33 Easy Quick Bread Recipes (No Kneading!)

Baking is one the very best things to do on chilly, wintry days. What's better than warming up the kitchen with the wonderful and cozy aroma of baking bread? Quick breads are a favorite to make because they're so easy and versatile. According to Taste Of Home, quick breads are a unique type of bread because they're made with baking powder and baking soda, which give them height and texture without the kneading and lengthy rising times required for yeast-based breads. Just mix in a bowl and bake! Quick breads are dense, moist, and can be savory or sweet.

Banana bread and pumpkin bread are two well-known varieties of quick bread, but this Mashed round-up has so many other kinds that are just as delicious. Want to put other fruits in the spotlight? Try apple streusel bread, peach bread, and Hawaiian banana bread. Zucchini bread is another popular one, especially at the end of summer, and there are three ways to make it here. 

For savory quick breads, make skillet corn bread, beer bread, or cheesy Pão De Queijo, all of which are tasty on their own or as side dishes. We have copycat Starbucks bread recipes, breads that need only a few ingredients, and even a quick bread made in an Instant Pot. Bookmark your favorites, then get to baking.

Is banana bread the king of all quick breads? At any rate, it's certainly one of the best-loved homemade treats. Not only is it a sweet comfort food, banana bread is so easy to make that even beginning bakers can turn out a lovely loaf. The batter is made with chopped walnuts (which you should be eating more of), cinnamon, and mashed, ripe bananas. As it bakes your home will be filled with the most wonderful aroma, an experience surpassed only by the first bite. 

Recipe: Banana Nut Bread

It's true that slices of Starbucks Lemon Loaf are incredibly soft and tasty, but the bread tastes even better when you make it at home. The recipe calls for basic baking ingredients like flour, baking powder, sugar, and butter, along with the zest and juice of a fresh lemon. Buttermilk in the batter makes the bread tender and gives it a little tang, too. You'll get eight generous slices to top with as much lemon glaze as you'd like. 

Recipe: Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf

At first glance this looks like one recipe — but really, it's just a jumping off point, since there are so many types of beer that you can try in this bread. Stouts or porters will make more deeply flavored loaves, while light beers such as pilsners will create a milder bread. The easy recipe calls for self-rising flour: Find it at stores or, as King Arthur Baking notes, make your own easily at home. You can even add mix-ins like green chilies or grated Cheddar cheese for a more flavor-packed bite.

Recipe: Beer Bread

On the first chilly days of autumn, nothing hits the spot like a warm slice of homemade apple bread. The loaf is full of diced fresh apples, and you can use any variety you like. Taste Of Home shares that baking apples like Granny Smith and Rome have tart flavors to balance out the sweetness of the bread. The apple bread takes one hour to bake, and is topped with a crumbly and sweet streusel of brown sugar and cinnamon. 

Recipe: Apple Streusel Bread

Who on Earth looked at a zucchini and thought, "Hey, let's put that into a loaf of bread?" Well, thank goodness they did because they were right! Grated shreds of zucchini give this quick bread lots of moisture so that each slice is tender and soft. The veggie-laden loaf is sweet with two types of sugar and packed with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The recipe makes two loaves: Wrap and freeze the extra one or give it to a friend. 

Recipe: Spiced Zucchini Bread

There are lots of good reasons to stash a bag of whole cranberries in the freezer — and this quick bread is one of them. It takes only five minutes to mix the batter, which includes orange juice and zest, and just under an hour to bake. Serve some cranberry bread to morning guests during the holidays, or make it any time of the year for midafternoon snacks, to bring to brunch, or to share with your neighbors. 

Recipe: Cranberry Bread

Starbucks has a fine fall menu, full of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, and thick slices of Pumpkin Pepita Loaf. This year, find out how easily you can make your own Starbucks pumpkin loaf at home. Our copycat recipe is made with pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, and dark brown sugar for a deep and sweet flavor. The final touch is a scattering of crunchy pumpkin seeds over the top of the loaf. The recipe makes eight generous slices. 

