A good quick bread recipe is just that: quick! But it should also be tender, moist, and flavorful. This makes two loaves so you can either gift or freeze!
Today, I present to you a dessert inspired by film. I don't know about you, but I love some food inspiration with my entertainment. After I watched 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,' I knew I had to try my hand at a clementine dessert. Instead of a round cake like the one in the film, I went for this quick bread recipe, and wow, it is so delicious. In addition to turning the dessert into sweet bread (who doesn't love eating their dessert in bread form?), this version has a few secret ingredients that make it extra special.
I'm someone who doesn't bake yeast bread; it's just not something I've ever been into (although everyone seems to be making sourdough these days and I'll admit that I'm thisclose to jumping on the current trend).
What I am good at is making quick breads, which is bread leavened with either baking soda or baking powder instead of yeast. This quick bread recipe is just another version of the one I've been making for years. I got the recipe from my mom, and she got it from her mom, and I can only assume she got it from her mom, too (although that's just a guess, but I do come from a long line of bakers and talented home cooks)!
Here are just a few reasons why this quick bread recipe will become your new favorite:
- The flavor is incredible: The citrusy sweetness is perfect on its own or with a hot cup of coffee. It can be breakfast or dessert, I won't tell. 🙂
- It has a great texture: The light, fluffy texture is tender and cake-like but it still has structure, so you get nice, clean slices.
- It smells amazing: The process from start to finish will have your kitchen smelling like a dream. Boiling the fruits to make them easier to blend (we'll talk more about this in a bit) releases a sweet scent that you get to enjoy again as the loaves bake.
- Two-loaf yield: Yes, you read that right! This recipe yields not one but two clementine loaves, which is great because, after your first slice, you will definitely want more. I'll either give one away as a gift or pop the extra in the freezer.
- It's a great use of clementines: I hate to waste these little fruits, don't you? However, they always come in larger 5-pound bags/crates, and honestly, I can never eat them all. Instead of having them sit around until they go bad, I use them in a quick bread recipe.
Our favorite ways to enjoy quick breads are with a sunny morning and a dalgona coffee. If I'm serving these for a special brunch, I'll offer banana blueberry muffins with a cottage cheese egg bake.
Ingredients
To make this clementine quick bread recipe, you will need:
- Clementines: Whole clementines are used in this recipe, so obviously, you want to make the best selections possible. To do that, feel to ensure that each fruit is relatively firm with some bounce back and a pleasant scent. Weight also indicates freshness. Clementines shouldn't feel too light. If they do, they probably aren't very juicy.
- Almond flour: The popular alternative to wheat flour is gluten-free and has a mildly sweet, nutty flavor, which makes it great for baking. Freshly ground almonds join it to give the loaves some bite.
- Baking powder: The leavening agent helps achieve a light, fluffy texture and tender crumb. Without it, each clementine loaf would be pretty dense.
- Eggs: Eggs provide lift and structure to the dessert while also contributing to moisture.
- Vanilla eggnog: This is my special ingredient, and it gives such a wonderful flavor! Not only does it add richness but it makes the bread SO moist. If it's not the holiday season and you can't locate any, just substitute with either whole milk, evaporated milk, or heavy cream (or a combination of any of those).
Instructions
It might seem like a lot of effort and time to boil the clementines, but it's just a matter of letting them do their thing. Here are the details:
- Boil the fruit: Place the clementines in a pot, cover them with water, and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and leave the fruits to sit in the boiling water for a couple of hours. Boiling activates their flavorful oils and softens the fruit so they blend up into a silky smooth puree.
- Blend them up: After they've had time to sit in hot water, drain and transfer the clementines to a blender or food processor and run it until smooth. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may have to halve or quarter the fruits.
- Prepare the batter: Whisk the dry ingredients in the bowl, pour in the puree, then add the remaining wet ingredients, including the vanilla eggnog.
- Bake: Divide the batter between two loaf pans lined with parchment paper and bake the clementine loaves.
- Make the glaze: As the bread bakes, mix the glaze ingredients until smooth.
- Candy clementine slices: Add thin slices of clementine to boiling sugar and water until soft.
- Finishing touches: After each clementine loaf has had time to cool, glaze, and decorate with candied clementine slices.
A few ideas to make it your own!
- Add spices: Numerous spices pair well with clementines, including cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, to name a few. These additions are a great way to play up the holiday vibe of this dessert.
- Add lemon: As mentioned, clementines are rather sweet, so a tart, tangy citrus (like lemon) will bring another citrusy layer of flavor to the cake and further brighten the flavor profile.
- Give mix-ins a try: Fresh berries would be so good here, as would chopped white chocolate. Since this recipe yields two clementine loaves, leave one as is and experiment with the second so you have two variations.
- Butter before parchment: This helps the parchment stick to the pan, which makes lining so much easier and allows for clean edges. Additionally, it creates a nice nonstick layer for contact points.
More bread recipes for you
Clementine Quick Bread Recipe
Clementines are more than just a refreshing fruity treat, and this clementine loaf is proof! The adorable citrus brings big flavor to this holiday-themed sweet.
Ingredients
Clementine quick bread
- 8 clementines
- 12 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 3 cups ground almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, heaping
- ½ cup vanilla eggnog
Candied clementines
- 3 clementines, thinly sliced
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
Clementine Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbs clementine juice
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, add the clementines and cover them completely with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer rapidly for about 2 hours.
- Carefully remove the clementines with a slotted spoon and add them to a food processor blender. Blend them just until they're smooth. Set aside while you make the quick bread batter.
- In a large bowl, add the remaining loaf ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the clementine puree.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Butter and line two loaf pans with parchment paper, and divide the batter equally between them.
- Bake for about 45-60 minutes (If the top begins to brown too soon, simply cover with aluminum foil and continue baking).
- While the loaves are baking, make the candied clementines by adding the thinly sliced clementines to the sugar and water mixture and bring to a simmer and cook until soft (about 25 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and set them on a wire rack.
- To make the glaze, add the powdered sugar and clementine juice in a small bowl and whisk until it's smooth.
- Remove the loaves from the oven and allow to cool completely. When you're ready to serve, top with the glaze and candied clementines.
Notes
To freeze the loaves, wrap them tightly and place in the freezer once the loaves are completely cooled. Do not top with the glaze and candied clementines before freezing. The loaves will last at least a month in the freezer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 835Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 172mgCarbohydrates: 114gFiber: 9gSugar: 102gProtein: 18g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix. The amounts include the sugar that gets discarded.
She is also a professional food photographer who specializes in editorial, portrait food photography and styling.
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