Fresh Strawberry Bread with Pink Glaze
This fresh strawberry bread is soft, moist, and filled with juicy berries, topped with a sweet strawberry glaze. A simple spring bake everyone loves.
Ingredients
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 1 Tbsp flour
Glaze:
- 1/4 cup freeze dried strawberries (you can substitute 1/4 cup mashed fresh if you like)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp half and half (start with less if you are using fresh berries for the glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick baking spray (with the flour in it.) (You could alternatively line with parchment paper.)
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together, then set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, half and half, lemon juice, egg, and vanilla.
- Add the dry flour mixture to the wet sugar mixture and stir together until just combined.
- In a small bowl, combine the chopped strawberries with the extra tablespoon of flour, then gently stir the strawberries in to the batter.
- Spread your batter in to your prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out just about clean, (there might be a few moist crumbs.)
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the Glaze: Smash up the freeze dried strawberries until they are powder/crumbs. (I actually pulverize mine in to a powder in my small food chopper.) Add them to a small bowl with the powdered sugar, then add the half and half as needed to make the glaze the consistency you want. (Less half and half will make thicker, more makes it thinner.)
- Drizzle or spread the icing over the loaf and let set for 15-30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Tips for the Best Strawberry Bread:
- Chop Strawberries to Your Preferred Size - Cut the berries into the size you want in each bite. Smaller pieces distribute more evenly and help prevent sinking.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter - Once the dry ingredients meet the wet ingredients, stir only until combined. Overmixing leads to dense bread instead of a soft, tender crumb.
- Coat the Strawberries in Flour - Tossing the chopped berries with 1 tablespoon of flour helps keep them suspended throughout the loaf instead of sinking to the bottom.
- Keep the Oven Door Closed - Opening the oven early can cause the loaf to collapse. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Fresh vs. Freeze‑Dried Strawberries in the Glaze -Freeze‑dried berries create a vibrant pink glaze that stays fresh at room temperature. If using mashed fresh berries, start with less half and half since they add natural juice, and store the glazed loaf in the refrigerator.
- Cool Completely Before Glazing - Let the loaf cool fully so the glaze sets beautifully instead of melting into the bread.