I am a big fan of carbs. I know, carbs are evil, and they definitely don’t love me as much as I love them, but, carbs. Yum. My favorite carbs are the ones that smell amazing when they’re baking. Like a great quick bread loaf or twenty. Have you ever smelled freshly baked bread? I won’t believe you if you say no, cause Subway. Smells for miles. Yum. I made this cranberry & oat quick bread the other day because it was cold, and felt like winter, so I thought to myself yessssssssss, let’s bake winter straight into my house. So I did. Cause this quick bread recipe is full of the fall flavor of cranberries.
Why is it called quick bread, you might be asking? Well, I’ll tell you. Quick breads do not use yeast, but instead rely on the leavening power of baking powder for it to rise, so it doesn’t need to sit for long periods of time rising, then pounding, then rising again before finally baking. It’s kind of like a cake, except bread. I know, that was the dumbest thing I could have said, but seriously, it’s kind of like that.
I use dried cranberries in this cranberry & oat quick bread, so I soaked them in the milk before I added them to the batter. Soaking dried berries before using them in a recipe helps prevent the bread from drying out, and the amount of milk used in the recipe reflects that need to soak, so I always suggest, when using dried fruits in a recipe that calls for fresh, to add a few extra tablespoons of whatever liquid is being used and soak the fruits in it, or soak them in plain water for 5-10 minutes before adding them to the recipe.
This recipe comes together very quickly: just whip the butter and sugar until fluffy, add the eggs and vanilla, then the milk and cranberries, and finally the dry ingredients. Five minutes from bowl to oven. I made mini loaves with this recipe, but I will provide the time for a single, large loaf as well. I just like small things. They’re fun.
Are you ready to try this cranberry & oat quick bread? We already devoured the loaves I made, so I’ll be tackling another, this time savory, quick bread recipe later today! Woo! Let’s get to that recipe, shall we?
Cranberry & Oat Quick Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C Flour
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 C Oats
- 1/2 C Butter, softened
- 3/4 C Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
- 3/4 C Milk
- 1 C Dried Cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, add the dried cranberries to the milk and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated, then add the milk and cranberries and mix thoroughly.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and beat a few times until incorporated.
- Pour into three mini loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Notes
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Looking for more noms? Check out my Rosemary & Olive Oil Bread, or my Grilled Prosciutto, Mozzarella, and Pesto Mayo Sandwich!
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