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This pretty pink-glazed cherry bread is soft, moist and rich with cherry almond flavor. Maraschino cherries are folded through a tender crumb so every slice feels like a bakery treat. The simple cherry cream glaze sets to a sweet shell that highlights all those juicy cherry pieces and makes each slice an indulgent treat. You can bake it ahead, glaze before serving and enjoy slices through the week for breakfast or brunch or for dessert or a mid-morning treat with coffee.
Why You’ll Love It
This easy cherry bread recipe bakes into a tender loaf packed with juicy cherries and sweet almond flavor, finished with a rosy cherry cream glaze for a pretty finish.
Bakery style look: The maraschino cherries and pink glaze give every slice bright color that stands out.
Moist tender crumb: Butter, milk and cherry juice keep the quick bread soft.
Big cherry almond flavor: Vanilla extract, almond extract and maraschino cherry juice combine for that classic cherry almond bakery taste.
It’s a quick bread recipe: You only need about 20 minutes prep time and you don’t have to leave it to rise before baking.
Home bakers might also like chocolate loaf bread, brown butter banana bread, honeycomb bread, marble loaf cake and this apple cinnamon loaf.
Cherry Almond Bread Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the batter and gives the cherry loaf enough structure.
Baking powder: Helps the bread batter rise in the oven and encourages a domed top.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the bread and helps the crumb stay soft instead of drying out quickly.
Unsalted butter: Adds richness and flavor, and creams with sugar to create a light, fluffy base.
Eggs: Bind the mixture and support the structure so the slices hold together.
Vanilla extract: Adds a warm bakery style note that rounds out the cherry flavor.
Almond extract: Brings a clear cherry almond bread flavor without adding nuts.
Whole milk: Adds moisture and helps the batter blend into a smooth mixture.
Maraschino cherry juice: Infuses the batter and glaze with color and sweet cherry taste.
Chopped maraschino cherries: Give juicy cherry pieces in every slice and create a pretty pink crumb.
Powdered sugar: Creates the base of the cherry cream glaze that sets on top of the cooled bread.
Heavy cream: Makes the glaze silky and stable so it slices cleanly.
How to Make Cherry Bread
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the pan: While you preheat the oven, grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, line it with parchment and let the paper hang over the sides for easy lifting.
Combine dry ingredients: Whisk the flour and baking powder.
Cream butter and sugar: Beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar until the mixture looks light and fluffy.
Add eggs and extracts: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and almond extract.
Build the batter: Mix in part of the flour mixture, add the milk and cherry juice, then mix in the remaining flour just until everything is combined.
Fold in cherries: Gently fold the chopped maraschino cherries through the thick batter so they are spread evenly without overmixing.
Fill the loaf pan: Spoon the bread batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles.
Bake the loaf: Place the pan in a preheated oven and bake until done.
Cool the bread: Let the bread cool briefly in the pan, then lift it out with the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack.
Glaze the loaf: Whisk powdered sugar, cherry juice, heavy cream and almond extract in a small bowl, then pour the cherry glaze over the cooled bread and let it set before slicing.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free flour swap: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour to make a gluten-free cherry bread. Choose a blend with xanthan gum so the loaf holds together when sliced.
Dairy-free cherry bread: Replace the butter with melted coconut oil or a dairy-free baking stick, use a plant based milk in the batter and swap the heavy cream in the glaze for canned coconut milk or a dairy-free creamer.
Frozen or dried cherries: You can use fresh cherries or frozen cherries instead of maraschino cherries. Pit and chop them, then blot gently so they don’t add too much extra liquid before folding them into the batter. You can even swap in chopped dried cherries if that’s what you have. Soak them briefly in warm water or cherry juice, then pat off extra moisture before folding into the batter.
Chocolate cherry twist: Stir a handful of chocolate chips into the batter along with the chopped cherries for cherry chocolate bread.
Cherry almond crunch: Sprinkle sliced almonds over the top of the batter before baking so they toast in the oven and add a light crunch to the finished loaf.
No glaze: Serve the loaf plain or dust with powdered sugar instead.
Serving Suggestions
With breakfast or brunch: Enjoy this sweet cherry bread with contrasting dishes such as steak and eggs, jalapeno cheddar biscuits, twice-baked breakfast potatoes, or a homemade frittata.
As a snack: Pair your cherry bread with an iced white chocolate mocha or warm lavender matcha latte.