Recipe: Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Bread

The old-fashioned quick bread makes an appearance every St. Patrick's Day, but once you find out how easy it is to make, you'll want it all year long. Craggy loaves of Irish soda bread are formed from flour, sugar, leaveners, buttermilk, sour cream, and other ingredients that are stirred together and placed in a pan. Raisins are a traditional mix-in, but if you want to mix things up, Food52 suggests dried figs, pistachios, chocolate, or savory ingredients like sundried tomatoes or cheese. Serve slices with butter for a snack or as a side.

Recipe: Irish Soda Bread With Sour Cream

Here's a quick bread that's full of chocolate! It's wonderful served for dessert, but no one will mind if you set this loaf out for breakfast or brunch. The bread is made with cocoa powder, sour cream, two kinds of sugar, and orange zest, and bakes up in about an hour. Once cool, add a thick layer of orange glaze to the top. It's gorgeous enough to make for a gathering, but easy enough to make any day of the week when a chocolate craving strikes.

Recipe: Orange Chocolate Loaf 

This pumpkin bread recipe gives home bakers some options. Make the recipe as-is for a classic pumpkin bread with a rich, orange hue and spiced flavor from cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Or, make a zhuzhed-up loaf by adding extra ingredients, like chocolate or white chocolate chips, nuts, pumpkin seeds, or shredded coconut. Try mixing chopped, candied ginger into the batter for intense bits of flavor in each slice. Raisins or other dried fruits would also be amazing in this bread. 

Recipe: Pumpkin Bread

Set out this skillet of warm, freshly-baked cornbread with bowls of chili, barbecued chicken hot and fresh off the grill, or plates of savory pulled pork. It's soft, toasty around the edges, and has natural sweetness from cornmeal. The batter whisks together in only four minutes and bakes in about 30, making it an easy side dish to pull off even on busy weeknights. Bake it in a cast iron skillet for a rustic touch, but an oven-proof pan or baking dish will also work nicely. 

Recipe: Cast Iron Cornbread

This is a one-bowl banana bread recipe, which is great because it means clean-up is a breeze. You can make the batter in the bowl of your stand mixer, in a mixing bowl with a electric mixer, or just blend everything by hand. Whichever you choose, it comes together in only 10 minutes. The finished loaf is full of melty chocolate chips that are so delicious with the sweetness of bananas. 

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

No bananas, no pumpkin, no nuts ... so what IS in this quick bread? Just the lovely flavor of vanilla and sweetness from sugar and milk. Keeping it basic with this sweet bread means you get to add your own touches, like a drizzle of lemon glaze or thick, chocolate ganache. The slices are also delicious on their own with hot chocolate or tea. You can even use sweet bread as the base for desserts: Add a scoop of ice cream and a little caramel, or fresh fruit with whipped cream and orange zest. 

Recipe: Sweet Bread

These bite-sized, savory quick breads are naturally gluten-free and can be enjoyed as a snack, for breakfast, as a side, or even to hold sandwich fillings. Pão de queijo is Brazilian in origin, but has become a favorite in other South American countries, too. The batter is made with tapioca flour and cheese (easy to find Cheddar cheese is our choice in this recipe.) When baked in mini muffin pans, they puff up into airy little breads that are really cheesy inside.

Recipe: Pão De Queijo

Banana breads and pumpkin breads get a lot of attention, but it's time for pineapple bread to have some time in the spotlight. It has all the best qualities of a quick bread — fast to assemble, no kneading, no rising time — and it's filled with juicy, flavorful bits of pineapple. Canned, crushed pineapple can be used in the recipe, or for the very best flavor dice up a fresh pineapple. Serve slices with coffee for breakfast or with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of coconut as a simple dessert. 

Recipe: Pineapple Bread

Make this easy bread that's loaded with cheese and spicy jalapeños to serve as a side with dinner, or for a satisfying afternoon snack. If you like savory breakfasts, it's delicious served with eggs, bacon or hash. Use diced, fresh jalapeño peppers in this recipe, and don't worry about them being too spicy: After baking, the peppers' heat will be more mellow. Sharp Cheddar cheese is our choice in this bread, but pepper Jack or a Mexican cheese blend would also be delicious. 

