Tart Cherry Bread

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Cherry bread might seem like an odd combination but it’s actually delicious! An indulgent quick bread recipe with tart canned cherries and a flavorful blend of vanilla and almond extract, cherry bread is then finished off with a crumbly streusel topping.

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Not to mention, you’ll be enjoying soft, moist cherry bread in no time thanks to its simple recipe – what more can you ask for in an easy homemade treat? 

cherry bread loaf and two slices

Mix it, Bake it, & Eat it!

Need a dessert for you and your partner this Valentine’s day? Serve a slice of delicious cherry bread with a glass of wine, and chocolate-covered cherries.

I love easy quick bread recipes because you can whip them up quickly and they’re really perfect for any occasion. Mother’s day, or even those early summer months when you can still feel a slight chill in the breeze. A tasty afternoon snack with a popping cherry flavor.

How To Enjoy A Slice Of Cherry Bread

Serve warm with a bit of butter

Add some chocolate chips to your bread batter before baking

For an extra tart flavor, add a teaspoon of lemon zest to your homemade bread

Dust the top of the bread with a little bit of powdered sugar

Gathering Your Ingredients

  • All-Purpose Flour – For best results, measuring your flour with a kitchen scale will reduce the chance of dry dense bread. If a kitchen scale isn’t available to you just simply fluff your flour with a spoon and gently scoop the flour into your measuring up and level with a butter knife.
  • White Granulated Sugar
  • Red Tart Cherries – Whole pitted cherries canned in water.
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Cherry Water / Cherry Juice – This will come from the water that the cherries are packed in. If you’ve accidentally drained this, regular water works fine.
  • Eggs
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt

For the streusel topping

  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Brown Sugar
  • Butter – Cold and cubed

*see recipe card for detailed measurements

cherry bread ingredients

Kitchen Supplies I Use

How To Make Cherry Bread with Canned Red Tart Cherries

Preheat your oven to 350 F and prepare your loaf pan with parchment paper and nonstick cooking spray.

In a small bowl prepare your streusel ingredients, flour brown sugar, and cubes of cold butter.

Work it together with your hands, squishing the butter into the flour until it comes together into a crumbly texture.

streusel ingredients

To keep the butter cold, put the streusel in the fridge while you prepare your cherry bread mixture.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Whisk to combine.

To the flour mixture add the drained cherries, vegetable oil, beaten eggs, cherry water, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

cherry bread ingredients in a large bowl

Mix together gently with a rubber spatula and try not to overmix.

Pour batter into your prepared loaf pan.

cherry bread mixture in a parchment lined bread pan

Remove the streusel topping from the fridge and spread it evenly over the top of your bread mixture.

streusel topping on the cherry bread batter in the loaf pan

Bake for 80-90 minutes or until a skewer from the center of the bread comes out clean.

baked cherry bread loaf

Cool for 15-30 minutes in the pan and transfer to a wire rack to keep cooling before serving.

Can I make Cherry Streusel Muffins with this recipe?

Of Course! With this recipe, you could make regular-sized muffins, mini muffins, or even mini loaves.

Muffins:

12 large muffins. Line your muffin tin and only fill 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 20 minutes

Mini Muffins:

Depending on your “mini” sized pan, this delicious recipe could make approximately 36 mini muffins.

Mini Loaves:

Roughly 3 loaves can come from this recipe. If making minis, use a cookie scoop to evenly distribute the bread batter amongst the 3 mini loaf pans. Bake for 20 minutes, checking for doneness before removing from the oven.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use any type of cherry for cherry bread?

Any type of cherry you have on hand whether it be fresh cherries, canned cherries, or maraschino cherries. Whichever cherries you use, make sure they’re cleaned, pitted, and have the steam removed.

cherry bread loaf and two slices on a plate

Expert Tips

Just a couple tips for you!

  • Line your loaf pan with parchment paper, enough so that about 2 inches stick out from either side. This will make pulling the loaf out of the pan a whole lot easier.
  • This recipe makes quite a bit of streusel topping. I really love a streusel topping. You do not have to use it all, I would tho!
cherry bread loaf with two slices taken out

Storage

Store your cherry loaf wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature on your countertop for up to 3 days, and even longer in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze Cherry Bread? Yes! Wrap the entire loaf tightly in plastic wrap then aluminum foil and freeze. Or, freeze individual slices, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to save for later.

Thaw the entire loaf overnight in the fridge, or thaw individual slices for an hour before serving.

Try these other similar recipes!

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cherry bread loaf and two slices on a plate

Cherry Bread

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Cherry bread might seem like an odd combination but it’s actually delicious! An indulgent quick bread recipe with tart canned cherries and a flavorful blend of vanilla and almond extract, cherry bread is then finished off with a crumbly streusel topping. 

  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 cup White Granulated Sugar

1 14.5 ounce can of Red Tart Cherries, save 1/4 cup of liquid, and drain the rest.

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1/4 cup Cherry Water

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon Almond Extract

2 Eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

For the streusel topping

3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Butter, cold and cubed

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F and prepare your loaf pan with parchment paper and nonstick baking spray.
  2. In a small bowl prepare your streusel ingredients, flour brown sugar, and cubes of cold butter.
  3. Work it together with your hands, squishing the butter into the flour until it comes together into a crumbly texture.
  4. To keep the butter cold, put the streusel in the fridge while you prepare your cherry bread mixture.
  5. In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Whisk to combine.
  6. Add to the flour mixture the drained cherries, vegetable oil, beaten eggs, cherry water, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
  7. Mix together gently and try not to overmix.
  8. Pour your cherry bread mixture into your prepared loaf pan.
  9. Remove the streusel topping from the fridge and spread it evenly over the top of your bread mixture.
  10. Bake for 90 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
  11. Cool for 15-30 minutes before removing from the pan and serving.

Notes

Storage: Store your cherry loaf wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature on your countertop for up to 3 days, and even longer in the refrigerator.

  • Line your loaf pan with parchment paper, enough so that about 2 inches stick out from either side. This will make pulling the loaf out of the pan a whole lot easier.
  • This recipe makes quite a bit of streusel topping. I really love a streusel topping. You do not have to use it all, I would tho!
  • Author: April Brown
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 90 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baked

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 459
  • Sugar: 35.2 g
  • Sodium: 327.8 mg
  • Fat: 21 g
  • Carbohydrates: 63.4 g
  • Fiber: 1.6 g
  • Protein: 5.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 61.8 mg
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By on April 3rd, 2023

About April Brown

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