Cherry Bread with Maraschino Glaze + Video

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Maraschino Cherry Bread is an easy quick bread recipe but has all of the flavors of an old-fashioned dessert. And that sweet glaze – yum!

Am I the only one who didn’t jump on the bread train when we were in quarantine? I mean I did make a couple of loaves of Cherry Bread but only because it was quick and easy. Growing up my mom made a lot of homemade bread and as I got older I wanted to make it too. 

Let’s just say that’s a lot of work for one loaf! I mean if you’re a busy mom like me, you can understand that it would be nice to have homemade bread all of the time, but it’s just not feasible, right? 

Sandwich bread may be a beast to conquer but sometimes I go the extra mile when it comes to desserts. I stumbled across this old family recipe, and boy was I glad when it was ready in about an hour. 

Speaking of desserts, I love recipes with maraschino cherries because they are available year round. They are the star ingredient in these Dr. Pepper cherry chocolate cupcakes and cherry blossom cookies.

Just for the record, if you are interested in making other breads that take hours to make, grab a bread machine from Amazon. They are relatively cheap and it makes the bread making process a LOT easier.

Maraschino Cherry Bread is great for holiday gatherings, brunches, and makes a pretty “gift from the kitchen” for Valentine’s Day or Christmas. Or surprise Mom with a loaf on Mother’s Day.

Ingredients To Make Cherry Bread 

Ingredients for the Bread

Flour – all-purpose

Baking soda 

Salt

Sugar – granulated and brown sugar. If you want to be a little healthier you can substitute coconut sugar for table sugar.

Egg

Buttermilk – leave enough time so it can come to room temperature

Oil – vegetable oil works best

Real vanilla extract – not the imitation kind

Almond extract

Maraschino cherries – keep the juice for the glaze 

Ingredients for the Glaze 

Powdered sugar

Maraschino cherry juice

Milk

Kitchen Gadgets 

9×5 Loaf Pan 

Mixing Bowl

How To Make Cherry Quick Bread 

Start by preheating your oven and greasing your loaf pan.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a second bowl, stir together both kinds of sugar and egg until combined. Then slowly add in your extracts, oil, and buttermilk. 

Slowly pour your wet ingredients into your flour mixture. Stir until combined but don’t overmix the batter. 

Chop the cherries and fold them into the bread batter. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

To make the cherry bread glaze combine the powdered sugar, cherry juice and milk together. Then drizzle over the bread after it has cooled a bit.

Can I Make This Bread in a Double Batch? 

To make a double batch we recommend making separate batches of batter. But you can cook two loaves at the same time. To make a double batch of glaze simply double the ingredients. 

How Do You Freeze Cherry Bread? 

Once your bread has cooled completely, wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place in a freezer-safe bag. I recommend freezing unglazed loaves for best results.

You can also flash freeze it first, then follow the previous freezing instructions.

Flash freezing means freezing the loaf or slices individually, typically on a cookie sheet, in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. After this initial cooling period, you’ll wrap the food before storing in the freezer as previously directed.

Flash freezing helps to keep foods fresher longer and they don’t get freezer burned as quickly. 

Tips for Making Cherry Bread

• Chop the cherries with a knife or with a small food processor/chopper.
• Rotate the bread pan halfway through baking to ensure it browns evenly. Check the bread color at the 45-minute mark. If it’s browning too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with a piece of foil and continue baking until done.
• If you prefer a thicker glaze, double the glaze recipe.
• The glaze is optional but I highly recommend using it.

More Easy Baked Goods To Try: 

• Cast Iron Skillet Cookie
• Peach Crumble with Oats
• Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Vanilla Spiced Pumpkin Bread
• Glazed Cherry Bars {an Easy Dessert Recipe}

**Save Maraschino Cherry Bread Recipe for Later**