Recipe: Jalapeño Cheese Bread

How about a loaf of warm, spiced pumpkin bread that needs only four ingredients? This recipe is ideal for folks who don't have the space to store all of the basics used to make traditional pumpkin bread. Instead, just pick up a box of spice cake mix, a can of pumpkin puree, and a little jar of pumpkin pie spice. Use a splash of regular milk, almond milk, or any other plant-based milk. Your perfect pumpkin loaf bakes up in just under an hour. 

Recipe: Pumpkin Bread With Cake Mix

This treat is sheer brilliance: Not only can you enjoy warm spices and sweetness IN the bread, there's extra spice and sweetness ON the bread in the form of cookie butter. Begin by baking the easy banana bread recipe, made with ripe banana, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Once cooled, serve slices of the bread spread with a thick layer of your favorite cookie butter brand or a homemade batch. They're wonderful as a treat during the holidays, to enjoy with hot coffee, or as a late-night snack. 

Recipe: Cookie Butter Banana Bread

Pick up two small zucchini at the store, farmer's market, or from a neighbor who has more than they can handle. Grated into this quick bread batter, zucchini gives the bread a moist and tender texture. Chopped walnuts give each vanilla-scented slice extra flavor and crunch. The finishing touch is a gorgeous layer of thick, lemon icing on the finished loaf. It's pretty enough to give as a gift or bring to a brunch. 

Recipe: Zucchini Walnut Bread With Lemon Glaze

Our copycat recipe for this sweet Starbucks bakery favorite makes it easy to save a few dollars with a homemade loaf of banana bread. Maple syrup and chopped walnuts in the batter make this quick bread tastes just as delectable — if not more so. There's a little bit of waiting involved since it takes an hour to bake, but your patience will rewarded with a whole loaf of sweet and fragrant bread to call your own. 

Recipe: Copycat Starbucks Banana Bread

No bananas? No problem. This fruit-filled quick bread is sweet and so delicious, all thanks to peaches. The ingredients are ones you likely already have on the shelf, like milk, flour, sugar, and vanilla extract. You may even find a forgotten can of peaches there, which is exactly what you need for the bread. The baked loaf makes a lovely breakfast or dessert. Consider adding a few unique flavor notes to the batter: The Seattle Times shares that peaches pair well with cinnamon, hazelnuts, berries, bourbon, and honey. 

Recipe: Peach Bread

We love how sumptuous this bread looks, with its dark color and a top loaded with chocolate chips and nuts. The name of the loaf, Harvest Spice, comes from pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree in the batter. The chocolate chips and walnuts run through the inside of the loaf as well. The bread bakes in about an hour. Recipe Developer Kit Hondrum suggests freezing individual slices between sheets of parchment paper, so you can easily grab a slice to reheat for a fast breakfast or snack. 

Recipe: Harvest Spice Bread

These small, round breads that were made famous on TikTok may not be what you picture when you hear "quick bread," but they do fit the criteria: Easy to make with no kneading or rising time. They're made by folding beaten egg whites into a mixture of egg yolks, cream cheese, and seasonings. Place scoops of batter on a sheet pan, and bake for 15 minutes. The egg whites give the breads their light and puffed texture. Serve cloud bread with soups or dip, or use them to make miniature sandwiches. 

Recipe: Cloud Bread

Banana bread is pretty easy to make, but recipe developer Lindsay D. Mattison makes it even easier by using only three ingredients. You'll need some very ripe bananas — the ones that are so brown that no one will touch them. The other ingredients are self-rising flour, which has the rising agents already mixed in, and sweetened condensed milk, which gives your bread sweetness and moisture all in one can. This is a fun recipe to make with kids, and you can choose some mix-ins like chocolate chips or a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Banana Bread

It's okay if you want to make cornbread that's not completely from scratch. This recipe shows you how to make boxed cornbread mix taste so much more delicious, just by adding a few ingredients. Sour cream adds a subtle tang and also gives the cornbread a beautifully tender texture. Creamed corn brings out the sweet corn flavor in the bread, as well as adding bits of corn to every bite. It's only six ingredients in all, and bakes up in just 40 minutes. Serve it with chili or with savory egg breakfast dishes. 

