My quick and easy paleo fruit and nut bread recipe is grain free and dairy free, with no added sugar. This delicious quick bread is loaded with dried fruits, nuts, and seeds, for a healthy breakfast or energy snack. It also happens to be absolutely fabulous toasted!
paleo fruit and nut bread is literally jam packed with nutrition
Made entirely without flour, added sugar, or dairy, this bread is almost too good to believe. It’s made with a base of almond meal, mashed banana, a couple of eggs and a touch of coconut oil — the rest is a boatload of chopped dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. And guess what? It’s really good!
The whole family loves this one. It’s dense and moist, with a subtle sweetness which comes naturally from the fruit. The coconut oil adds great flavor, too. Keep in mind this is not like any bread you’ve had before, the only thing I can liken it to is a very dense moist date nut bread, but without the extra sweetness. It makes amazing breakfast toast.
Dried fruits, nuts, and seeds are nutritional powerhouses
I turn to fruit and nut breads like this when I’m tired of my regular breakfast, and when I have lots of extra dried fruit and nuts cluttering up my cabinets. Nuts in particular can spoil if kept too long, so I like to keep them moving in my pantry. One loaf of paleo fruit and nut bread goes a long way towards clearing out my stash.
Dried fruit (fruit dried without added sugar) nuts, and seeds provide fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats as well as a great source of energy. This is a super healthy way to start the day, and I guarantee you won’t be hungry again for a long while.
You can use almost any kind of fruit, nut, and seed for this quick bread recipe. One of my favorite sources for all three is Trader Joe’s. A good assortment of add-ins results in a beautiful mosaic of fruits and nuts when you slice into this loaf. Each piece is unique!
suggested dried fruit ingredients
Use any combination, but look for fruit that has been dried without the addition of extra sugar.
- apricots
- figs
- cranberries
- dates
- cherries
- pineapple
- blueberries
- strawberries
- citron
- mango
- plums
- raisins
suggested nuts and seeds
use any combination, I prefer raw to roasted.
- almonds
- pecans
- pistachios
- walnuts
- hazelnuts
- cashews
- macadamia
- pine nuts
- flaxseeds
- pepitas
Toasting enhances this paleo bread
Definitely toast your bread, it makes such a difference ~ toasting makes the fruit jammy and brings out amazing flavor in the nuts. I also like to add a pat of butter, or a smear of cream cheese, which isn’t strictly Paleo*, but delicious. This is not a breakfast you will gobble down quickly; each bite begs to be savored!
*PALEO refers to an approach to eating that relies on the foods our Paleolithic ancestors had available to them, before the era of farming. The thinking is that our bodies and metabolisms weren’t meant to cope with grains, legumes, dairy, or modern processed foods and sugars. A paleo diet includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds ~ all things that our hunter gatherer ancestors would be able to forage.
tips for making paleo fruit and nut bread:
- Use fine almond flour in this recipe if you can find it. Rough almond meal will make the bread more crumbly.
- Remember all the fruits (except the banana) in this bread are dried, fresh fruit won’t work in this recipe. Just about any dried fruit will work.
- Raw nuts work best, but if you can only find roasted, that ok, but preferably unsalted.
- As for seeds, I used flax seeds and pepitas (pumpkin seeds,) but there are so many other choices out there, feel free to use what you like.
- I pureed my bananas in my food processor to get a smooth result. If you choose to hand mash yours, make sure they get really well mashed. You want the mashed banana to be a thick liquid.
- The bread is delicate, and I find that it works best to cool the bread, then wrap it in plastic and refrigerate overnight before slicing.
- The more finely you chop your fruit and nuts, the easier the bread will be to slice, but I like some chunkiness to the texture.
- A good sharp serrated bread knife works well for slicing without crumbling the bread.
- If you are toasting, be careful not to over do it, the bread will scorch quickly in a regular toaster. A toaster oven works well too.
- This bread freezes nicely, just be sure to wrap it well. First in plastic, then in foil.
Featured comment:
“This is the healthiest, tastiest and the best fruit and nut bread I have ever made (or had). It’s easy to make and the texture is excellent, varying the dried fruit/nut mix is an added bonus. We have it with a dollop of organic coconut yoghurt. It’s delicious warm or cold. I have never commented on any recipe sites, but in this instance it deserved a big round of wholesome applause. Thank you” ~Tesia
Paleo Breakfast Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas (a scant one cup mashed)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp flax seeds
- 2 cups chopped nuts
- 2 cups chopped dried fruits
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F. Lightly spray a standard loaf pan. I like to line it with a sheet of parchment so I can lift the bread out for slicing.
