This strawberry bread is a HUGE favorite in my house! It’s a soft, moist loaf made in the same style as banana bread, only this version is loaded with fresh strawberries and topped with a sweet strawberry cream cheese icing.
My quick strawberry bread is one of my best strawberry recipes, especially in the summer when fresh berries come into season. Be sure to try my strawberry pound cake recipe, too!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Strawberry Bread Recipe
This amazing fresh strawberry bread is a keeper! It’s a soft and moist quick bread recipe, like banana bread, only packed with juicy summer strawberries. Here’s why you’ll want to have a slice for breakfast, a snack, AND dessert:
Easy. This strawberry-studded loaf is a quick bread recipe. Like banana bread, there’s no yeast and zero rising time. All you need is a few simple ingredients, a loaf pan, and an hour or less from start to finish.
Homemade cream cheese icing. I drizzle this sweet bread loaf with a sweet strawberry cream cheese icing (only 3 ingredients!) and it basically tastes like cake.
Any occasion. The strawberry flavors make this bread the perfect summer treat, but it’s delicious year-round (you can even use frozen berries). I love slices at breakfast with my morning coffee or tea, or I’ll top this strawberry bread with ice cream for dessert. It’s also a great snack to pack in lunch boxes or to take along on busy errand-running days.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Most of what you’ll need to make this fluffy strawberry bread are common baking ingredients. I’ve included some notes below. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable list of ingredients and recipe details.
Strawberries – I love making this bread with fresh strawberries. You can make it with frozen strawberries when it’s out of season, see below.
Dry Ingredients – Your baking basics like all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Butter and Eggs – Brought to room temperature. You can use salted or unsalted butter. If needed, you can use an egg substitute in this quick bread recipe.
Vanilla – Real vanilla extract. For another layer of flavor, try using half vanilla and half lemon extract.
Milk – This can be any kind of dairy or non-dairy milk.
Cream Cheese – To combine with powdered sugar and pureed strawberries for the icing. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature so that it’s easier to mix.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
Yes, you can! While I love fresh berries, they aren’t always in season where I live. In that case, it’s frozen strawberries to the rescue. If you’re making this bread with frozen strawberries, thaw them completely and pat them dry with paper towels beforehand.
How to Make Strawberry Bread
Before you start, toss the strawberries with a sprinkle of flour. It’s a handy baking trick that keeps fruit add-ins like strawberries, blueberries, etc. from sinking to the bottom of cakes, muffins, and bread loaves.
Next, it’s a matter of combining the wet ingredients and gradually adding the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter. The floured strawberries go in last. Afterward, bake the strawberry bread in a 9×5” loaf pan at 350ºF for 45-50 minutes.
Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
While your bread cools off, make your icing! Puree about ¼ cup of strawberries and fold them into a bowl with cream cheese and powdered sugar. Give that a good mix until you have a silky smooth icing.
This cream cheese icing is thick enough to pipe with a piping bag (or with a plastic baggie with the corner snipped), or you can spread it over the bread. It’s also possible to thin it out with a little milk if you’d prefer more of a glaze.
Recipe Tips
Coat the strawberries in a little flour. As mentioned, it helps to keep the strawberries from sinking to the bottom of the batter.
Line the pan. In addition to greasing the pan, I like to line the baking pan with parchment paper, too. It makes it so easy to just lift the bread out once it’s cooled off. Cut a strip of parchment paper long enough to cover the bottom and line the two long ends of the pan. Give the paper an extra coating with cooking spray, and you’ll have no issues popping the bread out later on.
Rotate the pan. I recommend turning the pan in the oven halfway through baking. This way, it bakes more evenly.
Skip the icing. The strawberry icing is delicious but optional. Feel free to use any alternative topping you’d like, whether that’s vanilla glaze, frosting, or otherwise. You can even leave your strawberry bread plain and it’ll still taste great.
How to Store
To store. Keep this strawberry bread stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. You can also keep it in the fridge to prolong its shelf life for a couple of days.
Freeze. Quick bread like this strawberry bread and my fall-favorite pumpkin bread freeze super well. Wrap the strawberry bread whole or in slices, then double-wrap it in foil or plastic wrap. Freeze it for up to 30 days for best freshness and thaw at room temperature for serving.
This strawberry bread is a soft and moist quick bread recipe glazed with sweet strawberry cream cheese icing. Enjoy a slice for breakfast or dessert!
1 cup chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup milk
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
Icing
1/4 cup pureed strawberries
1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick spray, and set aside.
In a medium bowl mix the chopped strawberries and 2 tablespoons flour, coating strawberries completely. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until combined evenly, scraping sides, as necessary.
Add in baking powder and salt and continue to mix.
Turn the mixer to low and add in flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour, mix until the batter is just smooth.
Fold in the strawberries and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the center is set and the toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Icing
Mix the pureed strawberries, cream cheese, and powdered sugar together in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread or pipe on top of the bread, allowing it to drip down the sides.
Notes
Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 30 days.
