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
Love this bread, it satisfies me every time , love it <3 <3
Fantastic recipe! When I try something online if I like it I write in in my recipe book so I won’t be coming coming here to see the recipe as I’ve written my own modifications down.
I only used one banana
I added cinnamon and nutmeg
I used hazelnuts macadamias pistachios and almonds for the nuts
I used less fruit but used a little apricot, dates and sultanas
It turned out great!!
I cut my first slice straight from the oven, it was a bit crumbly but delicious. Then I cooled and refrigerated and used it for about a week and a half!
I almost made I in my thermomix!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Sounds great ~ but I hope you come back to visit me occasionally 😉
Hello Sue
This bread looks so amazing! Do you think that I could substitute the banana with applesauce?
I would read through some of the comments, Lynette, because people have changed it up in a lot of ways. I haven’t tried applesauce, and while I usually feel safe substituting like ingredients, the only thing is applesauce has less ‘body’ than mashed bananas. The general wisdom is you can sub 1/2 cup of applesauce for one banana, if you use too much it will make the recipe too wet.
Update, I’ve made the bread with apple butter with great success.
Thank you so much. What a delicious way to use up the little bits of leftover dried fruit!
Will try this as a Christmas fruitcake…can’t wait.
Hi Susie, just remember the recipe as written is more of a bread, and not super sweet like a cake. Hope you enjoy it!
You have likely heard this a million times, but this bread is the BEST!! It is my husband’s absolute favorite thing I make. We call it “cake” and he takes a slice or two to work with him every day it’s available. Thank you for sharing it with the world!
Can’t hear that too many times 😉 But seriously, this bread really has been so great, it seems like people have changed it up a thousand different ways and still love it! I might make a loaf this weekend!
Really liked this bread. Went out and bought more dried fruit so I could make it again.
I just bought a whole boatload of dried fruit and nuts for the same reason, thanks Faye!
I absolutely love this bread! I make almond bread all the time and this is a special treat bread!!!
Hello from the east coast! (Boston area) I’ve been to Portsmouth NH, but I hadn’t learned of Great Island before — seems like something worth checking out this time of year! I made this recipe, and it came out GREAT! I followed the recipe precisely. I’m curious how this compares/contrasts with the other paleo bread you made. It seems like the only difference is using bananas instead of apple butter. Is this recipe with bananas basically just an enhancement over apple butter, or is there a taste difference? 🙂 Either way – THANK YOU for this recipe!
I made this yesterday and it came out so good! Of course, I made some substitutions… I wanted to decrease the calories a bit, so I subbed one cup of the almond flour for 1/3 cup of coconut flour + an extra egg + 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage (coconut flour is more absorbing than other flours, requires extra liquid), and used a little bit less oil. I used figs, apricots & cranberries, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews & pepitas. It had to bake 15 or 20 min longer, maybe because of the extra liquid. Just had a piece for dessert, it’s so moist & naturally sweet from the banana & dried fruit. I’m really pleased with how it came out. I used parchment paper as you recommended, made it real easy to lift the loaf out of the pan.
Great report, thanks Katherine ~ I’m interested in trying the coconut flour.
Thanks for the tips!
I made this yesterday in my Breville bread maker (first time using a bread maker). I also did not have baking powder, so after reading a few articles, I used 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt as a substitute. Though I’m not sure that worked, because the dough didn’t rise much, and ended up being a 2.5 inch tall loaf. Anyways, per instructions of the bread maker, I put in liquids first (eggs, melted coconut oil), then yogurt & mashed bananas (I did read you can half the banana), and finally the flour, salt, baking soda. My bread maker has an automatic fruit/nut dispenser, but only holds 3/4 of a cup. So I just had to manually add the fruits/nuts when my machine beeped to tell me to add them. Per my instructions manual, I chose the gluten free option since we’re using almond flour. I also chose a medium crust. Overall, with mixing/rising/baking, it was about 2.5 hours (only about 40 minutes was baking). Next time, I’d choose a light crust, since mine came out a little burnt on the sides/bottom. I took it right out of the machine when done, set it on a cooling rack for 20 minutes before removing the bread from the pan with ease! Slipped right out! I did refrigerate overnight. It was easy to cut this morning and very delicious! I used almost all the nuts and fruits listed above. I will definitely make again (with baking powder next time)!
Oh man, this is making me want to buy another bread machine…I got rid of mine years ago! Thanks Heidi!