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Home / Recipes
1 hour 25 minutes
5 from 1 vote
8 Comments

Cranberry Cream Cheese Braid

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
  • 28
by: Joanna Cismaru
03.31.22

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This delicious Cranberry Cream Cheese Braid is so perfect for the holidays bursting with cranberries, cream cheese and an epic dough made completely from scratch!

Slices of Cranberries and Cream Cheese Bread

The Best Cranberry Cream Cheese Braid – Completely From Scratch

I love to bake breads, all kinds of breads. Recently we discovered a bakery close to our house that has a lot of great goodies. We bought this cranberry bread and it was good, but it was kind of lacking in cranberries. So I thought why not try and make one myself. Except I wanted to make it a bit more special and decided to add some cream cheese filling as well.

You know until recently I was sort of afraid to work with cranberries. I didn’t know what I can make with them and not only that, but I wasn’t that crazy about them. Now I love them, I especially love to make this cranberry jelly that I made for this bread. It’s just delicious. I usually bake on weekends and this type of bread is perfect for weekend breakfasts or brunch. Cranberries and cream cheese wrapped in sweet dough, sounds great, doesn’t it?

How To Make Cranberry Cream Cheese Braid

The dough is a basic sweet dough with eggs and milk. It’s not overly sweet, for both loaves you only use a 1/3 cup of sugar. To get the yeast started, in a medium bowl, add the warm milk, the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar, mix well. Add 2 cups of the flour to this and using a whisk whisk it all together. This is the dough starter or sponge, whatever you want to call it. Let this rest in a warm spot for about 1/2 hour. If the yeast is good it should rise. After the dough starter has doubled in size, add it to the bowl of your mixer. To this add the eggs, salt, sugar and melted butter. Mix on medium for a minute until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Start adding the remaining flour. In the ingredients list, I said 4 to 5 cups, so the dough should be soft, and just a bit sticky. I used only 4 cups of flour but it depends on the flour you use and other factors come in to play. Knead the dough by mixer using the dough attachment for about 5 minutes.

Process shot of making Cranberries and Cream Cheese Bread

Form the dough into a ball and let it rise until doubled in size. I used the same mixing bowl to let it sit and rise, but make sure you cover it up with some plastic wrap. It should take about 2 hours for it to double in size.

Process shot of making Cranberries and Cream Cheese Bread

While the dough is rising you can make the cream cheese mixture. Basically in a mixer just add all the ingredients and mix them for a couple minutes. In a sauce pan add all the ingredients for the cranberry filling and over medium heat cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. After the dough has doubled, divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. This recipe will make two loaves. Lightly flour your work surface. Take one half and roll it out into a rectangle that’s about 12 inches x 18 inches.

Process shot of making Cranberries and Cream Cheese Bread

I chose to braid this bread, so this is how I did it. Visually divide the length of the dough into 3 equal parts. The middle part is where our fillings will go. So using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into slice on each outside tab, making equal slits on each side.

Process shot of making Cranberries and Cream Cheese Bread

Place 1/2 of the cream cheese filling evenly over the uncut center of the dough and repeat with 1/2 of the cranberry mixture.

Process shot of assembling Cranberries and Cream Cheese Bread

Alternating from side to side, fold the cut pieces over the middle part. You might have to stretch them a bit so you can pinch them over to the other side.

Assembled Cranberries and Cream Cheese Bread

Repeat with the other half of the dough. Place these breads on an ungreased baking sheet. I let them rest for another half hour, they will just rise a bit more then brush them with the egg wash. I shaped one of my loaves like a boomerang just so that it fits on the baking sheet. 🙂

Cranberries and Cream Cheese Bread ready for baking

Bake them in a preheated oven at 375 F degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes or until nice and golden brown.

Baked Cranberries and Cream Cheese Bread

They are simply gorgeous and so good. It’s like eating bread and spreading some cream cheese and jelly over it, except you don’t have to do that, it comes with all the goodies on it. So good, I urge you to give it a try. This type of bread could literally be filled with anything, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, apples, the possibilities are endless.

