Carrot Bread with Walnuts

This flavorful Carrot Bread with Walnuts has all the goodness of carrot cake disguised in a breakfast loaf. Filled with freshly grated carrots, toasted walnuts and your favorite spices, this scrumptious bread can be served all year long.

When it comes to food, potatoes lobby hard for most-popular vegetable. Not only are they the main ingredient in French fries, Pringles and vodka, but they also make all the other vegetables look like they aren’t even trying. Frankly, it’s not fair to the carrots. So what if saying that carrots improve your vision is actually an Old Wives’ Tale? Keeping carrots away from eyes is actually better for your sight than eating them. I know this firsthand (and first-eye) since my sister once poked me in the cornea with the sharp end of a carrot.

The vegetable savagery didn’t stop with a singular attack. Before I knew it the two of us were sparring with carrots like dueling fencers. Seeing as I had no depth perception due to the aforementioned eye poking, I was not the victor.

But, alas, if life gives you the short end of the carrot stick all is not lost. Besides doubling as makeshift weapons for sibling rivalries, carrots are great for shredding into sweet bread recipes. Take it from me, carrots are better suited for amateur baking than competitive fencing. So grab your favorite spices and a fistful of walnuts and let carrots be the shining star of the vegetable world with this scrumptious breakfast bread.

Before sharing this Carrot Bread recipe, here are a few baking tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

Freshly grated carrots are a must for moist carrot bread. Do not buy the dry, pre-shredded carrots that have been sitting under the florescent light of a grocery shelf for an eternity. Instead, buy fresh carrots (or, better yet, pull them from your garden) and grate them yourself. It’s easy and fun (as long as you don’t grate a finger in the process).

Olive oil, and lots of it, is the secret ingredient that makes carrot bread moist. When baking with olive oil, choose a mild, extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation Tips

Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping flour is a no-no. That technique overpacks flour into the measuring cup which will result in dry, dense bread.

Always bake carrot bread in a 9 x 5 metal loaf pan. Glass pans require longer bake times and, therefore, are not recommended for this quick bread recipe.

Wondering how to toast walnuts? Simply preheat the oven to 350 degrees then bake walnuts in a single layer for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool nuts then grind them in a food processor before adding to batter.

Cover bread with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent walnuts from overbrowning.

How to Store Carrot Bread

Store carrot bread in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Can You Freeze Carrot Bread?

Yes, you can freeze carrot bread. After bread has cooled completely, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap then wrap in a layer of aluminum foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

I hope you enjoy this Carrot Walnut Bread! Please leave a comment and a rating at the bottom of this blog once you try it out. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting treat.

Finally, if you like making recipes with vegetables then you’ll love this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. Loaded with moisture and studded with dark chocolate chips, this quick bread gets an extra layer of flavor from chocolate ganache frosting. 

Carrot Bread with Walnuts

Heather Wolf

This super flavorful Carrot Bread with Walnuts has all the goodness of carrot cake disguised in a breakfast loaf. Filled with grated carrots, toasted walnuts and all your favorite spices, this scrumptious bread can be served all year long.

5 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Breads and Rolls

Cuisine American

Servings 1 loaf

Equipment

• 9 x 5 metal baking pan

Ingredients

  

Carrot Bread

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1/2 tsp sea salt fine
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract pure
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated carrots fine
• 1/2 cup walnuts toasted and ground
• 1 cup walnuts halved

Instructions

 

Carrot Bread with Walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 5 metal loaf pan with nonstick spray then line with parchment paper leaving an overhang for ease of removal. Set aside.
• In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk oil and eggs with both sugars and vanilla until well combined.
• Add grated carrots and ground walnuts to wet ingredients then stir with a spoon until incorporated.
• Add wet ingredients to dry then stir with a spoon until just barely combined. Note: batter will be thick, avoid overmixing.
• Pour batter into loaf pan then top with walnut halves.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. For best results, do not overbake. Note: to prevent walnuts from overbrowning, cover loaf with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.
• Place loaf pan on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes then remove loaf from pan and cool completely before slicing.
• Store carrot bread covered at room temperature up to 3 days.

Keyword bread, carrot