The perfect sweet treat to brighten up any afternoon, this gluten-free cranberry walnut bread is secretly good for you. Instead of being loaded with sugar and fat like regular quick bread, this tasty snack is brimming with nutritious ingredients that will make you feel great.
This cranberry walnut bread recipe uses a combination of rice flour and almond flour in place of regular wheat flour, making it 100% gluten-free so anyone can enjoy a slice. Not everyone is a fan of gluten-free baking. But just one mouthful of this amazing walnut bread will completely change your mind.
One of my favorite things about this gluten-free cranberry walnut bread is the delectable balance between nutty, sweet, and zesty. The walnuts inside the loaf and sprinkled on top create a deliciously earthy buttery flavor complimented by the sweet dried cranberries hidden throughout the bread. The icing drizzled on top, scattered with fresh, zingy lemon zest cuts through the nutty sweetness so it’s never too much.
Worlds away from the dense and crumbly texture some gluten-free quick breads have. This bread recipe is moist and has an incredible cake-like texture you won’t be able to get enough of. I love nibbling on a slice in the afternoon with a cup of tea. It’s a great way to forget about whatever’s happened during the rest of the day and relax.
Is walnut bread good for you?
Walnut bread is definitely good for you. Walnuts are rich in antioxidants, they’re an amazing plant-based source. The omega-3s and they may help decrease inflammation, which is at the root of many diseases. This walnut bread is especially good for you because it also contains coconut sugar which is much higher in minerals, antioxidants and fibre than regular granulated sugar, plus agave syrup which doesn’t spike blood sugar levels.
While fresh or frozen cranberries are tart and bitter, the dried cranberries in this recipe are sweet and delicious. Better still, the tiny fruits lose hardly any of their nutritional value during the drying process. It’s meaning they’re every bit as good for you as the fresh kind.
It doesn’t end there! Instead of being made mostly from sugar like regular icing, the icing drizzled on this gluten-free cranberry walnut bread is made from coconut butter. Coconut butter comes from the whole coconut, meaning it has high levels of fibre, protein, potassium, magnesium and iron, as well as lauric acid which increases your good cholesterol.
What are psyllium husks?
Another reason this gluten-free cranberry walnut bread is so good for you is because it contains psyllium husks. This is a type of fibre which is incredible for boosting healthy digestion. All this means you can have just one small piece of the quick bread. And feel full and satisfied, all the while looking after yourself and your digestive health.
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Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread
Ingredients
For the bread
- 2 cups brown or white rice flour
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 6 oz coconut sugar
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 orange zested
- 1 oz agave syrup
- 1 cup orange juice freshly squeezed is best
- 1 ¼ cups full-fat coconut milk
- ⅓ cup coconut manna/coconut butter melted
- ½ cup psyllium husks
- 5 oz dried cranberries
- 1 1/3 cup walnuts
For the icing
- ⅓ cup coconut manna/coconut butter melted
- 1 lemon zested
Instructions
- Place the walnuts on a lined baking sheet and toast at 400F/200C for 5 minutes. Leave to cool, chop and set aside 1/3 cup to top the bread with later.
- In a large bowl, sift together the rice flour, almond flour and baking powder. Mix in the salt.
- In a second medium-sized bowl, stir together the coconut sugar, lemon and orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips to really bring out the flavour. You know you’re doing it right when the sugar becomes moist.
- Stir in the agave syrup, orange juice, coconut milk and melted coconut butter. Beat until combined.
- Mix in the psyllium husks.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat with a hand mixer until just combined.
- Stir in the cranberries and chopped walnuts with a dry spatula.
- Lightly grease a loaf tin with cooking spray and scoop the bread dough into it. Smooth down the top with a spatula.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and bake the bread for 40-50 minutes.
- Leave the bread to cool completely before spreading the coconut butter on top, sprinkling with lemon zest and topping with the toasted, chopped walnuts.