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:
Lexie says
PACKED with NUTRITION!!! Looks delicious. I am imagining it slathered with melted (ahem) butter! Beautiful recipe. The almond board couldn’t have picked a better chef.
FAY FOX says
HI ELENA:
THIS IS THE 7th LOAF OF BRAD I’VE MADE USING YOUR RECIPES, AND THE 4th ONE THAT I’VE MADE USING 1 & 1/2 TIMES YOUR RECIPE, I MADE THE BANANA , BREAD/CAKE;I USED 1/2 CUP CHOPPED PEACANS AND 3/4 CUPS FINELY CHOPPED 72% DARK CHOCOLATE. IT TURNED OUT GREAT, AS DID THE LAST VERSION OF YOUR SANDWICH BREAD.
I USE PARPARCHMENT PAPER IN THE BOTTOM OF MY PAN, WHICH I GREASE 1st.
I ALSO MADE YOUR OTHER CRANBERRY ALMOND,BREAD THAT WAS EXCELLENT!
I just MADE YOUR NEW CRANBERRY ALMOND LOAF, YOUR RECIPE TIMES 1/2 MORE TO FIT INTO MY 9″X5″ TIN LOAF PAN, IT COULD USE ANOTHER TEASPOON OF SWEETNER, AND IT WAS DRY, COULD USE MORE LIQUID! THIS WAS THE ONLY RECIPE THAT TURNED OUT DRY!
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL RECIPES!
BUBBIEFAY
Jay says
FYI… All uppercase is considered yelling or being rude.
lulu says
elana,
I spent quite a bit of money getting the exact ingredients for this recipe. My criticism is that it was overly salty, not sweet at all and very dry. As an adept baker, I’m curious what I could have done wrong. I followed the directions with attention and still the product was terrible. This rarely happens to me. I’m terribly disappointed and wondered if others have had better luck with this recipe.
As an aside, you also refer to using almond flour to dust the pan yet it isn’t in the list of ingredients (I pay attention to details.)
Thanks for your effort but no thanks. I have other gluten free recipes that are far more tasty than this was. Overall it was an expensive failure.
Jennifer says
Hello LuLu,
I’m surprised by your experience with this loaf. I just pulled it out of the oven and it turned out fabulous. These muesli type breads can be a little drier but I like how sturdy they are and the cranberries make it pretty moist. I’m eating it right now and could eat it all day!
Did you use all the ingredients she specified in the recipe?- like creamy roasted almond butter? Because if you did, it will turn out perfect like mine!
lulu says
Jennifer, Yes, I used every ingredient, exactly, as specified. I’m baffled. I’ve been cooking gluten free for several years so I’m no stranger to the difference in textures when it comes to grains and flour substitutions in breads and baked goods. If it wasn’t so costly, I would try it again but frankly I just don’t trust that the recipe is sound. I’m glad it worked for you though.
Mary Fitzpatrick says
I used blanched almond flour instead of arrowroot powder. And added 2 tablespoons of B grade maple syrup (for moisture). You can slice and store in a plastic oontainer which tends to dampen the bread, making it
more moist. I keep my container in the refrigerator. FYI I do not store any of Elana’s other breads in a plastic container.
Mary says
I tried this today. I would like a bit sweeter, and would add Agave nectar or honey if I made again. Also, it was a bit dry. Try testing before the 40 minutes.
Sophie says
Hello Elana!!
I so love your COOL foodblog & your tasty & fab recipes!!
I have tried a few because since 4 weeks, I am eating gluten free because I am gluten sensitive. I have lots more energy, I feel a lot better & I lose weight at the same time too!
This almond & cranberry bread aka cake looks just STUNNING!!!
Many greetings from a foodie fan from Brussels, Belgium!!!
Anton Smitsendonk says
I live in Paris and in Paris I cannot find the sour real Californian dried apricots.
(Not the sweet Turkish variety)
Next week I have to travel to Brussels, and I had some hope that I could find those sour californian apricots in Brussels, since I remember having found them in Holland.
Do you give me the good news that indeed I might find that apricot variety in Brussels?
Where to look ?
your grateful
Anton
(my wife while writing and telephoning) nearly LIVES on californian sour apricots.
Ellen says
Hi Elana. I have started reading “The Gluten-Free Almond Flour cookbook” as well as checking some of the recipes on your website. What is the purpose of arrowroot in this recipe, and in some of the muffin recipes in your cookbook?
I ask because I need to figure out a suitable substitute for the arrowroot, given that I have to adhere to the rules of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I used to use arrowroot as a substitute for cornstarch when I made my own baking powder, because I am allergic to corn. Now that I am on SCD, I use only baking soda and not baking powder.
By the way, I have baked your recipe for breakfast bars a few times, substituting clear honey for agave nectar, with excellent results. I don’t have celiac disease or diabetes, so I don’t have to worry about the glycemic index of honey. I am allergic to sunflower seeds, so I have been substituting coarsely chopped pecans for the sunflower seeds in that recipe.
Thanks in advance.
Jeanine says
Hi Ellen,
Im guessing you may have found out by now but tapioca flour is an ideal substitite for arrowroot flour. It has the same fineness, consistency etc, and here in NZ much more cheaper to buy. We stock at the specialty store I work at or it can be found in asian or south american foodstores too as it is a common and traditional ingredient.And lets not forget, still grain free, tapioca/cassava is a root food source too.
Nancy says
I also eat Gf/SCD. I use all Elana’s recipes.I sub small amounts of
coconut flour for arrowroot with perfect results.
In Elana’s lemon biscotti recipe which I doubled, I use 1 1/2 tblsp. of coconut flour instead of the arrowroot.I use honey instead of agave. I increase the baking soda to 1 tsp. I also increase the lemon zest to 2+ tblsp. Equally nice with orange zest. Cinnamon is another fav- 1 to 1/12 tblsp.
Gratefully Gluten Free says
This bread is awesome! I made some last night and it is outstanding! I used my all purpose gluten free flour with millet, in place of the ones called for in the recipe and it is fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
paula owen says
I would really like to know if you can give a calorie count for your recipes you have wonderful recipes!!!!
elana says
Hi Paula,
Thanks for your comment.
The Almond Board has provided the calorie count for this recipe on their website. You can find that over here: http://www.almondboard.com/Consumer/RecipeIdeas/Pages/RecipeDetailView.aspx?tr=0&RID=%20310db40c-09d0-4289-ab92-4932a0bd3b14
:-)
Joan says
I just purchased 2 lbs of Almond Flour and read on your comments it must be blanched Almond Flour! It was expensive and cannot be returned. Can I still use this in your recipes?
renee says
Congratulations on your new endeavors! How exciting!
This looks delicious – and I think I have all the ingredients in my pantry and frig. I am bookmarking this one to make sometime soon. I think I will try it with some goat cheese…
zebe912 says
I really want to try this. I know I don’t have that much arrowroot around. I’ll look for a sub option, otherwise this will have to wait a bit. Now I’m hungry for apricots!