Thank you Tillamook for sponsoring this post.
No other flavor summons the holiday spirit quite like cranberries. They’re controversial, for sure, and not usually the main dish at Thanksgiving feasts. I, however, have always loved cranberries. And not the wobbly, gelatinous goop that plops out of a can onto a platter, but rather the tart, sugar-cooked fruit that gets harvested out of New England bogs. I could eat those every single day. (I think I have some years.)
So, with Thanksgiving quickly approaching (yikes!) I wanted to give a nod to my favorite part of the biggest meal of the year with an easy to assemble Cranberry Cream Cheese bread that could be easily used for breakfast, dessert, or just a side dish.
Cranberry Cream Cheese Bread Recipe Notes
But first, a few notes about the recipe:
- The quality of ingredients matter in this little loaf
- I take the hero ingredients (cream cheese and cranberries) very seriously & only buy the best on the market
- Tillamook Farmstyle Cream Cheese Spread is rich, tangy, and so delicious both in this recipe and as a spread on the top – do yourself a favor and pick this brand up at your local Publix
- It’s best to use fresh cranberries, although I’m sure you could use dried ones if you wanted to
And also a few thoughts about your cream cheese choices:
- Tillamook Farmstyle Cream Cheese Spread is designed to be rich, creamy, and full-on packed with flavor. It’s a complementary flavor to the tartness of the cranberries but also the sweetness of the dough.
- It’s also made without filler ingredients, gum, or preservatives so it’s actually a cleaner brand of cream cheese spreads
Recipe: Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups cranberries (whole ones)
- 1 ½ cups of sugar
- 1 stick of butter
- 8 oz cream cheese – I have only used the Tillamook Farmstyle Cream Cheese Spread for this recipe and cannot vouch for any other brand. Their tubs come in 7 oz so be sure to grab 2!
- 4 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Recipe: Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray.
- Cream together butter, cream cheese spread and sugar in a large bowl or mixer, then, one at a time, beat in eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt until combined. Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, stirring until just incorporated.
- Gently fold in cranberries, then pour mixture into greased baking dish. (Could also use 2 loaf pans, if desired.)
- Place in oven and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
And it’s really as simple as that. This particular recipe made me 4 smaller loaves which is perfect for entertaining family and friends or you can freeze it and save for later.
