8 Quick Bread Recipes You Can Make Tonight

There is something magical about the smell of fresh bread baking in your kitchen. But if the mention of baking bread conjures hours spent kneading dough and waiting for it to rise, think again. Quick breads to the rescue for your weeknight dinners, and they’re so easy that even novice bakers can get them right on the first try.

Quick breads are just that because they skip the whole yeast-rising scenario. Instead, they rely on baking powder or baking soda to produce that tender rise we all long for. That’s right — you can mix up a batch and have warm, homemade bread on your table in less than an hour. Whether you want a sweet start to the day, require a savory finish to supper or simply feel like serving guests without any hassle — these eight will work wonders for you.

Tonight, you will become a bread baker. No fancy equipment to lug around, no complex techniques to learn. Just no-frills ingredients, easy-to-follow directions, and tasty results that will have everyone craving seconds.

Why Quick Breads Are Ideal for a Busy Weeknight

Quick breads are not just quick, as their name would suggest; they’re also rather forgiving. While yeast breads are a creation of precise temperature and timings, quick breads are way more laid-back. You can have all the ingredients mixed together in a bowl in 10 minutes, and most recipes bake up between 30 and 50 minutes. So from deciding you want fresh bread to having it out of the oven, you’re talking about an hour.

And these breads employ ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. The ingredients can include flour, sugar, eggs, milk and leavening agents. From there, you can flavor to taste with whatever’s calling your name. And they don’t take any particular skills. If you know how to mix things up in a bowl and pour batter into a baking pan, you can bake quick bread.

Recipe 1: Classic Buttermilk Biscuits

We’ll start with an all-timer that I’ve never been able to pin down to any single meal: breakfast, lunch or dinner. Buttermilk biscuits are deliciously flaky and buttery. They are great with scrambled eggs for breakfast or bathed in gravy for a comfort food supper.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons butter, cold and diced
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk

How to Make Them:

Begin by preheating your oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the pieces of cold butter and, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-size butter chunks still visible. You know, those pockets of flakiness that everyone raves about.

Add the buttermilk, and stir just until dough comes together. Don’t overmix — it’s fine if it seems a bit shaggy. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; press into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Fold in half, then pat it back out. Fold that same way two more times. This creates layers without rolling.

Cut biscuits with a round cutter or a drinking glass. Press firmly down without twisting to ensure they rise evenly. Line the biscuits up on a baking sheet so they’re just barely touching — this will help them rise taller when baked. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Pro Tip: Keep everything cold. Cold butter and cold buttermilk: The secret to flaky biscuits. Some bakers freeze the butter in advance and grate it into the flour for an especially flaky texture.

Recipe 2: Savory Cheddar and Herb Beer Bread

Beer bread is distinguished for just how stupidly easy it is to make, and this savory one takes that ease to the next echelon by adding sharp cheddar cheese and fresh herbs. The texture is a bit solid and robust, perfect for sopping up some soup or stew.

What You’ll Need:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp)
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme or chives are excellent)
• 12 ounces beer (any variety including non-alcoholic)
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

How to Make It:

Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the cheese and herbs until well combined, breaking up any clumps of cheese so that they are evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

Add the beer and stir until combined. You should have thick, slightly lumpy batter — that’s perfect. Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Drizzle the melted butter over the loaf, allowing it to cascade down the sides.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.

The Beer Factor: The fermentation bubbles in beer become a secondary leavening agent as well as adding a mild taste. Choose a lighter beer for light taste, or darker beer with stronger, malty flavor. The alcohol bakes off entirely, so this is family-friendly bread.

Recipe 3: Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This bread has all the flavors of a cinnamon roll, but is ready in far less time. The cinnamon sugar swirls all through it mean every slice feels special, and toasted with butter for breakfast, it’s fantastic.

Craving something flaky? Try making Puff Pastry at home 🥐 here.

What You’ll Need:

For the bread:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cinnamon swirl:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

How to Make It:

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until just combined.

Whisk together the cinnamon swirl in a small bowl. Pour half the batter into your prepped pan. Spread half the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top, then spread the remaining batter on top. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Swirl in the batter with a butter knife in a zigzag pattern for marbled swirls.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes; then unmold.

Serving Suggestion: This bread is great warm, room temperature or cold. Try slicing and toasting it, then smearing on cream cheese for an extra-special treat.

Recipe 4: Zesty Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Wonderfully bright, fresh and bursting with lemon flavor, this bread brings sunshine to the table. The poppy seeds offer a pleasing crunch and make it appear bakery-worthy.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

How to Make It:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, egg, lemon zest and juice.

Pour the wet into the dry and mix until just combined. Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Bread is finished when it springs back lightly to touch and a toothpick comes out clean.

While the bread is cooling down, prepare the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar and lemon juice. After the bread has cooled for 15 minutes or so, use a toothpick to poke holes all over the surface of the bread, then pour the glaze on top and allow it to fully absorb.

Fresh is Best: Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor. Bottled lemon juice will never come close. It is the oils in the lemon zest that bring an intense flavor from this bread that really sets it apart.

