Crazy Good Cranberry Bread Recipe | Julie Blanner (2024)

FAQs

Can you use Craisins instead of cranberries? ›

Yes, Craisins® Sweetened Dried Cranberries work well in baked goods; however, there is a 1/4 cup (60 mL) difference in measurement. If a recipe calls for one cup of fresh cranberries you should use 3/4 cup (175 mL) of Craisins®.

You'll probably want to use about 1 cup of fresh cranberries for every 1/2 cup of dried cranberries called for in the recipe. You can also look for recipes calling for fresh blueberries and use cranberries instead. Since they're similar in size, fresh blueberries and cranberries can be substituted one-for-one.

Yes! Fresh cranberries freeze for up to a year and can often be substituted in recipes that call for fresh cranberries. When cooking with frozen cranberries, do not thaw before using.

Bake until the loaves are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean, about 1¼ hours. Cool thoroughly, and serve. (Store leftover cranberry-orange bread wrapped in foil or plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)

Dried cranberries may be marketed as craisins due to the similarity in appearance with raisins, although the word "Craisin" is a registered trademark of Ocean Spray. Craisins were introduced as part of a packaged cereal produced by Ralston Purina in 1989.

Raw cranberries (fresh or frozen) are high in nutritional value and fiber while being low in carbohydrates and calories. Dried cranberries (often known as "Craisins," a brand name), however, can be quite different. Since cranberries are so tart, most dried versions have added sugar.

When baking biscuits, it's enough simply to stir the cranberries through. However, if you're planning on using these beautiful red fruits in larger baked goods - like cakes, breads or muffins - you may wish to coat them in a little flour before adding them to your mixture and stirring through.

Freezing the berries helps in breaking down the cell structure promoting faster drying. Put the berries on a mesh sheet in the dehydrator and dry for 10 to 16 hours, depending on the make of the dehydrator, until chewy and with no pockets of moisture.

Do you need to cook fresh cranberries before baking? While cranberries should not be eaten as is (they are unpleasantly tart), they do not need to be cooked before they are used in baked goods.

Rehydrate the fruits: Dried fruits can be quite hard and dry, so it's often a good idea to rehydrate them before adding them to your baked goods. To do this, simply soak the dried fruits in warm water or fruit juice for 15-20 minutes until they are plump and tender.

Should I thaw frozen cranberries before baking? ›

To prepare cranberries for cooking, sort the berries to remove any soft berries and stems. Rinse in cold water and drain well. It is not necessary to thaw frozen berries before use.

No Need to Thaw Your Cranberries: You don't need to thaw frozen berries before using in a recipe—just give them a quick water bath.

If your cranberry bread is crumbly, it could be because there isn't enough fat or eggs in the batter, or the bread was overbaked. If the recipe you're using provides gram measurements (like mine), then I would highly recommend using them for the most accurate results.

Too much flour will make this bread crumbly and dry — how you measure the flour matters a lot in it turning out moist. To measure flour for this recipe, spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level it off with the back of a table knife.

The most common reason why your quick bread sinks in the middle is you added too much wet to dry ingredients. Your wet dough or batter contains too much liquid and didn't cook properly due to its water content.

There's not a direct substitute for fresh cranberries, but you could make a relish or chutney using a combination of fresh cherries and pomegranates, as well as a small amount of dried cranberries or dried figs. The flavor will be more sweet than tart, but it serves the same purpose.

Craisins are made from fresh cranberries, but most big brands also add sugar or, if you're buying reduced sugar craisins, you'll also see sugar substitutes like sucralose on the label.

That's because, says Kriebel, Craisins are actually dried cranberries with sugar added to make them sweet. Raisins are just dried grapes, with no added sweeteners. Craisins are a dried cranberry brand created by Ocean Spray, known for growing cranberries.

Red currants are the closest substitute for cranberries if you can't find cranberries in any form. They have a similar tart flavor and work well as a 1:1 substitute in most recipes. Food.com has a recipe for red currant sauce if you can't make cranberry sauce.