This Paleo Cranberry Almond Bread recipe is packed with nuts and dried fruit and is my own healthy gluten-free version of muesli bread.
Studded with dried apricots and cranberries, as well as crunchy bites of almonds, and sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds, this easy gluten-free bread recipe is a fabulous every day bread, but also great for special occasions. Many fans tell me that they serve this as an Easter bread or as a healthy Christmas fruitcake. Made with low-carb almond butter, this is a flourless bread recipe that can be thrown together in just a few minutes!
Cranberry Almond Bread
Ingredients
- ¾ cup creamy roasted almond butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup arrowroot powder
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup dried apricots, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup raw sesame seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, plus 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top
- olive oil for greasing
- blanched almond flour (not almond meal) for dusting
Instructions
- In a large bowl, blend almond butter, olive oil, and eggs with a hand blender until smooth
- In a medium bowl, combine arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda
- Blend arrowroot mixture into wet ingredients until thoroughly combined
- Fold in apricots, cranberries, seeds, and sliced almonds
- Grease a 7.5 x 3.5 inch magic line loaf pan with olive oil and dust with almond flour
- Transfer batter into loaf pan and sprinkle remaining sliced almonds on top
- Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes until a knife inserted into center comes out clean
- Let bread cool in pan for 1 hour, then serve
To store this bread, wrap in a paper towel, seal in a plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
We slice this Cranberry Almond Bread and enjoy it as a jazzed up base for Turkey Club Sandwiches. We also love it toasted and dipped in olive oil, with a side of eggs, for a delicious paleo breakfast. Personally, I like Cranberry Almond Bread toasted and smothered in my homemade goat cheese.
I developed this Paleo Cranberry Almond Bread for the Almond Board of California to promote healthy and delicious eating. I’m working with the Almond Board because I love almonds. They are a superfood and of course one of my favorite things to nibble on. In fact, I like almonds so much that I wrote an entire book about them, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook which uses almonds in all of its recipes!
Here are some of my other paleo bread recipes that use almonds for you:
jessica says
What a beautiful photo! Congrats on working with the Almond Board of California. Can’t wait to see the other recipes!
Primal Toad says
This looks delicious! That’s awesome that you are working with the Almond Board of California! Good luck!
Anne Marie Snyder says
Great to hear that you will be in Davis in August. I usually go to the Sacramento Celiac Sprue Assoc. Meetings but I’ll definitely plan to come to Davis to meet you. Can’t wait. Your cookbook has been such a blessing for my health!!
Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free says
Congrats, Elana! It’s wonderful that you’re able to continue your work on a larger platform. I wish you all the best.
And, your Cranberry Almond Loaf looks fabulous.
Abigail says
Arrowroot powder is too starchy for me… Do you think this would work with coconut flour instead?
I’ll have to experiment because it sounds wonderful!
Lisa says
This looks delicious!! I can’t wait to try ii, though I may substitute coconut oil.
Enjoy your talk at Erewhon, that is my favorite health food store in LA.
I would have loved to come to your signing, but Saturdays don’t work for me.
Lisa
christin says
You should only use organic nuts and seeds.
Poor almond farming practices are one of the main reasons bee’s are dieing off at such an alarming rate.
Also you should also soak the nuts before you eat them. They are very high in Phytic acid.
http://www.nutritionalhealingclinic.com/FAQ_and_Resources_5MMV.html#Soaking_grains,_seeds_and_nuts
I’m going to go start my nuts..I can’t wait to try this. YUM!!
Ellie Snyder says
Dear Elana
I’m happy that you are working with the Almond Board. Are you aware that California almonds must now be “sterilized” before going to the consumer? This is either a heat process or a chemical process that is not totally safe.
I only use almonds from Italy or other countries so as not to have to use these almonds. The Almond Board insists there is no degradation of nutrients but I don’t believe they carry their analysis far enough to be credible.
I do make an exception using Almond Flour for your recipes but believe me if I could get another source I would do so.
I am among the consumers working to create an end to this process or at least honesty in labeling. The Board does not differentiate the treated almonds from totally raw and insists on calling them raw even though they have been treated. I believe the problems come from poor handling and not an intrinsic problem with California almonds.
Keep up your good work.
Aloha,
Ellie
Katherine says
Aloha–
I totally agree with your statement about wanting to make sure that your nuts are truly raw. The pasteurization process for these almonds as a “rule” seems pretty absurd. I would suggest using a food processor or high speed blender to make your own almond flour out of the truly raw that you purchase. It is cheaper than some almond meals/flours that you can buy, and it will guarantee that they have not been pasteurized. Of course if you’re going to bake this flour in the oven, you will not be keeping the enzymes fully intact in your recipe anyways, so it is not necessarily worth the extra step.
Love the website! Happy baking!
johanna says
Can you substitute cornfstarch for the arrowroot? thanks
i love you site!
VeggieGirl says
Elana, I’ll be in California around that same time!!! Contact me via Facebook or email to let me know if we’ll be in the same area :)