Cranberry Pecan Quick Bread

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

Cranberry Pecan Quick Bread is a buttery pecan bread loaded with fresh cranberries for a sweet and tart bread that’s great for breakfast or as a snack.
A top view of a plate with slices of cranberry pecan bread and dollops of whipped cream with cranberries on them.
How many of you use olive oil on a daily basis?  I do!  When I was younger I used a lot of butter in my cooking but the older I’ve gotten, the more I use olive oil in both my cooking and baking.  I didn’t know any better when I was young but I do now!

While I use olive oil every day in my cooking I don’t get to use it quite as often in my baking.   So when I picked up a bag of cranberries at the store my first thought was cranberry pecan bread.   I was going to make it with butter then started wondering if I could use both butter and olive oil.

I chose to make a quick bread with cranberries and pecans because I thought the butter would add a great flavor along with the sour cranberries and the crunch of the pecans.  Then the olive oil would keep the loaves from drying out.

A platter with three mini cranberry pecan loaves on it.

Ingredients:

  • flour
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • butter
  • olive oil
  • sugar
  • brown sugar
  • eggs
  • vanilla
  • fresh cranberries
  • pecans
 Moist and delicious Cranberry Pecan Bread made with olive oil
The Cranberry Pecan bread came out perfectly.  It was rich, buttery, and delicious.  The bread was moist from the olive oil and was full of flavor from the cranberries and pecans.  With the pans I used it made three mini loaves which are perfect for gift giving at this time of year.
If you want to make these for gifts you can put them in decorative bags and tie them with pretty ribbons.   Gift with a jar of jam or a bottle of honey.

Do I have to use both the olive oil and the butter?

No you do not have to although I think each adds something to the bread.  If you only have butter or olive oil you can use 1 cup of either instead of half a cup of both.

I can’t find fresh cranberries.  What else can I use?

Ideally fresh is the best.  However, if you can’t find them you can use frozen cranberries that you’d defrosted ahead of time.  While using dried cranberries will give you some of the flavor the moisture content will be off and it won’t be as tart so I would steer clear from them.

Can I make this is a regular sized loaf pan?

Yes!  Follow the directions as they are written and pour into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan.   Instead of baking for 25-35 minutes you’ll need to bake it for 50-60 minutes.  Make sure you put a toothpick in the center to check for doneness.

I want to gift these for the holidays.   How should I package them?

Depending on when you are gifting them there are two different ways to package them.  If you are gifting within 3 days of making the bread simply put it in pretty cellophane or a cellophane bag and tie ribbon around it.  If you are gifting it 4-6 days after making it I recommend putting them in a tin or air tight container to preserve the freshness.

Pin Image: A plate with slices of pecan cranberry bread and two forks on it, text, a cutting board with a cup of flour, a bowl of cranberries, a bowl of pecans, a cup of sugar, a cup of brown sugar, 2 eggs, and olive oil on it.

These loaves made an awesome breakfast on the go whenever I was running late to work but they were also delicious at home as a snack.   Honey butter, orange jam, or pecan butter are three tasty toppings to put on your quick bread.

More Cranberry Recipes:

A plate with slices of pecan cranberry bread and two forks on it.
A top view of a plate with slices of cranberry pecan bread and dollops of whipped cream with cranberries on them.

Cranberry Pecan Quick Bread

Yield: serves 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Buttery pecan bread loaded with fresh cranberries for a sweet and tart bread that's great for breakfast or as a snack.

Ingredients

  • 1 ⅓ c. flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • 1/2 c. butter, softened
  • ½ c. sugar
  • ¼ c. brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¾ c. fresh cranberries
  • ½ c. pecans, chopped

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 3 or 4 mini loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.
    2. In a medium bowl combine the flour,
      baking powder, and salt.  Mix and set aside.
    3. In a large bowl combine the olive oil, butter, sugar, and brown sugar.  Mix well. 
    4. Add in the eggs and stir until combined.  Stir in the vanilla.
    5. Add the flour mixture to the olive oil mixture and stir until just blended. 
    6. Gently fold in the cranberries and pecans.
    7. Divide the batter evenly between 3 or 4 mini loaf pans.  (I used 3 with larger paper loaf pans but 7 in my mini loaf pan.
    8. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
    9. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  Slice and enjoy.

Notes

A Hezzi-D original recipe

   A plate with slices of pecan cranberry bread wit dollops of whipped cream and a green vase behind it.

More Cranberry Recipes:

9 Comments

  1. Perfect holiday flavors! I like to add half slices of sweet breads to a muffin basket for a nice dinner! I have been cooking and baking some with high oleic sunflower oil lately.

  2. I have all of the ingredients for these delicious quickbreads, making them and bringing them to my neighbor this week.

  3. I love this bread as a morning snack! Such a delicious mix of sweetness and tartness for a yummy bread to grab right before work!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *