This Cherry Almond Bread is packed with dark sweet cherries, flavorful almond extract, and warm spices. The result? A gluten-free quick bread that is flavorful, healthy, and will make your entire house smell incredible.
Easy Cherry Almond Bread
There is something about quick breads that I absolutely love. Maybe it’s because they’re so versatile, but I find myself making them all year round. I typically make a double recipe of whatever quick bread recipe strikes my fancy so I can save some for later. My family eats a loaf in about 12 hours, so I have to move quickly to cut up and freeze the second one! It’s worth it, though… Leftover slices of quick bread make delicious and quick gluten-free snacks.
This Cherry Almond Bread is one of my favorites all year long. I begin to crave it in the summer when we start seeing fresh Washington cherries at the store, but it stays in rotation throughout the fall. Sweet cherries pair perfectly with almond extract for a bite that smells as good as it tastes. If you want to add texture, some toasted slivered almonds would also be delicious here.
So, the next time you’re in the mood to make some healthy homemade snacks, look no further than this cherry bread! It’s super easy, healthy (no sugar added!), and gluten-free. What could be better?
What You’ll Need
If you do a lot of gluten-free baking, you’ll likely have all these ingredients on-hand (maybe with the excecption of the frozen cherries). Scroll down to the recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient.
- Gluten-Free Flour
- Coconut Flour
- Almond Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Spices – We’ll use salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg for this gluten-free quick bread.
- Unsalted Butter – Be sure to bring the butter to room temperature by setting it out on the counter for an hour.
- Maple Syrup
- Eggs – Let your eggs come to room temperature as well. I like to use large eggs in baking.
- Almond Extract – The almond flavor perfectly compliments the cherries.
- Whole Sweet Cherries – Grab a bag of frozen whole cherries; thaw and completely drain before adding to the batter.
How to Make Gluten-Free Cherry Almond Bread
This cherry almond bread comes together in just 15 minutes. Like all quick breads, this one takes a little while to bake, but the bonus is that your house will smell absolutely amazing!
- Prepare for Baking. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9 x 5″ loaf pan with parchment paper and then spray it with baking spray.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients. Add all the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. You want the spices to be thoroughly mixed into the flour.
- Flour the Cherries. In a small bowl, add the defrosted cherries. Sprinkle them with about 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture and toss to coat all the fruit. Coating the cherries in flour will help prevent them from all sinking to the bottom of the bread dough.
- Cream the Butter. Add butter and maple syrup to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until the butter blends with the maple syrup and lightens in color.
- Add the Eggs and Almond Extract. Add in the eggs and almond extract, whipping the mixture until it’s well-combined and a little creamy.
- Add the Flour. Slowly add the flour mixture while the mixer is running on low. The flour will fly out of the bowl if the speed is too high. Once the batter comes together into a cohesive dough, turn off the mixer and remove the bowl.
- Add the Cherries. Pour in the cherries and gently fold them in with a spatula. Take care to not smash the cherries while you’re stirring. It’s natural to see a little color run from the frozen fruit.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake on the center rack of your oven for 55-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean in the center.
- Cool. Place the cherry bread on a wire rack and let it cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Once cool, you can tip the bread onto a cutting board to slice and enjoy.
Variation Ideas
This cherry almond bread is quick and easy to make. But, it’s also easy to change up based on your personal preference. Here are a few ideas.
- Add a Dusting of Powdered Sugar. This cherry bread is plenty sweet with the addition of maple syrup, but if you want a little something more, feel free to add a dusting of powdered sugar on top. It’ll look really pretty too!
- Add Slivered Almonds. If you like texture in your quick breads, consider adding a handful of slivered almonds to the dough. To really amp up the almond flavor, toast the nuts for a few minutes before adding them.
- Substitute Vanilla. If you have a nut allergy or just don’t like the taste of almond extract, you can substitute it with vanilla extract.
How to Store
Once your cherry bread is completely cool, you can wrap the remaining loaf in plastic wrap or a freezer bag. This will help prevent the bread from drying out. It’ll stay fresh on the counter for a day, but I recommend putting it in the fridge after that.
Can I Freeze This Cherry Bread?
You sure can! I recommend wrapping individual slices in plastic and then putting them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Wrapping each piece on its own will help prevent drying and freezer burn. Cherry Almond Bread will stay fresh for 4-6 months.
When you want a slice, pull one out of the bag and let it thaw overnight in the fridge. You can warm it slightly in the microwave, toast it lightly in the oven, and enjoy it with a pat of butter. Delicious!
More Tasty Quick Breads to Try
Gluten-Free Cherry Almond Bread
Equipment
- Electric Mixer
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour +3 tablespoons
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 lb frozen whole dark sweet cherries thawed and drained
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Line a 9 x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
- In a large bowl combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg, stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl add defrosted cherries. Add 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture and toss to coat the cherries.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer add butter and maple syrup. Mix on medium until butter starts to blend. Add in eggs, and almond extract, whipping until somewhat creamy.
- Slowly add in flour mixture while the electric mixer is running on low. Once the batter comes together, turn off the mixer and remove the bowl.
- Add in cherries and stir into the batter by hand. Being gentle so you don’t smash all the cherries.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake in the center oven for 55-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let cool on the rack for 30 minutes.
- Slice and enjoy.
