Sweet, tart and bursting with fresh summer cherries, this homemade cherry bread recipe is a warm weather delight!
This easy-to-make quick bread is soft, moist and loaded with juicy cherries. Even better, it’s got a buttery, crumbly streusel topping that adds a perfect little crunch on top.
Biting into this homemade cherry bread is like taking a bite of summer. So pour yourself a hot cup of coffee, cut yourself a slice and enjoy the season!
What’s in this cherry bread recipe
Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade cherry quick bread recipe:
- All-purpose or gluten free flour
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vegetable Oil
- Buttermilk
- Fresh cherries
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Cinnamon
- Salt
For the streusel topping, you’ll pretty much need more of the same:
- Flour
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
- Melted butter
- More cherries
How to Make Homemade Cherry Bread
Making quick bread is so easy!
Grab two bowls. Put your dry ingredients in one bowl and your wet ingredients in the other. Combine the two bowls and boom – quick bread.
To make the streusel topping, combine the sugar, flour and melted butter together and sprinkle them on top of the loaf. Finish with some more cherries and bake!
What are the best cherries for baking?
When it comes to baking the best cherry bread, not all cherries are created equal. While sweet cherries, like Rainier, are delicious when eaten fresh, their higher sugar content can make them excessively sweet and overpowering when baked. Same goes for maraschino cherries. Save those for ice cream sundaes.
On the other hand, tart cherries, like iconic Montmorency cherries, offer the ideal balance of sweetness and acidity, making them perfect for baking.
Can you use frozen cherries in this recipe?
You can definitely use frozen cherries in this recipe! Just be sure to let them thaw at room temperature before using them.
Tips for working with fresh cherries
- Use a cherry pitter. I’ll be up front – it’s going to be super annoying to use fresh cherries in a baking recipe unless you have a cherry pitter. A cherry pitter is an inexpensive gadget that will pop the pits out of your cherries in seconds. A worthy investment, in my humble opinion. They range in price from $9-$15 and are easily found in kitchen stores and on Amazon.
- Protect against splatter. When working with fresh cherries, expect some splatter. And cherry juice can stain! Pit your cherries in the kitchen sink or over a trash can to minimize splatter and possible staining of kitchen towels and clothing.
- Try frozen cherries. If you don’t have a cherry pitter, I’d recommend using frozen cherries just to keep your sanity. Bags of frozen cherries are already pitted, and all you need to do is let them defrost in a colander before using them for baking.
Variations on this cherry bread recipe
This Michigan cherry bread is super versatile, allowing for a lots of of delicious variations. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Cherry Almond Bread: Incorporate almond extract and slivered almonds in this recipe to create an amazing almond cherry bread that smells incredible.
- Chocolate Cherry Bread: For the chocolate lovers out there, adding cocoa powder or chocolate chips creates a luscious blend of chocolate and cherry flavors that is irresistible.
- Orange Zest Cherry Bread: The addition of fresh orange zest infuses this bread with citrusy undertones, creating a refreshing twist on the classic recipe. You could also try lemon zest to add a puckery essence.
- Cherry Walnut Bread: Stir 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts into the batter for a textural twist.
How to store this homemade cherry bread
Once your cherry loaf is baked and cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to protect it from air and moisture. Store it at room temperature for up to two days, after which it should be transferred to the refrigerator for an extended shelf life of about a week.
This cherry bread also freezes beautifully. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap before placing it in an airtight container or freezer bag.
When you’re ready to enjoy it, allow the bread to thaw at room temperature or gently warm it in the oven for a few minutes.
When you make this homemade cherry bread recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more quick bread recipes, try these:
- Best Ever Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
- Cinnamon Zucchini Bread with Pecans
For more summer fruit recipes, try these:
- Homemade Blueberry Pie (That is not Runny!)
- Cherry Plum Upside Down Cake
- Strawberry Ice Cream Pretzel Pie
Homemade Cherry Bread Recipe (Quick and From Scratch)
Ingredients
The Bread
- 2 cup all-purpose or gluten free flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups cherries pitted and halved
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. salt
The Crumb Topping
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free flour
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup cherries pitted and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk and oil.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Remove the pits from the cherries and slice them in half. Fold cherries into the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- In a small bowl, combine all of the crumb topping ingredients except for the chopped cherries. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the bread batter. Sprinkle chopped cherries over top.
- Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack before turning out of the pan.
Leo says
Can I use this recipe for muffins as well?
simmerandsage says
Most definitely!
Tammie says
I have dried tart red cherry s can I use them with this recipe, should I soak them in warm water? Thank you!!
Jackie says
Hi Tammie!
I have not tested this recipe using dried cherries, and you’ll definitely want to rehydrate them as much as possible in water. Let me know how it comes out! 🙂