• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • New Magazine!
  • Bread
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans

Banana Cranberry Bread

November 10, 2008 by Joy the Baker 97 Comments

It should come as no surprise that I relate to the world through food. Sure, I’m fairly well adjusted, I can carry on a warm conversation and function in life, but in the secret world that is my brain, I’m always trying to understand the world around me by relating it to something I’ve eaten.

Crazy? Maybe. Confusing? Let me explain.

Say I walk into my parents’ house and am greeted with a hug and kiss from my father. That’s just like eating a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream smothered with warm dulce de leche sauce. The hug from my dad and the ice cream create the same feeling in my brain. Get it?

The smell of fresh rain on concrete is just like eating a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.

Having a heart to heart with my mom is just like sipping Earl Grey tea with extra sugar and milk.

Getting a paper cut is just like taking a shot of cheap tequila with salt and dry limes.

Falling absolutely, head over heals, silly in love with someone is just like smooth bourbon and cigarettes at midnight.

Sitting next to Grandmother at the dinner table and feeling her almost thoughtlessly stroke my hand as if it were her own… that’s just like this perfectly spiced Banana Cranberry Bread. Yes, there’s that much comfort in the bread. It’s the real deal.

Is this making any sense? My head has been in the clouds lately. Chalk it up to lots of bourbon and cigarettes at midnight.

Wherever my head is these days, I do know amazing banana bread when it crosses my path- thank goodness for that.

Banana Cranberry Bread

thank you to SmittenKitchen who thanks SimplyRecipes

Print this Recipe!

3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted salted butter
3/4-1 cup light brown sugar, depending on the level of sweetness you prefer
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 cup of flour

1 cup fresh cranberries

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, mix. Add the cranberries, and stir until just incorporated. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Bread, Breakfast, Fruit, Holiday, Recipes

Previous Post: « Sugar Crusted Ginger Chewies
Next Post: Hungarian Paprika Chicken »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lizzie

    November 10, 2008 at 12:56 pm

    i’m completely convinced. you couldn’t have written a better, more alluring prelude to this recipe even if you tried!

    Reply
  2. Sassy

    November 10, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    Sounds amazing!

    Reply
  3. bjjj

    November 10, 2008 at 12:10 pm

    looks amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing (gasp!)

    Reply
  4. Jaina

    November 10, 2008 at 11:53 am

    I love the relation of life to food, how neat. You could totally do a book on mood foods, with things to eat to feel those ways. :)

    Reply
  5. Edna

    November 10, 2008 at 11:26 am

    Wow!!! This post is absolutely beautiful. Thanks for always sharing your awesome recipes and stories.

    Reply
  6. Shaw Girl

    November 10, 2008 at 10:12 am

    It makes perfect sense to me…I associate smells of food with memories and feelings. Right now, my apartment is filled with the smell of baking brioches and that takes me right back to my childhood in Germany. And oddly enough, I’m sipping Earl Grey tea now!

    Reply
  7. Emily Rose

    November 10, 2008 at 10:02 am

    what a great idea- banana bread is so sweet that I’m sure tart cranberries would be the perfect compliment. I might have to make some to bring with me when I visit my in-laws for Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  8. QL girl

    November 10, 2008 at 8:23 am

    No, not crazy at all… :-)

    I made the “All Purpose holiday cake” this weekend, and it was a big hit with the family! Chopping up all those apples though…I must really love them! What I’m getting at is that I have almost a whole bag of cranberries left over…I’m SO making this!! I hope they can eat fast enough to keep up with my baking…

    Reply
  9. Amanda

    November 10, 2008 at 8:22 am

    hhmm, should I send up a new supply of bourbon for you?! my idea of falling in love is dark chocolate and flutes of champagne. LOTS of both!

    Reply
  10. snooky doodle

    November 10, 2008 at 8:04 am

    Ha its nice how you relate to food in every day situation :) This bread looks so nice!! the colours are ideal for christmas :) ha I m relating events to food too!! maybe you re not alone :)

    Reply
  11. sandi @ the whistlestop cafe

    November 10, 2008 at 8:01 am

    Girl, from your lips to God’s ears. You are so right!
    This totally explains why I would rather eat a plate of fried green tomatoes than a lean cuisine.
    I’m glad I found you~ I’ll be back.

    Reply
  12. patsyk

    November 10, 2008 at 6:59 am

    My oldest would LOVE this bread! I’m going to have to give it a try this week… I’ve bought several bags of cranberries to keep on hand throughout the winter, and this looks like a good way to begin using them.