Recipe 5: Banana Walnut Bread

This classic never goes out of style, and is a great way to use up all those brown bananas that are sitting on your countertop. The walnuts give it crunch and healthy fats, which makes this bread substantial enough for breakfast or a snack.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

How to Make It:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large baking tin (9×5 inch) with greaseproof paper and oil it to prevent the loaf sticking. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and stir in the vanilla and mashed bananas.

Gently fold in the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Fold in the walnuts. Scrape batter into your prepared pan and bake for 60 to 65 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and let it continue cooling.

Banana Ripeness Is Key: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. Fully brown (or even black) bananas are ideal for banana bread. If your bananas aren’t super ripe, you can fast-track that ripeness by baking them in their skins at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Recipe 6: Jalapeño Cheese Cornbread

This is not your grandma’s cornbread. With a few add-ins (like jalapeños and cheese), plain cornbread is something special enough to be the center of attention. It’s moist, delicious and just a little spicy.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cheese (shredded cheddar or Mexican blend)
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
• 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

How to Make It:

Preheat your oven to 400°F and grease an 8×8 inch baking pan or a 9″ cast iron skillet. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, oil and eggs.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until just incorporated. Gently stir in the cheese, jalapeños and corn. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Adjust the Heat: If you’re a fan of spicy, keep some of the jalapeño seeds on or add another pepper. For a tamer salsa, discard all the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños. You can also replace with diced green chiles for a different taste sensation.

Recipe 7: Pumpkin Spice Bread

Pumpkin puree and warm spices make this bread taste like fall in every single bite. It’s moist, flavorful and keeps for days — although there’s a good chance it won’t last that long.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/3 cup water

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and all the spices. In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar, oil, and eggs. Mix in the pumpkin puree and water.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60 to 65 minutes. The bread is ready when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Year-Round Treat: The idea of pumpkin bread may shout “fall,” but canned pumpkin puree is available 365 days a year, so you can make this whenever the mood strikes. Be sure you are purchasing pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling with its added spices and sugar.

Recipe 8: Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

This bread is evidence that you can hide vegetables in desserts, and have people begging for more. The zucchini keeps the bread super moist with no traces of vegetable flavor and gives extra chocolate chips in every morsel.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini (approximately 2 medium zucchini)
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

How to Make It:

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease two 8×4 inch loaf pans. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and then mix in the oil, both sugars and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix just until combined. Add the grated zucchini and chocolate chips and gently fold them in. Pour the batter into the two prepared pans and cook for 50–55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool loaves in pans 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks.

Zucchini Prep: No need to peel the zucchini – the specks of green add color. Grate it and toss it straight into the batter. Do not squeeze out moisture, as the moisture is what helps keep it moist. If your zucchini has released a lot of liquid while sitting, you can pour off the excess, but in most cases it’s good to use as is.

At A Glance: Quick Bread Recipes for Comparison

Recipe	Prep Time	Bake Time	Total Time	Skill Level	Best For
Buttermilk Biscuits	15 min	15 min	30 min	Beginner	Breakfast, Dinner Sides
Cheddar Herb Beer Bread	10 min	55 min	65 min	Beginner	Pairing with Soup, Dinner
Cinnamon Swirl Bread	15 min	50 min	65 min	Beginner	Brunch
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread	15 min	50 min	65 min	Beginner	Afternoon Tea/Brunch
Banana Walnut Bread	15 min	65 min	80 min	Beginner	Breakfast/Snacking
Jalapeño Cheese Cornbread	15 min	30 min	45 min	Beginner	BBQ/Chili
Pumpkin Spice Bread	15 min	65 min	80 min	Beginner	Fall Treats/Gifts
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread	20 min	55 min	75 min	Beginner	Dessert/Using Garden Zucchini

Tips for Success: Quick Breads

Do Not Overmix: This is the number one rule for a tender quick bread. The moment you add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir only until no more dry flour is visible. The batter will appear lumpy and slightly rough. Gluten is developed by overmixing, and you will have a tough, dense bread instead of one that’s light and tender.

Measure Flour Correctly: The enemy of a good quick bread is too much flour. The most accurate way to measure is to spoon flour into your measuring cup, leveling it off with a knife. Don’t scoop from the bag (which compresses the flour and can give you as much as 25 percent more than you need).

Test for Doneness: Baking times are approximations, because every oven is different. Start checking your bread about five minutes ahead of when the recipe says it should be ready. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs. It should spring back when touched lightly.

Let It Cool: There’s a natural instinct to cut into warm bread as soon as you can, but patience will serve you well. Quick breads will cook more as they cool and the texture becomes better. Most bread is easier to slice after it cools for at least 15 – 20 minutes.

Room Temperature Ingredients: If not otherwise specified in the recipe (such as cold butter for biscuits), use room temperature eggs, milk and butter. They combine more easily and make the texture of your finished bread more consistent.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Quick breads keep well at room temperature for two to three days when wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. In reality, most quick breads are at their best the day after they’ve been baked — they need time for the interior to set and flavors to mingle.

For longer storage, quick breads freeze well. Transfer cooled loaves to plastic wrap, wrapping tightly, and then to aluminum foil; freeze up to three months. Remove directly from freezer to room temperature without unwrapping — so no condensation can make the bread soggy.