Recipe: Cornbread

It's pretty much a guarantee that you and your friends won't be able to resist this rich, chocolaty loaf. It has everything you love about classic banana bread — the mashed bananas, yogurt for tenderness, and fast assembly — and adds in a double dose of chocolate. Using chocolate chunks means that every slice will have irregular shards of chocolate, a more decadent experience than with regular chips. The recipe makes one big, beautiful loaf to enjoy for breakfast or with a cup of hot tea. 

Recipe: Chocolate Banana Bread

Ripe bananas add so much sweetness to a loaf of quick bread, so why not make a loaf that needs no added sugar? The natural sweetness is enhanced by the addition of applesauce and sugar-free chocolate chips from brands like ChocZero or Lily's Sweets. Everything else in the bread is just what you'd expect, like flour, butter, eggs, and unsweetened Greek yogurt. Make one, big loaf to share or divide the batter between mini loaf pans to turn this banana bread into tasty gifts. 

Recipe: Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This recipe is reminiscent of a holiday fruit cake except much easier and faster to make. The batter has warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, plus loads of fruit for sweetness and flavor: Think applesauce, raisins, and dried cranberries. Even with all these goodies in the bread, the recipe takes only 10 minutes to prepare and about an hour to bake. Make it for the holidays or any time of the year. 

Recipe: Fruit Bread

Banana bread in an Instant Pot? It really can be done! It's a great option when you don't want to heat up an oven, or for small spaces like college dorms where no oven is available. All you need is a round cake pan that fits inside your Instant Pot. Mix up the batter using bananas, spices, eggs, and sugar. Fill the cake pan, wrap it with foil, then set it in the Pot over a little water. The bread cooks through in about 50 minutes, and comes out wonderfully soft and moist. 

Recipe: Instant Pot Banana Bread

There many brands of great-tasting, gluten-free beers out there today. And gluten-free beer means it's possible to make a batch of gluten-free beer bread. Incredibly, this recipe requires only four ingredients. Look for a gluten-free, self-rising flour that includes baking powder and baking soda to make your loaf light and airy. You can add extras to your loaf like chia seeds to the top for crunch and color, or add shredded cheese or green chilies to make a savory bread. 

Recipe: Gluten-Free Beer Bread

Bananas grow in tropical climates — pineapple and coconut do, too! Not surprisingly, the three fruits taste incredible together baked into this soft loaf of quick bread. Brown sugar in the batter gives a delectable caramel sweetness to the slices that complements the fruit. The loaf bakes up in an hour, and just imagine the wonderful aroma that will fill your kitchen and house while it's in the oven. This is a great treat to bake for breakfast or to have as a late-night dessert. 

Recipe: Hawaiian Banana Bread

The end of summer and beginning of fall may have you debating whether to make zucchini bread or banana bread. Recipe Developer Miriam Hahn has the solution: Bake bananas and zucchini into one loaf for ultra-moist bread that's also a healthy way to indulge. Her recipe also makes it possible to make bread entirely from plant-based ingredients, by using flax seeds instead of eggs and oil instead of butter. Try mix-ins too, like chocolate chips, cacao nibs, or chopped nuts.

Recipe: Zucchini Banana Bread

Here's one more way to enjoy a tender loaf of spiced pumpkin bread. Carrie Madormo's loaf is full of the autumnal spices you expect, like cinnamon and cloves, plus sweetness from brown sugar and maple syrup. What makes this recipe extra indulgent is a big handful of semisweet chocolate chips in the batter. If you prefer dark chocolate chips, use those instead, or try milk chocolate or white chocolate chips. After baking, every slice of your pumpkin bread will have melty bits of rich chocolate.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread