This brown sugar bread recipe is full of sweet flavor and incredibly easy to make. It’s a no yeast quick bread recipe, made with staple ingredients and just five minutes hands-on time!

Brown sugar bread makes a delicious breakfast, snack or dessert. Serve it warm immediately after removing it from the oven or later in the week!

It’s a homemade treat that tastes and feels special.

A small loaf of brown sugar bread, with a blue linen towel place underneath.
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I recently adapted my famous sweet bread recipe to make this brown sugar bread and it’s simply delicious!

Quick breads are one of my favorite things to bake – even above cookies. You can whip up a loaf in just a few minutes of effort.

As quick bread bakes, it fills your home with the most beautiful aroma, building excitement to remove it from the oven.

Brown Sugar Bread

The brown sugar makes bread extra moist because of molasses in it. It gives this bread a deeper color and flavor as well. It’s out of this world delicious alone or smothered with a little butter.

Why You’ll Love It

  • Quick Bread – A quick bread is a bread without yeast. Omitting yeast makes it quick and easy, hence the name!
  • So Easy – Made with staple ingredients, this sweet bread recipe takes less than five minutes hands on time!
  • A Wonderful Gift – I tend to make quick bread in these miniature loaves enjoying one and gifting or freezing remaining loaves. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • All Purpose Flour – When combined with liquid (milk and vegetable oil), it provides the structure of quick bread. When baked, it expands, trapping the gases from the leavening agent (baking powder).
  • Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar is wonderful in this recipe, but you can also use light brown sugar. Learn about the Best Brown Sugar Substitutes here, and remember that brown sugar is always packed when measuring for baking.
  • Baking Powder – Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent. It releases gas in the batter causing bubbles which create the rise.
  • Salt – A touch of salt goes a long way in baking. It enhances the flavor of all ingredients and therefore is the only seasoning required in this delicious recipe.
  • Milk – Milk adds to the moisture and activates the gluten. You can also use buttermilk if you prefer! Learn how to make buttermilk here. Dairy free? Use your favorite dairy substitute. You can use anything from skim milk to vitamin d!
  • Oil – Liquid fat makes the bread moist. I use vegetable oil, but canola oil or melted butter also work well.
  • Eggs – Eggs bind the ingredients and also help leaven the bread.

Variations

  • Extracts – add a hint of vanilla, almond, banana or maple, the options are endless. Simply add 2 teaspoons of your favorite extract.
  • Nuts – fold in walnuts, pecans or almonds or use them to garnish the bread just before placing it in the oven.
  • Fruits – you can add in banana slices, apples or dried fruits, even raisins to your mixture as well.
  • Spices – Blend in a tablespoon of cinnamon or combine cinnamon with 2/3 cups sugar and swirl it in.
  • Chocolate – white or milk chocolate chips are also a delicious addition.
  • Oats – fold them in and sprinkle on top for added texture.
  • Glaze – add a cream cheese glaze, apple glaze or classic glaze.
Brown sugar bread in a white ceramic loaf pan.
Gold bakeware on a marble surface

Tools to Use

How to Make

  1. Combine dry ingredients.
  2. Combine wet ingredients.
  3. Mix – Gradually incorporate dry into wet.
  4. Pour – Into a greased loaf pan.
  5. Bake – As directed and enjoy!

Tips

  • Don’t Overfill Your Loaf Pan – Fill 2/3 full to compensate for rise.
  • Use the Toothpick Test – Insert a toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean, it’s done.
  • Use the Correct Loaf Pan – Learn more about Loaf Pan Sizes here.

Baking Alternatives

  • Large Loaves – You can also make this in two separate one-pound loaf pans or cut the recipe in half for just one loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes.
  • Make Muffins – If you prefer to make brown sugar muffins, just grease miniature muffin tins and fill each to 2/3 full. Bake 12 minutes.
  • Make it Ornate – Alternatively, you can also bake it in an ornate loaf pan with the same minimal effort!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be made in a bread maker?

