The clouds part, and a chorus of angles sing as a picture of this Vegan Cranberry Pistachio Loaf appears. 🎶 "Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh" 🎶
Too dramatic? NEVER!
But seriously, does this or doesn't this loaf look heavenly. It does. It really does. Pour me some coffee and serve me a slice of this cake and you just found my happy place. The cake is moist, sweet, and I love how every now and then you get a tart taste of cranberry or a crunch of pistachio.
Not a fan of all that icing? It's totally fantastic without and still looks just as pretty as a picture. ...well it is a picture, so... you get it. I am loving how the cranberries and pistachios make this loaf so festive! Perfect to serve Christmas morning or during the holiday season.
Now for story time: Find a comfortable seat. Ready?
I became friends with Andrew from One Ingredient Chef, when I unsubscribed from his blog newsletter. Let me explain. I decided to follow all of my favourite people on Bloglovin' because as a blogger, I get A LOT of email, and I thought it would be easier to keep track of my favourite blogs this way. I didn't want Andrew to get offended so I sent him an email explaining and it turns out we became good buds and started sending music videos back and forth to each other. (I like reggae, he likes dance).
Then one fine email day, we thought it might be fun to do something where we could collaborate on some awesome vegan ideas, and so we came up with something we like to call the Vegan Mystery Box Challenge!
"What is this mysterious challenge", you ask?
Andrew and I selected 3 mystery ingredients, and then we challenged vegan (or mostly vegan) bloggers from across the web to create a recipe using these three ingredients! Everyone posts their recipes at the same time, and share each others recipes with our readers to see what everyone came up with! How fun is that, right!? It's very fun.
We were so excited when so many people signed up, and I was even more excited when I saw how different each and every recipe turned out.
So what were the three mystery ingredients? Cranberries, pistachios, and coconut milk! (Yeah, we went for the holiday colours). The recipe I came up with was this Vegan Cranberry Pistachio Loaf.
Check out all of these amazing recipes from the first ever Vegan Mystery Box Challenge:
Magic Fruit Cake Bars with White Chocolate Drizzle by One Ingredient Chef
Cranberry Cheesecake & Pistachio Stuffed Vegan French Toast by Connoisseurus Veg
Pistachio Crusted Cranberry Cashew Coconut Cheese by Lemon and Coconut
Cranberry Pistachio and Mango Salad by Veggies Save the Day
Cranberry Cointreau Coconut Ice Cream with Candied Pistachios by Vegan Yack Attack
Cranberry Pistachio Donuts by Two City Vegans (Casey)
Cranberry Pistachio Gingersnap Truffles by Two City Vegans (Alix)
Warm Barley Bowl with Roasted Brussels, Sweet Potatoes and a Coconut Curry Dressing by Taste Space
Whole Wheat Cranberry Pistachio Vegan Biscotti by Veggie Inspired Journey
Coconut Pistachio Cashew Cheese Panini with Cranberry Jam by Peppers and Peaches
Toasted Pistachio Rice Pudding with Candied Cranberries by The Lazy Vegan Baker
Pistachio and Cranberry Cream Sandwich Cookies by Love Me Feed Me
Vegan Meringue Nests with Cranberry Coconut Whip and Crushed Pistachios by The Viet Vegan
Vegan Coconut Quinoa Salad by Beets Not Meats
Cranberry Orange & Pistachio Muffins With Vanilla Cream by A Virtual Vegan
Gourmet Lazy Cabbage Rolls by Choose to Cook
Sweet Potato Coconut Curry with Cranberries and Pistachios by The Tofu Diaries
Lebanese Semolina Pudding (Layali Lubnan) by Lands and Flavors
Vegan Chocolate Cranberry Cake by The Seasonal Diet
Jolly Bollywood Holiday Curry by Sexie Veggies
Are you not blown away by that list!? I am seriously so impressed at how many people participated AND how many creative recipes everyone came up with. It just shows that you can take the same 3 ingredients and have endless ways to prepare them! So much fun.
Let me know in the comments if you love this challenge, and if you think Andrew and I should start working on round two! If you're a vegan blogger and would to join in on the fun, sign up for the next Vegan Mystery Box Challenge. Follow the Vegan Mystery Box Challenge on social media with #VMBC
Once you are done drooling over all of the recipes, we return to my cranberry pistachio loaf cake, and I'll show you how to make this heavenly cake.
Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk together all the wet ingredients in a medium bowl.
