Recipe: Carrot Quick Bread

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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updated Jan 21, 2020
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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Swap carrots for zucchini in this easy quick bread with a tangy yogurt glaze.

Serves8 to 10

Makes1 (9-inch) pie

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Zucchini bread gets a lot of attention when summer squash is proliferating, but let’s celebrate the humble carrot instead. This moist carrot quick bread is flecked with warm notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, loaded up with cups of shredded carrot, and topped with a glaze made with powdered sugar and yogurt. Eat it for breakfast or brunch, or serve it with a cup of coffee or tea as an afternoon snack — this carrot quick bread can do it all!

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Great Carrot Bread Starts with Grated Carrots

To get lots of carrots into this bread, which contribute flavor, sweetness, and moisture, turn to your trusty box grater. I attempted to take a shortcut with the bagged shredded carrots found in the produce section, but the shreds didn’t get as soft and tender as the hand-grated version. It only takes a few minutes, but the results of hand-grating are worth it! Packed as a snack or toasted and slathered with salty butter, this sunny, orange-flecked bread will give zucchini bread a run for its money.

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Carrot Quick Bread

Swap carrots for zucchini in this easy quick bread with a tangy yogurt glaze.

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie

Serves 8 to 10

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the bread:

  • Cooking spray

  • 2 1/4 cups

    all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons

    ground cinnamon

  • 3/4 teaspoon

    baking powder

  • 3/4 teaspoon

    baking soda

  • 3/4 teaspoon

    fine salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    freshly ground nutmeg

  • 3

    large eggs, at room temperature

  • 3/4 cup

    packed dark brown sugar

  • 3/4 cup

    granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup

    whole or low-fat plain yogurt

  • 1/4 cup

    vegetable oil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons

    vanilla extract

  • 12 ounces

    carrots (about 4 medium), peeled and shredded on the large holes of a box grater (2 1/2 cups)

  • 1 cup

    toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)

For the glaze (optional):

  • 1/2 cup

    powdered sugar

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons

    whole or low-fat plain yogurt

Instructions

  1. Make the quick bread: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.

  2. Place the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.

  3. Place the eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until the eggs are broken up and the mixture is thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the carrots and nuts if using until evenly mixed.

  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes.

  5. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of the pan and turn the bread out onto the rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

  1. Make the glaze: Place the powdered sugar and yogurt in a small bowl and whisk until smooth and combined. Drizzle over the cooled cake and let sit until the glaze is set, about 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Filed in:
baked goods
Baking
Bread
Breakfast
children
easy