Cranberry White Chocolate Bread
This cranberry white chocolate bread features tart fresh cranberries, creamy white chocolate, and a buttery pecan streusel topping. Moist, tender, and perfect for breakfast or gifting.
Ingredients
Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 284g, spoon and level
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries 170g, lightly chopped
- 1 cup brown sugar 212g, packed
- 1/3 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
- 4 ounces white chocolate 113g, melted
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure extract
- 1 cup sour cream 227g, full-fat
Streusel Topping
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 36g
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pecans 85g, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons cold butter cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper, letting it hang over the sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for about 30 seconds. Add chopped cranberries and toss to coat them in the flour mixture.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, oil, melted white chocolate, egg, vanilla, and sour cream until smooth with no streaks.
- Pour wet ingredients into the flour-cranberry mixture. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. The batter will be lumpy. Do not overmix.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
- For the streusel: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, and finely chopped pecans. Add cold butter pieces and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
- Sprinkle streusel evenly over the batter. Do not press down.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes without opening the oven door for the first 45 minutes. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the top is golden brown, and edges pull slightly from the pan.
- Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift the bread out and transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing, at least 30 minutes.
- Slice with a serrated knife and serve.
Notes
White Chocolate: Use real white chocolate bars (with cocoa butter), not chips. Melt in 15-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each burst. Let cool slightly before adding to wet ingredients.
Cranberries: Fresh work best. If using frozen, do not thaw - add them frozen. Tossing in flour prevents sinking.
Storage: Room temperature for 3 days (wrapped tightly), refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months (wrap in plastic then foil).
Substitutions: Full-fat plain yogurt or Greek yogurt can replace sour cream. Dried cranberries can be used (1 cup, soaked and drained) but reduce brown sugar by 2 tablespoons.