Pour the wet into the dry, and stir until just combined. Add in the cranberries and pistachios and mix in. Be careful not to over mix.
Pour the batter into a lightly greased loaf pan, then sprinkle some more cranberries and pistachios down the center of the batter. Bake for around 1 hour until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
If you wish to make the icing, mix together all the icing ingredients, then drizzle over the completely cooked cake.
Vegan Cranberry & Pistachio Loaf
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup light oil (such as canola or vegetable oil)
- 2 tablespoons orange or lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the fruit & nuts:
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries (plus ¼ cup for topping)
- ⅓ cup shelled pistachios (plus 1 tablespoon for topping)
For the Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the loaf: Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Lightly grease a loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk together all of the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add in 1 cup of cranberries, and ⅓ cup pistachios into the batter, and stir until they are just mixed in. Don't over mix your batter.
- Pour into the prepared pan, then sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of cranberries, and 1 tablespoon of pistachios down the center of the batter. Bake for about 55 to 65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- To make the icing: Mix all of the icing ingredients together. When the cake is completely cool, drizzle the icing over the cake.
Nutrition
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
Wow, SUCH a good recipe! I made 10 of these as Christmas gifts for friends and neighbours so I’ve basically memorised the recipe now. No one could tell it was vegan, and I got a lot of texts and compliments saying how good it was! The only thing I found needed to be changed was the cooking time. I ended up having to go to about 1 hour 20 for it to be totally cooked. Other than that I definitely recommend making a loaf of this for any family gathering, have one ready for Xmas morning or give one away if as a treat to someone special. You will impress everyone!
Sam, I am wondering if I could sub appplesaice for the oil. I am wfpbnooil in my quest to better health. I would also use a different milk. Probable ripple or maybe forager cream, which have less fat. Thanks for your thoughts.
Amazing recipe! So moist & flavorful! I made this for Thanksgiving & it was a huge hit! I'll be making this one again ~ thanks for the great recipe.
Wonderful! Thrilled you loved it, Leanne 🙂
Why all the sugar? And while flour?
Speaking only for myself, Shirley, I modify Sam's recipes to be gluten-free, and in that process drop the sugar and replace it with whatever healthier sweeteners I have on hand. I am especially fond of her vanilla cake, it has always come out just fine for me for both flavor and texture. Mine don't always look picture perfect, since I may have used some coconut sugar or date syrup, but quite edible. With nourishing health as a priority, I feel being delighted by food is also important! That is why I'm a frequent visitor to Sam's excellent website, I enjoy her bright and delicious creativity. 😉 Haven't figured out a substitute for the powdered sugar, tho, so I just leave it off. Enjoy!
Hello!
This was the first recipe I’ve made from your site, but it won’t be the last! This Cranberry Pistachio bread was SO delicious! I made it as a thank you gift for non-vegan friends, and they had no idea it was vegan! They loved it! Thank you for such a great recipe!
You're most welcome, Jenny! I hope you enjoy many more recipes 🙂
Amazing recipe. I make it regularly. Everyone LOVES IT. This is one of my favorite recipes by far.
Yay! So happy you loved it, Monica 🙂
The recipe was easy-to-follow and delicious! However, I only realized after the fact that most refined sugar and especially powdered sugar is NOT Vegan. Even though the only ingredient may say sugar, the process uses bone char to whiten it. Might be good to note that in your recipe, and whether beet or unrefined sugar would work in place.
Hi Karen, using bone char in sugar isn’t very common anywhere other than the US. Always good to double-check with the brand you are purchasing. I use Redpath here in Canada and they say on their site that it’s vegan-friendly. A good tip is that organic sugar is always vegan.
How far ahead can I make this? Will it be ok on day 3? Or can it be frozen? Looks delicious and perfect for Christmas morning!
I think it should freeze beautifully. I think it should keep about 3 days as well. Enjoy!
OMGoodness Sam, this recipe is SO GOOD!! I made this today as a trial run (I have not made it before) because I plan to take it to a Holiday Party next week, and the host asked me to bring a vegan dessert. Between the flavor and that absolute moist richness, the fresh cranberries and pistachios, it is an absolute winner! I followed your recipe exactly, and the only thing I added was one tsp. of pure orange extract in addition to the grated orange rind for that extra orange flavor. Oh, and I baked it in a cake pan, as I wanted it to turn out like a coffee cake rather than a dessert bread. We cannot stop eating it in this house! Thank you so much for sharing this Sam! I love your cookbook and I love all of your recipes! : )
Aww that's wonderful, Janine!! So thrilled you enjoyed it so much 🙂
Is the coconut milk used in this recipe the kind in the can?
