Cranberry Banana Bread

While cranberries might not be the first ingredient you think of when you think of banana bread, it's a really incredible combination! The sweetness of banana bread is balanced by the tart cranberries, and it all comes together thanks to a simple sweet glaze.

It's an easy recipe to make with only one surprise ingredient: sour cream! If you've never tried adding sour cream to banana bread before, you're in for a treat. It makes it super tender and moist.

The glaze does make it taste more like a dessert so feel free to skip it for a less sweet version. Glaze or no glaze, we like to enjoy it warm with a generous smear of butter (try our homemade butter!) and an afternoon tea.

With bright red cranberries, it's a festive treat that travels well so it's great for holiday dinner parties and potlucks.

Banana cranberry bread ingredients

With just a few basic ingredients and a loaf pan, you can make this recipe at home, too! Here's what you'll need for the cranberry banana bread:

• Flour – regular all-purpose flour is what we use.
• Sugar – granulated sugar sweetens up this banana bread.
• Baking soda, sea salt, and vanilla extract – make the bread rise and gives it flavor.
• Ripe bananas – save the extra spotty ones! They give this banana bread its distinctly sweet banana flavor.
• Eggs – we use large eggs that are at room temperature.
• Butter – we love using butter in banana bread, it adds lots of richness and moisture.
• Sour cream – sour cream is our secret ingredient, making the loaf tender and moist.
• Cranberries – we use fresh cranberries because we love the tart taste. If you don't love the tartness, you can use dried cranberries instead.

Then, all you need for the simple two-ingredient glaze is powdered sugar and water.

How to make cranberry banana bread

Cranberry banana bread is super delicious and festive, too! Here's how we make it in a few easy steps:

1. While your oven preheats, butter a loaf pan and set it aside. Mix together all the dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, mash bananas with a fork, and stir in the eggs, melted butter, sour cream, and vanilla.
3. Now you know the drill. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, and gently fold them together until only a few streaks of flour remain. Then add the cranberries, being careful not to over-mix the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, top it with a few more cranberries, and pop it in the oven. You'll know it's ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. When it's cooled completely, mix the powdered sugar and water together and drizzle it over top, slice it, and serve!

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

Delicious cranberry banana bread add-ins

This cranberry banana bread is delicious on its own, but here are a few ideas for tasty add-ins:

• Chopped nuts or seeds – toasted and chopped walnuts or pecans add delicious crunch. For a pop of green color, a few pumpkin seeds or pistachios sprinkled on top add a nice festive touch.
• Chocolate chips – white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks add creamy chocolate flavor.
• Lemon glaze – lemons and cranberries are a perfect pair. To give your loaf a lemon glaze, use fresh lemon juice instead of water.

FAQS

When to serve cranberry banana bread

We consider banana bread to be one of those any-time-of-day treats. We love it in the morning with a cup of coffee, as a mid-day snack with tea, or in the evening to satisfy our sweet tooth.

Since cranberries are a hallmark of the holidays, it's a festive dessert to bring to holiday dinner parties and Christmas celebrations. It's easy to transport and any uneaten loaf will stay fresh for a few days.