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I love pecans. I could snack on them almost anytime, and I love adding them to my favorite dessert recipes. So when I found a butter pecan bread recipe, I couldn’t wait to give it a try.
This butter pecan bread is fast, easy, and comes together in just over an hour. No need to wait.
Better still, it has a light, nutty, and faintly sweet flavor that makes it ideal for any meal. You can add a smidgeon of butter at breakfast, eat it with a spoonful of jam for lunch, or pair it with a soft cheese for dinner. If you want a yummy dessert, sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over your butter pecan toast.
Butter pecan bread is a no fuss recipe that beginning bakers must try. It doesn’t use yeast, so you don’t have to wait for it to rise. Instead, it uses a combination of baking soda and baking powder to give it an airy texture.
If you want to give an extra boost in flavor to your bread, you can try some variations with this recipe, too. Combine it with raisins, chocolate chips, or extra cinnamon sugar for an especially lovely loaf. For variations and tips, see my secrets to success section.
Time
Prep time: 10 to 15 Minutes
Rise time: None
Cook time: 45 to 50 Minutes
Total time: 50 Minutes to 1 Hour 5 Minutes
Ingredients
Butter Pecan bread needs the following ingredients:
- 300 Grams (2 1/2 Cups) All Purpose Flour
- 2 Grams (1/2 Teaspoon) Baking Soda
- 8 Grams (2 Teaspoons) Baking Powder
- 2.5 Grams (1/2 Teaspoon) Salt
- 0.5 Grams (1/4 Teaspoon) Nutmeg
- 1.3 Grams (1/2 Teaspoon) Cinnamon
- 200 Grams (1 Cup) Brown Sugar
- 242 Grams (1 Cup) Buttermilk*
- 1 Egg
- 42 Grams (3 Tablespoons) Melted Butter
- 109 Grams (1 Cup) Chopped Pecans
You may also want a little bit of flour for sprinkling in your baking pan to keep the bread from sticking.
*Don’t have buttermilk? You can put 1 Tablespoon vinegar in a 1-cup measuring cup and then fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Let sit for 10 minutes then add it to the rest of the recipe.
Additional Equipment
If you have the following kitchen essentials, you can make butter pecan bread:
You’ll also want some oven mitts, of course, to safely remove the bread from the oven.
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Instructions
Because butter pecan bread is a quick bread, you don’t need to wait around for your bread to rise. It will rise in the oven. So, you can start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
In a smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients: buttermilk, egg, and melted butter.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Don’t overmix! Just stir until the flour is just incorporated.
Fold in the chopped pecans.
Spoon the batter into a lightly greased baking pan.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Insert a toothpick – if it comes out clean, you’re done!
Allow the bread to cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto the cooling rack and allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Enjoy as soon as it cools or freeze it to eat later.
This recipe makes one large loaf that can last several days at room temperature.
Just the Basics
Butter Pecan Bread
Ingredients
- 300 Grams All-Purpose Flour (2 1/2 Cups)
- 2 Grams Baking Soda (1/2 Teaspoon)
- 8 Grams Baking Powder (2 Teaspoons)
- 2.5 Grams Salt (1/2 Teaspoon)
- 0.5 Grams Ground Nutmeg (1/4 Teaspoon)
- 1.3 Grams Ground Cinnamon (1/2 Teaspoon)
- 200 Grams Brown Sugar – Packed (1 Cup)
- 242 Grams Buttermilk (1 Cup)
- 1 Large Egg
- 42 Grams Butter – Melted (3 Tablespoons)
- 109 Grams Pecans – Chopped (1 Cup)
Instructions
- Preheating your oven to 350° Fahrenheit (180° Celsius).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients: buttermilk, egg, and melted butter.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the flour is just incorporated.
- Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Spoon the batter into a lightly greased baking pan.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Insert a toothpick – if it comes out clean, you’re done!
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto the cooling rack and allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
Secrets to Success
I had no problems making this yummy butter pecan bread. The first loaf I made was a success, and that’s what you see pictured below. That perfect split showed that the bread actually rose in the middle!
Most of my quick breads tend to sink in the middle, however. If you struggle with a sunken loaf, try only spraying the bottom of your bread pan rather than the bottom and sides. Your batter will have something to stick to as it rises in the oven, giving it some extra support.
Additionally, if your loaf tends to sink in the middle, you might be over mixing your batter. Try to mix until just incorporated – it may still have a few lumps, and that’s just fine!
Variations
You could also switch up your recipe a little with the following variations:
- Add Raisins – Add 1/2 cup of raisins when you fold in the pecans for a little extra flavor.
- Add Chocolate Chips – Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips to turn your bread into a dessert!
- Make a crunchy topping – Combine a few teaspoons of cinnamon and sugar with an extra 1/4 cup chopped pecans. Sprinkle the topping over your loaf right before baking.
- Turn Them Into Muffins – Rather than baking it in a pan, bake the recipe in a muffin tin! Heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius) and bake them to 20 to 25 minutes. Make sure to only fill your muffin tin about 2/3 full so your muffins have room to expand in the oven.
Or feel free to experiment with your own variations and share them in the comment section below!
Nutritional Information
Have any health concerns or want to keep track of your calories? Here’s the nutritional information for butter pecan bread:
Keep in mind that I cut my loaf into about 10 slices. If you manage thinner slices or if you try one of the variations provided in the secrets to success, your nutritional information will differ.
Did You Try It?
I loved this recipe a lot! The pecans added such a fun crunch and the rest of the loaf was melt-in-your-mouth amazing. But what did you think? Share your comments and suggestions below!