This Cranberry Banana Bread recipe is the holiday answer to the classic banana bread. It's a perfect way to use up cranberries and their tart flavor pairs perfectly with the sweet bananas.
Say hello to this banana bread! Slightly tart (hello cranberries!), perfectly textured (you're cute rolled oats!), moist banana bread creature. I love it so much. There are so many good things packed in this loaf pan.I say this recipe deserves to be doubled. Two loaves!
They're moist and delicious for FOREVER! Like 3-4 days...maybe even longer, but I wouldn't know because it didn't last that long.
This means you can totally bake a few off on Saturday morning and keep them throughout the week, handing them out like Halloween candy. Also, say you don't want to bake for anyone...because you don't have time. Well, that's cool...I say bake this for yourself then...eat it along side a cup of coffee and figure out your procrastination (or not) game plan.
How to Make Cranberry Banana Bread:
- Prepare the pan. Lightly grease a loaf pan and set aside.
- Mix together the dry ingredients. Whisk it all together to evenly combine and get rid of any lumps of flour.
- Mix together the wet ingredients. Combine the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Do this in the measuring cup you measure out the buttermilk in to cut down on dishes.
- Whip the eggs and sugar. Using an electric or stand up mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar until lightened in both texture and color. This helps with the structure of the bread, this is important!
- After that, Combine everything. Add the bananas and buttermilk mixture, then the dry ingredients, and finally the cranberries, being careful not to over mix.
- Bake! For about an hour, just until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly and remove from the pan.
Tips and Tricks:
- Freeze! If you can't finish the whole loaf, feel free to slice it up and freeze each slice wrapped in plastic wrap, that way you can thaw just one slice at a time if you wanted to. But if you wanted to just freeze half a loaf that works too!
- Switch up the berries. If cranberries are out of season or just aren't your thing feel free to sub in blueberries.

Cranberry Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup rolled oats plus a small handful for topping
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup smashed bananas from about 3 bananas
- 1 ½ cups cranberries
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325˚F. Lightly grease a 9x5-inch pan and dust with a tablespoon of flour.
- In a medium bowl, mix together all-purpose flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a measuring cup, measure out the buttermilk. To the buttermilk, add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs, light brown sugar and white sugar together until thick and pale, approximately 3-5 minutes. Mix in smashed banana and buttermilk mixture. In two batches, add flour mixture, mixing until just combined, being sure not to over mix.
- Fold in cranberries and transfer batter to prepared loaf pan. Top with a handful of rolled oats.
- Bake quick bread for 1 hour, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Invert bread onto a rack to cool. Cranberry Oatmeal Banana Bread will be moist up to 3-4 days. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to preserve its freshness.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Let me know on Instagram!
Looking for more banana bread recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
Gail says
I will try it again with the cranberries because I know it will be scrumptious. 🙂
Gail says
I made this and baked it a tad too long so it was dry. I made it again a few days later and used blueberries instead of cranberries, it was DIVINE. I love your recipe!
Adrianna Adarme says
Oh! I'm so glad it ended up working out. YAY!