We might be healthy eaters on a regular basis, but that certainly doesn’t mean we’re the kind of family who skips the sweets all together! We’d rather practice balance so that when we do enjoy a sweet snack, we don’t have to feel guilty about it. We find, however, that because we like to make our desserts ourselves, we tend to go on “kicks”, if you will. One month we’ll fall in love with cupcakes and make all different kinds, and the next month we’ll be on to creative types of cookies. So, what’s our current homemade sweet favourite, you ask? We’ve actually been obsessed with dessert breads!
Just in case you’re as intrigued by dessert breads as we were when we first started looking at all the different options, here are 15 of our very favourite recipes!
1. Sweet bread pudding
If you’ve never had bread pudding before then we’re sorry to tell you that you’ve been missing out! As if the concept of sweet dessert bread wasn’t good enough, bread pudding involves a delicious, warm sauce on top that makes the bread wonderfully soft, even if it’s still not quite the texture of the regular puddings you’re probably used to. We’ve actually tried this scrumptiously warm caramel drizzled bread pudding from Dessert Addict before and we highly recommend it.
2. Cinnamon sugar messy bread
When we first came across this recipe, we vaguely wondered what “messy” bread was, but we realized as soon as we saw the recipe! It is, of course, delicious dessert bread that you’re meant to eat with your hands, making it perfect for sharing with family and friends. People can just tear a piece off whenever they please! This particular messy bread recipe from Spoon, Fork, Bacon resembles cinnamon bread but without the icing.
3. Portuguese sweet bread
North American culture isn’t the only one that has deliciously sweet breads in abundance! We recently had the opportunity to try a type of Portuguese dessert bread called Massa Sovada. This bread is usually made on Easter and a boiled egg is placed in the centre of the loaf the loaf like a surprise. Just a Pinch shows you how to make it and recounts childhood stories of digging straight to the middle to find the egg right away.
4. Walnut cinnamon swirl bread
If you’re fortunate enough to be free of nut allergies, there are even more dessert bread recipes out there for you than you might ever have thought! We’re that lucky and so are our kids, so we often make this particular recipe because the filling is practically drool worthy. Food Babbles teaches you how to make a dessert bread that features an irresistible sugared walnut cinnamon swirl all throughout the centre.
5. Nutella swirl banana bread
Are you very into the idea of a “swirl” type dessert bread and you’re even into the idea of involving nuts, but the recipe above didn’t quite have enough chocolate in it for you? In that case, we have a feeling you’ll much prefer this Nutella swirl idea instead! The best part is that the chocolatey swirl isn’t just featured in a regular loaf of bread… it’s part of a delicious banana bread recipe from A Treats Affair!
6. Pumpkin dessert bread
We fully admit that we’ll eat pretty much anything pumpkin flavoured around this time of year. Pumpkin recipes are, after all, our favourite part of fall besides maybe the fresh smell of autumn leaves! That’s why we were so happy to come across this pumpkin dessert bread recipe from Just a Pinch. It’s sweet and delicious without being too sweet, just in case some of the more sugary on this list aren’t quite your thing.
7. Braided lemon bread
Did you know that dessert breads can be fruity rather than just sweet or nutty? Then perhaps you’d be more interested in this delicious braided lemon bread instead! Besides showing you how to braid your dough in a lovely looking way, King Arthur Flour guides you through the process of filling it with a deliciously sweet citrus filling that really gives the whole dessert a kick of flavour.
8. Cherry cheese sweet bread
Have you ever tried a sweet recipe that was actually mixed with something a little less sweet and a little more savoury and yet the flavours go together so well that it becomes one of your favourite desserts? That’s how we fell in love with this irresistible cheery cheese sweet bread from Make It, Love It! This is another great recipe for fruit lovers who can’t resist putting their favourite fruits and berries into their baking.
9. Mexican bread pudding
Thanks to travel and the sharing of cultures, basic recipes have made their way slowly all over the world. The beauty of culture, however, is that everyone in each new place can put their very own spin on the recipes they’ve learned! That’s how sweet bread recipes from international locations came to be very similar but with a unique twists each place you visit. This delicious Mexican dessert bread, for example, is very similar to the regular North American recipes you’ve tried before, but with pecans and walnuts on top in abundance on top. See how it’s made in more detail on Just a Pinch!
10. Brazilian sweet bread
Are you intrigued by the idea of trying differently delicious sweet breads from all over the world? We certainly were, which is why we’ve have these international recipes in our files for a while now! This scrumptious version of dessert bread from Brazil features a flavourful filling made from mashed bananas and dried pineapple. Find out how to make both the filling and the sweet, fluffy bread you’ll fill it with on King Arthur Flour.
11. Caramel nut pull-apart bread
Are you still thinking about how delicious that messy bread we talked about earlier on the list looked, but you’d like it to be even easier to share? Well, we think we might have found just the recipe for you! If you thought that recipe was messy, however, then wait until you try this pull-apart bread covered in a delicious sweet sauce. Easy Dessert guides you through the process of making a caramel nut bread that’s baked so it can be easily pulled into sharable pieces.
12. Filipino sweet bread
Are you still thinking about the international recipes we’ve shown you and wondering whether there might be even more of them out there? Well, don’t worry, your worldwide your of dessert breads isn’t over yet! Take a taste trip to the Philippines, for example, by making yourself this sweet bread topped with creamed butter and white sugar! Talsha’s Food Memories guides you through the process of making these delicious ensaymadas.
13. Easy Spanish dessert bread
While we’re showing you all different kinds of international dessert breads, why don’t we take a quick trip to Spain? This aromatic recipe from Spanish Sabores might look like slices of garlic bread, but it’s actually made similarly to French toast, only with more sugar sprinkled on top. We’ve actually tried this one before and it tastes just like vanilla!
14. Barbadian sweet bread
Has all this talk about traveling made you think about the different places you’d like to visit sometime, and that got you thinking about warm weather and the tropics? Then we have a feeling you’re going to love this scrumptious sweet bread recipe from Barbados! Where The Food Is shows you how to make this Barbadian treat using coconut, cinnamon, candied ginger, and cherries to create a truly unique taste.
15. Coconut sweet bread
Were you hooked the moment we mentioned coconut flavours above because that’s actually your favourite taste in any dessert, no matter the kind, but you don’t really like ginger or cherries? Then maybe this recipe from Zac and Mindy’s Delicious Dish is the one for you instead! They show you step by step how to make a sweet bread that actually contains coconut inside its dough but is also topped with a sweet coconut sprinkled icing.
