Sweet Bread is so incredibly easy to make and only takes 5 minutes hands on time. This easy Sweet Bread recipe requires only staple ingredients: sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk and vegetable oil! It’s easy quick bread recipe for breakfast, snack or dessert that also makes a beautiful neighbor, hostess or holiday gift!
Sweet Bread is a quick and easy no yeast bread recipe. It is made with just staple ingredients – in minutes! It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, snacks and dessert. There are so many variations you can make with this classic recipe including Cinnamon Sweet Bread and Orange Sweet Bread, which are traditional around Christmas.
I often make it when we’re having last minute guests for a playdate or as a quick hostess gift. You can adapt this simple sweet bread recipe with your favorite fruits, but it’s perfection on it’s own as well. I love to slather a little butter on it for good measure.
This time of year, Michael’s offers miniature ceramic loaf pans for just $1. I always stock up on them in white to use throughout the year. They are more durable than paper loaf pans and make a beautiful gift.
This recipe yields 6 pretty little loaves, if you’re willing to share or 2 large loaves!
Sweet Bread Ingredients
- Sugar – White granulated sugar makes this bread delightfully sweet. Optional: sprinkle sugar over the loaf just before baking for a shimmery finish.
- Flour – All purpose flour is the foundation of this bread.
- Baking Powder – Leavens quick bread, without the fuss! It ensures a nice even rise.
- Salt – A hint of salt brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Eggs – The binding agent.
- Milk – Milk creates a nice soft loaf. In addition, milk adds flavor to quick breads and gives it a beautiful brown color due to caramelization of milk and sugars!
- Vegetable Oil – Vegetable oil makes the bread incredibly moist, with a light and delicate crumb. You can substitute with canola oil or melted butter in a pinch.
How to Make Sweet Bread
- Combine dry ingredients.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients.
- Incorporate dry mixture into wet mixture until just combined and pour into greased loaf pans.
- Sprinkle sugar on top to make your Sweet Bread glisten and bake! It’s SO easy!
Tips
Baking Alternatives
- Large Loaves – Don’t want 6 miniature loaves? You can also make this Sweet Bread recipe in 2 – 1 pound loaf pans or cut the recipe in half for just 1 loaf pan and bake 50 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
- Make Muffins – If you prefer to make them into 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!
Variations
- Add a Glaze – This bread is amazing on it’s own, but you can also cover sweet bread with Glaze (or drizzle if you show any restraint). Cream Cheese Glaze, Orange Glaze Recipe or Lemon Glaze are some of our favorites! Because it makes 6 miniature loaves, you can try them all! Seriously, soooo good! Through the years we’ve made it in a variety of ways. I tend to make it as written in the recipe card below for breakfast, brunch or to serve with dinner and add a little glaze to leftovers for dessert.
- Add Fruits – Fresh or dried! Apples, cranberries, strawberries, oranges, the options are endless!
- Add Nuts – Walnuts, pecans or even candied nuts are a delicious addition.
- Brown Sugar – Make it with brown sugar (see my Brown Sugar Bread recipe) for richer flavor.
- Add Chocolate Chips
- Experiment with Extracts – Add an extract like vanilla, lemon or almond
How to Store Bread
- Room Temperature – Store quick 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.
If you try this recipe, please come back to share using my 5 star rating in the comments below! Not only do I appreciate it, but I know readers do, too!
Are you on the list? Subscribers receive access to my free printable library that includes “Wishing you a sweet Christmas” gift tags. Get your free copy the ebook 10 Sweet Bread Recipes as well!
I hope this sweet bread recipe makes your holiday entertaining and gifting a little easier. You can find all of my bread recipes here, including beer bread (which I highly recommend smothering with honey butter).
More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
Sweet Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Grease 6 mini loaf pans and preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add sugar, flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk and oil until just combined.
- Gradually add dry mixture to wet until just moist.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pans an inch below to compensate for rise. Optional: sprinkle sugar on top.
- Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Julie’s Tips
Substitutions
- Vegetable Oil – Vegetable oil makes the bread incredibly moist, with a light and delicate crumb. You can substitute with canola oil or melted butter in a pinch.
Baking Alternatives
- Large Loaves – Don’t want 6 miniature loaves? You can also make this Sweet Bread recipe in 2 – 1 pound loaf pans or cut the recipe in half for just 1 loaf pan and bake 50 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
- Make Muffins – If you prefer to make them into 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!
Variations
- Add a Glaze – This bread is amazing on it’s own, but you can also cover sweet bread with Glaze (or drizzle if you show any restraint). Cream Cheese Glaze, Orange Glaze Recipe or Lemon Glaze are some of our favorites! Because it makes 6 miniature loaves, you can try them all! Seriously, soooo good! Through the years we’ve made it in a variety of ways. I tend to make it as written in the recipe card below for breakfast, brunch or to serve with dinner and add a little glaze to leftovers for dessert.
- Add Fruits – Fresh or dried! Apples, cranberries, strawberries, oranges, the options are endless!
- Add Nuts – Walnuts, pecans or even candied nuts are a delicious addition.
- Brown Sugar – Make it with brown sugar (see my Brown Sugar Bread recipe) for richer flavor.
- Add Chocolate Chips
- Experiment with Extracts – Add an extract like vanilla, lemon or almond
To Store
- Room Temperature – Store quick 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.
Video
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Cara Julie,
They look so yummy and stylish as well! I had never thought of getting mini ceramic moulds in white… they are lovely!
Just made your recipe with frozen mixed berries.
Thank you for this great idea!
Best regards from rainy Milan, Italy
I’m so glad you enjoyed it as well! Have a beautiful day!
1. How easily does it release from the pan if you want to gift the loaf in parchment/cellophane without the pan?
2. How well does it slice? I notice you didn’t include pics of it out of the pan and sliced.
3. Can chocolate chips and candy cane chips be added, or would they sink to mush?
4. Can the loaf be topped with chocolate chips and candy cane chips? If so, at what stage to make them stick but not burn?
Easily if you use nice bakeware {I use Williams Sonoma gold} or non-stick cooking spray.
It slices beautifully, I was just gifting this particular batch.
Absolutely! Keep in mind that candy cane might adhere a little more to your baking dish though.
Sure, but chocolate chips might not look as pretty as you would hope on top. I would add candy cane in the last 20 minutes.
So I’m going to go deep into left field with your recipe. I’ve actually have been using it for several months now and have tweaked it to my families taste buds. But tonight I’m going to add eggs sausage and cheese for my kids lunches. Hopefully it turns out great. I’m going to switch to a bunt pan which should give it a very good crust. If you have any cool pointers then just let me know but I’ll post my results for you with the tweaks in case it comes out good and you’d like to try it out.
please am happy with you.but i have never tried to make bread though now am in need to make it.how should i go about
This is an easy recipe to start with! Just follow the recipe at the end of the post and enjoy!
boring the recipe is so short
Most of my recipes are simple and sweet as both my readers and I enjoy them that way. You can always add nuts, fruits, or chocolates to the sweet bread to make it more interesting if you’d prefer.
I like short and sweet 🙂
Enjoy!