Slices of Cranberries and Cream Cheese Bread

More Delicious Sweet Breads To Try

  • Sweet Cheese Buns
  • Cinnamon Bread
  • Poppy Seed Roll
  • Raisin Bread
  • Peaches And Cream Strudel

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slices of cranberry and cream cheese bread on a plate

Cranberry Cream Cheese Braid

5 from 1 vote
Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 1 hr 25 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 20
Print Pin Rate
This delicious Cranberry Cream Cheese Braid is so perfect for the holidays bursting with cranberries, cream cheese and an epic dough made completely from scratch!

Ingredients

For dough

  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • â…“ cup sugar plus 1 tbsp for yeast mixture
  • 1½ cups milk warm
  • 2 large eggs
  • 8 tablespoons butter (½ cup), melted
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Cream cheese filling

  • ¾ cup cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cranberry filling

  • 2 cups cranberries washed
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch

Egg wash

  • 1 large egg beaten
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, add the warm milk, the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar, mix well. Add 2 cups of the flour to this and using a whisk whisk it all together. Let this rest in a warm spot for about 1/2 hour. If the yeast is good it should rise.
  • After the dough starter has doubled in size, add it to the bowl of your mixer. To this add the eggs, salt, sugar and melted butter. Mix on medium for a minute until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Start adding the remaining flour. In the ingredients list, I said 4 to 5 cups, so the dough should be soft, and just a bit sticky. Knead the dough by mixer using the dough attachment for about 5 minutes.
  • Form the dough into a ball and let it rise until doubled in size. I used the same mixing bowl to let it sit and rise, but make sure you cover it up with some plastic wrap. It should take about 2 hours for it to double in size.
  • In a mixer just add all the ingredients and mix them for a couple minutes. In a sauce pan add all the ingredients for the cranberry filling and over medium heat cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
  • Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
  • After the dough has doubled, divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. This recipe will make two loaves. Lightly flour your work surface. Take one half and roll it out into a rectangle that’s about 12 inches x 18 inches.
  • Visually divide the length of the dough into 3 equal parts. The middle part is where our fillings will go. So using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into slice on each outside tab, making equal slits on each side.
  • Place 1/2 of the cream cheese filling evenly over the uncut center of the dough and repeat with 1/2 of the cranberry mixture.
  • Alternating from side to side, fold the cut pieces over the middle part. You might have to stretch them a bit so you can pinch them over to the other side.
  • Repeat with the other half of the dough. Place these breads on an ungreased baking sheet. Let them rest for another half hour, they will just rise a bit more then brush them with the egg wash.
  • Bake them in a preheated oven at 375 F degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes or until nice and golden brown.

Recipe Notes

  1. Recipe yields 2 braids.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1servingCalories: 225kcal (11%)Carbohydrates: 30g (10%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 9g (14%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 59mg (20%)Sodium: 109mg (5%)Potassium: 93mg (3%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 9g (10%)Vitamin A: 332IU (7%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 41mg (4%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Course:Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine:American
Keyword:cranberry cream cheese braid
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Enjoy!

  • 28

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Rosa says

    April 24, 2020 at 11:35 am

    Hello Jo,
    Thank you so much for your delicious recipe, can I use dates instead of cream cheese and jam?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team 2 says

      April 24, 2020 at 2:56 pm

      Of course!

      Reply
  2. Mandy says

    July 20, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    Hi! I have baked this bread today and it tasted wonderful and looked beautiful too! I managed to make into 4 breads. They were wiped out in no time. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • jo says

      July 20, 2012 at 9:16 pm

      Hi Mandy,
      I’m so happy you liked it. Yes it would easily turn into 4 breads, you could try other berries instead of cranberries as well, like blueberries, and it would be just as great. 🙂

      Reply
      • Mandy says

        July 21, 2012 at 4:48 am

        Hi Jo,
        My family like it so much that I have just baked another batch of bread this time with peach jam. Haha yeah they like them too. Again the breads disappeared before I can keep them for breakfast. 🙂

      • jo says

        July 21, 2012 at 11:42 am

        Lol, that’s too funny. You must have a big family. 🙂

  3. Liv (The Secrets of Living) says

    February 19, 2012 at 8:38 pm

    So creative and delicious looking. Beautifully done.

    Reply
    • jo says

      February 19, 2012 at 8:50 pm

      Thanks Liv.

      Reply

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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