Homemade Gingerbread Loaf is soft, moist, and perfectly spiced with your favorite holiday flavors. Pair with your morning coffee, enjoy as dessert, or give as a gift.
It’s that time of year again. Pull out the cinnamon, find the cloves, and buy a fresh jar of molasses. That’s right – it’s gingerbread season.
You’ll love my homemade gingerbread loaf because it’s quick and super easy to make. Bonus, it gets you in the holiday spirit pronto. Who can resist the warm and cozy scent of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and molasses?
I love a good quick bread recipe. First of all, they’re super easy to make. Second, they make a fantastic gift. Buy a pretty loaf pan, bake a loaf of gingerbread inside, then gift away!
I personally love these Emile Henry Ruffled Loaf Pans. The white ruffled loaf pan would look gorgeous with some fresh gingerbread baked inside.
You can even double, triple, or quadruple the recipe to make multiple loaves at once (who needs my address?). I have a favorite fall quick bread, too.
Try my Pumpkin Pecan Quick Bread if you’ve got half a can of pumpkin puree laying around. Or, double the recipe and make two!
I dusted my homemade gingerbread loaf with a light layer of confectioner’s sugar. You’re welcome to leave plain, top with whipped cream, or serve beside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Homemade Gingerbread Loaf
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper (or grease and flour bottom and sides) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
- In a small bowl, add molasses and boiling water. Stir until combined. Add to wet ingredients and combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk (or sift) together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into loaf pan. Cover loaf pan lightly with foil (remove foil halfway through baking. This ensures that the top of your bread doesn't burn.) Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Optionally, dust with confectioner's sugar or serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
I love gingerbread! This loaf looks so delicious and warming. Perfect for Christmas ♥
Any suggestions on how to make it more moist? Mine was super tasty but a little on the dry side?
Hi Arleen! I’m sorry to hear your quick bread was a little dry. It could have been slightly over baked, as oven temperatures may vary. I’d suggest checking your bread starting at 40-45 minutes to see if it’s done, instead of 50 minutes.
To enjoy the rest of the bread, I’d suggest reheating in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel. Try reheating in 10 second increments until warm. This should steam the bread to add moisture. Serving with butter also helps!
I was wondering if I could bake them in small loaf bread pans? How long would I bake them?
Hi Kelly, I haven’t tried this recipe in mini loaf pans myself. But it looks like mini loaves will generally bake in about 25-30 minutes. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!