How to Store
Store: Store cherry bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days if your kitchen runs warm. Make sure it’s completely cool before storing.
Freeze: Wrap the cooled unglazed loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap and freeze cherry bread for up to 2 months.
Thaw: Thaw wrapped slices or the whole loaf in the refrigerator or on the counter until soft, then bring to room temperature before glazing or serving.
Reheat: Warm slices briefly in the microwave or in a low oven if you like serving cherry bread slightly warm.
Top Tips
Leave cherries slightly wet: Let a light coating of syrup cling to the chopped maraschino cherries before folding them into the batter so they add moisture and cherry flavor to the crumb.
Avoid overmixing: Once the flour mixture goes into the bowl, mix only until the streaks disappear so the bread stays tender instead of turning dense.
Check doneness correctly: Test the center of the loaf with a toothpick inserted straight down. You want a few moist crumbs on the toothpick rather than wet batter.
Cool before glazing: Let the bread cool fully on a wire rack before pouring on the cherry glaze so it doesn’t soak into the loaf or slide off the top.
Sweet Cherry Bread FAQs
Yes. Bake the loaf the day before serving and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, wrap the unglazed loaf tightly in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature overnight. When ready to serve, unwrap the loaf, prepare the glaze, and pour the glaze over the top for a fresh, glossy finish.
If cherries sink, the batter was probably too loose or the cherries were very wet. Make sure the batter is thick, fold the cherries in gently and avoid stirring again once they look evenly spread.
Homemade Cherry Bread Recipe
Cherry Bread
Equipment
- Loaf Pan 9 x 5-Inch
- Electric Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
- ½ Teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Stick unsalted butter, ½ Cup, softened
- 2 eggs, large, at room temperature
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Teaspoon almond extract
- ½ Cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
- 1 Cup maraschino cherries, chopped, drained and stems removed, reserve juice for glaze
- nonstick cooking spray, as needed
For the Cherry Cream Glaze
- 1 ½ Cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ Cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons maraschino cherry juice, reserved from jar, more if needed
- ¼ Teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Prepare a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with a light coating of nonstick cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper so the ends hang over the sides for easy removal and cleanup.
Prepare the Cherry Bread Batter
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt until evenly blended. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand or stand mixer on medium speed to cream together softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar for 2 or 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in vanilla and almond extracts until smooth and fragrant.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low.
- Add half of the dry ingredient mixture and mix just until combined.
- Pour in all the whole milk and 3 Tablespoons of cherry juice, mixing until incorporated.
- Add the remaining dry mixture, mixing only until the batter is smooth and no streaks of flour remain. Don’t overmix the batter.
- Gently fold in the chopped maraschino cherries using a rubber spatula, ensuring they are distributed throughout the batter. The batter will be thick, which helps the bread rise high and form a domed top.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with your spatula.
- Tap the pan lightly on the counter to release large air pockets.
Bake the Sweet Cherry Bread
- Bake on the center rack for 55 to 60 minutes until the top is golden and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached, but no wet batter.
Let It Cool
- Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment paper and transfer it directly to the wire rack.
- Cool completely before adding the glaze.
Prepare the Glaze
- To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons of cherry juice and the almond extract until the glaze is smooth, glossy, and pourable but not too thin.
- Adjust the consistency of the glaze as needed by adding more cherry juice for a thinner drizzle or adding a bit more powdered sugar for a thicker texture.
Add the Glaze to the Cherry Bread
- Pour or drizzle the glaze generously over the cooled loaf, letting it gently drip down the sides.
- Allow the glaze to set for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Avoid overmixing: Once the flour mixture goes into the bowl, mix only until the streaks disappear so the bread stays tender instead of turning dense.
Check doneness correctly: Test the center of the loaf with a toothpick inserted straight down. You want a few moist crumbs on the toothpick rather than wet batter.
Cool before glazing: Let the bread cool fully on a wire rack before pouring on the cherry glaze so it doesn’t soak into the loaf or slide off the top.
Nutrition
The best cherry bread always feels a little nostalgic, and this version brings that bakery style look into your own kitchen. The batter stirs together in a large bowl with basic pantry ingredients, then bakes into a high domed loaf with bright cherry pieces in every slice. A cherry cream glaze pours over the top and sets into a pretty pink finish that shows off the cherries underneath. Serve slices with coffee for breakfast or keep it for an afternoon treat or even gifting.
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