Take your pumpkin bread to the next level with these mini Cranberry Nut Pumpkin Loaves. Jammy-tart cranberries and crunchy walnuts topped with a cinnamon streusel make this pumpkin quick bread a festive favorite.
Every year around Thanksgiving we make Aunt Lynne’s Famous Pumpkin Bread — it’s the embodiment of the holidays for our family and wonderful simply sliced. If you want a riff on that classic, this version adds mix-ins and a crunchy topping for extra texture and flavor.
If you love nuts, fruity tang, or a generous streusel, this recipe is for you. The walnuts add a satisfying crunch while fresh cranberries give bursts of bright tartness throughout the loaf.
This is Aunt Lynne’s Pumpkin Bread 2.0: the same warm cinnamon, clove and allspice aromas with added cranberries, walnuts and streusel. I scaled the original recipe (which makes three large loaves) down to produce three smaller mini loaves — ideal for gifting.
Wrap a loaf in parchment, add a ribbon and a tag, and you have a homemade gift that looks and tastes special.
One loaf went to the freezer for a friend; the rest didn’t last long at our house. These mini loaves are moist, aromatic and full of holiday flavor.
More quick bread recipes:
- Aunt Lynne’s Pumpkin Bread
- Ultra Moist Zucchini Bread
- Coconut Macadamia Banana Bread
- Bourbon Brown Sugar Banana Bread
- Banana Pumpkin Streusel Quick Bread
- Hatch Green Chile Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Gluten Free Coconut Banana Bread
Cranberry Nut Pumpkin Loaves
INGREDIENTS:
For the streusel
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup dry old-fashioned oatmeal
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
For the bread
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned, not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup + 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, divided
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour (or additional all-purpose)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 6 ounces fresh cranberries
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three mini loaf pans (5 3/4 x 3 1/4 x 2″).
- Make the streusel: In a small bowl, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your fingertips to blend until the butter is incorporated. Stir in the oatmeal and walnuts; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the sugar, vegetable oil and eggs until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, sift together 1 cup of the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, mace (if using), nutmeg and allspice.
- Add half the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix on medium-low just until combined. Add half the water and mix. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then add the remaining water.
- Toss the cranberries with the remaining 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour in the bowl that held the dry ingredients. Add the cranberries and chopped walnuts to the batter and fold gently to combine.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three loaf pans. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over each loaf.
- Place the pans on a baking sheet and bake 45–50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
NOTES:
If you don’t have whole wheat flour, use an equal amount of all-purpose flour instead.
NUTRITION:
Calories: 337 kcal | Carbohydrates: 44 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 16 g | Saturated Fat: 8 g | Cholesterol: 26 mg | Sodium: 162 mg | Potassium: 149 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 22 g | Vitamin A: 2640 IU | Vitamin C: 2.3 mg | Calcium: 30 mg | Iron: 1.7 mg
Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later!
