Gluten-Free Cranberry Jam Pull-Apart Bread

This cranberry jam pull-apart bread is soft, moist, sweet, and buttery. It’s perfect as an appetizer or dessert.

Cranberry season calls for something special, and this cranberry pull-apart bread recipe is truly something special.

Instead of using a loaf of bread, this bread uses buttery biscuit dough. The biscuit dough is slathered with sweet and tart cranberry jam and baked until golden and delicious.

Ingredients

These are some of the ingredients you need to make this festive bread.

Butter: You make this bread with unsalted butter. Just make sure it’s cold butter. It will help create flaky, tender layers.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: Use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Make sure your flour blend contains xanthan gum or another binder to give the dough the proper structure.

Cranberry Jam: I used my cranberry strawberry jam recipe for this bread. It has the perfect amount of tart and sweet flavor. But you can use store-bought cranberry jam if you prefer.

Scroll down to the recipe card to see the full list of ingredients and measurements.

Why Use Biscuit Dough

Soft, enriched breads (made with fats, eggs, sugar, or milk) are ideal for traditional pull-apart breads because they score well without breaking apart. But the problem is finding gluten-free bread that fits the bill.

I was in the Bahamas when I created this recipe. Finding gluten-free bread that tastes good is rare.

Additionally, gluten-free bread is already firm. It doesn’t absorb as much of the cranberry jam as traditional bread.

So I used biscuit dough and baked it into the bread. This way, every layer is soft enough to pull apart but sturdy enough to hold its shape. Plus, there is jammy goodness in every layer.

How To Make Cranberry Jam Pull-Apart Bread

Making cranberry jam pull-apart bread is easy. Just follow these steps.

Make the biscuit dough 

Preheat your oven, then grease a loaf pan with non-stick spray. Line it with parchment paper. You don’t have to line the pan with parchment paper, but it makes it easier to remove the loaf from the pan.

Next, in a large mixing bowl combine the Whisk the gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, xanthan gum if using, and salt in a large bowl.

Grate the butter directly into the gluten-free flour mixture. Mix it until it looks like pea-sized crumbs. You can also cut the butter into small cubes and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers or two knives.

Next, add the buttermilk and egg and mix until it comes together. The dough should be soft but sticky.

Assemble the bread 

Turn the biscuit dough out on a surface dusted with flour.  Divide it into 16 even pieces, then flatten each piece of dough and spread 1 tablespoon of jam on top of each piece. If the cranberry jam is too stiff, add a teaspoon of water and heat it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until it loosens up.

Place one piece of jam side down on your countertop, and place another piece of jam side up on top of it, and press them together. Place them in the prepared pan and repeat with the remaining pieces until the pan is full.

Bake the bread

Brush the cranberry jam pull-apart bread with milk and bake for 30 minutes until lightly golden.

Let it cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes, then gently remove it from the pan, place it on a serving platter, and set it aside to cool completely.

Make the glaze

Mix the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until combined.  

Drizzle the cranberry glaze on top of the cranberry jam pull-apart bread and let it sit for 15 minutes until it sets.

Variations

• Brie: Add thinly sliced pieces of brie cheese between the layers to create the perfect contrast between the sweet and tart cranberry jam.
• Nuts: Add chopped toasted pecans or walnuts. Chop them fine so they bake into the bread and add some texture.
• Orange Zest: Mix 1-2 teaspoons of orange zest into the cranberry jam, or sprinkle it over the top of the jam before you sandwich the pieces of dough together.
• Cream Cheese Swirl: Smear a thin layer of sweetened cream cheese on the biscuit dough before adding the jam. It adds richness and balances the tartness.

How To Store Cranberry Pull Apart Bread

If you have leftover cranberry bread, it will last at room temperature for 1-2 days. Store it in an airtight container so it stays fresh.

You can also store it in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. But if you are going to freeze it, don’t add the glaze.

You can reheat the cranberry jam pull apart bread in the microwave for 30 seconds or 1 minute until it’s warm.

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Gluten-Free Cranberry Jam Pull-Apart Bread

Recipe by Sarah Leadon

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings: 8-10

1/2x 1x 2x

8-10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

265

kcal

Total time

45

minutes

This cranberry jam pull-apart bread is festive and delicious. Sweet, tart cranberry jam layered between tender gluten-free biscuit dough, baked until golden, and topped with a sweet cranberry glaze. Its easy to pull apart, but so hard to resist.

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Ingredients

• Bread:

• 1 cup cold buttermilk

• 2 1⁄2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your gluten-free flour already contains xanthan gum)

• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons baking powder

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup or 1 stick) cold unsalted butter

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 2 tablespoons milk for brushing the bread

• 1 ⁄2 cup cranberry jam

• Glaze:

• 1 ⁄2 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon melted butter

• 1 tablespoon whole milk

• 1 tablespoon cranberry jam

Directions

• Bread:
• Set your oven to 350ºF and let it preheat. Grease a loaf pan with non-stick spray, line it with parchment paper, and set it aside.
• Whisk the gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, xanthan gum if using, and salt in a large bowl until combined.
• Next, grate the butter into the dry ingredients and mix it gently until pea-sized crumbs form.
• Add the buttermilk and egg. Mix until a soft, sticky dough has formed.
• Dust your countertop lightly with gluten-free flour, then put the dough on top of your countertop and divide it into 16 equal portions.
• Flatten each piece of dough, then spread 1/2 tablespoon of cranberry jam on top of each dough.
• Take one piece of dough and place it jam-side down on your countertop. Then place a second piece jam-side up directly on top, so the jam is sandwiched between the two layers. Gently press them together and transfer the stack to the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining pieces until all pieces of dough are gone.
• Brush the cranberry jam pull apart bread with milk. Bake for 30 minutes until lightly golden.
• Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully take it out of the loaf pan. Place it on a serving platter. Let it cool completely.
• Glaze:
• Whisk the powdered sugar, melted butter, whole milk, and cranberry jam in a small bowl until combined.
• Drizzle the glaze on top of the cranberry jam pull-apart bread.

Nutrition Facts

• Total number of serves: 10
• Calories: 265kcal
• Fat: 13g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Cholesterol: 49mg
• Sodium: 352mg
• Potassium: 60mg
• Carbohydrates: 36g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 14g
• Protein: 5g
• Iron: 1mg

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