Delicious Strawberry Bread Recipe: Crunchy Outside, Moist Inside

This strawberry bread recipe is crunchy on the outside with amazing texture on the inside. Easy, delicious, and it uses basic pantry ingredients.

Before we get started…let’s talk about how I got this strawberry bread recipe. Many years ago, I received an email from one of my most loyal readers, Jeanette. She asked if I wanted to share one of her family’s favorite bread recipes.

Why This Recipe Works

The recipe was for strawberry bread, and when I saw the ingredients, I knew why they loved it so much. Any quick bread recipe that calls for oil as the fat is always moist and full of texture. Jeanette’s bread is no different. It’s perfect for breakfast or a snack.

Strawberry Bread Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour: the base of every quick bread recipe.
• Salt: it provides flavor and strengthens the dough.
• Baking Soda: the leavening the batter needs to rise.
• Ground Cinnamon: provides an unexpected and savory flavor.
• Sugar: adds sweetness.
• Eggs: binds the batter together.
• Canola Oil: adds moistness and a dense texture.
• Strawberries: frozen or fresh strawberries can be used in this recipe. If using frozen berries, make sure to drain the juices before adding to the batter.
• Walnuts or Pecans: adds additional crunchy texture, and the best taste.

How to Make

• Into a large bowl, add the 3 cups flour.
• Remove 1 tablespoon of flour from the bowl and set aside.
• Wash the strawberries and dry well with paper towels.
• Slice and chop the strawberries into small pieces.
• Place the chopped strawberries in a medium bowl and toss them with the reserved 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
• Chop the nuts if necessary, and roast. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To the bowl of flour, add salt, soda, cinnamon and sugar.
• Gently whisk to combine.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.
• Add eggs and oil into the well.
• Stir gently by hand until all ingredients are combined, using a kneading motion with a large spatula.
• Fold in flour-covered strawberries and roasted nuts.
• Spoon batter into 5 small prepared loaf pans.
• Bake for 35 minutes.
• Loaves are done when a knife or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Let cool in pans for 5 minutes.
• Remove from pans and cool completely.

Helpful Tips

• This strawberry bread recipe calls for making a well, or hole, in the middle of the dry ingredients. This helps reduce lumps, and makes it easier to mix everything together.
• Into that well in the flour mixture goes the eggs and canola oil.
• After that, the dry and wet ingredients are mixed together with a large wooden spoon. The batter is very stiff and is more like a dough.
• At this point it works well to switch to a large spatula and use a “kneading” motion when you are mixing the batter. Scoop under the batter with the spatula, and keep folding it over until all the ingredients are incorporated.
• When baked, this is a very dense and moist quick bread.

How to Roast Walnuts or Pecans

I prefer to use already-packaged nut pieces in baked goods, but it’s perfectly fine to rough chop whole walnuts or pecans if that’s what you have on hand. Place your desired increment of nuts in a non-stick skillet. Cook them over medium heat on the stove, shaking the skillet often, for three to five minutes. They are done when a fresh nutty scent hits your nose, and they are lightly toasted.

Strawberry Bread Variations

• When I originally published this recipe back in 2014, it called for 10 oz. of frozen strawberries, thawed and drained. It’s perfectly fine to use frozen strawberries in this recipe…but somewhere along the line I tried using fresh strawberries, and was pleased with the outcome. So use what you prefer, or have on hand.
• I know some of you will wonder if butter can be substituted for the canola oil. To be honest, I have never tried it. I like the texture that results from using canola oil in quick breads, so I have never felt the need to try butter. I spent some time looking online at other strawberry bread recipes, and many call for butter. If you give it a try, please let us know what you think!
• This bread is delicious with a light, powdered sugar glaze. Mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons milk. Add more milk or powdered sugar until you reach a pouring consistency. Drizzle the glaze onto cooled loaves.
• The original recipe from Jeanette called for 2 cups of sugar and 1 ¼ cups of oil. Again, at some point, I tried reducing the sugar amount to 1 ½ cups, and saw no difference in the end result. I also reduced the oil amount to one cup.
• Other fruits can be substituted for the strawberries. Delicious alternatives are blueberries, fresh peaches, or apples.
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice can be added for extra taste.
• This moist batter can be used to make strawberry muffins.

Storing + Freezing

These loaves of strawberry bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Use resealable bags or an airtight container to lock in the moisture. (The original recipe said to let the loaves sit overnight before slicing. I have never been successful at that! I always slice a loaf and sample it warm from the oven.) To freeze, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap, and then place the wrapped loaves in resealable freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.