Our 15 Best Quick Bread Recipes
Quick bread is a bit of a catch-all name for batter breads that rise fast, from sweet loaf cakes to hearty soda breads and everything in between. All use baking soda or powder as leaveners instead of yeast, require no kneading or resting time, and usually bake in under an hour. We have 2,000+ quick bread recipes on Allrecipes, and these are among the best, including banana bread (of course) and some unexpected favorites like cantaloupe bread (yes, cantaloupe!) and Guinness bread. Bake as standard loaves, mini loaves, or muffins and serve for breakfast, dessert, or a snack. Quick bread really is that versatile and delicious. Happy baking!
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Mom's Zucchini Bread
The perfect way to use up your zucchini (or sneak extra veggies into a sweet snack)? Zucchini bread! The grated squash makes this quick bread moist and tender. "This is my master zucchini bread recipe," says reviewer MommyfromSeattle.
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Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Blueberry muffin fans will love this twist on the classic zucchini bread. A pint of fresh blueberries is folded in just before baking so they create little jammy pockets in each slice.
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Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread
This spiced pumpkin quick bread is designed for a crowd: Make a few mini loaves, a couple standard loaves, or several muffins. Then give them away to friends and neighbors and get ready to be showered with praise.
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Cranberry Orange Loaf
Fresh tart cranberries are the jewels studding this orange-scented loaf cake. They offset the sweetness of the glaze and add a pretty pink pop. "It should be illegal it's so good," says reviewer Lemonlush.
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Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread
Grab your cast-iron skillet for this fan favorite cornbread. Serve as a side with chili or barbecue, or for breakfast with butter and honey. "My search for the perfect cornbread is over," says user Jilian.
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Zesty Lemon Loaf
Quick breads may sound a little rustic, but this bright lemon loaf cake is elegant enough for high tea. Buttermilk makes it even more tender and compliments all the citrus. "Moist and lemony and exquisitely delicious," says user naples34102.
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Cantaloupe Bread with Praline Glaze
Yes, you read that right — the melon on your fruit platter is also delicious blended and folded into a quick bread. It's one of those odd-but-delicious combos that will surprise and delight everyone.
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Janet's Rich Banana Bread
Five stars and over 8,000 stellar reviews make this classic banana bread the one to beat. Recipe creator vjonsson's brilliant twist? Sour cream that's folded into the batter for even more richness. You'll be buying extra bananas just to make this quick bread.
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Irresistible Irish Soda Bread
No yeast? No time? No problem! This soda bread uses baking soda for a quick rise and no kneading. A lighter crust and touch of sweetness make this a great stand-in for cornbread.
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Guinness Bread
Dark stout beer gives this quick bread fantastic malty, caramel-y notes and a tender crumb. It's the kind of hearty loaf you'll want to slice thick, slather with butter, and devour.
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Strawberry Bread
Packed with fresh strawberries and pecans, this sweet loaf needs no glaze or even a spread of butter or cream cheese. Reviewers especially love it as a way of using up slightly overripe or even frozen strawberries.
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Apple, Cheddar, and Rosemary Beer Bread
Apple and Cheddar are a match made in heaven. Fragrant fresh rosemary makes the combo even better in this beer bread. It's sure to outshine any main dish on your table.
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Simple Peanut Butter Banana Bread
"Only deviation from the recipe was sprinkling a handful of chopped peanuts on the top of the batter before it went into the oven. Texture was more cake-like rather than traditional bread-like, but plenty moist and tasty." —lutzflcat
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Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
Chocolate makes just about everything better, especially banana bread. This loaf uses the semisweet chocolate chips you probably already have in your pantry. We recommend serving just slightly warm while the chips are still melty.
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Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Think of this loaf as a shortcut coffee cake, with layers of cinnamon sugar swirled throughout the battter instead of sprinkled on top. "An absolute family favorite," says user mominml.