This Keto Cranberry Orange Bread smells and tastes like the holidays. It’s bursting with bright cranberries and zesty orange, and has only 3g net carbs per slice!
Stop whatever you are doing and grab a pen. Add this delicious Keto Cranberry Orange Bread to your holiday menu right now. Better yet, skip the note-taking and go make it right now. You won’t regret it!
I rave about a lot of my recipes. It goes with the territory as a recipe developer. I am supposed to tell you how wonderful everything is and why you want to make it. It’s always genuine, since I don’t post keto recipes that don’t work out that well or need more testing.
But I am raving with extra enthusiasm about this sweet coconut flour bread. It smells like Christmas while it’s in the oven, and tastes just as good. I ate it for breakfast every day for a week. And I am already planning a loaf for a holiday brunch!
Cranberry lovers, don’t miss my Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce and these Keto Cranberry Bliss Bars.
Why you will love this recipe.
So this recipe is actually part of a super secret project I’ve been working on for a few months. And I am ready to spill the beans! I’ve got a new e-book coming out and it’s devoted to the holidays.
It has over 50 keto recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas – everything from breakfast to dinner to dessert. Be on the lookout because I am releasing it very soon!
I created this Keto Cranberry Orange Bread as a new holiday brunch recipe. I thought it was a good one to complement the other recipes in the book. But I was so blown away by the flavor and texture of this bread that I couldn’t wait to share.
I used coconut flour, so it has a similar texture to my Keto Blueberry Bread. And although I put some walnuts in mine, you can make it entirely nut-free if you like. It’s easy to make, super tender, and really tastes like Christmas morning.
Ingredients you need
- Coconut flour: I created this recipe using coconut flour for a lighter consistency. If you prefer almond flour, try using my almond flour cake recipe for the base. Then simply add the berries, zest, and flavorings as directed.
- Brown Sweetener: I like the flavor that a brown sugar replacement adds to this bread, but you can use granular instead. See the Expert Tips section for more sweetener options.
- Protein powder: Adding protein powder to keto baked goods helps them rise and hold their shape better. You can use whey or egg white protein powder. Some plant-based proteins will also work.
- Butter: Try using avocado oil or coconut oil for nut free.
- Eggs: Coconut flour requires more eggs than other keto flours. Don’t try to cut back or your keto cranberry orange bread won’t rise or hold together properly.
- Orange flavor: By using freshly grated orange zest AND orange extract, you will get all that fabulous orange flavor without adding carbs.
- Fresh cranberries: I recommend fresh cranberries for this recipe but frozen should be fine as well. Let them thaw completely before adding to the batter.
- Nuts: For extra crunch and protein, add chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract, baking powder and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Combine the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the butter, eggs, orange zest, and extracts until well combined. Then stir in the water until the batter is smooth. If the batter is overly thick, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time. The batter should be easily spreadable.
3. Fold in the cranberries: Stir in the cranberries and walnuts. Transfer the batter to a greased 8×4 metal loaf pan and smooth the top.
4. Bake until golden: Bake at 350ºF 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove and let cool at least 30 minutes.
5. Remove from pan: Then run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert tips
Cutting the cranberries in half gives you better distribution throughout the bread. It also makes the bread less likely to tear as you try to slice it.
I baked this keto cranberry bread in an 8×4 inch metal loaf pan. You can use a 9×5 pan but your bread will bake faster so keep your eye on it.
Glass and ceramic pans don’t conduct heat as efficiently and may take quite a bit longer to bake through properly. You also want to drop the temperature by 25 degrees so the sides of the bread cook more slowly. Otherwise, they can get overdone.
Don’t let it cool completely in the pan. I’ve noticed that there is a sweet spot between 30 minutes to an hour in which to get keto breads out of pans. After that, they start sticking again.
Be sure to let it cool completely before slicing, so it holds together better!
Sweetener Options
The bread doesn’t rely on a particular sweetener for consistency, so you can use what you like best. I think brown sugar replacements add a richer flavor.
One thing to keep in mind is that allulose-based sweeteners will make the bread brown faster. The new Swerve Brown contains some allulose, but it’s mostly erythritol so it’s not as much of an issue. But full allulose will cause too much browning.
You can offset this a bit by lining the pan with parchment paper and reduce the temperature by 25 degrees. The bread will take longer to bake so keep your eye on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people assume cranberries are high carb because dried cranberries contain so much sugar. But the fresh, raw berries are one of the lowest carb fruits you can choose. A cup of these tart berries has 12g of carbs and 3.6g of fiber, so you can use them in your keto holiday recipes without concern.
You can store the bread, tightly wrapped up, on the counter for 3 days or so. But coconut flour bread tends to be quite moist so refrigerate it if you think it will be around longer than that. You can also freeze it for several months.
This keto cranberry orange bread recipe has 6.3g of carbs and 3.3g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3g net carbs per slice.
More delicious keto cranberry recipes
Keto Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (90 g) coconut flour
- 2/3 cup (121.33 g) brown sugar replacement
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavored whey protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, melted
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tsp freshly grated orange zest
- 1 tsp orange extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) water
- 1 cup (100 g) fresh cranberries, chopped in half
- 1/2 cup (58.5 g) chopped walnuts or pecans, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease an 8×4 inch metalloaf pan very well. You can also use 9×5 but your bread will bake faster.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in the butter, eggs, orange zest, and extracts until well combined. Then stir in the water until the batter is smooth. If the batter is overly thick, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time. The batter should be easily spreadable.
- Stir in the cranberries and walnuts. Transfer the batter tothe prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool at least 30 minutes. Then run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
This recipe turned out AWESOME!! The time to prep is out to lunch. I doubled the recipe, meaning I had to cut in half 2 cups of cranberries. That took over an hour to execute cutting by hand!! Otherwise, it was OK
Is this very similar to the orange cranberry muffins? I love those muffins!
The muffin recipe was for #4 in an air fryer. I tripled the ingredients and baked #12 in the oven 325 for 25-30 min. Perfect!
Worried I’ll be disappointed in this bread (though I’m rarely disappointed in any of Carolyn’s recipes!)
No, very different because this one is made with coconut flour.
This is my favorite recipe so far! I’m so impressed by it, the flavor, texture, moistness without being overpowering. It’s also consistent – I’ve made it 4 times and shared and they have loved it!
So glad you like it!
This bread was delicious!! It had a wonderful texture. I had not made coconut flour bread before and I was pleasantly surprised. Very pleased with the tart sweet taste. The orange and cranberry flavors are perfect for this season. I took it to a potluck and it was a hit with keto and non-keto folks alike! Carolyn, your recipes never disappoint!!
I am a big fan of your recipes…but not this one! In fairness, I used regular light brown sugar instead of replacement. Sad to say…it was tasteless! I was surprised at the large quantity of eggs, but I proceeded to otherwise follow the recipe, including the purchase of the whey protein that wasn’t cheap! Eager to hear about the experience of other fans. Thanks.
I made this bread and was so delicious with the cranberry and orange flavors. Thank you for the recipe.
I am interested in making this recipe into miniloaves. Could you suggest a cooking time?
I can’t since I didn’t make mine that way, and I don’t know how big your loaves will be. You will need to keep your eye on them.
I don’t have whey protein on hand. Can you suggest a substitute? Perhaps almond flour or more coconut flour?
No, sorry. It needs whey or egg white protein powder to rise properly. Refer to the “Ingredients you need” section for more info.
Dawn, I used pea protein. It’s a little lower in protein per the same measurement, but came out fine. No issue with color or taste. I got mine at Trader Joes. I had tried it previously in a batch of pumpkin bread that also calls for the whey, doing a taste test between the batch made with whey and the batch made with pea protein. Gives a slightly earthier taste, but was fine. Was considering using soy protein, but it was lower in protein per oz than either the pea or whey. Adding more flour won’t do it. Has to be added protein. Hope that helps.
I was hungry for muffins to grab on the way to work. I made this into 12 muffins. Yum they’re dense but tasty .
This recipe came out pretty dry for me. I took it out of oven about 5 minutes before the end of recommended time as it was starting to brown. Not a hit for me. I did whip up some keto crème Anglais to serve it with and that helped some.
Did you use a glass or stoneware baking pan? Because this is quite moist if baked to spec, so it still got over-baked somehow. And glass/ceramic/stoneware bakes VERY differently than metal.
It was a metal pan. Not sure what happened. I made the lemon cheesecake bars a week ago and they were amazing! Big fan!
Well, I am stumped on that, then. This typically ends up very moist and folks are loving it.
I just popped my second loaf into the oven. The first was delicious. My husband called it “fun cake”. Yes, I did explain that it’s not cake. I love that it’s made with coconut flour. The texture is so much better than almond flour to me.
Just wondering if anyone has tried syrup blanching cranberries with water and Swerve granular. I have previously blanched with pineapple or orange juice (before keto).
Any tips for high altitude-I’m at 5,000 feet?
Thanks so much. This looks great and I’m looking forward to making it for a friend who has serious health issues. Ingredients in your recipe check all the boxes of ok ingredients and leave out those that aren’t.
Sorry, just seeing this now! You make the same adjustments as you do for any high altitude baking.
This is delicious bread, not too sweet and very easy to make. I had it for breakfast with cream cheese and it was very good. thank you for the recipe.
I only have dehydrated orange zest and don’t want to buy fresh oranges for this… do you think it would work?
I would think so but probably use less, as it may be more potent. Not really sure!
so I tried it , and put about 2/3 of what was needed. Mixed it with water before adding it. I think the recipe must be better with frest orange zest, but the bread was still pretty good. It tastes like the orange-cranberry muffins I used to eat at Dunkin Donuts!
I’ll leave it longer in the oven next time, as it was slightly underbaked in the middle (only baked 50 minutes, it was golden and firm to the touch so I didn’t investigate more. Had the surprise when cutting it!)
or maybe try in muffins!
Thanks for the recipe!
This looks wonderful…but since giving up bread I no longer have a loaf pan readily accessible…can these be made into muffins?? If so, baking time???
I would experiment with times and start checking at 15 minutes. Much depends on your oven, pan, etc.