The holidays are in full swing – and it’s time to get baking! This Cranberry Pistachio Loaf is perfect for thanksgiving, Christmas, whatever holiday you are celebrating! It is festive in color and flavor – and when you slice into it, it’s a show stopper! 

We all know the holidays can be filled with super sweet treats and tons of sugar, and I’m not against that. But sometime its nice to have something that doesn’t smack you in the face with sweetness. This loaf of bread won’t overwhelm your sweet tooth, but will still satisfy it! The saltiness from the pistachios balances out the sweet and tart flavors of the cranberries – and then you add the frosting and you’ve got all your flavor profiles covered! 

I also added yogurt into this loaf. To be honest, I’ve been adding yogurt into my breads, muffins, really a lot of my baking lately and let me tell you why! Yogurt adds the PERFECT amount of moistness to any baked item. It doesn’t make it soggy or wet, but ensures it doesn’t dry out in the oven 🙂 This bread is the perfect example of that. I typically suggest not using greek yogurt in baking though, as it can add an unexpected tang to your flavors that you may not want. 

Another plus about this bread – it is gluten free and has no refined sugar. All ingredients are natural, wholesome ingredients that will leave you feeling good! I used cassava flour for this bread (again, another go to of mine lately for baking), but I believe almond flour would work well too. You could also substitute a gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour if you wanted. Note – I haven’t tried these other flours yet, but believe they would work just as nicely! 

One note I want to make – your batter will be thicker than a typically bread batter – don’t be alarmed! Just pour it into the loaf pan and spread it out like you typically would, and I promise it will work great! 

Now lets move on to the good stuff – the 3 INGREDIENT frosting! Maple coconut icing is the perfect accompaniment for this loaf. I had actually planned on just using a store bought cream cheese frosting and adding some warm spices to it, but when I didn’t have nay in the pantry, I was left to my own devices to come up with something that would pair just as well! Although unexpected, this frosting turned out 100! So simple to make and again, free of refined sugars! 

So, if you want a dessert or breakfast that’s a little outside the box this holiday season – I suggest making this bread. I truly believe it will be a hit, with you, and with family and friends! 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes 

Ingredients: 

For the Bread: 

• 2 eggs

• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup cassava flour

• 1/3 cup coconut sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/3 cup cranberries

• 1/3 cup pistachios

  For the Frosting: 

• 1/3 cup coconut cream

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp coconut sugar

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, coconut oil, yogurt, vanilla extract and sugar.

3. In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder.

4. Add dry ingredients into wet until fully incorporated.

5. Mix in cranberries and pistachios and fold through the batter.

6. Pour batter into a lined or oiled loaf pan

7. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until cooked through.

8. Remove and let cool.

9. While cooling, mix up frosting ingredients.

10. 10.Once cooled, spread frosting on top of loaf.

11. 11.Slice and enjoy!

enjoy!