Try this – it’s SO GOOD – Banana Bread with Cranberries – The Best You’ll Ever Taste!
This cranberry banana bread isn’t just delicious—it’s secretly wholesome too. The ripe bananas bring natural sweetness, so you can cut back on refined sugar, while the tart cranberries add a burst of antioxidants and vitamin C. Each slice is moist, lightly sweet, and perfectly balanced between cozy comfort and bright flavor. It’s one of those feel-good recipes you can enjoy any time of day—breakfast, snack, or dessert—without the guilt. I use two types of sugars to add depth of flavor. I also use two types of flour to give it a nice crumb texture. This is by a mile my FAVORITE dessert bread I’ve ever made! Hope you love it too. I also use a digital weigh scale so you can use that if you have one, or just measure with spoons/cups.
Ingredients for Banana Cranberry Bread
Wet Ingredients
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1 cup (200 gm) mashed ultra-ripe banana
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5 TBSP (70 gm) unsalted butter, softened
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40 g (which is = to 3 TBSP) sour cream
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¼ cup (60 ml) milk or half & half
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2 large eggs
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1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
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1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour (spoon it gently, don’t pack your measuring cup or just measure it on your digital scale)
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¼ cup (30 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (100 gm) light brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup (100 gm) regular sugar (I used turbinado)
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1 ¾ tsp baking powder
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½ tsp salt
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½ cup chopped pecans
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1½ cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries (read below for some tips on how to chop these BEFORE you put them into your batter)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and lightly flour a loaf pan. Mix (or cream) your butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in mashed banana, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients so your all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, the two types of sugar, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined — don’t overmix.
Batter should be thick but spreadable. Now stir in the cranberries and nuts. (To “chop” the cranberries lightly, I just put them into my mini Cuisinart and hit the chop button twice for a quick pulse. You don’t want to grind them, just a 1 or 2 second chop real quick. (Doing it this way is much faster than chopping them by hand because they roll around and fall on the floor.
Can you just put them in whole??? Sure, I guess you could, I haven’t done that because it might produce a super tangy bite so be ready for that. You could also use dried cranberries but the bread won’t be as moist and delicious IMHO. It’s totally worth it to use fresh cranberries and just chop them for a second or two. Here’s some nutritional INFO about cranberries. If you use frozen cranberries, that’s okay too… I think I would just chop them the same way before putting them into your batter.
Spread batter into your loaf pan and bake for about 55 – 60 minutes. If you use a metal pan, your bread will cook a little bit faster than if you use a ceramic or glass pan. Cool in the pan for another 10 to 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Let it firm up and cool for about an hour before slicing.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
