This Easy Strawberry Bread is a delightful quick bread bursting with the flavor of fresh strawberries! It’s wonderfully moist, tender, and has the perfect balance of sweetness, making it an ideal treat for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack. I absolutely love baking with fresh berries, especially now in early April when delicious strawberries are making their appearance. This Strawberry Bread recipe is incredibly simple to follow and uses basic ingredients, resulting in a loaf that smells amazing while baking and tastes even better!
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Bread
- Packed with Fresh Strawberries: Uses plenty of fresh, chopped strawberries for authentic berry flavor in every bite.
- Incredibly Moist and Tender: The combination of butter, yogurt (or sour cream), and eggs ensures a soft, moist crumb.
- Easy Quick Bread: No yeast or complicated steps required – just mix and bake!
- Perfect for Using Seasonal Berries: A fantastic way to enjoy fresh strawberries when they are in season.
- Versatile: Delicious on its own, toasted with butter, or served with a dollop of cream.
Ingredients for Easy Strawberry Bread
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious quick bread. The full list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Main Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped (Fruit)
- All-purpose flour (Dry Ingredient)
- Baking powder (Leavening Agent)
- Baking soda (Leavening Agent)
- Salt (Seasoning)
- Unsalted butter, softened (Fat)
- Granulated sugar (Sweetener)
- Large eggs (Binder)
- Plain yogurt or sour cream (Dairy)
- Vanilla extract (Flavoring)
- Chopped nuts (optional, walnuts or pecans) (Nuts)
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card below.)
Variations
I love the simple goodness of this Strawberry Bread, but here are a few delicious variations:
- Add Lemon or Orange Zest: Incorporate 1-2 tablespoons of fresh citrus zest into the batter for a bright flavor pairing.
- Strawberry Nut Bread: Definitely add the optional walnuts or pecans for extra texture and nutty flavor.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Fold in some white chocolate chips or mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Glaze: Drizzle a simple vanilla or lemon glaze over the cooled bread.
- Different Berries: While it wouldn’t be strawberry bread, you could substitute blueberries or raspberries (adjust sugar slightly if needed).
How to Make Easy Strawberry Bread
Let me show you how simple it is to make this Easy Strawberry Bread:
Preheat Oven and Prep Pan
- First, I preheat my oven to 350°F (175°C).
- I grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan thoroughly. Alternatively, lining with parchment paper makes removal super easy.
Prepare Strawberries
- In a small bowl, I gently toss the chopped fresh strawberries with 1 tablespoon of the flour. This little trick helps prevent the berries from sinking straight to the bottom of the bread while baking.
Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a medium bowl, I whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I set this aside.
Cream Butter and Sugar
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer (or a sturdy whisk and some arm power!), I cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add Eggs and Wet Ingredients
- I beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition.
- Next, I stir in the yogurt (or sour cream) and vanilla extract until combined.
Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures
- Gradually, I add the dry ingredients (from step 3) to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed or by hand just until combined. It’s really important not to overmix quick bread batter!
Fold in Strawberries and Nuts
- Using a rubber spatula, I gently fold in the floured strawberries and the chopped nuts (if I’m using them) until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Bake the Strawberry Bread
- I pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
- I bake in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Cool
- I allow the Strawberry Bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
- Then, I carefully transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Letting it cool completely makes slicing much cleaner.
Tips and Tricks for the BEST Strawberry Bread
Here are my secrets for making this quick bread truly exceptional:
- Use Fresh Strawberries: While frozen might work in a pinch (thaw and drain well!), fresh strawberries provide the best flavor and texture.
- Flour the Strawberries: Don’t skip tossing the chopped strawberries in flour; it really helps suspend them in the batter.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, eggs, and yogurt/sour cream are at room temperature for a smoother batter and better rise.
- Don’t Overmix: Mix the batter only until the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough.
- Check Doneness Carefully: Start checking the bread around the 55-minute mark. A clean toothpick is the best indicator.
How to Serve
This Strawberry Bread is delicious served:
- As Is: Perfect plain, sliced thick.
- Toasted with Butter: A simple and wonderful breakfast or snack.
- With Cream Cheese: Spread with a little cream cheese for a tangy contrast.
- For Brunch: A lovely addition to any brunch table.
- As a Light Dessert: Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Make Ahead and Storage
This bread tastes great for several days! Store leftover Strawberry Bread, wrapped well in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
FAQs about Easy Strawberry Bread
- Can I use frozen strawberries?
- Yes, thaw them completely and pat them very dry with paper towels before chopping and tossing with flour. Excess moisture can affect the bread’s texture.
- Can I make this into muffins?
- Yes! Divide the batter among lined muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- My bread seems dense. What went wrong?
- Overmixing the batter is the most common culprit for dense quick breads. Mix just until the ingredients are combined. Using cold ingredients could also contribute.
Enjoy this moist, flavorful, and easy-to-make Easy Strawberry Bread! It’s a perfect way to celebrate fresh strawberries.
Print
Strawberry Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 slices 1x
- Category: Bread, Quick Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Strawberry Bread is a moist, tender quick bread bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. It’s simple to make and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon for tossing strawberries
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts or pecans), optional
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Alternatively, line with parchment paper and grease the parchment.
- Prepare Strawberries: In a small bowl, gently toss the chopped strawberries with 1 tablespoon of flour until lightly coated. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the bread during baking. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer), cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add Eggs and Wet Ingredients: Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the room-temperature yogurt (or sour cream) and vanilla extract until combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed (or stirring with a spatula) until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in Strawberries and Nuts: Gently fold in the floured strawberries and the chopped nuts (if using) until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs attached). If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.
- Cool: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are recommended. If using frozen strawberries, thaw them completely and pat them dry before chopping and tossing with flour.
- Flour Tossing: Tossing the strawberries in flour helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room-temperature butter, eggs, and yogurt/sour cream helps the batter mix evenly and bake properly.
- Do Not Overmix: Overmixing can lead to a dense, tough bread. Mix just until the flour is incorporated.
- Baking Time: Oven temperatures vary, so start checking for doneness around 55 minutes.
- Cooling: Let the bread cool completely before slicing for the best texture and cleanest cuts.
- Variations: Add a simple glaze (powdered sugar and milk/lemon juice) once the bread is cool.
- Storage: Store leftover bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.