Description
Moist carrot bread is a tender, lightly spiced quick bread packed with freshly grated carrots. Sweet, soft, and comforting, it has all the flavors of carrot cake in an easy, sliceable loaf—perfect for breakfast, snacking, or dessert.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1½ cups finely grated carrots
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (or half white, half brown sugar)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
Optional Add-ins
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Raisins
- Shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and sugar until well combined to form a smooth base.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
- Incorporate Carrots: Stir in the finely grated carrots evenly throughout the batter to distribute moisture and flavor.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sprinkle baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg over the mixture and gently stir to combine all spices and leavening agents.
- Fold in Flour: Gently fold in the all-purpose flour until just incorporated to avoid overmixing, which can make the bread tough.
- Optional Add-ins: Stir in any optional add-ins like chopped nuts, raisins, or shredded coconut if desired.
- Prepare for Baking: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top evenly with a spatula.
- Bake: Bake the bread for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil during the last 10–15 minutes of baking.
- Cool: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps the bread set and slice nicely.
Notes
- Finely grated carrots provide the moistest texture.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the bread tender and light.
- If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil in the last 10–15 minutes of baking.
- Store the wrapped bread at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- This bread freezes well for up to 3 months; wrap tightly before freezing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
