My Mom’s Seasonal Recipe Is So Good My Uncle Begs for It Every Year

There are few treats I love more than fruit bread. Banana bread is a classic that always hits the spot—plus, it’s the perfect solution for all those forgotten bananas in your pantry. Then there’s the seasonal favorite, pumpkin bread, which I always try to eat as much as possible when fall rolls in. While these two flavors are classics for a reason, there’s another fruit-laden loaf cake that I think is severely underrated. So, if you’re looking for something different to make for your holiday table this year or want a new festive snack, then this recipe is for you.

My Mom’s Cranberry Bread Recipe

Let me start by saying, I have a love-hate relationship with cranberries—and I know I am not alone. On their own, cranberries can be tart and bitter. While cranberry sauce is a common holiday table favorite, cranberries, in my opinion, just don’t have the same versatility as other seasonal star ingredients like pumpkin or peppermint. 

My mom’s cranberry bread recipe, however, converts even the biggest cranberry skeptics into fans. She’s been making cranberry bread since high school, and it’s been a yearly staple in our family since, well, my whole life. While making one loaf for our family and one for my uncle—who is the recipe’s biggest fan—is imperative, my mom usually ends up making much more for friends and family—it’s just that good!

The Secret Behind My Mom’s Cranberry Bread

Of course, I’m biased, but my mom really is the best at making cranberry bread—there’s a reason why my whole family has insisted she make it for decades. I’m convinced, however, that her recipe is so delicious because of this one trick she does to minimize the sourness and bitterness of cranberries: she blends them. Doing this makes the cake perfectly moist but not too sweet. Add a touch of orange and the result is a tangy, fruity, and hearty loaf cake that perfectly captures the comfort of the holidays.

How to Make the Best Cranberry Bread

My mom’s cranberry bread recipe is pretty much identical to this recipe, save for her step of blending the cranberries before adding them to the batter. If you want to use the Allrecipes recipe with my mom’s trick, just add half a cup of blended cranberries to the batter instead of 1 1/2 cups of whole berries. Blend the cranberries until they are broken up into roughly the size of a grain of rice. 

My mom also omits nuts from her cranberry bread, simply because this is what our family prefers, but I’m confident they make delicious additions. Trust me, once you start blending cranberries for loaf cake, there is no going back. Your friends and family will be begging you to make it every year. Who knows, it might eventually replace cranberry sauce on your holiday table one day!