You can also slice the bread before freezing and wrap each individual slice. This way, you can take what you need and toast it straight from the freezer for a quick breakfast or snack.

Troubleshooting Common Quick Bread Problems

Bread collapses in the middle: This generally indicates that the bread wasn’t fully baked, even if the edges look done. It can also occur if you open the oven door too soon in the baking cycle.

Bread is dry and crumbly: If your bread has a texture more like sawdust than fluffy perfection, you probably used too much flour or baked it for too long. Be sure to measure flour correctly and start checking for doneness a few minutes before the recipe time.

The bread is tough: Overmixing is often the cause. Just remember not to stir it too much — lumpy batter is happy batter.

Bread has a gummy or underbaked center: Your oven may be too hot, and the outside is browning before the inside is cooked through. Verify that the oven temperature is correct with an oven thermometer. You can also tent the bread with foil if the top looks like it’s getting too brown.

Bread sticking to the pan: Grease your pans generously, even if they’re nonstick. You can also line the bottom with parchment paper to ensure easy release.

Making Quick Breads Your Own

When you have these down, it’s easy to riff. Quick breads are forgiving and love creativity. Substitute half of the flour with whole wheat to increase nutrition. Add other mix-ins such as dried fruit, nuts or seeds. Experiment with other spice mixes or flavoring extracts.

You can also control the level of sweetness to your liking. Most quick bread recipes can accommodate as much as 25% less sugar with minimal texture disruption — ideal if you like your treats a bit less sweet.

Think about seasonal ingredients too. Summer: Add fresh blueberries. Winter: Add cranberries. Fall: Leave them as is because these muffins are perfect. Fresh herbs from the garden can elevate savory breads into something extraordinary.

Bringing It All Together

Quick breads also prove that homemade doesn’t necessarily mean fussy or time-consuming. These eight recipes will offer you options for any time of day, whether it’s a lazy weekend brunch or a hectic weeknight dinner. They do take advantage of some powerful culinary tricks and store-bought ingredients in just the right way, though, to make dishes that are impressive and will have everyone assuming you spent hours behind the stove.

The joy of quick breads is they are novice-friendly but nigh infinitely customizable to an experienced baker. Whether you follow the recipes to a T, or take them as jumping-off points for your own renditions, the promise remains: You’ll have delicious homemade bread without all that dilly-dally.

So try a recipe tonight that sounds good, give it a shot. Your house will smell incredible, your family will be wowed and you will have enjoyed the satisfaction of creating something fabulous from scratch. And once you’ve made one, you’re going to want to make these recipes again and again. Because once you realize how simple it is to have fresh, homemade bread any night of the week, store-bought just doesn’t cut it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can quick bread be made without eggs?

Yes! For most recipes, you can replace each egg with 1/4 cup of applesauce, mashed banana or a store-bought egg replacer. Once baked, the texture may be a bit different, but it’ll still be good bread. Flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed combined with 3 tablespoons water per egg) are also fantastic in quick breads.

Why is my quick bread gooey in the center but overcooked on the outside?

Your oven may be running too hot. To determine if your oven runs hot, rely on an oven thermometer. Or you could reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and bake a little longer. Tenting the bread with aluminum foil in the middle of baking will help prevent over-browning as the center bakes through.

Can all-purpose flour be replaced with whole wheat flour?

You can replace half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat without altering texture too dramatically. If you use all whole wheat instead of some white flour your bread will be denser and heavier. For best results when using all whole wheat, increase the liquid by one or two tablespoons and give the batter a 10-minute rest before baking.

How can I tell when my quick bread is finished?

Puncture the center of the bread with a toothpick or cake tester. It should be clean or have just a few crumbs. The top should spring back when lightly pressed, and the bread should be pulling away from the sides of the pan a bit. The internal temperature should reach 200-210°F.

Is it possible for me to cut back on sugar in my quick bread recipes?

With most quick breads, you can cut the sugar by about 25 percent without changing the texture overmuch. The bread may not get as deeply browned, and won’t be quite as sweet, but it’ll still work. Lowering sugar by more than 25% will start to impact texture and moisture: Sugar is not just for sweetness — it contributes tenderness and helps retain moisture.

There’s a big crack in the top of my quick bread. Did I do something wrong?

That crack is totally normal and in a lot of ways, desired on things like quick breads! That’s because the outside sets while the inside continues to rise. That is, if your bread successfully rose. Some bakers even score the top before baking to direct where the crack forms.

Can I make this into mini loaves or muffins instead of a full-size loaf?

Absolutely! Most quick bread batters are fabulous baked as muffins or mini loaves. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, and cook at the same temperature for 18 to 22 minutes. Mini loaf pans should generally require 30 to 35 minutes. Always test with a toothpick for doneness as times may vary depending on pan size.

What’s the shelf life of quick breads?

Most quick breads keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days when well wrapped. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for about one week, though refrigeration might dry them out — sometimes it helps to sprinkle them with water before reheating. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. In fact, many types of quick breads benefit from being made a day ahead — the flavors blend and texture evens out.