Cherry Bread

Yummy cherry bread is a slightly sweet quick bread, packed with maraschino cherries in every bite. Enjoy a slick of this easy cherry bread any time of the day.

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Packed with sweet cherries, this delicious quick bread is ready to eat in just an hour. Enjoy this easy cherry bread as breakfast or an afternoon snack. 

MORE RECIPES: Cherry Chip Cake | Cherry Wink Cookies | Cherry Cheesecake Tacos

Cherry Bread

Yummy cherry bread is slightly sweet, with maraschino cherries in every bite. Topped with a sweet almond cherry glaze, you’ll want to enjoy a slice any time of the day. 

The pink color makes it perfect for Valentine’s Day, Easter, or Mother’s Day. Cherry bread can be served warm or at room temperature. 

Fresh cherry bread pairs perfectly with a cup of tea or some rich hot chocolate. Serve it for breakfast or brunch, or as an after-dinner treat. 

Cherry Bread Ingredients

• Sugar - granulated sugar
• Almond extract
• Vanilla extract
• Oil - vegetable oil
• Milk
• Maraschino cherry juice
• Eggs
• Sour cream
• Flour - all-purpose flour
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Cherries - maraschino cherries from a 16-ounce jar, chopped
  Sugar - powdered sugar
• Heavy whipping cream - or milk
• Cherry extract - or 1 tablespoon maraschino juice

To help the cherries remain suspended throughout the batter, rather than sinking to the bottom, toss the cherries in flour before adding them to the mixture. This will help make sure you have a nice distribution of cherries throughout your loaf of bread. 

The cherry juice will color the bread a pinkish or peach tint, but for more color, you can add a couple of drops of red food coloring. If you’d like to add additional cherry flavoring, as well as a bit more color, you can add some cherry extract to the recipe. The cherry extract can be used in addition to or instead of the vanilla extract. The cherry extract can be found at most grocery stores. 

Make sure to let the bread cool fully before glazing. Place the bread on a wire rack before pouring the glaze on top so that any excess glaze will run through the rack instead of leaving a puddle around your bread.

How to Make Cherry Bread

FIRST STEP: Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

SECOND STEP: In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, almond extract, vanilla, vegetable oil, milk, cherry juice, eggs, and sour cream. Whisk to combine well.

THIRD STEP: In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.

FOURTH STEP: Drain maraschino cherries from the rest of the juice (you’ve already used ¼ cup of the juice in the bread batter) and coarsely chop the cherries into halves and/or quarters.

FIFTH STEP: Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of the flour mixture over the cherries and toss to combine.

SIXTH STEP: Stir the remaining flour mixture into the milk/eggs mixture. Stir just until wet and dry ingredients are combined - lumps and streaks of flour in the batter are fine.

SEVENTH STEP: Gently fold the cherries into the batter to distribute evenly, but do not overmix.

EIGHTH STEP: Pour batter into a greased or parchment-lined 9x5 loaf pan.

NINTH STEP: Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.  Cover bread with  aluminum foil after 45 minutes to prevent it from over-browning on top.

TENTH STEP: Remove from the oven and cool. (You can turn the bread out onto a wire cooling rack after it has cooled for an initial 10 minutes in the pan.)

ELEVENTH STEP: Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze.  Drizzle the glaze over the bread.  The glaze will set, dry to the touch after about 30 minutes.

How do I keep the cherries from sinking? 

Tossing the cherries in flour will help keep them suspended in your batter so they don’t sink to the bottom during baking.

What can I add to my cherry bread? 

Chocolate and cherry are a favorite flavor combination. Adding ½ cup of chocolate chips into your bread batter would make this bread extra decadent. 

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream? 

Yes, Greek yogurt can be substituted with a 1:1 ratio for sour cream in this cherry bread recipe.

How to Store Cherry Bread 

ON THE COUNTER:  Leftover cherry bread can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then stored either in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag on the counter for 3 to 4 days. 

IN THE FRIDGE: Store cherry bread with glaze in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

IN THE FREEZER: Cherry bread can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer-safe resealable bag in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Cherry Bread

Yummy cherry bread is a slightly sweet quick bread, packed with maraschino cherries in every bite. Enjoy a slick of this easy cherry bread any time of the day.

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5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 Thin Slices

Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Bread:

• granulated sugar ¾ cup
• almond extract 1 tsp
• vanilla extract 1 tsp
• vegetable oil ½ cup
• milk ½ cup
• maraschino cherry juice ¼ cup
• large eggs 2
• sour cream ½ cup
• all-purpose flour 2 cups
• salt ½ tsp
• baking powder 1½ tsp
• maraschino cherries (from a 16-ounce jar, chopped)

Glaze:

• powdered sugar 1 cup
• heavy whipping cream or milk 2-3 tbsps
• almond extract ½ tsp
• cherry extract (or 1 tablespoon maraschino juice) 1-2 drops

DIRECTIONS

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, almond extract, vanilla, vegetable oil, milk, cherry juice, eggs, and sour cream. Whisk to combine well.
• In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
• Drain maraschino cherries from the rest of the juice (you’ve already used ¼ cup of the juice in the bread batter) and coarsely chop the cherries into halves and/or quarters.
• Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of the flour mixture over the cherries and toss to combine.
• Stir the remaining flour mixture into the milk/eggs mixture. Stir just until wet and dry ingredients are combined - lumps and streaks of flour in the batter are fine.
• Gently fold the cherries into the batter to distribute evenly, but do not overmix.
• Pour batter into a greased or parchment-lined 9x5 loaf pan.
• Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.  Cover bread with  aluminum foil after 45 minutes to prevent it from over-browning on top.
• Remove from the oven and cool. (You can turn the bread out onto a wire cooling rack after it has cooled for an initial 10 minutes in the pan.)
• Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze.  Drizzle the glaze over the bread.  The glaze will set, dry to the touch after about 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

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