    Reply
  13. HoneyB

    November 10, 2008 at 6:56 am

    Your bread looks lovely and I believe I really can feel the comfort just reading your post! Probably because I can feel the grandmother stroking my hand in my mind even though it physically never happens anymore. Great post.

    Reply
  14. My First Kitchen

    November 10, 2008 at 6:11 am

    For real, this made me a little teary. And I don’t get teary. You’ve put words to thoughts that until now made sense only to me. On a regular Monday morning, I’m extremely grateful to you for that.

    Reply
  15. Hedonistin

    November 10, 2008 at 3:10 am

    I never liked banana bread, but this one looks incredible good!
    And I don’t think it’s crazy to relate to the world through food. Food is kind of emotion, isn’t it? But maybe that’s hard to understand for members of the fastfood generation. :-)

    Reply
Newer Comments »
Comments Page 1 of 7
1 2 3 … 7 Next »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Bread

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate
How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Micro batch baking – the invitation is to get all the way into it with me!  This is all very Kristin Wiig  making herself a single, sad cupcake in the movie Bridesmaids, save for the fact that there is absolutely zero sadness in me eating a single cinnamon roll over the kitchen sink in my…

Read More

Pile of baked croissants on rack just like starbucks ham and cheese croissant recipe.
Easy Ham and Cheese Croissants

I’ve got 30 solid minutes of your weekend planned out for you.  You’re going to be standing in the kitchen, but I promise it won’t be long. Pour a cup of coffee – that’ll help with everything.  Within your 30 minutes you’re going to pull bakery-quality ham and cheese croissants out of the oven.  I’m…

Read More

Hot cross buns frosted.
Easter Hot Cross Biscuits

Where do you land when it comes to Easter brunch?  Are you a ham, roasted lamb, and scalloped potato family?  Are you more of a quiche salad and biscuit clan?  Do you skip directly to the jelly beans and Cadbury mini eggs?  I’m nodding my head yes – there’s no wrong way to do it. …

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe

Joy the baker with dyed bandana around neck

HOW TO MAKE DYED BANDANAS

as seen in JtB Magazine!

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

FAVORITE FRUIT RECIPES

Baked peach scones stacked with butter.

Easy Peaches and Cream Scones

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

POPULAR CAKES

strawberry sheet cake on a plate with strawberries on top.

My Favorite Super Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake

Slice of coconut cake on small white plate with coffee.

My favorite Coconut Cake is actually made with cake mix

A slice of lemon blueberry gooey butter cake held on a cake slicer.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
Your weekend baking sorted! 🫠 Just add peanut b Your weekend baking sorted! 🫠 Just add peanut butter and marshmallows to the grocery list. ⁣
⁣
Also, if you snuck some 🍫🍫 in with the marshmallow you’d have a lil peanut butter cookie s’more and no one would be mad. ⁣
⁣
Recipe linked in the profile! xo.
Our no-bake, 🍒🍋 dreams come true thanks to @ Our no-bake, 🍒🍋 dreams come true thanks to @theboywhobakes! ⁣
⁣
This perfect summer recipe is linked in the profile! xo
🤝🫠💓🍅 to July 2022. 🤝🫠💓🍅 to July 2022.
Just when you thought Peanut Butter Cookies couldn Just when you thought Peanut Butter Cookies couldn’t get any better - add a marshmallow, 🫠. Recipe inspired by @thecozyplum and linked in the profile! xo
I have the cutest 🍒 treat for you, friends! ⁣ I have the cutest 🍒 treat for you, friends! ⁣
⁣
I’ve collaborated with the good people @delicacies_jewelry to bring you your new favorite necklace! Cherries are the darling of summer and this sweet pair will help us savor the moment all year!⁣
⁣
Choose between rose gold, sterling silver, and gold necklaces.⁣
⁣
$10 of every 🍒 necklace purchase goes to @2ndharvestgnoa food bank and will provide 40 meals for the food insecure in South Louisiana. Use code cherryjoy15 for a discount through Sunday! Don’t let this slip past you! ⁣
⁣
Jewelry linked in the profile! Grab yours as they’ll definitely sell out! I hope you love these little darlings as much as I do!
⏰ for a GIVEAWAY! We’re giving away 🔟 per ⏰ for a GIVEAWAY! 

We’re giving away 🔟 personalized copies of Joy the Baker Summer Magazine! I can’t be the only one making this 🍌🍌 Malt Ice Box Cake!

To enter, like this post and comment below with the best part of your summer so far! Giveaway open to all and ends Sunday July 31st at midnight ct. 

Joy the Baker magazine is on magazine shelves until August 15th or you can grab your copy online (linked in the bio). It’s my best yet and I hope you love it! 

📸 with @emferretti for the magazine.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up