Cranberry Orange Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease a 9 x 5-inch bread pan with cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, orange juice, eggs and vanilla extract until combined and smooth. Whisk in the mashed bananas, and whisked until mostly smooth. (There will be some small lumps due to the bananas – it’s ok!)

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the banana mixture, and stir until evenly combined, being careful not to over-mix the batter. Gently fold in the cranberries (and orange zest, if using) until they are evenly mixed into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, and spread the top with a spoon so that it is flat and smooth. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean. (*If the bread starts to get too dark and brown on top while baking, place a sheet of aluminum foil lightly on top of the bread until it finishes baking.)

Remove from the oven, and let the bread cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Whisk powdered sugar and orange juice (and orange zest, if using) together in a small bowl until completely combined. If you would like a thinner glaze, whisk in a little more orange juice. If you would like a thicker glaze, whisk in some more powdered sugar.