Strawberry Vanilla Bread Recipe

Whether it's peak strawberry season or you're pining for summer, the right strawberry dessert recipes can instantly sweeten up your life. Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone hits the spot with this strawberry vanilla bread that's bursting with juicy fruit and a sweet aroma in every bite. Quick breads tend to yield great results with low effort, and this recipe is no exception: "With very little preparation, you get a delicious bread that's perfect for the upcoming berry season," Morone shares. 

While strawberries go well with plenty of ingredients (chocolate-covered strawberries, strawberry-banana smoothies, the list goes on...), Morone remarks that the pairing in this particular recipe brings a few key elements into equilibrium. "Strawberry and vanilla together are also a perfect flavor combination because the tartness of the strawberry balances with the sweetness of the vanilla," she explains. That's not to say you can't add chocolate after the fact, though! Morone recommends spreading chocolate or chocolate hazelnut butter over a slice of strawberry vanilla bread to give the treat an extra oomph. 

For this strawberry vanilla bread, you'll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, a large egg, granulated sugar, vanilla Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to make the base of the bread. Next, grab fresh strawberries to fold into the batter, as well as confectioners' sugar and milk for the icing on top.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, granulated sugar, Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.

Add the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

In a separate small bowl, combine the chopped strawberries with 1 tablespoon flour until coated.

Gently fold the strawberry mixture into the batter.

Add batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 60-70 minutes, loosely covering the bread about halfway though, until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove bread from the oven and let cool completely.

In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and milk until you reach a drizzling consistency.

Drizzle icing over the cooled bread.

Slice and serve.

If you're all out of fresh strawberries or can't find any that look worthy of your baking recipe, you can always use frozen berries, which are typically frozen at peak ripeness and, once baked, should taste just as good as the fresh ones. One word of advice for this strawberry vanilla bread in particular: "I wouldn't thaw the berries first, or they might cause the color to bleed or add too much moisture to the batter," Morone says.

Besides swapping frozen strawberries for fresh ones, you can make a few other changes to this recipe based on ingredient availability or your preferences. Morone uses Greek yogurt in this recipe "because it is similar to sour cream or buttermilk in that it adds a tang to the flavor and also keeps baked goods moist." If you prefer regular vanilla yogurt, you can use that instead.

Vegetable oil is the main fat source in this recipe, infusing the bread with a light and moist consistency. If you were to use only melted butter instead, Morone explains, "because butter contains water and oil is all fat, the texture of the bread might end up being drier than if you just used vegetable oil." If you want to include butter for its unmistakable flavor, she recommends using half oil and half butter for optimal results. 

Quick bread is a great recipe to make if you're hosting or want to bring a baked good to an event — just pour the batter into a single pan and slice it into as many pieces as desired. However, if you prefer individually portioned treats, you can easily transform this recipe, along with those for most other quick breads, to make muffins. You'll need to make a few changes to the baking process due to the different format and size of the baked goods, but the batter remains the same. 

Morone recommends increasing the oven temperature to 375 F and baking the muffins for a fraction of the time — about 25-30 minutes. You'll want to check them earlier though, since muffins can burn more quickly than an entire loaf cake would. Check the tops for a golden color, and poke a toothpick into the center to see if the batter is cooked through.