The BEST Fresh Strawberry Bread Recipe

One of the quickest “quick breads” to make, this easy strawberry bread recipe will leave the kids (and you!) begging for more! Super moist, just sweet enough, with an added protein boost, and boasting that perfect strawberry flavor, you gotta try this strawberry bread.

It's strawberry season! 

I gotta say, strawberries are some of my favorite fruits. I love ANYTHING with strawberries (even salads!). So when I first got to try tasting strawberry bread, I was hooked. Um…obsessed might be a more appropriate word.

You see, when I went to college the only types of quick bread that I had ever tried before were banana and pumpkin. I definitely love both of them. I was so “green” that I had never even had zucchini (my favorite) before!

But I had never heard of (or even thought of) strawberry bread before. Why not? I love bread and I love strawberries – why NOT put the two together?!

It wasn’t until one of my professors made this strawberry bread and brought it in for the class to enjoy that I found my absolute favorite quick bread.

Isn't it pretty?!

Moist Strawberry Bread

I have heard of people not liking strawberry bread because of it being dry. This strawberry muffin recipe is oozing with yummy strawberry flavor and is oh-so-moist. 

When my professor brought her strawberry bread in to share with the class, I remember thinking “wow! This bread is moist!”.

I didn’t know much about ingredients. And I didn’t care a whole lot about eating “healthy”. In fact, as a 20-year-old, I didn’t care that it had a CUP of oil.  What?? I guess that explained the moist texture. 😂

Making Strawberry Bread Healthy

While strawberries are very healthy for you, baked goods that include tons of oil and sugar…not so good for you.

Over the years I have made this recipe MANY times – too many to count. And as I’ve worked toward making healthier choices and feeding my family healthier foods, I’ve played around with this recipe to make it healthier without sacrificing moisture – or flavor.

Reduce Sugar

First, I tried reducing the sugar…that worked well. I was able to cut out about half the sugar without sacrificing flavor!

Replace The Oil

Then I started working on how to replace the oil with something less fattening – and more healthy.

At first, I started by replacing half the oil with unsweetened applesauce. That worked well and tasted great.

That gave me the courage to replace all the oil with unsweetened applesauce. The muffins turned out great! They were light and fluffy but still moist. And delicious – which was KEY.

Add Protein

So then it was time to start adding in some protein and other healthy ingredients to this strawberry bread recipe.

First came switching out white flour for whole wheat. Then I added in flax seed meal.

Finally…I switched out Greek yogurt for the applesauce. Oh man, I was SO happy that these turned out well. Sweet with lots of flavor and still very moist. 

Now I feel so good about these strawberry muffins! It still tastes AMAZING but now it’s healthier too.

You don’t need a crumb topping…or icing…or anything else that can typically be put on strawberry bread because, honestly, those “extras” would just ruin this strawberry bread recipe.

Ingredients for Strawberry Bread

Here's what you'll need to whip of a batch of your new favorite healthy quick bread:

• Frozen strawberries, thawed (or fresh berries) – you can use either for this recipe. See notes below on the changes you need to make based on which type of berry you use.
• Unsweetened applesauce – adds moisture, is a great replacement for oil and gives your bread/muffins a cake-like texture.
• Greek yogurt – adds protein and moisture.
• Eggs – these are the glue that bind all the ingredients together and give your recipe a cake-like texture.
• Whole wheat flour – provides more protein and fiber than white flour (because it's less processed) but still tastes AMAZING.
• Sugar – I use raw, granulated sugar, but any granulated sugar will work.
• Baking soda – makes the bread rise.
• Salt and ground cinnamon – flavor enhancers.

NOTE: please scroll down to the bottom for the full recipe on a handy printable recipe card!

How To Make Strawberry Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two muffin tins or two bread loaf pans.
2. Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a medium bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
4. Bake bread loaf pans for 50-55 minutes; if baking in muffin pans, bake for 20-25 minutes. I like to turn my pan 180 degrees halfway through baking to ensure even baking.

FAQs

Here are some common questions I see about this recipe from some readers.

Can I Freeze These Muffins?

YES! They freeze – and thaw – really well. 

I love freezing strawberry muffins in groups of 3 so that I can pull them out as we need them in perfect quantities. This works for us since I have 3 kids, but you can totally adjust that number based on your needs!

To thaw them, simply let them sit on the counter for an hour or two until they are thawed. If you like them warm, feel free to heat them in the microwave. Heat one strawberry muffin for no more than 10 seconds in the microwave.

Can I use fresh berries in this recipe?

Yes! If you have strawberries fresh from the garden, throw them in there – just dice them first.

But honestly, I typically use frozen berries in these strawberry muffins because that way I can enjoy the taste of spring and summer any time of the year 😁

Can I make Strawberry Bread into Strawberry Muffins?

As a mom, I love making different quick breads to give to my kids as snacks, desserts, or even as part of their school lunches. But to make them easier to “grab and go”, I make my quick bread into muffins.

These delicious muffins are nice and portable – and cute!

Strawberry Bread Varying Baking Times

Baking time varies according to the size and shape of the pan you use. The material (whether it’s metal or glass) makes a difference too.

Basically, a loaf of bread in a regular metal bread pan should bake for about 50-55 minutes.

If you're making strawberry muffins, then bake time drops to 20-25 minutes.

Pro Tip: your strawberry bread (or muffins) will be done when you push lightly in the center of the bread and it springs back.

I hope you love this strawberry bread recipe as much as we do (no matter what shape you bake it)!

Love This Strawberry Bread Recipe? Try These Other Quick Bread Recipes

• Awesome Kid-Favorite Zucchini Muffins
• Pumpkin Bread So Easy Your Kids Can Make it
• Healthy & Delicious Protein Banana Muffins

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