Dessert Breads That Are Dangerously Delicious

We've all heard that starting off each day with a hearty breakfast is important. It's lunch that breaks up the workday and gives us a much-needed break, and dinner is when we hope to slow down and enjoy quality family time. Catching up with everyone about their day is great, but we all know that it's dessert that's really the most exciting meal of the day.

Dessert doesn't always call for something super sweet, and it doesn't always mean something that's covered in chocolate or a confection that's complicated to make. Sometimes, dessert bread is exactly what you need to fill the craving, and what do we mean by dessert bread? Banana bread is probably the first thing that comes to mind. It's somewhere between bread and cake, and it's just sweet enough for dessert, but not so sweet that you feel guilty having it for breakfast. That's great and all, but there are plenty of other options when you're craving something you can slice up for dessert ... and then dive into again in the middle of the night.

Fairy bread originated in the Land Down Under, but this tasty Australian (and New Zealand) treat has since spread far and wide, thanks to the power of the internet. The basics are simple, and require only a pretty standard loaf of bread ... and your imagination.

Now, here's the thing: The cynics out there might say that our Fairy Bread is just for kids. We're going to argue that it's for the kids at heart, too — because life is often a long, hard road with tons of responsibilities, and honestly, who doesn't need a little more whimsy along the way?

We've all been there: We want to make something different, but a lot of the time, different is complicated. That's not the case with this recipe for a bread pudding that's unlike any other bread pudding you might be thinking of, so no making faces until you hear us out.

Bread pudding might be one of those old-timey desserts that you think of as using bread that's going just a little bit stale, and while there's nothing wrong with hiding slightly past prime bread in bread pudding, that's not what we're doing here. We're using the Aldi Chocolate Chip Sliced Brioche Loaf as the basis for ours. We've got your attention now, right?

It's no secret that pumpkin spice is pretty popular stuff, and there's a certain time of the year when you have access to pumpkin spice everything. For any other time of the year you'd like to get your pumpkin fix, just whip up a loaf of our tried-and-true pumpkin bread.

Unlike many pumpkin desserts (and drinks), this one doesn't just get that distinctive flavor from seasonings, but from actual pumpkin — and that's important. While you might instinctively reach for pumpkin pie filling, do yourself a favor and go for the puree instead. In fact, get a couple cans to keep in the pantry, because the craving is real.

Zucchini is definitely one of those things you either love or hate, but here's the thing: Even if you're not a fan of the zucchini that makes it to your plate in the form of a side dish, there's a pretty good chance you're going to love it in our zucchini walnut bread.

It works in bread because zucchini doesn't overpower other ingredients. Think of it as a supporting player rather than a main star. You'll still get all those health benefits, though, so this is one dessert bread that comes with 100 percent flavor and zero guilt.

Are cinnamon rolls considered dessert bread? We're going to say yes, in large part because they're undeniably sweet, and they're pretty bread-like in texture. That being said, who doesn't love cinnamon rolls?

As much as these sweet treats hold a special place in your heart, they're pretty time-consuming to make. You've got to plan ahead and leave time for them to rise. Fortunately, we have you covered with these super easy, last-minute cinnamon rolls that only require about an hour of rising time. Overall, it'll take you just about an hour and a half to whip up some gooey cinnamon rolls with this recipe.

Bread pudding doesn't have to be old and stodgy. That's especially true when you use our recipe for delicious cherry pecan bread pudding. 

There's a bonus here, too. We've all been there before when a loaf of bread is forgotten about. Before your next loaf of bread goes to waste, put it to good use as the base for this bread pudding, and you'll give it a new life with cherries (or other types of dried fruit), nuts, a hint of vanilla, and finally, a caramel drizzle that guarantees this is anything but boring.

Banana bread is pretty common, and chances are good that you already have your favorite go-to recipe. But what the heck is cookie butter banana bread?

It's a sweet and filling bread made with a European spin, inspired by the sweet-and-spicy cookies that are popular across the continent for the holidays. Think banana bread, but with cinnamon, plenty of brown sugar, and of course, cookie butter itself, which is a butter made with the crumbs of those aforementioned cookies. Sounds pretty delicious, right?

Love Starbucks? You're certainly not alone, and that's why we've come up with a copycat recipe for a sweet bread that you might not even be able to find all the time. That is, of course, the chain's distinctive pumpkin bread, because what pairs better with a PSL than a slice of dessert bread?

With some help from the Starbucks website, we reversed engineered a bread that you'll swear came right out of the dessert counter at your local location. Even better? If you already have all the ingredients, you won't have to leave the comfort of your home to savor this delectable treat, so go ahead — give it a go.

There's nothing more annoying than getting the craving for a sweet treat, only to find there are limited ingredients in the house. Or what about those times when you discover the bunch of bananas you picked up at the store ripened way faster than you expected? The answer to both of those scenarios is simple: our 3-ingredient banana bread.

Just three ingredients? Don't scoff. We promise there really are only three — and no, one of them is not a boxed cake mix. Of course, you can always opt for adding a few extra ingredients like chocolate chips, and honestly, that's just going to make it even better.

The number one rule of adulting is simple: Always keep chocolate chips around. Whether you're having a bad day and want to enjoy a handful of them, or you grab some to put into our amazing chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe, it will be a sweet win either way.

This recipe has everything we love in a recipe: the ingredients aren't complicated or hard to find, it comes together in a snap, and you're not even going to have to spend a ton of time cleaning up when you're done. Who's got the time to clean up when there's pumpkin bread to eat?

Beer bread? Wait, what? Why on earth would we suggest our beer bread recipe is a dessert bread? Isn't that for serving alongside something like shepherd's pie or a hearty beef stew?

Not so fast. Because there are only four ingredients, you'll definitely be able to taste the beer that you use — and we'd argue that you can't get better than opting for one of the many dessert beers that are on the specialty shelves with all the other craft brews. Imagine a beer bread with a chocolate or tiramisu stout, or perhaps something with a splash of hazelnut, gingerbread, or maple syrup flavors. Sounds pretty perfect for those nights when you're not craving something overly sweet.

There's the banana bread that you make at home with bananas that are on their last few days as viably edible ... and then, there's the banana bread you order at Starbucks. Who would have thought banana bread could be so good that it's something you opt for at your go-to coffee shop? If this sounds like you, check out our banana bread copycat recipe to learn how to make something that's so tasty and so close to the real deal.