Exploring the joys of homemade baking just got sweeter with this Friendship Bread recipe, featuring vanilla pudding and no need for a starter. Traditional recipes often call for a sourdough starter, but the good news is that this one keeps it simple, making sure you don't miss out on flavor or texture.
The secret ingredients, vanilla pudding, and buttermilk make the bread exceptionally moist and tasty. It's a breeze to make and even more delightful to share. This recipe brings a heartwarming slice of friendship and sharing to your table, perfect for creating nurturing connections.
This recipe is part of my growing collection of sweet breads. Here, you will find many recipes that are easy to bake and make a great option for a snack in the afternoon or a light breakfast. Try my Easy Banana Bread With Sour Cream, or my Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake. For an individual dessert, I have these savory Fresh Cranberry Muffins and some delicious Easy Pumpkin Muffins, that are perfect for the cold season.
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🙋♀️ What Is Friendship Bread
Friendship Bread is all about sharing and caring. It started with the Amish, who loved to bake and share this special bread with their neighbors. The "friendship" part comes from a unique starter dough.
Instead of baking all of it, you share some of the starter dough with friends, who then add their own ingredients, bake their bread, and pass it on. This way, the bread brings people together, spreading joy and tasty treats through communities.
While the original Amish Friendship Bread recipe needs a yeast starter that takes time to grow, today's versions, like this one with vanilla pudding, make it quicker and easier to bake. No need for yeast or waiting days.
It's a sweet, moist bread that keeps the sharing spirit alive without the fuss. This approach makes it possible for anyone to whip up a loaf and keep the tradition of friendship and kindness going strong.
Related: Try this Bishop's Bread.
💝 Why You Will Love This Recipe
You're going to find so many reasons to fall in love with this Friendship Bread recipe. Here's why:
- It's Super Simple: No need for a sourdough starter or waiting days for dough to ferment. This recipe is straightforward, making it accessible to bakers of all levels.
- Incredibly Moist and Flavorful: The vanilla pudding and buttermilk bring a richness and depth of flavor that's hard to beat, and every slice is perfectly moist.
- Perfect for Sharing: Just like its name suggests, this bread is made for sharing, embodying the spirit of community and kindness. It's a wonderful way to connect with neighbors, friends, and family.
- No Special Equipment Needed: You don't need any fancy kitchen gadgets to make this delicious bread, just a couple of loaf pans and some basic baking tools.
📝 Ingredients Needed
For the pans:
- Granulated sugar & cinnamon: This combo creates a sweet and spicy crust that's hard to beat. After coating the pans with them, preserve the leftovers and throw them over the top of the batter.
For the batter:
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the bread moist. I used a neutral one, like sunflower oil.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the bread.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a rich aroma. Use the best vanilla you can afford for a good taste.
- Eggs: Help bind the batter and add richness.
- Salt & cinnamon: Essential for flavoring. They are perfect as is, enhancing the overall taste of the bread.
- All-purpose flour: The backbone of the bread, giving it structure.
- Buttermilk: Contributes to the bread's tenderness and moisture. If unavailable, mix lemon juice or vinegar with milk to create a homemade version.
- Baking soda & baking powder: These leavening agents help the bread rise. They are crucial and don't have direct substitutes, so please do not skip them.
- Vanilla instant pudding: Adds moisture and flavor, making the bread exceptionally tender. There's no perfect substitute for its unique contribution, but experimenting with different pudding flavors could offer interesting variations.
- Chopped pecans: Add texture and nuttiness. Walnuts or almonds are great alternatives, or you can omit nuts entirely if preferred.
👩🍳 How To Make This Friendship Bread
Step 1. Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans and coat them with a cinnamon sugar mixture. Use a nonstick cooking spray or a teaspoon of butter.
Step 2. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and eggs. Add buttermilk and mix well.
Step 3. Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually incorporate flour, vanilla pudding, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon into the wet mixture. Mix until just combined.
Step 4. Fold in Pecans: Gently fold the chopped pecans into the batter.
Step 5. Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. If you have any leftover sugar and cinnamon from coating the pans, sprinkle the batter with them. Bake at 325°F for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 6. Cool: Let the bread cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
💡 Expert Tip
Do not overmix once you've added the dry ingredients to the wet. Overmixing can lead to gluten development, making the bread tough instead of tender. Mix just until the ingredients are combined—some small lumps are perfectly fine and will bake out.
🔀Variations of the recipe
This is the best bread version you can have, but if you feel like making life a little spicier, try these variations:
- Dried fruits: For a fruity twist, mix in your favorite dried fruits, such as raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots.
- Chocolate Chips: Stir in a cup of chocolate chips for a sweet, chocolatey version.
- Citrus Zest: Add the zest of one lemon or orange to the batter for a bright, citrus-infused bread.
- Spice It Up: For those who love a bit more spice, consider adding a pinch of nutmeg or clove along with the cinnamon. Perfect for fall and winter baking.
- Swirls of Fun: Before baking, swirl in a tablespoon of Nutella or peanut butter into the batter in each pan.
- Pudding flavors: You can replace instant vanilla pudding with chocolate, banana, or lemon instant pudding. If you use lemon flavor, add three teaspoons of poppy seeds.
🍽️How To Serve This Friendship Bread
Slice this Friendship Bread and serve it as a delightful breakfast treat or a sweet snack in the afternoon. I love it with butter spread on the slices. It pairs wonderfully with a cup of coffee or tea.
📦 Storage Tips
Store the cooled bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving.
🍞 More Quick Bread Recipes To Love
📖 Recipe
Friendship Bread Recipe With Pudding
Ingredients
For the pans:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
For the batter:
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 box vanilla instant pudding 3.4 ounces size box
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Grease 2 large loaf pans, and sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar.
- In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and eggs. Add buttermilk and mix well.
- Gradually incorporate flour, vanilla pudding, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon into the wet mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Mix and add nuts.
- Split the batter among the baking greased loaf pans. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour.
Notes
- Mixing Technique Matters: Avoid overmixing the batter once dry ingredients are added to keep the bread tender. Mix just until combined.
- Buttermilk Hack: If you don't have buttermilk, make your own by mixing 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar with enough milk to make 1 ½ cups, then let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Customize with Add-ins: Consider adding dried fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, or citrus zest to personalize your bread. Each addition can transform the flavor profile, making it uniquely yours.
- Don't Skip the Sugar-Cinnamon Coating: The sugar and cinnamon coating for the pans is essential for creating a sweet, spiced crust that complements the moist interior.
- Storage Suggestions: Store bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Make individual servings: Bake the batter in muffin tins or mini loaves that are great for gifting.
Nutrition
Gabriel says
Hallo.
Verwenden Sie US Cups?
Ich muss das Rezept unbedingt nachmachen!
Grüße sendet,
Gabriel
Gabriela says
Ich werde Google Übersetzer verwenden, daher entschuldige ich mich im Voraus, falls die Übersetzung nicht genau ist. Am Ende der Zutatenliste finden Sie US Customary und Metrisch. Klicken Sie auf Metrisch, um die Mengen im metrischen System zu erhalten, oder gehen Sie zurück zu US Customary, wenn Sie Tassen und Teelöffel bevorzugen. Ich hoffe, das hilft. Vielen Dank für Ihren Besuch und bitte lassen Sie mich wissen, ob Sie das Brot gemacht haben und es Ihnen gefallen hat.