Fresh Strawberry Bread

And since I'm stuck at home a lot lately, it seemed like the perfect time to pick some up and bake away. Believe me, baking is a great stress reliever!

There's a Strawberry Recipe for Every Meal

I've made everything from breakfast Smoothies, like this healthy Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl, to light salads, such as my Spinach Strawberry Salad with Goat Cheese, and cocktails, like a refreshing Strawberry Rum Fizz, to desserts such as my Strawberry Margarita Crisp. See what I mean?

It's so hard to choose which one to make but I have to say this strawberry nut bread brings out all the sweetness in the strawberries and makes me think of a beautiful, cool spring day whenever I take a bite.

Strawberry Quick Bread

It's a super easy quick bread to make too. All you need are two bowls.

One with strawberries sprinkled with sugar, to which you add the oil and eggs. The second one with all the dry ingredients. Mix the two together, stir in the nuts, and bake.

It makes two deliciously moist loaves of bread. I like the way the top gets a little crunchy, almost like it was sprinkled with sugar.

The contrast between the soft sweet strawberries and the crunchy nuts adds an extra textural treat for the taste buds.

Strawberry Nut Bread

Just look at all those moist, rich nooks and crannies all studded with sweet bits of strawberries and crunchy pecans.

Swap out the pecans with walnuts, almonds, or your favorite nut. Just about any nut pairs nicely with strawberries.

Don't like nuts or have a nut allergy? Leave them out and it's just as delicious!

Every time I feel like a little treat, I take a slice out, pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds, and bang! I've got a treat for breakfast, snack time, or even dessert. Enjoy!

Ingredients for This Easy Strawberry Bread Recipe

• Strawberries - fresh or frozen can be used
• All-purpose Flour
• Granulated Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• Vegetable Oil
• Eggs
• Pecans

How to Make Strawberry Bread

Gather up all the ingredients for this quick strawberry bread recipe.

1. Place strawberries in a medium bowl and dust lightly with sugar. If using fresh strawberries, I like them sliced or diced. If using frozen strawberries, leave them whole, dust them with sugar, and wait until they are thawed before slicing or dicing. (photo 1)
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. (photo 2)
3. In a medium bowl, combine vegetable oil, whisked eggs, and thawed strawberries. Mix well. (photo 3)
4. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients. (photo 4)
5. Blend until just mixed. (photo 5)
6. Stir in pecans until just moistened. (photo 6)

7. Divide batter between greased and floured loaf pans. There are several different sizes of loaf pans that will make a difference in the baking time. Use ones that are 9x5-inch and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. 

Let cool in loaf pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. Delicious served for breakfast, as an after-school snack, or as a lovely dessert.

Baking Tips

• Make sure eggs are room temperature as they will mix better with the batter and rise more easily. Using cold eggs in lieu of room temperature eggs will also take the cake longer to bake. 
• Make sure to use sweet, ripe strawberries so they stay separated more in the bread instead of changing the color of the bread with the juices.
• Use vegetable oil instead of butter to give the bread a nicer texture. The bread will stay moist longer and rise higher. 
• Don't like pecans? Leave them out or use walnuts or your favorite kind of nuts.

Recipe Variations

The great thing about quick bread with fruit is how it is versatile and easily adaptable. Here are a few ideas:

• Strawberry Blueberry Bread - Substitute ½ cup of the strawberries with blueberries.
• Strawberry Lemon Bread - Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of lemon zest.
• Strawberry Rhubarb Bread - Substitute ½ to ¾ cup of the strawberries with chopped rhubarb.

You can also make strawberry bread muffins with this batter. Just spoon it into a greased muffin tin, filling the cups ¾ full. Bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Glazed Strawberry Bread

There is an optional glaze you can drizzle over the top included in the notes of the recipe. I think it is sweet enough on its own.

If you decide you want strawberry bread with glaze, wait until just before serving to make the glaze and drizzle it over the bread.

How to Store Homemade Strawberry Bread

Let the bread cool completely then wrap it in foil or place it in a resealable plastic bag.

You can also slice the bread, place the slices in resealable plastic freezer bags, then freeze them. This way you can take out one slice at a time.

This strawberry loaf can be kept in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for 3 months.

Just heat the bread in the microwave for 30 seconds to thaw.

Delicious warm or room temperature, this strawberry nut bread will surely bring a bit of spring or summer into your kitchen.

More Quick Bread Recipes

• Banana Bread Waffles are great for breakfast.
• Double Chocolate Banana Bread is super rich and full of chocolate chips.
• Cranberry Orange Bread from Boulder Locavore
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread - perfect for using an abundant garden vegetable.
• Key Lime Bread with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
• Cinnamon Apple Bread with a cinnamon pecan swirl and streusel topping.

Find lots of healthy and easy bread recipes here on 2CM!