20 Quick Bread Recipes for When You’re Low on Time
Hard truth: Making a legit loaf of bread from scratch is a typically laborious process that often involves special breadmaking equipment, considerable effort, and patience. But quick bread recipes deliver the same starchy goodness from only a fraction of the time and effort.
Banana bread is probably the most popular kind of quick bread. In addition to veering on the sweeter side of things, what sets the quick bread category apart from regular bread, technically speaking, is the leavening agent. Quick breads typically rely on chemical leavening agents (like baking soda and powder) rather than natural ones (like yeast and sourdough starter). That means you don't have to wait for these loaves to rise—hence the “quick” in their name. Plus, while natural leaveners are notoriously finicky—anything from the wrong water temperature to a few too many grams of flour could throw off your whole recipe off—chemical leaveners are pretty foolproof. As long as you’re measuring correctly, you can rest assured that your quick bread will puff up without a hitch.
Another difference, and the biggest boon for many, is that quick breads don’t require any kneading at all. Traditional breadmaking relies on this step to facilitate the action of the wheat protein known as gluten, which helps create the stretchy, chewy texture we all know so well. But the process of making quick bread is more like baking a cake, and the results are similarly moist, tender, and delicate for that reason.
Even though they aren’t bready in the classical sense, these quick bread recipes are ideal for all of your carb-y cravings, from throwing together sandwiches to whipping up French toast. And banana bread is just the tip of the iceberg. Expand your quick bread range with these 20 easy recipes. We’ve got you covered from sweet to savory and breakfast to dinner. Plus there are a number of vegan and gluten-free options that will satisfy just about any dietary need. So get baking, and you’ll be enjoying some exquisite homemade bread in no time.
Krysten and Marrekus via Cooks With Soul1Chocolate Chip Bread from Cooks With Soul
This satisfying quick bread is best enjoyed straight out of the oven, when the chocolate is still gooey and melted in some parts. If you dig in after it’s cooled down, warm it up in the microwave for 15 seconds to restore its original glory.
Get the recipe here.
Andrea Bemis via Dishing up the Dirt2Brown Rice Seeded Bread from Dishing up the Dirt
Brimming with different textures and flavors from a mix of sunflower, poppy, pumpkin, and fennel seeds, this bread is great for everything from avocado toast to sopping up hearty stews. Aspects of it will take a bit of planning, like soaking raw sunflower seeds and brown rice overnight, but the work involved is completely hands off.
Get the recipe here.
Brittany Mullins via Eating Bird Food3Fig Bread from Eating Bird Food
Though this sweet quick bread tastes great with fresh figs, dried varieties will work just as well if the fruit isn’t readily available near you. Soak them in a bit of warm water for a few minutes before using to help restore some of their original plumpness and deliver a loaf that’s as close to the original recipe as possible.
Get the recipe here.
Kathryne Taylor via Cookie and Kate4Zucchini Bread With Nuts from Cookie and Kate
Zucchini’s subtle flavor and high concentration of moisture makes it ideal for savory baking projects like these. The resulting bread is delicate and tender without tasting overwhelmingly like summer squash. And the addition of walnuts or pecans makes it the perfect base for your morning toast.
Get the recipe here.
Vallery Lomas via Foodie in New York5Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Bread from Foodie in New York
This gorgeously marbled loaf of quick bread is further proof that chocolate and pumpkin are meant to go together. Creamy milk chocolate makes the sweet, earthy notes of the famous fall gourd all the more pronounced. It will taste great simply slathered with butter—or soaked overnight as the base of a bubbling bread pudding.
Get the recipe here.
Stephanie Le via I Am a Food Blog6Gingerbread Loaf from I Am a Food Blog
Holiday season or not, gingerbread is sweet, spicy, and worth making any time of the year. Turn it into a party-worthy cake fast by coating it in a thick, lustrous layer of your favorite icing (like the simple powdered sugar and milk glaze featured above).
Get the recipe here.
Michelle Blackwood via Healthier Steps7Cranberry-Orange Bread from Healthier Steps
With winter citrus season on the horizon, there’s no better time to add this orange and cranberry number to your baking list. Use it as a blueprint for baking satisfying quick breads with just about any type of citrus. Everything from blood orange to kumquats will taste great here.
Get the recipe here.
Marisa Moore via Marisa Moore8Apple Rosemary Quick Bread from Marisa Moore
Wondering what to do with the handful of apples you still have left over from that apple picking trip? This sweet and savory loaf is a great way to use them up, whether they’re still as crisp as they were on day one or have begun to lose their texture.
