresh cranberries? Would I use the same 1 1/3 c.? Also less sugar?

    • abigail
      Author
      January 29, 2020 / 3:11 am

      Fresh is better but you can use craisins if you like. You can adjust the sugar to your taste. Perhaps slightly less because you’re not using tart fresh berries. Also, make sure to rehydrate the dried cranberries/craisins first before using.

  20. Dawn
    December 24, 2020 / 2:02 pm

    This bread is DELICIOUS!!!! Thanks for the recipe

    • abigail
      Author
      December 24, 2020 / 2:08 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this! This is one of our holiday favorites for sure. Thanks for kindly giving us feedback. Merry Christmas!

  21. Cindy Mendiola
    January 14, 2021 / 9:49 pm

    I’m sorry, but on video I saw brown sugar in cake mix only. Do you also put
    regular sugar in mix, like recipe reads.

    • abigail
      Author
      January 14, 2021 / 10:03 pm

      Cindy, I just looked at the video on FB and if you notice – they contain both white and brown sugar in one bowl. Perhaps you just missed it. But it doesn’t matter – you can use just brown or just white or a combo. I just didn’t want the bread to be too dark if it’s pure brown sugar so I made a combo and the video clearly shows that (see the video frame after the sour cream). Thanks for stopping by.

  22. Frances Stoughton
    September 21, 2021 / 8:23 am

    Could dried cranberries be used instead of fresh.

    • abigail
      Author
      September 21, 2021 / 1:04 pm

      If you wish to use dried cranberries, make sure to rehydrate them first in water so they don’t dry up the bread.

  23. Marilyn Boger
    September 21, 2021 / 7:06 pm

    Could you use blueberries?

    • abigail
      Author
      September 22, 2021 / 8:40 pm

      I haven’t tried this with blueberries so I cannot say for sure. If you are looking to try a different fruity version – I would suggest either using apples or canned pineapple. I have both recipes in the blog and they work quite well, too. But if you try it with blueberries and it works – do let us know, I’d love to hear from you!

  24. Joyce F Butler
    November 7, 2023 / 2:29 pm

    could you make the bread in mini loaf pans I made this bread before and it’s delicious

    • abigail
      Author
      November 7, 2023 / 2:42 pm

      Yay! So glad you enjoyed this! Of course you can do it in mini loaf pans – the key is to adjust the bake time, reducing it by around 25%, more or less – again depending on the size of your loaf pans and how much you put in. Color and depth go into the final amount of time that should be reduced. Check with a tester inserted in center. Simply divide the praline topping between the mini loaves. Enjoy!

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