Best Homemade Strawberry Bread Recipe
Homemade strawberry bread is a moist, fruity quick bread bursting with fresh berry flavor, perfect for any time of day. Easy to make and endlessly customizable, it’s a delicious way to showcase seasonal strawberries in a soft, sweet loaf.
Ingredients
For the Bread:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup 2% milk
- ½ cup canola oil or coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder** see notes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh strawberries diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for tossing with strawberries
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ⅓ cup strawberries finely diced
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
- 1 –2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk** optional, for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, milk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined—avoid overmixing. (¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup 2% milk, ½ cup canola oil, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder**, ½ teaspoon salt)
- In a small bowl, toss the diced strawberries with the 2 tablespoons of flour until evenly coated—this helps prevent them from sinking in the batter. Gently fold the floured strawberries into the batter using a spatula. (2 cups diced strawberries, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour)
- Transfer the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, melted butter, finely diced strawberries, and extract in a small bowl. Stir until the mixture is smooth, adding 1–2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk if needed to achieve your desired consistency. (2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, ⅓ cup finely diced strawberries, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk**)
- Once the loaf is fully cooled, spread the glaze evenly over the top. Slice and serve as desired.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
*I like to add an extra teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract to the wet ingredients in the bread batter for a little more flavor, especially if I’m skipping the glaze. That extra boost really enhances the taste of the bread on its own. That said, the flavor is at its best when you include the strawberry glaze on top!
*We’ve experimented with using up to 2½ cups of diced strawberries in the batter. While it still works, we’ve found that the bread holds together best when you stick with about 2 cups.
**The bread rises nicely as written, but if you prefer a taller loaf, you can reduce the baking powder to 1 teaspoon and add ½ teaspoon of baking soda instead. This tweak will slightly alter the texture, and while different, some people actually prefer it that way.
**When making the glaze, we typically don’t need to add any milk or cream—it becomes spreadable with just the juice from the strawberries. At first, the glaze may look too thick or seem like it won’t come together, but keep stirring! As you mix, it turns into a smooth, creamy pink glaze like you see in the photos. If it still seems too thick, add milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Just remember, the glaze will naturally loosen as it sits, since the sugar pulls moisture from the strawberries—so don’t add too much liquid right away!
*We’ve experimented with using up to 2½ cups of diced strawberries in the batter. While it still works, we’ve found that the bread holds together best when you stick with about 2 cups.
**The bread rises nicely as written, but if you prefer a taller loaf, you can reduce the baking powder to 1 teaspoon and add ½ teaspoon of baking soda instead. This tweak will slightly alter the texture, and while different, some people actually prefer it that way.
**When making the glaze, we typically don’t need to add any milk or cream—it becomes spreadable with just the juice from the strawberries. At first, the glaze may look too thick or seem like it won’t come together, but keep stirring! As you mix, it turns into a smooth, creamy pink glaze like you see in the photos. If it still seems too thick, add milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Just remember, the glaze will naturally loosen as it sits, since the sugar pulls moisture from the strawberries—so don’t add too much liquid right away!