Cranberry Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel is light and fluffy, studded with fresh cranberries and bursting with orange flavor. It’s perfect for holiday brunch!

Cranberry coffee cake on a plate with cranberry and orange on top

Have you done any Christmas baking yet?  So far I haven’t baked any cookies but I think that will have changed by the end of the week.  I’m craving my gingerbread macadamia biscotti, chocolate chip hazelnut snowball cookies, and my favorite peppermint bark to name a few.

At least I’ve gotten around to making some holiday inspired breakfast treats.  I made gingerbread waffles on my son’s 16th birthday last week, which I’ll be sharing with you next week

And of course I baked the lovely Cranberry Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel that you see before you. 🙂

Cranberry coffee cake on a wire rack

I love making my pumpkin coffee cake this time of year, but the cranberry orange combination is one of my absolute favorite around the holidays. 

I’m a huge fan of coffee cake but don’t eat it often as it’s normally laden with so much butter and sugar.  One slice can run you 450-500 calories!

I lightened up this cranberry coffee cake recipe a bit so I could enjoy this for breakfast with a lot less guilt.  One slice is about 314 calories and it’s every bit as satisfying as those others.

Cranberry coffee cake process collage

It’s 100% whole grain, but it’s still incredibly tender.  Whole wheat flour and low fat buttermilk contribute to this tenderness.

The buttermilk also gives this cake a delicious tang. 🙂

Cranberry orange coffee cake in springform pan on wire rack

I used the orange zest from one orange in this coffee cake, and beat it with the butter and sugar so that the oils in the zest would permeate throughout the entire cake.

No orange juice is necessary with all that zest!

The first time I made this coffee cake I used 1 cup of fresh cranberries and didn’t feel that it was enough.  The tart-sweet pop of the cranberries really makes this coffee cake special, so I suggest using 1 1/2 cups.

Cranberry orange coffee cake on wire rack

I love stocking my freezer with fresh cranberries so that I can enjoy them all winter long (or all year long!).  If you use frozen cranberries, simply thaw them out and blot dry before adding to your batter.

There’s nothing like waking up to a hot cup of coffee with a slice of this cranberry coffee cake!

It just doesn’t get any better than this.

If you love using fresh cranberries, be sure to check out my collection of cranberry recipes!

Slice of cranberry coffee cake with orange slice and coffee

More cranberry recipes you’ll love:

If you make this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or tag me at @flavorthemoments on Instagram!

Cranberry coffee cake on a plate with cranberry and orange on top

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel is a lightened up coffee cake that’s studded with fresh cranberries and bursting with fresh orange flavor!
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Ingredients

For the coffee cake:

  • 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
  • Zest from 1 medium orange
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 – 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries whole or halved

For the streusel:

  • 1/4 cup rolled oats quick oats may be substituted
  • 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup pecan pieces

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8 or 9″ round cake or springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Prepare the cake:

  • Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
  • Cream the coconut sugar, softened butter and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes, and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated after each addition.
  • Beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture on low speed, followed by the vanilla and half of the buttermilk.  Repeat the process ending with the flour mixture.  Do not over beat.
  • Fold in the fresh cranberries and pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Prepare the streusel:

  • Place the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt in a small bowl and stir to combine.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, fork or your fingers until mixture is in pea-sized crumbles.  Stir in the pecan pieces.
  • Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the coffee cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (the center of the cake should have risen completely).
  • Cool the cake completely on a wire rack.  Slice, serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • You may substitute the whole white flour with all purpose flour or a combination of 1 cup all purpose and 3/4 cup whole wheat.
  • The coconut sugar may be substituted with an equal amount of granulated or brown sugar.
  • If using frozen cranberries, make sure to thaw them completely and blot dry before using.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 322kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Sodium: 248mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 20g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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