Walnut Bread

Today, I’m going to teach you how to make another amazing quick bread- Walnut Quick Bread. If you have been around for a while, then you know I love quick breads! This bread is soft, moist, and full of walnut flavor. It’s the perfect bread to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea. No mixer needed and ready to be baked in minutes!

 

Quick breads are some of my favorite things to make. You can’t go wrong with bread- it is such a crowd pleaser and definitely a comfort food. No one is sad when they are eating bread are they? No stupid question, of course they aren’t!

That is probably why I have so many quick bread recipes here on the blog. If you love this recipe and want to check out more bread recipes, you should check out my Mango bread, Peanut Butter Bread, Bourbon Banana Bread, and Cranberry Orange Bread (honestly, there are so many more). Check out my full quick bread library here!

I love making this nut bread recipe because it’s so easy to put together. The batter only takes a few minutes to mix, and then you can just pop it in the oven and relax. In no time at all, you’ll have a hearty loaf of golden brown walnut bread to enjoy. I love the way the chopped walnuts add a bit of crunch to the bread. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and salty.

The walnut quick bread batter is made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and sour cream to make it wonderfully moist. I stir in some toasted, chopped walnuts. But I didn’t stop there with adding in those crunchy nuts. I then layered in a walnut streusel.

I highly recommend toasting the walnuts first to bring out the oils of the walnuts and maximize their flavor. They really do taste 1000x better when they are toasted!

The streusel gets sprinkled in the middle of the bread and more on top. So it’s streusel in every bite. And then I finished it off with an easy vanilla glaze to bring it all together!

I’ve also found that this bread is really versatile. You can serve it plain, or you can get creative and add your favorite toppings. I like to add a few dried cranberries or some chocolate chips. You can also try spreading on some cinnamon honey or this honey butter recipe.

If you love walnuts as much as I do, then I know you’re going to fall in love with this recipe!

See Also:

• Oil vs butter in your quick breads..what’s better? Find out the difference and what I prefer!
• Confused on what the difference is between quick breads and coffeecakes – give this post a read!
• Want to know more about quick breads? Then read this article “What’s quick bread“? and learn more!

Why You Will Love Walnut Bread

• Quick Prep Time – It only takes 15 minutes to prepare the Walnut bread batter. Quick breads are ready for the oven in no time because they rely on leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda instead of active dry yeast.
• Great to freeze! – If you can’t eat it all in one sitting, you can freeze this quick bread for up to 3 months!
• No stand mixer needed – Like most all quick bread recipes, you do not need a stand mixer or hand mixer to make this walnut bread recipe. You just need a whisk and a spatula to bring it together!
• Makes great afternoon snack or quick breakfast. I love a good quick bread like this walnut bread as an afternoon snack or brunch treat!

Ingredients Needed for Walnut Bread

For the Walnut Streusel:

• Sugar- I used granulated sugar to add sweetness.
• Brown Sugar- For this recipe, you will want to use light brown sugar. But dark brown sugar can also work. If you’ve run out, you can make your own homemade brown sugar.
• Flour- All-purpose flour is best.  Make sure to measure the flour properly.
• Cinnamon- For flavor.
• Salt- For this part of the recipe, you only need a pinch of salt.
• Walnuts- For this recipe, you will need chopped walnuts that are toasted.
• Butter- You will need unsalted, melted butter. But if you swap with salted butter, then omit the added salt.

For the Bread:

