One bowl brownie bread hits that sweet spot between an easy quick bread and a perfect brownie. This chocolate loaf cake is fudgy, delicious, and so quick to make!
Omg, brownie bread is a tough nut to crack, who knew? I’ve been at it for days trying to suss out the perfect recipe that would be worthy of your time (and ingredients) but I’ve nailed it!! It’s a new fall fave in our house ~ and you whisk it together in one bowl, yay!
I came up with the perfect moist and fudgy chocolate brownie loaf, it bakes up beautifully, smells just like your favorite brownie, but slices like a bread ~ a win win! I add walnuts, because to me that’s quintessential brownie, but sub mini chocolate chips if you’re more of a double chocolate type.
ingredients for this brownie bread recipe
- vegetable oil
- you can also use melted butter but I think oil keeps the bread softer and moister.
- sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla
- espresso powder (instant espresso)
- believe it or not coffee improves the flavor of chocolate. You won’t taste the coffee, just better, deeper chocolate! Omit if if you like. but don’t substitute liquid coffee.
- buttermilk
- buttermilk makes baked goods more moist and tender. You might substitute half and half or sour cream, but I think buttermilk works best.
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- don’t make the mistake of getting sweetened cocoa powder, it will make your brownie bread too sweet. Look for packages with 100% cacao or cocoa on the label. I used Ghirardelli cocoa.
- all purpose flour
- use a good gluten free baking mix as well.
- salt and baking soda
- walnuts
- if you don’t like nuts you can leave them out, or substitute mini chocolate chips.
tips and faqs for brownie bread
How to know when your brownie bread is cooked?
- If you use a 9×5 pan, follow the recipe, and your oven is accurate, the bread should bake between 45-50 minutes at 325F. Even small variations may affect the baking time. The bread should be risen, and not be jiggly in the center. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out without wet batter, although it may look fudgy. The trick is hitting that sweet spot between under-done and over-done. With practice you’ll recognize it.
Can I freeze brownie bread?
- Yes, but let it cool completely first, then wrap in plastic, then in foil. Or place in a sturdy zip lock freezer bag and push out any extra air before zipping.
I’m allergic to nuts!
- Simply leave them out, or substitute mini chocolate chips in your brownie bread.
Is the buttermilk super important?
- I think it does make a difference in this recipe. Cultured buttermilk is thick and tangy, and is wonderful to bake with. In a recipe like this it helps create the moist fudgy brownie texture.
Can I bake this in a brownie pan?
- No, I don’t recommend it. If you want traditional brownies, use a brownie recipe like this Brownie Recipe.
we love brownies!
- Brownie Recipe from a Chatbot!
- Moist Apple Brownies
- Easter Brownies
- Fudgy Brownie Cookies
- Moist Zucchini Brownies
- Triple Lemon Brownies
- Red White & Blue Brownie Bites
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Brownie Bread
Brownie Bread is an easy chocolate quick bread ~ it's your favorite brownies baked up in a loaf pan for the perfect Fall treat.
Servings: 10 servings
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan a classic loaf pan has a capacity of 8 cups.
- parchment paper (optional)
Ingredients
wet ingredients
- ½ cup mild vegetable oil
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp espresso powder (instant espresso)
- ¾ cup buttermilk
dry ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, reserve 2 tablespoons for the topping.and finely chop them.
Instructions
- Set oven to 325?.
- Spray a standard 9×5 loaf pan and line it with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving the ends to hang long. This way you can lift the cake bread for cleaner cutting.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Whisk in the salt, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Switch to a silicone spoonula and fold in the flour. When you've got the flour almost completely incorporated, fold in the nuts. Blend just until there is no dry flour remaining, but don't over mix your batter.
- Turn the batter into the prepared loaf pan, it is a thin batter. Top with the finely chopped walnuts.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. Fudgy crumbs are fine. Check your cake on the early side to avoid over-baking. Set aside to cool.
- If you have used a parchment paper 'sling', gently pull the cake out of the pan to slice it. You can slice and serve while still warm if you like, or let the bread cool, it's your choice. I use a sharp serrated bread knife and a gentle sawing motion to avoid crushing the bread. Don't slice until ready to enjoy or the bread will start to dry out.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container or under foil at room temperature. The bread can be frozen for longer storage.*
Notes
*To freeze first let the bread cool completely, then wrap in plastic, then in foil. Or place in a sturdy zip lock freezer bag and push out any extra air before zipping.
Be sure to check the post for more details, tips, and helpful photos!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice · Calories: 315 kcal · Carbohydrates: 30 g · Protein: 6 g · Fat: 21 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 9 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g · Trans Fat: 0.05 g · Cholesterol: 35 mg · Sodium: 204 mg · Potassium: 168 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 16 g · Vitamin A: 80 IU · Vitamin C: 0.2 mg · Calcium: 45 mg · Iron: 2 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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OOH what an incredible idea! I am definitely adding these ingredients to my grocery list! Can’t wait to indulge in this one this weekend.
This looks amazing. I’m so excited to try it. Bring on all the chocolate!
Gah – this is so great! I mean, you had me hooked as soon as I saw the name. Brownie Bread?!?! YES! And of course, it just gets better from there … yum yum yum! And thanks for the tip about NOT buying sweetened cocoa powder – very helpful!
Hi, I can’t eat chocolate but I love blondies. Which of your recipes would be the equivalent of a “blondie bread”?
Oooh, you’ve just inspired me Joyce! I need to work on that, but I would say my maple pecan pound cake or my date nut bread might be interesting to you.
Love this Brownie Bread recipe, easy to make and looks delicious. Will make this for my family. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This was amazing! So rich and delicious. Three teenagers devoured it, I barely got a taste!
This is the best of both worlds!
Everything I’ve tried from your site works perfectly, I haven’t had a fail yet! This looks so tempting, sue, I’m planning to make it this afternoon, update to follow.
Hello Sue, I was a bit confused by the size of the loaf pan you required in this recipe – a 9×15? So I halved the recipe and made it in my typical loaf pan of 8.5×4.5 and it hardly filled it. So I suspect I did not need to half it.
Ugh, so sorry, typo, it’s 9×5, I corrected 🙂
Dutched or natural cocoa?
I used natural cocoa, Ghirardelli, but either will work.