Yes it is 🙂 Full-fat coconut milk is the canned kind. The kind in a carton, intended for drinking has been watered down significantly. Enjoy!
I was wondering if you used a 8 x 4 pan or a 9 x 5 ?
Good question! My loaf pan is 8" x 4" but a 9" x 5" would also work, it would just be a bit shorter of a loaf. Enjoy!
Made this, served it to a lot of omnis, and everyone loved it!
Successfully used dried cranberries instead of fresh ones (reduced sugar to 1/2 cup, which was perfect) & walnuts (in my pantry) instead of pistachios (not in my pantry). Thanks!
Great! So happy you enjoyed it!
Can a different plant milk be used?
Yep, but it won't have the richness or flavour of coconut. ENjoy!
I'm going to try this with almonds. I love pistachios but they don't love me. All but almonds and peanuts give me mouth sores - ah well! But I know almonds and cranberries are a great combo 🙂 Might even try your vegan croissants with some almond paste and sliced almonds inside and maybe a few dried cranberries to boot 🙂
Yes, almonds would be delicious and love that idea for the croissants!
This is so pretty, I can't wait to bake it. It will be perfect for holiday gatherings!
Yes it is! Everyone I have served it too loves it 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
Hello Sam, in cakes and sweets, can i substitute the white flour to wholewheat or any other flour?
Thanks
Hi Nabela,
Different flours react very differently in baked goods, so you can't usually substitute them one for one. For example whole wheat flour is much heavier and denser, so it would totally change the texture of the loaf, so using 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour for every 1 cup of every all-purpose flour is often what people try. Here is a flour substitute guide that can help you. Keep in mind if you do substitute flours it will change the texture and outcome of the recipe, and you can't really know how it will work until you try. Hope that helps!
I made this for holiday gifts and they were a hit! I used a gluten-free baking flour, and roughly chopped the nuts and berries that were stirred in, but left the ones on top whole. And don't you know, those gift loaf pans are smaller than the regular ones, so I had enough batter left over to make a little loaf for myself 🙂
It is just delicious!
Yay! That's awesome. So great to hear that it worked with a gluten free flour as well!
Just had to come back to say that this is a huge winner! My dad couldn't stop eating it. The icing is definitely a required step. Delicious! Perfect recipe, thanks Sam!
Yay!! So happy you and your dad loved it Kristi! Thanks for coming back and leaving your review 🙂
I made this for our gathering yesterday and everyone loved it. I am not normally a cranberry fan but this cranberry pistachio loaf was incredible. It was easy, quick to put together and moist and delicious.
Yay! That's awesome!! I'm so glad you and your family loved it so much! Thanks for coming back and leaving your review Katherine 🙂
Oh yum! I love cranberries and pistachios but never would have thought of pairing them. This looks absolutely delicious and now I know what our Christmas morning breakfast will be. Do you think it would be okay to make it the night before? Should I wait to frost it until morning? Do you buy unsalted pistachios?
Hi Keisti,
Making it the day before is perfect. I would frost it the day before as well if it cools completely in time, because then the icing has a chance to set, so it's not all drippy on your fingers... Errr fork, I mean fork. Haha! Unsalted or salted pistachios would both work great. Enjoy!
Can you please tell me if there is a sub for the coconut milk? I have the lame allergy of coconut but I LOVE cranberries and pistachios. Thank you for creating this recipe!
Hi Veronica!
I think you could sub another non-dairy milk and it would work fine. I would opt for a creamier milk (as opposed to a thin milk), especially for the icing. Let us know how it turns out!
you aced this challenge, i'd say! the colorful add-ins are perfect for the season too. 🙂
Aww thanks so much Grace!
Can I use dried cranberries instead of the fresh ones? Can't get them here in South Africa. Guess it would work and then just reduce the sugar a bit to counteract the sugar in the dried cranberries? And are the pistachios salted or just shelled or what?
Hi Maureen, I haven't tried it with dried cranberries myself, but I think it would work just fine. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out for you. The pistachios are just shelled, but if you have salted ones those would work well too. Enjoy!
This is such a cool idea!! Good thing the ingredients all worked together and weren't weird (sometimes I watch Chopped and I'm just like, WHAT?). This bread looks like something my non-vegan crew would loooove!
