34 Easy Quick Bread Recipes for Breakfast and Beyond

Banana Bread Is Just the Beginning

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Updated 09/17/20

Vegan Banana Bread — The Spruce

Quick breads are moist, flavorful, easy, yeast-free loaves that bake up without a long proofing process. They make a great breakfast, afternoon snack, or school lunchbox treat, and are a great way for beginner cooks to experience baking success. You'll find recipes here for classic banana bread, date bread, and zucchini bread, along with tropical treats, dessert breads, and low-fat and vegan options.

Tips

When baking quick breads, follow these tips to make a perfect loaf every time.

For the fluffy loaf of your dreams, use fresh baking soda and/or baking powder (depending on what is called for by the recipe). To find out if yours are still potent, follow these tips for baking soda and baking powder.
Be careful not to overmix batter. After adding liquid to dry ingredients, stir together just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Make sure your oven is up to temperature before you start baking.
Placing the bread in the top-third of the oven can help your breads bake more evenly.
A few minutes before baking time is up, test for doneness. Quick breads are finished baking when a wooden toothpick inserted near the center of the loaf comes out clean.

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Vegan Banana Bread

The Spruce

The king of quick breads, banana bread is always a welcome treat at breakfast or tea time. While most recipes contain dairy and eggs, this vegan variation uses neither, but is still moist and delicious. Use ultra-ripe fruit for the most complex and intense banana flavor.
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Orange Date Bread

The Spruce /Diana Rattray

If you enjoy date squares, you'll love the deep sweet flavor of this delicious loaf. Orange juice adds sweetness and chopped nuts bring welcome crunch. Freeze individual slices for a make-ahead snack you can enjoy solo or spread with cream cheese.
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Pineapple, Coconut, and Macadamia Nut Bread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Go Hawaiian with this luscious pineapple coconut nut bread loaded with wonderful tropical notes. With crushed pineapple, macadamia nuts, and grated coconut, it's a vacation in every slice. Make it for bringing to holiday parties and potlucks, or as a breakfast treat anytime.
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Fresh Fig Bread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

The lovely richness of fresh ripe figs gives this top-rated quick bread just the right amount of sweetness. It's delicious snacking cake to enjoy with your afternoon cup of tea or coffee. When buying fresh figs, look for those with smooth, unbroken skins that are soft and yielding to the touch.

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Vegan Zucchini Bread

The Spruce

When your summer garden bursts with zucchini, that's the time to make this tender vegan zucchini bread. Soy milk is a great substitute for dairy and lends this bread a subtle sweetness. Bake the loaf plain if you're eating healthy or add the brown sugar streusel topping to make it a treat.
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Pumpkin Bread With Cream Cheese Filling

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

A citrusy, sweetened cream cheese filling jazzes up this spiced pumpkin bread that will fill your kitchen with cozy, comforting aromas as it bakes. The recipe makes two loaves—serve one to guests and save the other for yourself.
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Moist Peach Cobbler Bread

Diana Rattray

Enjoy the scrumptious, summer flavors of spiced peach cobbler at any of time of year with this inspired quick bread that makes a fabulous hostess gift. You use two cans of sliced peaches to make a single loaf, so it comes out lovely and moist and looks gorgeous with peach slices arrayed over top.
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Banana Nut Bread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

This moist banana nut bread recipe calls for three ripe bananas and traditional ingredients. It can be made with walnuts or pecans or go without any at all. This is the perfect cake to keep on hand in the freezer when unexpected guests stop by.

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Southern Sweet Potato Bread With Pecans

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Low in fat and full of warming spices, sweet potato bread is a snap to prepare and bake, making it a great addition to your quick-baking repertoire. Applesauce replaces oil or butter in the recipe, adding tons of flavor for fewer calories.
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Peanut butter chocolate banana bread has everything kids want in a snacking loaf—and adults may find it hard to resist, too. It packs a double dose of nutty flavor, with peanut butter powder and chopped peanuts in the batter, along with mashed ripe bananas and miniature chocolate chips.
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Spiced Apple Bread

Getty Images / Strevell

Apple pie spices flavor a moist quick bread that explodes with chunks of apple, raisins, and pecans. It bakes up tender and delicious, and smells like autumn. Try it with a drizzle of caramel sauce for an easy dessert.
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Cranberry Orange Bread With Orange Icing

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Even novice bakers can impress friends and family with this quick and delicious cranberry orange bread that makes a great holiday dessert. A light drizzle of icing adds bright orange flavor, and doesn't distract from the tart, fresh cranberries in the loaf.

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Green Tomato Quick Bread

The Spruce / Barbara Rolek

Need to use up green tomatoes left at the end of growing season? Make this dense, dessert-like quick bread. Topped with indulgent cream cheese frosting, it's a unique snacking cake to enjoy with your afternoon cup of joe.
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Whole Wheat Pistachio Lemon Bread With Lemon Glaze

The Spruce / Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Healthier than a layer cake, but with a taste like dessert, this pistachio-studded lemon quick bread with a delectable citrus glaze makes a tasty addition to your Easter holiday menu or a treat to brighten up spring brunches.
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Healthy Banana Bread

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Some banana bread recipes have more sugar and fat than nutrition, but this version of the favorite quick bread cuts back on the bad stuff and pumps up the healthy ingredients. Oil and yogurt are swapped in for the butter and flaxseed and whole wheat flour increase the fiber. Walnuts bring a good dose of omega-3 fats.
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Strawberry Bread

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Sweet, luscious, easy strawberry bread is the Mother's Day dessert of mom's dreams. Bursting with ripe strawberries and topped with tangy cream cheese icing, it also makes a memorable treat for baby and bridal showers.

