Cherry Almond Bread: A Sweet and Nutty Delight 🍒🍞✨

If you’re looking for a soft, moist, and flavorful quick bread, this Cherry Almond Bread is just what you need! It’s packed with sweet maraschino cherries, crunchy almonds, and a hint of almond extract, creating a deliciously rich and nutty treat.

Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack, this bread pairs beautifully with a cup of coffee or tea and is easy to make with simple ingredients. Plus, with an optional almond glaze, it gets an extra touch of sweetness that makes it even more irresistible.

Let’s get started!

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Bread:

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup chopped maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry
• ½ cup sliced almonds (plus extra for topping)

For the Glaze (Optional):

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

Step 1: Preheat the Oven & Prep the Pan

Before mixing the ingredients, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Next, grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan to ensure the bread bakes evenly and doesn’t stick.

Pro Tip: You can also line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal!

Step 2: Prepare the Dry Ingredients

Mixing the dry ingredients separately ensures that the baking powder and baking soda are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

How to Do It:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together:
   • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
   • 1 teaspoon baking powder
   • ½ teaspoon baking soda
   • ½ teaspoon salt
2. Set the dry ingredients aside while we prepare the wet mixture.

Why This Step Matters: Whisking the dry ingredients helps prevent lumps and ensures the bread rises properly!

Step 3: Cream the Butter & Sugar

To create a light and fluffy texture, we start by beating together the butter and sugar.

How to Do It:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together:
   • ½ cup (1 stick) softened butter
   • ¾ cup granulated sugar
2. Mix until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes using a hand mixer or stand mixer).

Pro Tip: Softened butter ensures a smooth and creamy batter, giving the bread a moist and tender crumb.

Step 4: Add the Wet Ingredients

Now it’s time to add the eggs, sour cream, milk, and almond extract to enhance the flavor and texture of the bread.

How to Do It:

1. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Stir in ½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt), ½ cup milk, and 1 teaspoon almond extract until smooth and fully combined.

Why This Step is Important: The sour cream (or Greek yogurt) adds moisture and richness, while the almond extract enhances the nutty flavor in every bite!

Now that our batter is smooth, creamy, and full of rich almond flavor, it’s time to add the star ingredients—sweet maraschino cherries and crunchy almonds! These mix-ins give the bread a beautiful pop of color, a slight crunch, and a burst of fruity goodness in every bite.

Let’s finish preparing the batter and get this delicious quick bread into the oven!

Step 5: Fold in the Cherries & Almonds

Adding the cherries and almonds correctly ensures that they are evenly distributed throughout the bread.

How to Do It:

1. Drain and pat dry 1 cup of chopped maraschino cherries to remove excess moisture (this helps prevent the batter from becoming too wet).
2. Gently fold the cherries and ½ cup sliced almonds into the batter using a spatula.
3. Mix just until combined—be careful not to overmix, as this can make the bread dense.

Pro Tip: To prevent the cherries from sinking, toss them in a tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter!

Step 6: Pour the Batter & Add Toppings

Now that our batter is ready, it’s time to transfer it to the prepared loaf pan and add a finishing touch!

How to Do It:

1. Pour the batter into the greased and floured 9×5-inch loaf pan, smoothing out the top.
2. Sprinkle extra sliced almonds over the top for a delicious crunchy finish.

Optional: You can also add a few extra chopped cherries on top for a pop of color!

Step 7: Bake to Perfection

Now it’s time to let the oven do the work!

Baking Instructions:

• Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven (350°F/175°C).
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until:
  ✅ The top is golden brown.
  ✅ A toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Baking Tip: If the top starts browning too quickly, tent the loaf with aluminum foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

Step 8: Cool the Bread

Once the bread is done baking, let it cool properly before adding the optional glaze.

How to Do It:

1. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes—this allows it to set before removing it.
2. Carefully transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cherry Quick Bread Recipe – A Perfect Treat for Any Occasion

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Author: Simpledishes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 min
• Yield: 10-12 slices

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This soft, moist, and flavorful quick bread is packed with sweet cherries and nutty almond flavor, making it perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack. The tender crumb and sweet almond glaze take it to the next level!

---

Ingredients

For the Bread:

✅ 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
✅ 1 tsp baking powder
✅ ½ tsp baking soda
✅ ½ tsp salt
✅ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
✅ ¾ cup granulated sugar
✅ 2 large eggs
✅ ½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
✅ ½ cup milk
✅ 1 tsp almond extract
✅ 1 cup chopped maraschino cherries (drained and patted dry)
✅ ½ cup sliced almonds (plus extra for topping)

For the Glaze (Optional):

✅ 1 cup powdered sugar
✅ 2 tbsp milk
✅ ½ tsp almond extract

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1️⃣ Preheat the oven:

• Set oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

2️⃣ Prepare the dry ingredients:

• In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3️⃣ Cream the butter & sugar:

• In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

4️⃣ Add wet ingredients:

• Mix in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the sour cream, milk, and almond extract.

5️⃣ Combine & fold:

• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined.
• Gently fold in the chopped cherries and sliced almonds.

6️⃣ Bake:

• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle extra sliced almonds on top.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7️⃣ Cool:

• Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8️⃣ Prepare the glaze (optional):

• Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract until smooth.
• Drizzle over the cooled bread.

9️⃣ Serve & Enjoy!

• Slice and enjoy this sweet & nutty cherry almond bread with a cup of coffee or tea! 🍒☕

Notes

✔️ Use fresh cherries – Instead of maraschino, try fresh or frozen cherries (pitted & chopped).
✔️ No almonds? Swap them for pecans, walnuts, or omit for a nut-free version.
✔️ More almond flavor? Add ½ tsp more almond extract for extra nuttiness.
✔️ Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temp for 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes