Chunky Fruit and Nut Quick Bread

Chunky Fruit and Nut Quick Bread is packed full of healthy fruits and nuts ~ the smell of a couple of slices of this bread in the toaster will get anyone out of bed in a hurry!

This is the kind of wonderful savory quick bread you might have found in the 70s

when ex-hippies were running little breakfast spots, bakeries, and hole in the wall eateries all over the country. It’s a solid, chunky little loaf literally crammed wall to wall with nuts, seeds, and fruit. In fact it’s all about the nuts and fruit, the grains are just there to act as a kind of mortar. I know, words like solid and mortar aren’t really what you associate with a great slice of bread, but trust me on this one. It’s damn good. A thick slice, toasted and buttered, makes a memorable breakfast, and apart from the gathering and chopping  of all the fruits and nuts, it takes just minutes to throw together.

This quick bread dough, (or should I say batter?) is fast and easy.

You can see in the photo that there are literally more fruits and nuts than flour! It’s a great way to use up  leftovers that clutter up your cupboard from past baking projects. I do think the variety is what makes this bread so special, so I wouldn’t suggest trying to make it with only one type of fruit and nut, it just won’t turn out as good.

For the flour I used a mix of buckwheat and white, but you can use all whole wheat, or probably any combination of flours you like. Like I said, it’s just there to hold all the good bits together. but keep in mind that using at least one half white flour will help keep the bread from being too heavy.

This bread is a variation of my Muesli Toasting Bread, which I also love.

Both recipes give you the opportunity to clear out your pantry and use up all sorts of odds and ends.

So there you have it,  if you were a child of the 70s, or just wish you were, you will love this bread! It’s fun to put together, and it’s an adventure to eat — every bite is completely unique.

Notes for fruit and nut quick bread ~

• Be sure to measure your flour with the fluff, scoop, and level method: fluff up the flour before scooping it up, and then level it with the side of a knife. This ensures a more accurate measure.
• This bread needs to be toasted, I think. And slathered with butter. And because there is no fat of any kind in the dough, the bread will dry out quickly.
• I recommend wrapping the cooled loaf, or individual slices, in plastic and keeping it in the refrigerator. You could definitely freeze it as well.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Melangery

Reader Rave ~

“Amazingly delicious! I made this yesterday. WOW. So good toasted. Thanks for the recipe!”  ~ Linda

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3.72 from 32 votes

Chunky Fruit and Nut Quick Bread

Chunky Fruit and Nut Quick Bread is packed full of healthy fruits and nuts ~ the smell of a couple of slices of this bread in the toaster will get anyone out of bed in a hurry!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Yield 12 servings

Author Sue Moran

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract optional
• 1/4 cup golden syrup or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups chopped nuts I used walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds and pistachios and pumpkin seed kernels
• 2 cups chopped dried fruit I used figs,apricots, cherries, currents, apples and peaches

Instructions

• Set the oven to 350F
• Spray a standard loaf pan with cooking spray. I like to line it with parchment paper so that I can lift it out after baking for easy slicing. That's optional.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, extract, syrup and buttermilk together until well blended.
• In another bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Toss in the fruits and nuts, and add to the wet ingredients. Mix well. The batter will be stiff, but if it seems too stiff, add in a little more buttermilk.
• Turn the dough into the pan and smooth it out evenly.
• Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until it is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
• The bread is best eaten toasted, with butter. Keep the cooled loaf well wrapped in plastic.

Cook's notes

• for a paleo version of this bread, try my Paleo Fruit and Nut Breakfast Bread

The nutritional information for recipes on this site is provided as a courtesy and although theviewfromgreatisland.com tries to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.