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Tender moist mini loaves of Cranberry Eggnog Bread, loaded with fresh cranberries and hints of nutmeg and cinnamon topped off with a scrumptious Eggnog Vanilla Bean glaze. It’s the perfect festive Holiday quick bread.

Hi Cranberry lovers! You’ve come to the right place today. I’ve got an amazing new “quick bread” recipe.  It’s a delicious festive Holiday bread that any red-blooded, or should I say bright ruby-red-blooded, cranberry-loving fiend would die for! 

It requires only a few simple ingredients, lots of fresh cranberries, and is topped off with a lip-smacking, finger-licking Vanilla Bean Eggnog Glaze.

These mini loaves have the perfect “crumb” and each bite is bursting with the sweet tangy flavor of those juicy orbs of delight…known as Cranberries! (I’m a huge Cranberry Fan! In case you couldn’t tell.)

I’m also a huge fan of a quick, easy breakfast bread that is super versatile, can be made ahead of time, frozen, served on Christmas morning, or given away as gifts to friends and neighbors. (Whew that was a mouthful to say! Especially when I’m munching on a slice of this yummy bread!)  You can make mini loaves like I have, one large loaf, or even muffins! So many choices. Isn’t it wonderful? 

Let’s get baking! 

How To Make Cranberry Eggnog Breakfast Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of 4 mini loaf pans, or a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Then line them with parchment paper.

I know it seems totally unnecessary to do both, but just trust me, it works beautifully. A new little trick I learned about recently.

In a large bowl, whisk together 2- 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

TIP: Whisking not only combines the ingredients, it helps to break up any lumps in the flour and spices. Replaces the need for “sifting”. 

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set the bowl of dry ingredients aside.

In a medium bowl, combine 2 large eggs, 1 cup granulated white sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1 cup of eggnog. Mix well to combine.

Melt 1/2 cup salted butter and slowly whisk it into the eggnog mixture. 

Add the eggnog mixture to the flour mixture. Pouring it into the center of the well you made. 

Stir until just moistened. The batter maybe lumpy…kind of like me! (Just keeping it real my friends! It’s the Holidays…there maybe a few more lumps than usual!) 

Now for the fun part…it’s time to fold in those beautiful ruby gems! Fold in 3 cups of fresh, or frozen-thawed, cranberries into the eggnog batter. Folding helps the berries stay whole and not break up…it also prevents the berries from staining the bread batter. 

This is a nice thick batter! So don’t be alarmed if it seems a tad stiff when stirring. 

Preparing the batter for baking

Spoon the Cranberry Eggnog batter into the prepared pans.

TIP: To make the loaves look gorgeous, I place 4-5 whole berries on top of the loaf before baking, and press them down about half way.

Place the mini loaf pans on a large baking sheet. This will keep the mini loaf pans nice and level in the oven during baking.

Baking Cranberry Eggnog Bread in Mini Loaf Pans

Bake for 30–40 minutes for mini loaves and 45–55 minutes for one large loaf.  Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaves. If it comes out clean, it’s done.

TIP: You can also carefully, so as not to burn yourself, press the center of the loaf. If it springs back, it’s done.

Cool the mini pans of bread on a wire rack for 10 minutes. 

Remove the slightly cooled bread from their pans, do not remove the parchment paper, and cool completely on the rack. 

TIP: Leaving the parchment paper on the loaves gives you a “drop cloth”, so to speak, to catch the glaze when you drizzle it over the tops of each loaf of bread.

How To Make Vanilla Bean Glaze

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of eggnog, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. You can substitute regular vanilla if you don’t have vanilla bean paste.

Mix the glaze ingredients until smooth.

Once the loaves are completely cooled, drizzle the vanilla bean eggnog glaze over the top of each loaf. 

Now I will say this, the glaze is optional…but I HIGHLY recommend adding it. This is not an overly sweet cranberry bread recipe, so this mild sweet vanilla bean glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness to offset the “tang” of those cranberries.

See how handy that parchment paper is at catching the “over-flow” of glaze! I love the beautiful flecks of vanilla bean in the glaze thanks to the paste. It truly heightens the subtle flavor of vanilla.

Allow the glaze to dry before cutting and serving the loaves of bread, or packaging them up for gifts. It takes about 15 minutes for the glaze to set.

Then dig in!!! Doesn’t that look AMAZING!!

This is no skimpy cranberry bread! It has rightfully earned the title “Cranberry” bread! 

I will warn you…don’t go into this expecting to get that burst of “Cranberry-orange” flavor…there is NO orange in this bread. This is a Vanilla Cranberry Bread! The berries are the star of the show!

Here are some of my other Favorite Cranberry Recipes

• Hot Cranberry Turkey Sandwich
• Cranberry Orange Scones
• Cranberry Orange Pancakes
• Cranberry Jello Salad
• Cranberry Orange Cheesecake
• Holiday Pumpkin Cranberry Cake
• Baked Brandied Cranberries
• Zucchini Bread from The Dairy of a Real Housewife

This is such a pretty Holiday Bread. It’s certain to brighten your Christmas morning or the doorstep of any friend you share it with.

As always… Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting with me. I’d love it if you could stop by for a slice and a cup of cocoa! Since that isn’t possible, make a few loaves to share with those you love. Enjoy!

Happy Nesting!

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