- Make sure your dried fruit and nuts are chopped fairly evenly.
- Mash the two bananas really well. I actually did this in my small food processor to get a smooth result. You should have anywhere from 3/4 to a scant cup of mashed banana.
- Put the banana into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the eggs and coconut oil really well.
- Stir in the almond flour, baking powder, and salt and blend well.
- Fold in the fruits, nuts, and seeds and blend until everything is well distributed. Note: you'll think there are too many fruits and nuts when you start, but trust me, it will all blend in fine.
- Turn the batter into the loaf pan and spread out the dough evenly, especially into the corners. Make sure to spread the dough out flat and even.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until starting to turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. This bread does not rise, so it will still be flat. The exact cooking time will depend somewhat on the exact dimensions of your loaf pan, as even 'standard' ones can vary. Let cool briefly before removing the bread from the pan using the parchment paper to lift it out, and let it cool further on a rack.
- When the bread is almost completely cooled, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This helps the bread firm up and hold together better when slicing. Note: use a very sharp serrated bread knife with a slight sawing motion to slice the bread neatly.
Notes
- almonds
- pecans
- pistachios
- walnuts
- hazelnuts
- apricots
- figs
- cranberries
- dates
- pineapple
- blueberries
- strawberries
- plums
Also try
- Gluten Free Vegan Blender Muffins
- Paleo Fruit and Nut Breakfast Bread
- DIY Instant Fruit and Nut Oatmeal (vegan and gluten free)
Nutrition
Hi Sue-
GORGEOUS bread!!
I’ll be making it in a few hours.
“Standard” loaf pan….?
9x5ish or 8x4ish?
Is one more standard than the other? I use both…depending on the recipe.
I’m sure it’ll be fine in either. But I prefer my loaves on the tall side.
Thank you for the recipe! Been craving something like this.
Really Delicious!!
Fills a 8×4″ pan completely
Fills a 9×5″ pan about 2/3
Same 40 min baking time for either
Well thank you — you did my work for me Kelly! I appreciate the info, and I’m so glad you like it!
I love all that texture, what a great looking bread!
This looks terrific, Sue. Bet it tastes heavenly with all the fruits and nuts.
This bread would make a great breakfast or snack when you are on the road and not willing to eat those horrible breakfasts they serve in some of the hotels across the country. You know what I’m talking about!
Could this be made with a traditional flour?
Hi Douglas — This recipe is formulated for almond flour, but I do have two other similar recipes that use regular flour, here: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/chunky-fruit-nut-quick-bread/ and here: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/muesli-toasting-bread/ I would start with those instead of trying to alter this one, hope this helps!
Mmmmmm! This would be wonderful to take out on our morning bike rides. I’m always looking for healthy stuff that will satiate. Love all the great ingredinets you’ve got in here. And I promise to savor every bite!!
I need to start a morning bike ride tradition 🙂
Oh my!!! This looks incredible. Definitely up my alley! Cannot wait to make it! Thanks!
As always the photos tell the tale This bread looks alsolutely devine! It’s so pretty and appetizing. I do have a quick question. Does the coconut oil say unrefined on the bottle, or jar? I just want to be sure to use the correct ingredients when I make this recipe. Thanks for your help.
The coconut oil will say unrefined, or virgin, on the label. You can really use any type of coconut oil, but the virgin is a bit heather, and has that coconutty flavor.
Goodness – this is a wonderful loaf! I have so many nuts, dried fruits and seeds left over from this and that,and I have a bag of almond meal! I am making this tonight when I get home. Thank you so much Sue!
Most of us do have a lot of dried fruits and nuts around, and this is a great way to use them up, periodically, hope you like it Tricia!
I love to experiment too…. what a coincidence, I made yesterday some energy bars that I found in a paleo site, they turned out very good. No sugar at all, just chopped dates.
at some point I’ll blog about them – but for now, I am pinning your materpiece, seems quite amazing!
Thanks Sally, the whole Paleo thing is something I haven’t experimented with much, especially when it comes to baking, but this bread was fun, I’d definitely make it again.