The aroma of fresh Strawberry Bread baking is hard to resist. That’s why it’s always strawberry season in my kitchen. This quick bread recipe is my go-to because it only requires one bowl and 15 minutes of hands-on time.
If you love strawberry desserts, our strawberry iced cookies are so chewy and delicious, especially the strawberry glaze on top! But also, if you haven’t tried our strawberry cheesecake, get to your kitchen and do it now!
Why This Strawberry Bread Is The Best
It’s hard to beat a moist quick bread paired with your morning coffee. I developed this strawberry bread because it tastes spectacular, and the fresh flavor of juicy strawberries makes for a perfect breakfast.
Here are a few more reasons why this recipe works,
- Minimum effort, maximum flavor. It takes only 15 minutes of hands-on effort to prepare the batter, and the oven will do the rest, giving you virtually effortless strawberry bread.
- It’s moist and soft. My secret ingredient is buttermilk. It keeps the bread deliciously moist with the perfectly bready crumb texture. The delicate flavor of the strawberries beautifully compliments the tender bread.
- Simple recipe. Whether you’re a novice or an expert in the kitchen, this recipe is for everyone. If you’re trying your hands at baking for the first time, this recipe makes for a great starting point.
Loving quick breads? Our classic zucchini bread is amazing. And of course readers also love our sour cream banana bread recipe too.
People always ask for rhubarb recipes too! Try this easy rhubarb bread for a flavorful twist.
Ingredient Notes
- Strawberries – They soften and lighten in color when exposed to heat. To get the deepest color, pick bright and juicy red strawberries, to begin with. Be sure to dice them real tiny!
- Baking Soda & Powder- the combination provides a light, airy texture to this quick bread.
- Egg – Make sure the egg is at room temperature. You’ll get a lighter and fluffier bread.
- Vegetable Oil – It gives the bread a more open and light crumb structure rather than being rich and cakey.
- Buttermilk – The key to this tangy bread is buttermilk. Don’t have any hand? No worries, try one of our buttermilk substitute recipes.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract to complement the flavor of the strawberries. our homemade vanilla extract is perfect in baking.
- Lemon – Since you’ll use the zest, pick a lemon with unblemished skin. Save the juice for the icing. Use our tips and tricks on how to zest a lemon.
- Powdered Sugar – sweetens the glaze.
Easy Instructions
Prep the strawberry bread batter.
- Cut the strawberries into pieces, dry them with a paper towel, and toss them in flour.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl, followed by the wet ingredients. Stir until combined. Then add the prepared strawberries.
Bake the Bread.
- Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake for one hour.
- Remove from oven and cool completely before adding the strawberry glaze.
Finish with glaze.
- Whisk all the ingredients to make your glaze.
- Drizzle over the loaf once it has cooled completely.
Tips and Tricks
- Coat the strawberries in flour. This prevents the strawberries from sinking to the bottom of the baking pan and will ensure you get bits of strawberries in every other bite.
- Don’t open the oven too often. Constantly opening the oven leads to huge variations in baking temperature. The bread will not rise, and may even sink in the middle if you do.
- Use room temperature ingredients. If possible, let the ingredients sit on the counter and come to the same temperature. They will incorporate faster and more thoroughly that way.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing will yield dense bread with a tight crumb because of gluten development. Use a spatula to mix gently. Stop as soon as the ingredients are combined and equally distributed.
- Choose red, ripe berries. The berry flavor really shines in every bite. For best results, make sure to choose the most ripe berries you can find, as they will be sweeter and more flavorful.
Recipe FAQs
Store the baked and glazed strawberry bread in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure the bread has cooled completely before closing the lid.
You can freeze the unglazed bread in a Ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature overnight, and if you want, drizzle fresh glaze before serving.
I wouldn’t recommend using frozen strawberries if you have fresh ones available. Frozen berries contain too much moisture and will make the bread soggy and mushy.
Yes. This recipe is essentially a quick bread with strawberries in it. You can replace the strawberries with other fresh berries like blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
More Strawberry Desserts
- Strawberry Frosting
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
- Strawberry Brownies
- Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
- Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
Easy Quick Breads
See all Breads recipes
Strawberry Bread
Ingredients
For the bread
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour for the berries
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 lemon zested (about 1 teaspoon zest)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the glaze
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup diced strawberries smashed
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5-inch bread pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- Prep the strawberries by cuting them into tiny diced pieces, pat dry with a paper towel, and toss them with 1 Tablespoons of flour. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil, buttermilk, egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until fully combined. Fold in diced strawberries.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake bread for 60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for ten minutes. Then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before adding the icing.
- For the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar with lemon juice and smashed strawberries. If desired, add an addition 1-2 teaspoons of buttermilk for desired consistency (we like the glaze thicker without the buttermilk).
Notes
- No buttermilk? Use one of our easy buttermilk subsitutes instead. Or, swap out the buttermilk for whole milk.
- We use baking spray to grease the loaf pan. You could also line the bottom with parchment paper or use our homemade cake release.
- The berries lighten in color as they bake. Choose bright red berries to start with!
- Store baked bread in a airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze unglazed bread in ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature overnight.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks and ingredient substitutions.
