Healthy Blueberry Bread
When it comes to healthy baking, my favorite recipes to make are monster cookies, oatmeal cookie bars, and this healthy blueberry bread. It’s no secret that one of my favorite things to do is making healthier versions of my favorite desserts. If there is a decadent and indulgent dessert out there, you can bet your bottom dollar I will try and give it a healthy spin. Recently, my mom gave me four packages of frozen blueberries. She is in the process of downgrading her freezer and pawned off all its contents to myself and my sister. As someone who loves blueberries in my recipes, I was thrilled. However, instead of making the usual breakfast cake or muffins, I opted to make a delicious and healthy quick bread. I’ve been meaning to share a blueberry bread recipe for quite some time. It’s so quick and easy to make and takes seconds to prep. I love how it uses simple ingredients that you can find in the pantry. Now, this blueberry bread may look incredibly fancy but I promise you, it is SO easy to make. No eggs, no dairy, and no sugar are needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is super moist, fluffy, and with a gorgeous tender crumb. The bread is sweet and bursting with blueberries, without being overpowering. I had some friends over for coffee the other day and NO ONE believed me when I said that it was healthy and practically oil-free- they thought it must be full of butter and sugar!
How do you make healthy blueberry bread?
The Ingredients
White whole wheat flour– This flour has all the properties of whole wheat flour, but is lighter in color and lends a lighter texture. Granulated sweetener of choice– To keep the sugar content low, I used erythritol, which has no calories or sugar. If you don’t follow a specific diet, white or coconut sugar can be used. Baking soda– Reacts with the vinegar to mimic eggs, and gives rise and stability to the bread. Salt– Brings out the sweetness of the other ingredients. Vinegar– White vinegar is preferred, but apple cider vinegar works well too. Vegetable oil– Any neutral flavored oil. Unsweetened applesauce– Water– To mix everything together. Unsweetened almond milk or any milk can also be used. Blueberries– Fresh or frozen blueberries. If you use frozen ones, don’t worry about thawing them out first.
The Instructions
Start by mixing together your dry ingredients until combined. Next, add the vinegar, oil, and water and mix everything together until smooth. Fold through the blueberries at the end. Now, transfer the batter into a greased and lined loaf pan. Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Remove the loaf from the oven and let cool in the pan completely, before removing and slicing.
Tips to make the best blueberry bread
Oven makes and models vary. If you find the bread is still under-baked around the 40-minute mark, cover it with tin foil and bake for a further 5 minutes. The bread will continue to cook as it is cooling down, so avoid overbaking it. I prefer my blueberries to be on the bass of the bread. If you’d like it to be evenly distributed, toss them through a few tablespoons of flour before folding through the batter. Feel free to fold through other berries or even some chocolate chips or nuts, for some added textures.
Storing and freezing blueberry bread
To store: Keep the bread in a sealable container and store it in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week. To freeze: Place leftover slices of the bread in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More healthy baked goods to try
Chocolate cake Chocolate chip cookies Cupcakes Chocolate zucchini cake Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