We haven’t tested this quick bread in a bread maker! It’s so quick and easy to put together and bake in the oven.

Can I make this brown sugar bread with gluten free flour?

While we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, many readers have tried it with great results! Be sure to choose a 1:1 gluten free flour intended for baking. We like Bob’s!

How to Store

  • Room Temperature – Store no yeast bread in a sealed plastic bag or covered in saran wrap at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • Refrigerate – Up to 1 week in an airtight container.
  • Freeze – Wrap them tightly in heavy foil, saran wrap or place them in freezer bags (I like to do at least 2 to prevent freezer odors from seeping in), and freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature to serve.

More Quick Bread Inspiration

Brown sugar quick bread in a white ceramic loaf pan
4.96 from 229 votes

Brown Sugar No Yeast Bread

This brown sugar bread recipe is full of flavor and incredibly easy to make. A no yeast bread that takes just 5 minutes hands-on time and 40 to bake!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 24
Pin Rate Print

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 6 miniature loaf pans.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat to combine eggs, milk and vegetable oil.
  • Gradually blend dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined
  • Pour batter into prepared loaf pans filling an inch below the rim to compensate for rise. Optional: sprinkle sugar or chopped nuts on top.
  • Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.

Julie’s Tips

Substitutions

  • Brown Sugar – You can substitute white granulated sugar if you’d prefer.
  • Milk – Use whatever you have on hand from skim to Vitamin D. Make it dairy free using Almond Milk.
  • Vegetable Oil – Substitute with canola oil or melted butter in a pinch.

Variations

  • Nuts – fold in walnuts, pecans or almonds or use them to garnish the bread just before placing it in the oven.
  • Fruits – you can add in banana slices, apples or dried fruits, even raisins to your mixture as well.
  • Spices – Blend in a tablespoon of cinnamon or combine cinnamon with 2/3 cups sugar and swirl it in.
  • Chocolate – white or milk chocolate chips are also a delicious addition.
  • Oats – fold them in and sprinkle on top for added texture.
  • Glaze – add a cream cheese glaze, apple glaze or classic glaze.

Baking Alternatives

  • Large Loaves – You can also make this in 2 – 1 pound loaf pans or cut the recipe in half for just 1 loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes.
  • Make Muffins – If you prefer to make brown sugar muffins, just grease miniature muffin tins and fill each to 2/3 full. Bake 12 minutes.
  • Make it Ornate – Alternatively, you can also bake it in an ornate loaf pan with the same minimal effort!

Tips

  • Don’t overfill your loaf pan. Allow room to compensate for rise.
  • Use the toothpick test to ensure it’s ready. Bake time varies based on your loaf pan size and material, altitude and even oven temperatures can vary. Insert a toothpick into the center. When it comes out clean it is done.

To Store

  • Room Temperature – Store no yeast bread in a sealed plastic bag or covered in saran wrap at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • Refrigerate – Up to 1 week in an airtight container.
  • Freeze – Wrap them tightly in heavy foil, saran wrap or place them in freezer bags (I like to do at least 2 to prevent freezer odors from seeping in), and freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature to serve.
Serving: 1g | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 179mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.

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374 Comments

  1. I’m obsessed with this! I’ve always wanted a base quick bread recipe I could memorize and tweak for different flavors! This is it! Last week, I did the plain sugar quick bread (I was out of brown sugar )-: ) and did a lemon glaze. Perfect. Today I added a layer of brown sugar and cinnamon to the middle and top of each loaf of the brown sugar version. Perfect for fall! Thanks for coming up with this!

    1. 5 stars
      As we speak, I have a loaf in the oven. This recipe does make two but I had to cut it in half and I’m making one so we’ll see how that turns out. Also, I’m using self rising flour, so that’s another thing. We are going to see if this turns out. Very excited. I love the ingredients, and I know that this loaf taste delicious. I also added brown sugar crumbles on top for some extra crispy glaze so we’ll see what happens. I’m so excited.