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Lemon and Yellow Squash Quick Bread

Getty Images / DebbiSmirnoff

Use up a bounty of yellow squash from your summer garden by baking this easy loaf. Lemon juice and zest in the batter and glaze gives the quick bread a bright, zesty flavor that beautifully balances the buttery crumb. Serve it as a treat for your gardening club or bring it to potlucks and picnics.
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Jalapeño Cheddar Quick Bread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Deliciously easy and cheesy, with plenty of shredded cheese and minced, fresh jalapenos, this is the tailgating snack of your dreams. It comes together in a cinch, and packs a knockout punch of Southwestern flavor.
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Buttermilk Cornbread

Getty Images / urbazon

Buttermilk adds richness and tang to this fantastically light, oven-baked cornbread. Slather warm slices with butter or honey for a snack, or serve it as a dipping bread with chili, taco soup, and other Tex-Mex mains.
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Lemon Zucchini Bread

The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

The addition of fresh lemon adds something special to this tender zucchini bread. Zest and juice are added to the batter, and a lemon syrup adds moisture and flavor.

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Date and Oat Quick Bread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Wholesome date and oat quick bread makes a great lunchbox treat for kids. You can feel good about the nutrition in every slice, with antioxidant-rich dates and high-fiber rolled oats.
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Easy Butter Pecan Bread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Buttermilk, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and cozy spices add flavor and texture to this low-fat quick bread with a fabulous butter-pecan flavor. Slather it with lemon sauce or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a quick dessert idea.
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Classic Irish Soda Bread

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Classic Irish soda bread is a simple quick bread that needs no yeast to bake up into a beautiful, bakery-worthy loaf. Make it for St. Patrick's Day or for your everyday breakfast bread, with this easy, one-hour recipe.
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Golden Apricot Nut Bread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Golden, crumbly, and studded with dried apricots and pecans, this quick bread has fabulous flavor and texture. Top it with cream cheese for your holiday morning breakfast or as an after-school treat for kids.

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Almond Amaretto Mini-Loaves

The Spruce / Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Italian amaretto liqueur, almond paste, and raw almonds flavor these gorgeous, moist mini-loaves encrusted with slivered toasted almonds. The recipe is an almond lover's delight, and makes a fabulous edible gift at holiday time.
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Spiced Honey Cake

The Spruce / Anita Schecter

Really a quick bread, this spiced honey cake is a staple of Jewish Rosh Hashanah celebrations. This classic recipe makes a single dense, yeast-free loaf. Enjoy it with or without the spiced honey glaze.
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Oat Bannock Bread

The Spruce

Similar to a scone, oat bannock bread is a Scottish invention that makes a lovely tea-time snack with jam. Mix it up in minutes, for baking quickly, and slicing into wedges. This is a great recipe for kids to help with, as the dough is simply patted into a pie plate, with no rolling or cutting.
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Easy Persimmon Quick Bread

Getty Images / Zsuzsanna Békefi

Ripe, sweet persimmons flavor this soft, tender, buttery quick bread dotted with chopped walnuts. It's an excellent snacking bread to make in winter, when the fruit is at its seasonal peak.

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Low-Fat Vegan Banana Bread

The Spruce / Anastasiia Tretiak

Want to avoid the fat and calories of coffee shop banana bread? Bake up this lighter banana bread at home. It is suitable for vegan diets, because it skips eggs and uses vegan margarine, and has all the intense banana flavor you crave, with none of what you don't want.
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Blueberry and Zucchini Quick Bread

The Spruce / Matthew Benson

Blueberry season coincides with zucchini season, making this ingredient match-up a natural one for a tasty quick bread. Sweet, moist, and bursting with blueberry flavor, it makes a irresistible breakfast treat for kids and adults alike.
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Cheesy Zucchini Bread

The Spruce / Pete Scherer

Corn and zucchini team up in this creative take on a classic cornbread recipe. With plenty of cheddar cheese, roasted garlic, and rosemary in the mix, it makes a delicious, savory addition to bake sales and housewarming parties.
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Date Apple Quick Bread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Sweet, chewy, and full of fall flavor, this popular quick bread is loaded with fresh apples, dates, and cozy spices. Feel free to add chopped pecans to the batter for added crunch.

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Blender Banana Bread

The Spruce / Marian Blazes

Use your blender to whirl up the wet ingredients for this banana bread. Doing so creates a cake-like texture that makes it taste more like a dessert, especially when you include the sweet and crunchy sugar-walnut topping.
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Onion Scones

Getty Images / Dorling Kindersley

Scones are quick breads, but the dough is stiffer, so it is just formed into a round on a baking sheet, cut into wedges, and baked. These easy, savory, tender onion scones are delicious right out of the oven, topped with butter.