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Cranberry Pistachio Bread

Cranberry pistachio bread with a tender, just-combined crumb studded with jewel-like cranberries and chopped pistachios. Finished with a simple orange glaze drizzle for a bright, lightly sweet top.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

all-purpose flour
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
sugar
  • 0.75 cup sugar
orange zest
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
eggs
  • 2 eggs
plain yogurt or sour cream
  • 0.75 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
butter, melted
  • 0.5 cup butter, melted
orange juice
  • 0.25 cup orange juice
  • 2 tbsp orange juice for glaze
vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
cranberries, halved
  • 1 cup cranberries, halved
pistachios, chopped
  • 0.75 cup pistachios, chopped
powdered sugar
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and pan
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Rub sugar and orange zest together until fragrant. Whisk in eggs, yogurt or sour cream, melted butter, orange juice, and vanilla.
Combine batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Fold into the wet mixture just until combined (do not overmix).
  2. Fold in cranberries and half of the chopped pistachios. Spread the batter into the pan so it sits evenly.
Bake and glaze
  1. Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before glazing.
  2. Whisk powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over the loaf and sprinkle with the remaining pistachios.

Notes

For the tender crumb, stop mixing as soon as the flour streaks disappear—overmixing can make the loaf tough. Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days; freeze sliced portions for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, swap half the butter for plain low-fat yogurt and expect a slightly softer crumb.