Cranberry Persimmon Bread is an easy fall recipe. It’s lightly flavored with fresh persimmon with dried cranberries mixed in.
On my last trip home, I got a whole bag of persimmons. My mom has persimmon trees in her backyard, so every year, I search for new recipes.
This weekend, I decided to try out a cranberry persimmon bread I found on Former Chef. I love the color of the bread and how there was an orange swirl on the top. Usually, the persimmon breads I make are dark brown.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg
- Large eggs
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Oil
- Persimmon pulp
- Dried cranberries
Spices: If you have pumpkin pie spice on hand you can use that instead of individual spices. You will need 2 teaspoons.
Oil: You can use vegetable oil, canola oil, or other neutral oil you like for baking.
Persimmons: There are two main types of persimmons: hachiya and fuyu. Hachiya persimmons tend to be bigger and have a long, oval shape and a pointy bottom. Hachiya persimmons should only be eaten after they are really ripe and soft (to the point where they are basically mushy). I’ve never eaten a Hachiya persimmon before it turns fully soft, but I’ve heard the experience is quite awful. Fuyu persimmons are flatter in shape and look kind of like a tomato. Fuyu persimmons can be eaten crunchy. I wrote a post about persimmons, so if you want to learn more about the different kinds of persimmons you should check it out. I brought back both types of persimmons, but I used the soft hachiya ones for this bread. The ones pictured in the photos are actually fuyu persimmons because they stand up easier.
Dried cranberries: I love the chewy dried cranberries in the bread, but if you prefer them softer, you can soak them in warm water before you add them to the batter. Soak them until they plump up, then dry them with a paper towel.
Recipe Steps
This persimmon cranberry bread is like other quick bread recipes – it’s easy to make. Just mix up the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Then, combine them.
I stir the cranberries and two cups of persimmon pulp into the batter and reserve the rest of the pulp for the top of the bread.
This recipe makes enough for two 9” loaves.
Recipe Notes
The only thing I didn’t like that happened with my bread was the top layer. The directions said to save half a cup of persimmon puree and pour it on top of the batter to create the orange effect. However, the batter is pretty thick. When I poured the puree on top, I wondered how the puree would seep inside. The directions didn’t say to mix it or make a well in the batter, etc. As a result, when my bread finished baking, the puree poured on top simply formed a thin crust on the outside and that made it look like melted cheese.
Other than the snag I hit with the crust layer, I really enjoyed this bread. It was moist, had a slight taste of persimmon, and I love the crimson red cranberries poking out. I definitely will make this bread again, though next time, I will make a well along the middle of the bread to pour in the puree rather than just pour it on top since all it did was spread everywhere and form a wet crust.
More Fall Bread Recipes
- Carrot Bread
- 2 Ingredient Apple Bread
- Pumpkin Ale Bread
- Persimmon Bread
- 3 Ingredient Sweet Potato Bread
Cranberry Persimmon Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 whole eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 2 ½ cups ripe persimmon pulp divided
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all of the spices together until well combined.
- In another large bowl, beat the eggs and both sugars until well combined. Add the oil, 2 cups of the persimmon puree (reserve ½ a cup), and the cranberries. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in batches stirring in between each until just combined.
- Divide the batter between the two loaf pans. Make a shallow well down the center of each and fill them with the reserved puree. Bake the loaves for approximately 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Very nice bread recipe, haven’t tried a cranberry persimmon bread before, look forward to it, thanks.
Hi, I’m glad you liked the bread. You make a good point about the directions, and I’ll amend that later today. Indeed, you need to make a well and put the persimmon down the center. I’ve never had it spread over the top like that, but I can see that happening if the persimmon is very thin.
I see. Yeah, my puree was pretty thin, so it just spread out across the whole top. Thanks for the lovely recipe though! I’m going to make it again soon for my parents.