High Protein Orange Cranberry Loaf

I know that vital wheat gluten is typically used in savory recipes like seitan, but hopefully this High Protein Orange Cranberry Loaf recipe will be the one to convince you that it belongs in sweet recipes too! It takes less than 5 minutes of effort and makes ten servings, which makes it perfect for meal prepping!

I’ve had a lot of people ask me why I use vital wheat gluten instead of protein powder for recipes like this, so I’ll answer that question here in case you’re curious. Protein powders bake very differently, depending on which kind of protein powder (pea protein, soy protein, protein blend) you buy. They also have wildly different tastes and textures and everyone seems to have their own preferences. Instead of making you buy a very specific protein powder that I like (and you may hate), I use vital wheat gluten or other protein dense ingredients like TVP, soy flour, etc. where I can. Ingredients like vital wheat gluten are not going to vary like protein powders, so you’ll get consistent results that match mine. Vital wheat gluten is also 3-4 x cheaper than the majority of protein powders and it’s a protein staple that you can use for other recipes as well.

Though vital wheat gluten does make bread-y/dessert recipes a little more chewy, it doesn’t have that gritty and off-putting texture that you get from using most protein powders. It also doesn’t add an unpleasant flavor because it just tastes like flour and we build a recipe around that base taste.

There are specific things I do to bread-y and dessert vital wheat gluten recipes to reduce the chewy texture. I use ingredients like brown sugar that disrupt the gluten formation, keeping the bread softer instead of chewy and meaty. I use leavening agents like baking powder to add airiness and keep the bread from getting dense. I make sure I don’t over-knead it which also keeps it from getting too chewy. Keep these tips in mind for this recipe and also if you plan to experiment on your own!

If you like this recipe, I’m sure you’ll also love my other sweet vital wheat gluten recipes like my High Protein Banana Bread, High Protein Pumpkin Spice Bread, and Cinnamon Sugar Donut Bites!

Stuff You’ll Need

• Vital Wheat Gluten – you may know vital wheat gluten from its starring role in every delicious seitan you’ve ever eaten, but it’s also amazing in high protein desserts and bread (since it’s wheat-based). You can find it at most grocery stores and since it’s shelf-stable, you can also buy it online.
• Light Brown Sugar – you may be tempted to swap this with a zero or low calorie sweetener to improve the calories/macros or just reduce the sugar. If I can’t talk you out of this, please use a 1:1 replacement option like monk fruit. And also note that it will be chewier than this version. Brown sugar disrupts the gluten formation, making the bread softer and less tough and chewy. If you replace the brown sugar, the texture will change.

• Pumpkin Puree – make sure you use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
• Craisins – I prefer the reduced sugar version because they also have more fiber!
• Clementines – I like using clementines because they’re a little sweeter and also because I always have them in my house.

• Baking Soda, Baking Powder – these two minor ingredients greatly improve the texture. They help the bread to rise, leaving it more airy, more tender and less dense and chewy.
• Salt
• Cinnamon – adds some nice warm flavor.
• Vanilla Extract – all baked goods deserve some vanilla.

How to Make This & Pictures

• Pre-heat the oven to 300 F (149 C).
• Juice and zest the clementines.
  • I like to zest mine first. To zest, you’ll need to take a small grater and grate the orange part of the skin. Do not continue grating after the bright orange peel is gone or it will be bitter and mess up the flavor.
  • I juice the clementines afterwards.
  • You can juice and zest them in the same bowl and set them aside or zest and juice into your main bowl if you’re using a juicer that keeps the seeds from dropping out.
• In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla extract, clementine zest and juice, and craisins.
• In a medium sized bowl, add the vital wheat gluten, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Whisk these ingredients together very well
  • For this step, it is crucial to weigh out the vital wheat gluten to make sure you have the right amount. Vital Wheat Gluten can be very dense so if you’re just measuring it with measuring cups, you may end up with more than you think which can change the baking outcome as well as the calories/macros.
• Add the dry ingredients to your larger bowl of wet ingredients and mix until combined. You want to avoid over-mixing in this step as it can cause a more dense and chewy bread.
• Your dough should be wet and glossy, but not loose.
  • If your dough is too dry, add small amounts of water until it looks like the picture shown below.
  • If your dough is too wet, add small amount of vital wheat gluten until it looks like the picture shown below.
• Place some parchment paper in a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.
• Dump the High Protein Orange Cranberry Loaf dough into the loaf pan an smooth out with a spatula.

• Bake for 70 – 73 minutes.
• The bread will puff up quite a bit. You can tell it’s done baking when the entire bread (including the middle) is puffed up. It should be springy and spongy and not deflate when removed from the oven and cooled for a few minutes.
• Allow it to cool before cutting it, and enjoy.
• You can keep this wrapped tightly in parchment paper at room temperature for 3-5 days. It will last 7 days in the fridge.

Silly Little Haiku

Oranges and craisins

An awesome flavor combo

Vital wheat gluten