It’s hard to resist the smell of this beautiful Fresh Strawberry Bread in your oven! Strawberry season is coming, and I’m all about baking with this delicious fruit.
This strawberry bread is made with freshly diced strawberries, and it comes out so tender and moist. It’s very easy to make, and it’s also freezer-friendly!
It’s definitely the perfect way to use up all the fresh strawberries this season! You’ll love how fragrant and delicious this quick bread is.
This fresh strawberry bread is one of my most beloved quick bread recipes. It’s tender, moist, and fragrant. I love the delicate flavors that fresh strawberries add to this quick bread.
The secret to ultra tender and flavorful strawberry bread is using buttermilk. It adds the perfect amount of moisture and the right texture to this bread. I’d recommend using buttermilk rather than plain milk or even yogurt.
If you’re looking for bolder quick bread flavors, check out my Lemon Blueberry Bread or this Lemon Loaf Cake. If you are a banana bread fan, try this Nutella Banana Bread.
Here’s why I love this strawberry loaf recipe:
- It’s perfectly moist and tender thanks to the buttermilk.
- The flavors are delicate: Something about baking with strawberries gives baked goods that delicate and fragrant feel.
- It’s very easy to make: Nothing complicated here. The hardest part is waiting for the bread to bake!
Jump to:
Made with Fresh Strawberries
This strawberry bread is the perfect recipe to use up all the fresh strawberries that this season is going to bless us with!
- Pick fresh, firm strawberries: Find strawberries that are firm in texture and bright red in color for best results.
- Remove excess moisture from the diced strawberries by patting them dry thoroughly with paper towel. This way, your bread won’t turn out soggy.
- Toss them with flour: This will prevent the strawberries from sinking all the way to the bottom.
- Don’t use frozen strawberries: It will make the quick bread too wet and mushy.
Tender and Moist
The secret to baking tender and moist is using buttermilk, which is really great at giving baked goods a perfectly tender and moist texture, while keeping it light at the same time. It also adds a delicious, slightly tangy flavor to baked goods!
This strawberry bread recipe requires buttermilk. I’ve tested it with milk and yogurt, and buttermilk ALWAYS yields a more tender and delicate loaf, which is perfect to let the strawberries shine. Additionally, this recipe calls for baking soda only, so you need an acidic component (buttermilk) for it to rise properly.
If you’d rather use yogurt in your quick bread, try this Lemon Blueberry Quick Bread!
Use Oil, Not Butter
When it comes to baking quick breads, I always choose to bake with vegetable oil rather than butter.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the taste that butter gives to baked goods, but quick breads always turn out better with oil. With oil, the bread will be lighter with more separated crumbs. On the other hand, quick breads made with butter tend to be more like pound cake.
In this strawberry bread recipe, I use vegetable oil and it always comes out perfectly moist, light and tender.
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card down below, but I wanted to highlight a few here:
- Buttermilk: No substitutions. This ingredient is required. You can also make your own buttermilk at home (see notes in recipe card down below).
- Vegetable oil: Oil gives quick breads a lighter texture with more “separated” crumbs.
- Fresh strawberries: Pick bright red and firm strawberries for best results.
- Granulated sugar: For sweetness. Don’t use brown sugar – it will make the bread too wet.
- Baking soda: The main leavening agent. You only need 1 teaspoon (baking soda is potent).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 | Mix dry ingredients
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2 | Mix wet ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk egg, granulated sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until evenly combined.
Step 3 | Mix batter and fold in strawberries
- Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients and combine with a whisk until no pockets of flour remain. Do not overmix.
- Toss diced strawberries (thoroughly patted dry) with flour. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
- Add strawberries into the batter, leaving excess flour behind.
- Gently fold in the strawberries into the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined.
Step 4 | Transfer to pan and top with strawberries
Transfer the prepared batter to a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan. Top with more diced strawberries, gently pushing them down into the batter but letting them still be visible for aesthetics.
Step 5 | Bake
Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes. After 40-45 minutes, cover with foil to prevent it from browning too much. Return to oven and continue baking. The strawberry bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Tip: To prevent the bread from sinking in the middle, try not to open the oven too much. Only open it when you need to cover with foil at the 40-45 minute mark, and then when it’s ready to check for doneness.
How to Prevent Breads from Sinking in the Middle
I get this question a lot when it comes to baking in general. The answer is almost always to avoid opening the oven too early or too often during the baking process, as drastic changes in temperature will cause baked goods to collapse.
With that said, here are some tips to get that beautiful dome in this strawberry bread:
- Don’t open the oven too often: During the baking process, only open it once when you need to cover it with foil, and when it’s ready to check for doneness.
- Use the right amount of baking soda: This recipe calls for only 1 teaspoon baking soda. Baking soda is strong, so be sure to only use 1 teaspoon. Also, check that it’s not expired.
- Avoid too much moisture: Thoroughly pat dry the diced fresh strawberries before tossing them with flour.
Other Quick Breads You May Like
Check out these other amazing quick bread recipes:
Recipe FAQs
This recipe requires buttermilk. I wouldn’t recommend using just milk in this recipe because of the baking soda, which needs an acidic ingredient (buttermilk) to react and rise properly.
I’d recommend using vegetable oil for all quick breads. Oil yields a lighter texture with more “separated” crumbs than butter does. With butter, it will be more like a pound cake.
No. Frozen strawberries contain too much moisture and will make the bread soggy.
Yes, definitely! Also check out my lemon blueberry bread recipe for a variation.
This will prevent the strawberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf pan.
This recipe was published in 2019 and updated in March 2022 to include new photos and information, plus a few recipe modifications.
Tips for Success
- Use bright red and firm strawberries for best results. Strawberries tend to soften and turn a bit pale when exposed to heat. The more vibrant and firmer they are, the better.
- Do not substitute the buttermilk. It’s needed for the baking soda to react and help the bread rise. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk at home (see notes in the recipe card below).
- Try not to open the oven too often: To prevent the bread from sinking in the middle, only open it once when you need to cover it with foil, and when it’s ready to check for doneness.
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Fresh Strawberry Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg - at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature - no substitutions
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Butter to grease the pan
For the strawberries:
- 2 cups diced fresh strawberries - firm in texture and bright red
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9×5 inch aluminum loaf pan with butter. Set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In another large bowl, mix the egg, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until evenly combined.
- Gradually, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking until no pockets of flour remain. Do not overmix.
- Thoroughly pat dry the diced strawberries. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of strawberries for later and set aside. Toss the remaining diced strawberries with 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour. Gently, fold in the flour-coated strawberries into the batter until just combined, leaving any excess flour behind.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with the reserved 3 tablespoons of diced strawberries, gently pushing them down into the batter but letting them still be visible. This will make the bread more beautiful.
- Bake for about 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. About 40 minutes into the baking time, cover with aluminum foil to prevent it from browning too fast. Tip: To prevent the bread from sinking in the middle, only open it once when you need to cover it with foil, and when it’s ready to check for doneness.
- Remove from oven and let it cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Then, carefully remove from the pan and let it cool a bit more before slicing. Note: The strawberries inside may look a little bit pale, that’s normal. Using bright red and firm strawberries helps with that.
Notes
- Use bright red and firm strawberries for best results. Strawberries tend to soften and turn a bit pale when exposed to heat, so the more vibrant and firmer they are, the better. After dicing, pat them dry thoroughly to remove any excess moisture.
- Buttermilk is required. This recipe only calls for baking soda, which needs an acid component to react. Buttermilk, which contains acid, reacts with the baking soda to help the bread rise.
- DIY buttermilk: Pour 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into a 1-cup measurer. Then fill the cup with milk. Give it a stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. It will slightly curdle.
- Storage: Store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing instructions: Wrap tightly with 2-3 layers of aluminum foil and transfer to a freezer-friendly bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- Do NOT substitute buttermilk or baking soda.
- Instead of strawberries, feel free to use blueberries.
- Turn them into muffins: Bake at 400 degrees F for about 16-18.
- Drizzle with a quick glaze: Combine 1 cup confectioners sugar with 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk. You can also add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and lemon zest.
Shaniece says
Went strawberry picking and I googled strawberry recipes and came across this loaf cake recipe. So happy I found this, the loaf came out amazing and delicious, I did use less sugar than required but that was my preference.
Denise says
This bread came out beautiful, followed directions and am extremely pleased.
Thank you.
Dawn Woodward says
Hi, Just wanted to let you know that I made your strawberry bread today and it was super! I left out the zest of lemon because I don’t like lemon. I was glad to see that I was able to get 15 slices from this loaf – that means less carbs in each slice! Thank you for sharing.
JB says
I cup of buttermilk? Does that make the batter runny? Seems like a lot of liquid?
Tania says
Hi JB! Buttermilk is relatively thick, and it should make a good batter with the proportions of the dry ingredients.
Sophie says
Hi, haven’t tried this but looks so delicious!! Just wondering how long it will take to make including everything such as making the dough, baking and cooling.
kind regards, Sophie
Tania says
Prep time is about 15 minutes, bake time about 1 hour. As for cooling, depends on how “cool” you want it – usually 1-2 hours are enough.
Debbie White says
I can’t wait to try this.
Patricia says
Super delicious! Made it for Easter and it was a big hit!
Tania says
Thank you for trying it!
JJ says
Can’t wait to make this!!
Cristina says
It was very moist and delicious. I will make it again.
Min says
Delicious!!! Made it and everyone loved it!!! This is a keeper !
Alicia says
This was delicious and perfect for spring! Such a great recipe!
Matt says
Loved this bread! It was very easy to make and it’s moist and really delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Janice says
Delicious! I made this today, subbing applesauce (homemade) for the oil as another reader suggested, and used about 1/2 cup sugar since I had already added a bit of sugar to the strawberries when I washed and sliced them. At the time I washed and sliced the strawberries I was planning to freeze them, but then I stumbled upon this recipe and decided to use the berries I was planning to freeze. My husband is not a big fan of breads that are overly sweet. He had a slice of this bread while it was still warm, gave me a thumbs up while his mouth was full, and later said “it’s a keeper.” Winner, winner, strawberry bread with coffee after dinner. 🙂
Tania says
Hi Janice! I am so excited that you all loved the bread. Thanks for trying my recipe!
Caroline says
How full should each we’ll be if I’m making these in smaller loaves?
Tania says
Hi! About two-thirds or three-quarters full of batter.