Did you know you can make all of your favorite quick breads with just one base recipe?

You can find the complete, printable recipe at the bottom of this post!

The Perfect Sweet Quick Bread Base

Perfecting sweet quick breads begins with nailing the base. A well-crafted, versatile dry mix lets you create all sorts of mouthwatering breads.

To create a dry mix that you can make ahead of time and store in jars on your shelf, you’ll need:

2 1/4 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)

Whether you dream of banana bread, chocolate chip bread, or a cranberry pecan delight, this base ensures each loaf rises to the occasion with the perfect crumb and texture.

Customizing Your Sweet Bread with Mix-Ins

This “master mix” as we’ll call it is a blank canvas, so to speak, for anything you want it to be.

Pumpkin bread transforms from a seasonal treat into a year-long staple with the addition of pumpkin powder, while banana bread and chocolate chip bread pull together quickly with just a few mix-ins.

Various mix-ins will transform your basic loaf into something spectacular. Here are a few of our favorite combinations, which showcase the adaptability of this versatile mix:

Pumpkin Bread: This fall favorite has earned a year-round place in our kitchen. To the base mix, just incorporate about a half cup of dehydrated pumpkin powder (reconstituted with water) and a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice into.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: For those craving a classic twist, add two ripe, mashed bananas and a generous handful of chocolate chips to the mixture. A tablespoon of maple syrup will enhance the flavors, bringing a subtle sweet depth that marries well with the richness of the chocolate.
Fruit-Based Breads: Transform your sweet bread into a vibrant dessert with fruit jams or dried berries. Dollops of blueberry vanilla jam or a cup of dried cranberries introduce a refreshing sweet and/or tangy flavor, depending on what you choose to add.

Get the printable recipe with all the instructions below!

Sweet Quick Bread Base Recipe

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Print Recipe

This sweet quick bread master mix can be made ahead of time and stored on your shelf until you're ready for a loaf!

Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf 1x

Ingredients

Scale

2 1/4 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
1 1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
6 Tablespoons coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whatever mix-ins you like (chocolate chips, walnuts, cranberries, jams, etc)

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Instructions

TO MAKE THE “MIX IN A JAR”

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar.
Mix well until all the dry ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Store the mixture in airtight jars for later use.

TO MAKE BREAD

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a loaf pan.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Add the contents of the jar (Sweet Quick Bread Base Mix) to your wet ingredients.
Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
If desired, add in your choice of mix-ins (see suggestions below).
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Mix-ins do not require precise measurements. Add them according to your preference. I usually average about 1-2 cups total of mix-ins. A few of our favorites:

Dried cranberries
Pumpkin powder (rehydrated with water and pumpkin pie spice) or pumpkin puree
Chocolate chips
Mashed ripe bananas
Maple syrup
Chunked strawberry jam
Blueberry vanilla jam

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 0 hours
Cook Time: 55 minutes

Mel C

February 28, 2024 at 8:29 am

Is this all purpose flour, self rising flour, or I grind my own wheat so would I need to add to plain wheat flour?

Jordan Mitchell
February 28, 2024 at 4:34 pm

I use all-purpose flour.

This recipe already has the baking powder & salt added (which takes care of the “self rising” part), so you wouldn’t need to add anything if using freshly ground, plain wheat flour.