Get the recipe here.
Dana Shultz via Minimalist Baker9No-Knead Gluten-Free Bread from Minimalist Baker
This recipe relies on a few smart tricks—like blending four different gluten-free flours and using yeast instead of baking soda or powder—to build a loaf with a texture and flavor that’s as good as anything with gluten, minus the effort and long proofing times.
Get the recipe here.
Tanya Harris via My Forking Life10Southern Cornbread from My Forking Life
Even though this classic cornbread is on the sweeter side, it’s still an excellent accompaniment to all sorts of savory dishes. Try it alongside a piping hot bowl of chili or bake it directly on top of a casserole for a pot pie-style dish.
Get the recipe here.
Shanika via Orchids and Sweet Tea11Vegan Rum Raisin Bread from Orchids and Sweet Tea
Plant-based butter and almond milk keep this boozy, Jamaican-inspired quick bread totally vegan. If you don’t do alcohol or are not a big fan of rum—or just don’t want to buy a whole bottle of the stuff for one recipe—rum extract will cost less and produce similar results.
Get the recipe here.
LaKita Anderson via Simply LaKita12Almond Coconut Quick Bread from Simply LaKita
This loaf is totally gluten-free thanks to a mix of coconut and almond flour. Using coconut oil instead of butter will both boost the coconutty flavor of your bread and keep the whole thing dairy-free.
Get the recipe here.
Natasha Kravchuk via Natasha's Kitchen13Irish Soda Bread Recipe from Natasha's Kitchen
This iconic bread gets its name from baking soda, the ingredient that’s responsible for the loaf’s amazing structure. Soft and chewy, yet dense and filling, soda bread is a blank canvas for experimentation. Try it with fruity fillings, like the raisins and orange zest pictured above, or savory accoutrements, like Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.
Get the recipe here.
Lisa Lin via Healthy Nibbles and Bits14Carrot and Zucchini Olive Oil Quick Bread from Healthy Nibbles and Bits
This unassuming loaf is packed with surprises, including a double dose of veggies from zucchini and carrots, a tender crumb from olive oil, and some unexpected sweetness from a dash of maple syrup.
Get the recipe here.
Erin Clarke via Well Plated15Beer Bread from Well Plated
The yeast used in traditional bread creates an unmistakable tangy flavor—but using a bit of beer is an easy way to mimic that effect in your quick breads. As for the type of beer you should use, this all comes down to your preference: Choose darker beers for strong, beer-forward breads, and lighter options to keep it subtle.
Get the recipe here.
Richa Hingle via Vegan Richa16Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread from Vegan Richa
This ingenious recipe takes everything that we love about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and transforms it into a single, no-fuss loaf. So when the craving strikes, all you have to do is cut a slice.
Get the recipe here.
Lindsay Ostrom via Pinch of Yum17Blueberry Lemon Bread from Pinch of Yum
Both fresh and frozen blueberries will work equally well in this recipe, so feel free to use whichever option you find most convenient. You could also try a different citrus variety besides lemon, like limes or grapefruit if you’re in the mood to experiment. The combo of blueberries and citrus is almost impossible to mess up!
Get the recipe here.
Sue Moran via The View From Great Island18Amish Cinnamon Bread from The View From Great Island
The best part about this traditional Amish-style recipe (aside from the fact that it tastes like a giant cinnamon bun) is the layer of shattered sugar that forms on top of the loaf as it bakes. As if by magic, each bite is delicately crunchy and oh-so-tender in equal measure.
Get the recipe here.
Jessica Beacom and Stacie Hassing via The Real Food Dietitians19Olive Bread With Parmesan and Sun-Dried Tomatoes from The Real Food Dietitians
Even though this quick bread is overflowing with different and complex flavors and textures, the process of baking it is exceeding simple. All it takes is 10 minutes of active work on your part and less than an hour of baking to get this veggie-packed loaf on the table.
Get the recipe here.
Monique Volz via Ambitious Kitchen20Chickpea Flour Banana Bread from Ambitious Kitchen
Though chickpea flour is most famously used in savory dishes like falafel and dosas, it’s an excellent flour substitute for gluten-free baking. And the chickpea flavor is so subtle, you won’t even notice it’s there (especially with all that chocolate and banana flavor to distract you).
Get the recipe here.
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