Haha! We weren't up for making everyone sweat, we just wanted everyone to make something delicious! I don't think anyone would know this cake was vegan!
I feel as though to leave off the icing would be a sin! This loaf is certainly gorgeous! Thank you for putting the VMBC together! 🙂
I do LOVE the icing, in my mind it is necessary as well! Thanks so much for being part of the challenge Jackie 🙂
Hehe that's a great story of how you two met! I love the look of this recipe - I'm already imagining a slice (or two) with a mug of coffee, yum. Thanks so much for organising the challenge, it's been so much fun taking part 🙂
Haha thanks! Thanks for being part of the challenge Natalie!
This cake is beautiful! Thanks for letting us be part of your challenge! Super Fun:)
Thank you! I'm so happy you were part of it 🙂
This looks superb! I love that you used fresh cranberries so they can burst into little pops of tanginess throughout the loaf. And that drizzle! 🙂 Thanks again for organizing the VMBC!
You're very welcome Omar! Yes, the cranberries are an awesome taste surprise throughout the loaf 🙂
I LOVE the idea. You are definitely on to something. Perfect for a Vegan Chopped TV show. The concept is terrific and since becoming vegan, I've stopped watching Chopped and would love to see this instead. You guys did a great job launch this, the possibilities are endless.
Aww shucks, thanks so much Arlene!! (and also thanks for feeding me delicious vegan things last night!)
Incredible! I know what to do with the mountains of pistachios and cranberries that I bought for this challenge, haha!
Thank you for setting this up with me! Everyone did an amazing job and it couldn't have been better 🙂
Didn't they!! I feel like a proud parent, so happy that everyone made such scrumptious recipes. Thanks for doing this with me pal! Was so fun 😀
This sounds really yummy! Are there any other subs for the oil?
Here are some tips on baking without oil. I haven't tried any of these in this recipe, so I don't know how it will turn out, but if you give it a go, let us know!
This loaf defintely looks at heavenly as you describe - I can't wait to try it! This is the first year I'm bringing my "Vegan" self home to my family for the holiday and a lot of these recipes are going to be featured! I'll be doing a lot of cooking to eliminate the "I don't know what to feed you" woes AND convince everyone just how easy and great it is to be Vegan!
Thanks for hosting this challenge, letting me be a part of it, and just for being great like you are!
Haha, sounds like my holiday! It's always fun to impress omnis with your amazing vegan cooking!
Aww shucks! You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
This is such a gorgeous loaf!
Thanks so much for organizing this challenge Sam! It was so much fun! Hope there are more in the future 🙂
You're welcome Leah! It was a lot of fun, I'm glad you enjoyed it too 🙂
Hey Sam! The cake looks gorgeous! Have loved being a part of VMBC - thanks! X X
Thank you, and you're so welcome!
Sam, this looks incredible! LOVE that icing, too. Thanks so much to you both or hosting this. Alix and I will do it again for sure!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed the challenge, and thank you so much!
Looks so yummy! ☺ How would one get in on this vegan recipe creating fun?
You can sign up here: Vegan Mystery Box Challenge.
This looks amazing, Sam! Thank you for including me in the VMBC. It was so much fun! I can't wait to do it again.
You're so welcome Amy! I look very forward to the next one as well 🙂
That looks AMAZING! Is the coconut milk from the can? I'm assuming so, but want to make sure, because I WILL be making this!
Yes, canned coconut milk it is. I hope you love the recipe 🙂
Thank you! We are going to use this to replace the Pumpkin bread we gave out to friends/neighbors/co-workers... you get the idea. I was looking for a "Change serving size" option but didn't find one so I guess I'll have to "math" and hope for the best! 🙂
You're welcome! If you would like to calculate a different portion size you can try using this calorie counter Hope that helps!
This was such a fun challenge!! Thanks for "hosting" it! And this loaf looks amazing!! Can't wait to try it!
You're so super welcome Jenn! 😀
Great ingredient selection, Sam. It was nice to work with some festive flavours.
Your loaf looks like it would fit right in for the holidays.
Thanks Janet! We were hoping for some festive recipes. Thanks for being part of the challenge 🙂
Definitely yes to the frosting!! I wish I had a slice right now with my coffee...as soon as I restock my pistachios & cranberries it's happening. Love how Easy it is to make. Thanks for creating the VMBC - so awesome!
I wish I did too!! Me and my roommate plowed through this cake, not a scrap left. You're so welcome! It was so much fun to do, I hope we repeat it many times to come in the future. 🙂