Go Back

Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Bread

Cranberry pecan pumpkin bread with a tender, golden crumb and jewel-bright cranberries in every slice, baked until a toothpick comes out clean. Finished with a quick orange glaze for a lightly spiced, bakery-style finish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
Mix-ins
  • 1 cup cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 0.75 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Orange glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp orange juice
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and prepare pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan to prevent sticking.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined with no visible streaks.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth and glossy.
Combine batter and add fruit and nuts
  1. Fold the dry mixture into the wet just until no dry flour remains, then fold in cranberries and pecans, reserving a few for the top (visual cue: batter should look thick and speckled).
Fill pan and top
  1. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and scatter the reserved cranberries and pecans over the top for a visible crust layer.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350F for 60–65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean (visual cue: the loaf will look set and slightly domed).
Cool and glaze
  1. Cool the loaf for 20 minutes before glazing so the drizzle stays on top.
Make and drizzle orange glaze
  1. Whisk powdered sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon into a smooth glaze, then drizzle over the warm-cooled loaf.

Notes

For clean slices, let the loaf cool completely before slicing, and tap the pan gently on the counter right after filling to settle the batter around the cranberries. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze wrapped slices for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use half the vegetable oil and replace with unsweetened applesauce, keeping bake time within the 60–65 minute window.