With its tender texture, fruit sprinkled into each bite and a crumb topping, this bread just can't be beat! It would be a great addition to any holiday brunch or wrapped up as a yummy gift!

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Two slices of Cranberry Apple Bread stacked on a wooden board.

I'm so excited to share this new quick bread recipe with you! It's moist, tender, loaded with apples and cranberries and topped with a delicious crumb topping and icing. It's such a pretty bread and makes for perfect gifts for coworkers, teachers, etc.

So what makes a quick bread a "quick bread?" It's basically any type of bread that doesn't use yeast. It's called a "quick bread" because you don't have to wait for the dough to rise like you do a yeast bread. Instead of using yeast, a leavening agent such as baking powder and/or baking soda is used which permits the bread to be baked right away.

A sliced up loaf of cranberry apple bread on a wooden board, surrounded by cranberries.

What are the best apples to bake with?

I have two favorites to bake with - Jonathans/Jonagolds and Braeburns! A few reasons why these are my favorites:

The shape holds up to the heat. Instead of becoming mush in your bread, pie or crisp, they keep their shape.
They bake up nice and juicy!
The flavor is a perfect blend of sweetness and tartness.

Other commonly used baking apples:

Honeycrisp - Don't get me wrong, I LOVE honeycrisp apples. However, they're just SO good to eat raw, that I would prefer to eat them that way. (Especially when they're typically at least twice the price as other apples!)
Granny Smith - In my opinion, granny smith apples are just a bit too tart. I like a little more sweetness in a baking apple, but to each their own! I've mixed granny smith apples with sweeter varieties in the past and really liked how that turns out!
Golden Delicious - These are a little too one-dimentional for me. They're sweet, but lack the tartness makes them less aPEELing to me. (see what I did there?! ;))

A close up shot of the icing on a slice of bread.

How long does a quick bread last?

It really depends on what kind of quick bread you’re making. This Cranberry Apple Bread, for example, won’t last more than 3 days on the counter. Why? Because the apples and cranberries have so much moisture, it doesn’t take long for mold to begin to grow. If you have a drier bread like cornbread, it’ll last a couple days longer before it goes bad.

This Cranberry Apple Bread, though, never lasts that long in our house! It’s easy to devour in a short amount of time. 😊 If I’m not sure if we’ll be able to finish the whole loaf in a couple days, it’s easy to freeze and save for another time!

A close up image of the top of the iced bread. — There's just something about a crumbly topping + icing that makes me want to devour the entire loaf!

Does Cranberry Apple Bread freeze well?

It does! You'll want to make sure it's completely cool. Then, wrap them up in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. I would recommend freezing these whole (waiting to cut when you're ready to eat) as they'll stay better longer. Freeze for up to 3 months, then let them thaw out on the counter before slicing and eating!

Two loaves of bread with one wrapped up in parchment with a bow.

Perfect for the holidays!

One of my coworkers always gifts us a cute little (delicious!) loaf of bread for the holidays. Although she certainly doesn't need to gift us anything, it's such a sweet homemade treat and different from the chocolate platters that tend to come into the office by the dozens (although those are great too haha).

Instead of using a large loaf pan, just use smaller loaf pans (one batch made 8 little loaves in my pan). Of course, you'll want to be sure to decrease the baking time - keep a close eye on them!

Once they're cooled and ready to be packaged, wrap them up in plastic wrap, then beautify them however you'd like! I think a simple "Merry Christmas" tag is simple and does the trick! Then, distribute to coworkers, friends, teachers, dance teachers, school bus drivers.....oh and keep one for yourself! 🙂

On over head shot of a loaf of bread wrapped up with a ribbon.

Some of my other favorite quick breads:

Pumpkin Churro Mini Muffins - These pumpkin mini muffins are super moist, loaded with fall flavors and coated in a “churro” coating. They’re cute, pop-able and nearly impossible to have “just one!”

Banana Crumb Muffins - These banana crumb muffins are moist and tender and have a cinnamon crumb topping. They’re easy to put together and even easier to eat! 😉

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread - This bread has a beautiful chocolate swirl throughout, which is a fun twist on a classic banana bread!

Smores Bread - Yep, we're making smores into a bread and there's no shame in eating it for breakfast! 😉