Description
Watermelon bread brings summer sunshine right to your kitchen counter, creating a delightful treat that looks just like a slice of fresh watermelon. Baking this playful bread will make your friends smile and your taste buds dance with its clever design and sweet strawberry-flavored crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ½ cups watermelon chunks
Sweeteners and Binding Agents:
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup butter
Flavor Enhancers and Extras:
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and coat a 9×5 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Pulse watermelon chunks in a blender until completely smooth. Measure out exactly 1 cup of puree.
- In a mixing bowl, cream 1 stick of softened butter with ¾ cup sugar until light and fluffy.
- Crack 2 eggs into the butter mixture, beating thoroughly after each addition.
- Stir the 1 cup watermelon puree into the butter mixture. Add 1 teaspoon red food coloring if desired.
- Sift together 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a separate bowl.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- If using raisins, gently fold ½ cup into the batter at this point.
- Transfer batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake at 350°F for exactly 1 hour, checking doneness with a toothpick inserted in the center.
- Remove bread from oven and let rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Carefully transfer bread to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Select fully ripe, sweet watermelon for the most intense flavor in your bread.
- Drain excess liquid from the watermelon puree to prevent a soggy texture in the final loaf.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
- Add a pinch of ground cinnamon or vanilla extract to enhance the watermelon’s natural sweetness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 245 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg