Christmas Banana Bread

Christmas Banana Bread is a holiday favorite that brings warmth and cheer to any table. This recipe combines the natural sweetness of ripe bananas with the bright flavors of orange zest and dried cranberries, creating a loaf that’s both moist and beautiful.

Perfect for Christmas morning, this easy cinnamon banana bread is as versatile as it is delicious. Enjoy it fresh from the oven, freeze it for later, or wrap it up in a festive paper and string for a heartfelt homemade gift. Its cozy aroma and lively taste make it a must-have for the season.

What is Christmas banana bread?

While our best ever Sour Cream Banana Bread is incredibly popular – I get messages all the time saying how moist and wonderful it is – I knew it was time to make a “Christmasy” version. 

This Christmas banana bread is a moist and delicious banana bread with cranberries, orange, and walnuts for a holiday twist. 

I love to gift it as a homemade holiday gift or hostess gift, if you keep your hands off it for long enough. Like one of my readers states – “This bread is amazing!!! So moist and delicious with the orange and cranberries!!  Luckily, I wasn’t making it as a gift… there wouldn’t have been anything left to give!!!”

Why you’ll love this recipe

• The cranberries and orange give it a bright holiday flair!
• You can bake smaller loaves to share as a holiday gift. 
• The loaves freeze beautifully. 
• Serves beautifully on our “frost your own cinnamon rolls board.”

Ingredients needed 

• Butter: Softened, so it creams easily with the sugar.
• Sugar: Sweetens the loaf and helps create a tender crumb.
• Eggs: Two large eggs, beaten.
• Flour: All-purpose flour gives the bread structure.
• Baking soda: The leavening agent that helps the loaf rise.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
• Mashed bananas: About 3 ripe bananas. The riper, the better!
• Sour cream: This is the secret to an extra-moist crumb.
• Vanilla: For delicious flavor.
• Fresh orange juice: Adds a bright, citrusy note.
• Orange zest: Packed with festive orange flavor.
• Dried sweetened cranberries: These add chewy, tart-sweet pockets throughout the bread.
• Walnuts: Optional, but they add a lovely crunch.

How do you make Christmas banana bread?

Prepare

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. 
2. Grease and flour one 9-inch loaf pan (and one small loaf pan).

Make the batter

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs and mix well.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; combine with the butter mixture.
4. Add the sour cream, mashed bananas, vanilla, fresh orange juice, and orange zest; stir well.
5. Add the dried sweetened cranberries and the chopped walnuts. Mix until just combined.

Bake and serve

1. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake the large pan for 50-55 minutes. Bake the small pan for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
2. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out onto a rack to cool completely.
3. When cooled, wrap with paper and tie a string around it to look Christmasy, if you can!

Serving

This holiday banana bread is perfect to serve on Christmas morning, paired with a hearty breakfast casserole, a fresh fruit salad, and a fun Christmas Cinnamon Roll Board!

Of course it’s delicious with regular butter, Sweet Spiced Apple Butter, and strawberry jam!

Sandy’s tips and substitutions:

• Gift it: Wrap and give away for a holiday gift!
• Ripe bananas: The spottier the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. If your bananas aren’t ripe yet, place them in a paper bag for a day or two.
• Don’t overmix the batter: Always only mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Overmixing can make the bread tough.
• Pan size matters: If you don’t have a small loaf pan, you can bake the entire batter in one large pan, but you may need to increase the baking time. Always check for doneness with a toothpick.
• Don’t overcook the bread! A quick bread has finished cooking when an inserted cake tester or toothpick comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. A few crumbs are OK! Raw batter means the bread needs more time to cook.
• Zesting tip: Use a microplane or fine grater to zest the orange, and be sure to avoid the bitter white pith underneath.
• Make ahead: The bread can be baked a day ahead. Store it wrapped tightly at room temperature. The flavor actually improves overnight!
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Freezing: To freeze, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months!

Variations:

• Omit the cranberries and orange: You can leave out the orange or the cranberries if you want, for regular sour cream banana bread.
• Easy swaps: Replace the cranberries with mini chocolate chips. You can also replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt, like we did in this recipe.
• Add-ins: You can add different types of nuts, coconut, or dried fruit.
• Different size loaves: Makes 1 large loaf (plus 1 small), or 4 small loaves.
• Glazed loaf: Drizzle a simple orange glaze (powdered sugar mixed with fresh orange juice) over the cooled bread.

If you enjoyed this Christmas banana bread, be sure to try my Maple Pecan Pull-Apart Bread or Amish Cinnamon Breadfor more holiday favorites.

More Christmas treats you may want to try:

• Danish Kringle
• Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling
• M and M Christmas Cookies
• White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

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Get the Recipe:

Christmas Banana Bread

Sandy Coughlin

Makes 1 large loaf and 1 small loaf or 4 small loaves.

Christmas Banana Bread blends sweet cranberries and orange into a cozy loaf of quick bread that’s perfect for brunch, freezing, or gifting.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Yield: 10

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup mashed bananas, about 3
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. orange zest
• 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
• ¼ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Equipment

• 1 large loaf pan or 4 small

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 9-inch loaf pan (and one small loaf pan).
• In a large bowl, cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix well.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; combine with the butter mixture.
• Add the sour cream, bananas, vanilla, fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest; stir well.
• Add the dried sweetened cranberries and the chopped walnuts. Mix until combined.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake a large pan for 50-55 minutes. [Small pan for 33-35 minutes].
• Cool for 10 minutes and then turn the loaf out onto a rack.
• When cooled wrap with paper and tie a string around? If you can, look Christmasy.

Notes

Sandy’s tips:

• Gift it: Wrap and give away for a holiday gift!
• Ripe bananas: The spottier the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. If your bananas aren’t ripe yet, place them in a paper bag for a day or two.
• Don’t overmix the batter: Always only mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Overmixing can make the bread tough.
• Pan size matters: If you don’t have a small loaf pan, you can bake the entire batter in one large pan, but you may need to increase the baking time. Always check for doneness with a toothpick.
• Don’t overcook the bread! A quick bread has finished cooking when an inserted cake tester or toothpick comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. A few crumbs are OK! Raw batter means the bread needs more time to cook.
• Zesting tip: Use a microplane or fine grater to zest the orange, and be sure to avoid the bitter white pith underneath.
• Make ahead: The bread can be baked a day ahead. Store it wrapped tightly at room temperature. The flavor actually improves overnight!
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Freezing: To freeze, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months!

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Calories: 343kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 64mg, Sodium: 321mg, Potassium: 158mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin A: 432IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1mg

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