Gluten Free Cranberry Banana Bread is a seasonal twist on classic banana bread. It’s flavored with dried cranberries and walnuts for a simple loaf that’s quick and easy to make.

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Gluten Free Cranberry Banana Bread

This Gluten Free Cranberry Banana Bread is the first new gluten free quick bread recipe I’ve made since publishing The Gluten-Free Quick Breads Cookbook back in April. Not the first quick bread I’ve made, just the first NEW recipe.

But in all honesty, I’ve probably only baked a handful of quick breads since finishing the book! My family needed a break from quick breads because I made well over 500 loaves during the testing stages and then for the pictures. That’s a lot of bread!

The Gluten Free Cranberry Banana Bread I’m sharing today is based off of my popular (and crazy delicious) gluten free banana bread recipe. If you find that you’re one of those people who can never get enough banana bread, make sure you grab a copy of my cookbook.

There’s an entire chapter dedicated to all different kinds of banana bread. There are so many tasty breads just waiting for you to bake them!

This quick bread makes a great holiday bread thanks to the seasonal addition of cranberries. Breakfasts, brunches, and holiday buffets won’t be complete without a loaf of this cranberry bread! Tis the season to cranberry ALL THE THINGS.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.

What You Need To Know About This Gluten Free Cranberry Banana Bread Recipe:

I used dried cranberries in this recipe instead of fresh cranberries, which technically means you can make it any time of the year.

You can, of course, use fresh cranberries instead. You’ll just want to give them a rough chop before adding them to the batter and you’ll want to fold them into the batter instead of mixing them into the dry ingredients like I do with the dried cranberries.

If walnuts aren’t your thing or you have a nut allergy, you can always skip the nuts. You can even use pecans instead of walnuts. I just used walnuts because they’re cheaper, ha!

Key Ingredients for Banana Cranberry Bread

Bananas – super ripe / over-ripe bananas are best. They’re sweeter and have a stronger banana flavor.
Dried Cranberries – I chose to bake this loaf with dried cranberries over fresh because now I can make this bread any time of the year.
Walnuts – I like a little bit of nuts in my quick breads but if you have a nut allergy, just leave them out.

Can I Make this Gluten Free Quick Bread Dairy Free?

Yes – just use unsweetened coconut milk in place of the regular milk. You can also use Walnut Milk, which I used in my cookbook. It gives the bread a nuttier taste and it’s a really, really good flavor booster. I highly recommend giving it a try!

PS – all of the recipes in my cookbook are dairy free too!

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Equipment Needed to Make a Quick Bread

9 x 5 inch loaf pan – an 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan will work too.
Mixing Bowls – one for dry the dry ingredients and one for the wet ingredients.
Measuring cups and spoons – just your standard kitchen tools for baking!
Parchment Paper – I like to line my loaf pan with parchment paper but for this recipe, it’s optional since there isn’t a streusel topping.

How to Make Gluten Free Cranberry Banana Bread

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a 9×5-inch (23×13-cm) loaf pan with homemade pan release or spray with non-stick spray then line with parchment paper.

Step 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar. Stir in the dried cranberries and walnuts. Break up any clumps of cranberries and then set aside.

Step 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, brown sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Step 4. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of the banana bread with a few chopped walnuts and dried cranberries if desired – no more than 1-2 tablespoons total. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Step 5. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Tips for Making Cranberry Banana Bread

Buy bananas from the marked down section in your produce department! These bananas are often only a day away from being ready to bake with.
The riper the banana, the better it is for baking. I’ve baked with bananas that are so ripe, the peels were practically black.
Break up the cranberry clumps. If your dried cranberries are clumped together, break them up as much as you can when you mix them with the flour. That way, you don’t have huge clumps of cranberries in your your bread and they’re distributed throughout the loaf more evenly.
Don’t use extra banana. Too much banana will add more moisture than the dry ingredients can support. The result will be a quick bread that takes too long to cook through or may not completely set up in the middle.

Other Gluten Free Quick Bread Recipes To Try

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Bread
Classic Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread (dairy free option)
Gluten Free Pumpkin Banana Bread (dairy free option)
Double Chocolate Banana Bread (gluten free and dairy free)
There are two different Cranberry Breads and an entire chapter of Banana Breads in my cookbook, The Gluten-Free Quick Breads Cookbook!

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This Cranberry Banana Bread recipe can also be found on Food Fanatic where I am a regular contributor.