Looking for a quick, healthy homemade bread that doesn't require yeast or kneading? This dried fruit bread is exactly what you need. It's moist, flavorful, naturally sweetened with dried fruit, and ready to bake in just one hour from start to finish.
This recipe is perfect for busy days, beginner bakers, or anyone who loves wholesome bread made with simple ingredients. It's vegan, sugar-free, and made with whole-grain spelt flour, nuts, and dried fruit - no rising time, no stress.
Enjoy it with sweet or savory spreads, for breakfast, as a snack, or alongside a cozy cup of tea. 🍞 Unlike traditional Christmas fruit loaves, this one is lighter and perfect all year round.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
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Ingredients
- Whole Grain Flour (Spelt, Rye, or Whole Wheat): Forms the hearty base of the bread and gives it a wholesome, nutty flavor. You can use one type or a mix for more depth.
- All-Purpose Flour: Lightens the texture and balances the density of the whole-grain flour.
- Baking Powder: Replaces yeast and makes the bread rise directly in the oven - no resting time needed.
- Salt: Enhances flavor and balances the sweetness from the dried fruit.
- Dried Fruit: Naturally sweetens the bread and keeps it moist. Use your favorites like raisins, apricots, figs, cranberries, or mango.
- Nuts (optional): Add crunch and richness. Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, or cashews all work well.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Activates the baking powder and improves the crumb and flavor.
- Sparkling Water (or Tap Water): Helps create a lighter texture; sparkling water makes the bread a bit fluffier, but tap water works too.
- Rolled Oats (optional): Sprinkled on top for extra texture and a rustic look.
- Oil: Used to grease the loaf pan and prevent sticking.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, dried fruit, and nuts.
- Mix using a spoon or rubber spatula. Pour in apple cider vinegar and sparkling water.
- Stir until just combined (you don't have to knead this bread). → The dough should be wet and sticky!
- Grease a 10-inch (25 cm) loaf pan with one tablespoon oil, then pour in the wet bread dough. Optional: Sprinkle with rolled oats.
- Bake for 50 minutes until golden brown. Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, remove from the pan, and wait until completely cool before slicing.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
This bread stays fresh for up to 2 days when wrapped in a clean tea towel. (Avoid plastic bags as they can make the bread too soft unless you plan to toast it!)
Freeze the bread in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can also slice it before freezing, making it easy to thaw individual slices in the toaster.
More Quick Bread Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Dried Fruit Bread (Healthy & Sugar-Free)
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Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole grain spelt flour, or whole wheat flour, whole grain rye flour, or a mixture all three
- 1 cup spelt flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup dried fruits & nut mix, trail mix or mix of choice, see notes
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cup sparkling water, or tap water
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 tablespoon rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, dried fruit, and nuts using a spoon or rubber spatula.
- Pour in apple cider vinegar and sparkling water and stir until just combined (you don't have to knead this bread).
- Grease a 10-inch (25 cm) loaf pan with one tablespoon of oil and pour in the wet bread dough. Sprinkle with rolled oats (optional).
- Bake for 50 minutes until golden brown. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Dried Fruit & Nuts: Mix and match whatever dried fruits and nuts you like or have at hand. I love a mixture of almonds, cashews, dried cranberries, mangos, and physalis. Dried figs and walnuts are delicious too. Feel free to use a premade trail mix.
- Sparkling Water: Helps to activate the baking powder and makes the bread fluffier! Don’t worry if you only have tap water, it works too.
- Flour: This bread recipe is highly adjustable. Feel free to use whole-grain rye or wheat flour instead of spelt flour.
- Keeps fresh for 2 days if packed in a tea towel.
- Freeze the bread in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can also slice it before freezing, making it easy to thaw individual slices in the toaster.
Nutrition
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I was looking for a bread to make with mincemeat and came across this recipe. I traded out the 1 cup dried fruit with mincemeat and it turned out great. Probably a little more moist and spiced than the original recipe. But I was shocked at how good this recipe was without eggs and much of any added oil. My kids enjoyed it as well . Thank you for your creativity! I enjoyed this recipe and will make it again when I have dried fruit on hand.
So glad to hear, Ann Marie! That was a very creative move from you! 🥰
substituted 1C flour with half and half coconut and almond flour. Added a handful of mini choc chips and sprinkled coconut on the top. It’s dense and am glad I added the chocolate to give a flavour lift
Hi Ellen, using coconut and almond flour for this bread recipe definitively changes its texture. 😉
Love it, I also added choc bits ,
Happy to hear, Jane! ❤️🥰✨