• Flour- I used all-purpose flour for this quick bread recipe. You can also use wheat flour. I like to use 1/2 whole wheat flour. Measure correctly so your bread doesn’t come out overly heavy or dry.
• Brown Sugar-  You will want to use light brown sugar for the bread as well. You could try swapping some of the brown sugar with granulated sugar.
• Baking Powder- There’s no yeast in this recipe. To help this bread rise, a combination of baking powder and baking soda is used.
• Cinnamon- For flavor.
• Salt- To boost and bring out the nutty flavor. Check The Role Of Salt In Baking.
• Eggs- Should be at room temperature. Try How To Get Room Temperature Eggs Fast.
• Milk- You can use any milk for this recipe. I prefer baking with whole milk for maximum richness, but you can always use a lower fat milk, or a non-dairy milk.
• Sour Cream- Adds richness and fat to this walnut loaf. It also keeps the bread moist. You can also use Greek yogurt if you run out of sour cream.
• Oil- For quick bread recipes, I typically used either canola or vegetable oil but you can also use grapeseed and safflower oil. For this bread, you could even swap and use walnut oil! Or you could use melted coconut oil, or olive oil but be aware these would impart some flavor. Check the Ultimate Guide To Baking Quick Bread Recipes.
• Vanilla- I used pure vanilla extract but imitation or homemade vanilla extract can also be used
• Walnuts- You will need toasted and chopped walnuts. I like to toast walnut halves, then after they have cooled, I chop into walnut pieces.

For the Glaze: 

• Confectioners Sugar- Otherwise known as powdered sugar
• Milk- You can use any type of milk like oat milk or whole milk.
• Vanilla- For flavor.

How to Make Walnut Bread

Preheat and prepare loaf pan.  

Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9”x5” loaf pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper and then spray with cooking spray. 

Make the streusel. 

In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugars, flour, cinnamon, salt and toasted walnuts.

Stir in melted butter until a crumbly mixture is formed. Set aside.

Combine dry ingredients. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set flour mixture aside.  

Combine wet ingredients. 

In a second, large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sour cream oil and vanilla.

Combine wet and dry ingredients. 

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix together with a spatula or wooden spoon just until just combined.

Fold in remaining toasted walnuts. Do not overmix. 

Bake. 

Spoon ½ of the batter into prepared pan.

Sprinkle on ½ of the streusel.

Spoon the rest of the batter on top.

Sprinkle on remaining streusel. 

Bake in a preheated 350oF (177oC) oven for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of bread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it (no wet batter) and top springs back to the touch when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the loaf pan on a wire cooling rack. 

Make the glaze. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients (powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla), and drizzle over the cooled bread.

Recipe Tips

• Measure your ingredients accurately. No matter if I’m using whole wheat flour, gluten free flour, or all-purpose flour, I used the scoop and level method for measuring the flour. If you scoop directly from the bag or push the flour into the cup you will end up with too much flour. Check it out at How To Measure Ingredients.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Stirring the walnut bread batter too much will make your quick bread tough and chewy. Mixing develops gluten and makes bread dense. When you combined your wet and dry ingredients, mix only until they are just combined.
• Use other loaf pans. You can make mini loaves as well in mini bread pans. Bake for about 30 minutes and use the toothpick test to make sure they are done.

Recipe Variations

• Other Flour – All-purpose flour can be substituted with whole wheat flour, gluten-free, and other types of flour, like almond flour.
• Add chocolate chips or dried fruit – Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips, raisins, or dried cranberries to the batter. I recommend stirring the chips in 1 tablespoon of flour first so it doesn’t sink to the bottom of the bread.
• Add maple syrup to the glaze. Instead of a vanilla glaze, add in a few tablespoons of maple syrup to the glaze, for a sweet twist! I recommend using pure maple syrup.

Recipe FAQs

How to store walnut loaf?

You can store any leftover bread at room temperature for up to 2 days. Just place it in an airtight container. For longer storage, place the nut bread in the refrigerator and store it for up to 1 week. Make sure your walnut bread has cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container.

Can I freeze this walnut bread?

Yes, you can freeze this quick bread for up to 3 months. Wrap the completely cool walnut bread with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place inside freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Freeze.
To thaw frozen quick bread, place it at room temperature or directly heat it in the oven or microwave.

Why did my walnut bread sink in the middle?

It means your walnut bread needs more time to bake in the oven. Before removing the bread from the oven, check it for doneness. Use the toothpick method. When the toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs, your walnut loaf is done. If there’s wet batter sticking to the toothpick, it needs more time in the oven. Remember, ovens run at different temperatures. To check your oven temperature, use an oven thermometer.

More Recipes to Try

• Best Carrot Cupcakes
• Banana Nut Bread
• Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies
• No Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread
• Mango Bread