Orange Bread Loaf – The Best Homemade Recipe!

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Featuring fresh orange juice and sweet orange zest, this classic orange bread recipe is packed with bright citrus flavor!

What makes this the best orange bread?

Juicy orange sweetness bursts through each delicious bite.
You will love its soft, tender crumb and irresistibly moist and fluffy texture.
An easy, one bowl quick bread recipe with no yeast or stand mixer required.
High in vitamin c and iron, low in fat and sodium, with under 150 calories per slice.
The frosted orange loaf is a great gift for friends or family and tastes like orange cake!
It’s an absolutely wonderful healthy breakfast, weekend brunch, or light dessert.

Also try this homemade Strawberry Bread

Step by step recipe video

Orange loaf ingredients

Orange juice – A cup of orange juice gives this recipe its delightful orange flavor. Choose natural fresh squeezed orange juice (with or without pulp) for the most vibrant, best results. Prepared frozen orange juice from concentrate can be used in a pinch.

Flour – The quick loaf works with all purpose white flour, whole grain spelt flour, or all purpose gluten free flour. Whole wheat flour and oat flour produce a dense bread. Avoid coconut flour at all costs, as it yields a dry and crumbly texture.

If you would like to substitute almond flour, I recommend this Keto Lemon Bread recipe instead. (Simply swap out the lemon juice and zest in the recipe for orange.)

Sugar – Go with your favorite granulated sweetener. Options that work well include traditional white sugar, unrefined turbinado or coconut sugar, date sugar, or sugar free xylitol or a granular monk fruit blend.

Orange zest – The recipe calls for a tablespoon of orange zest, or the amount from about two standard size oranges.

Vanilla extract – Look for pure vanilla extract at the grocery store. The warming vanilla flavor compliments the summer sweetness of the oranges nicely.

Oil – I love coconut oil here, because it adds a slight tropical flair. You can use butter or vegetable oil as well. And while I personally prefer the version with fat, multiple readers have substituted applesauce or mashed banana for the oil and loved the results. So it is up to you!

Optional egg or flax – Add one egg, or one prepared flax egg if you want a egg free and vegan loaf. Or omit the egg entirely and increase the orange juice by three tablespoons.

Other ingredients – You will also need baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Before measuring, make sure these ingredients are not expired.

Use up leftover oranges in an Orange Smoothie

Katie’s baking tips and tricks

Include the orange zest. It may seem like a small amount, but the zest is an important ingredient that heightens the orangey flavor profile and should not be omitted.

After zesting the peel, do not waste your oranges. You should be able to get around a fourth cup of fresh juice per orange, and this juice can be used in the recipe as well.

If using coconut oil, ensure other ingredients are not cold. The oil will harden if it meets cold orange juice, so allow your juice to come to room temperature before mixing all of the liquid ingredients together.

Go with the correct pan size. I tested this orange quick bread in a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Baking in a pan that is too small may cause your loaf to require more cooking time or sink in the middle. Similarly, using a pan too large may result in a flat or tough, overcooked loaf.

Add Cranberries. One of my favorite variations is adding fresh cranberries. For a delightfully cozy cranberry loaf, just follow this recipe: Cranberry Orange Bread.

Add a basic glaze. The orange dessert is tasty on its own or spread with butter or cream cheese. But glazing the recipe takes it over the top in cakey deliciousness. Try a super simple icing of 1/4 cup powdered sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon orange juice. Or frost the bread with any store bought or homemade cream cheese frosting.

How to make orange cake bread

Begin by greasing a 9×5 inch loaf pan and optionally lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for easiest loaf removal after baking. Set this pan aside.
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 176° Celsius.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda to a large mixing bowl. Stir well to evenly incorporate these ingredients.
Now stir in the orange juice, orange zest, oil or butter, egg or flax egg, and pure vanilla extract until the batter is just evenly mixed. Do not overbeat.
Use a large spoon or spatula to smooth the quick bread batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake on the center rack of the oven for forty minutes, or until the bread has risen and is lightly golden in color. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean.
Carefully remove the hot baking pan from the oven and let it cool completely.
Then go around the sides of the orange bread with a knife and invert it onto a serving plate. (Alternatively, you can cut slices directly from the pan.)
Enjoy right away, or loosely cover the loaf and let sit on the counter overnight. If you have patience, both the taste and texture are even better the next day!
Refrigerate any leftovers lasting more than one day, or slice and freeze in an airtight covered container for optimal freshness. Thaw frozen quick bread before serving.

The recipe was adapted from this Vegan Lemon Loaf and Blueberry Bread.

*The recipe works well with spelt flour, all purpose white flour, or all purpose gluten free flour.
1. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and optionally line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
2. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit (176° Celsius).
3. Stir flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl until evenly incorporated.
4. Stir in the orange juice, zest, oil, egg or flax egg, and pure vanilla extract until just evenly mixed. Do not overbeat the batter.
5. Spread into the prepared pan, then bake on the center rack of the oven for 40 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked in the center. A toothpick inserted into the middle of the orange bread should come out mostly clean.
6. Let cool fully before going around the sides of the pan with a knife and popping the loaf onto a serving plate. (Alternatively, cut slices directly from the pan.)
7. Store leftovers loosely covered on the counter overnight. Both the taste and texture taste even better the next day!
8. Any leftovers after one day should be covered and refrigerated or frozen for optimal freshness.