Cranberry Eggnog Loaf is a beautiful mesh of two classic holiday flavors. It's moist, rich from the eggnog, and filled with warm spices that make you feel nice and cozy during the cold weather. What a great way to use up any leftover eggnog!
With a similar texture to my brown butter banana bread, this loaf is versatile; it can either be a snack, breakfast, or sweet treat at the end of the night. I made sure the loaf itself isn't super sweet, so if you choose to add the eggnog glaze on top it's still perfectly balanced in terms of flavor.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $0.42
- Total Cost (10 slices): $4.15
- Those Other Guys: $5.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Fresh Cranberries - A big part of what makes this loaf not only pretty to look at, but great to taste. I like to chop the cranberries so you get more distribution throughout the bread. They bake into slightly sweet, jammy pockets of yum.
- Eggnog - Adding eggnog to our recipe provides a richness to the bread, and the cozy spices like allspice and nutmeg create a beautiful depth of flavor. I use my oat milk eggnog recipe in this loaf!
- All-Purpose Flour - The base of most breads/cakes - this gives the loaf structure.
- Granulated Sugar - We don't use too much sugar in the bread, because it can be overkill on the sweetness if you top it with the eggnog glaze. Hint - I highly recommend adding the glaze!
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg - We use a little extra spice to complement the eggnog's flavors.
- Vegetable Oil - This ensures the cake is moist and has a tender crumb.
- Powdered Sugar - We use powdered sugar as a base for the eggnog glaze that goes on top.
Variations and Substitutions
Cranberry & Orange Eggnog Loaf: Mix some orange zest into your sugar before incorporating it into the recipe. This infuses the entire dish with a citrusy flavor that works so well with cranberries!
Cranberry Eggnog Mini Loafs: Making homemade baked goods for the holidays? You can use bake this batter in mini loaf pans! Simply adjust the baking time by less, ensuring you watch them in the oven.
Cranberry Chai Loaf: Add chai spice to the batter (and keep the eggnog - it pairs fantastically with chai blend!) and top with a chai glaze.
How to Make a Cranberry Eggnog Loaf
Step 1: Whisk together your sugars, cinnamon + nutmeg, eggs, vanilla, and eggnog.
Step 2: Stir in the chopped cranberries. Feel free to use fresh or frozen.
Step 3: Add your dry ingredients to the wet bowl (split the dry bowl into thirds), stirring after each time. The batter consistency will be right in the middle of runny and thick.
Step 4: Add it to a loaf pan prepared with non-stick cooking spray and a strip of parchment paper. This helps avoid sticking, and makes it easier to lift the bread out of the pan when finished!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Prep your berries. Rinse and dry your fresh cranberries, being sure to pick out any that look weird. I also recommend chopping them so they are evenly distributed throughout the bread.
- Tent the pan while baking. Cranberry eggnog bread is thick; so it takes a bit longer to bake in the oven. The recipe has instructions to add aluminum foil to the top of the pan after 45 minutes of cooking - this is so the bread can bake all the way through without the top/edges burning!
- Let it cool! If you pour the glaze on while the bread is still hot, it's going to absorb the glaze instead of forming that nice crust like you get on doughnuts. Your kitchen will smell amazing so it's hard to resist, but let it cool completely before glazing and cutting into the bread.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! If you use frozen instead of fresh cranberries, don't bother letting the berries thaw before adding to the batter - just throw them right in. I don't, however, recommend dried cranberries.
I suggest having an oven thermometer - you won't believe how many home bakers are working with an oven that is inaccurate! It happens to all ovens, so unless you have a brand new or freshly calibrated oven in your home, you could potentially have to bake this bread for a shorter or longer time.
After 45 minutes, simply check the bread by sticking a toothpick/knife in the center. I usually watch it every 10 minutes after the first 45 to ensure it doesn't start to overcook. You want the toothpick to have a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
Of course - simply wrap in plastic wrap to preserve the moisture. (I like to actually wrap while the bread is still warm!) Place the wrapped bread or bread slices in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat, just thaw them in the fridge overnight.
Other Holiday Recipes You'll Love!
If you tried this Cranberry Eggnog Loaf Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Cranberry Eggnog Loaf
Equipment
- Loaf Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Aluminum Foil
- Mixing Bowl
- Wooden Spoon
- Chef's Knife
- Whisk
- Wire Rack with baking pan underneath
Ingredients
Cranberry Eggnog Loaf
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup eggnog like my non-dairy oat milk eggnog!
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 count large eggs
- 1 cup fresh cranberries rinsed, drained, and chopped
Eggnog Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 ½ tablespoons eggnog
- splash vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
Loaf Cake Instructions
- Prepare your loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, or grease it with butter. Line the pan with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350℉.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, stir the cinnamon and nutmeg into the granulated sugar to infuse the flavors into the sugar.
- Pour the eggnog, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs into the sugar bowl. Mix until well combined, then stir in your chopped cranberries.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, ⅓ of the bowl at a time, stirring after each addition until just moistened.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan. You can place extra halved cranberries on top for a pretty presentation.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Then, tent the loaf pan with some aluminum foil to prevent the bread from darkening too much. Bake covered for another 25 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and test with a toothpick or knife in the center. If it still comes out wet, bake uncovered for 5 minute intervals.You'll know it's done when the edges are browned and slightly pulled from the side of the pan, and a toothpick placed the center comes out with just a couple moist crumbs on it.
- Finally, run a knife around the edges of the pan and remove the cake. Place the warm cake on a wire rack with a pan underneath, then let it cool completely.
Glaze Instructions
- Mix together the powdered sugar, 3 ½ tablespoons of eggnog, a splash of vanilla, and a tiny pinch of salt. The glaze should be thick enough that it ribbons off of a raised spoon. Tip: Add the eggnog a little at a time to avoid the glaze being too thin.
- Line the pan underneath your wire rack with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
- Pour the eggnog glaze on the top of the cooled loaf cake. Let it set for 10 minutes, then slice and serve. Enjoy!
Jayla E says
I'm the only one in my household who drinks eggnog, so I was looking for a way to use up the stuff before it went bad. This was such a delicious recipe!! Even my picky daughter had two slices. It reminds me of banana bread with the texture, and I really love the glaze on top. Thank you!!
Shani W. says
Yesss! Same here - I can never finish an entire thing of eggnog. So glad you enjoyed it, Jayla!