Gingerbread Loaf

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Enjoy the holiday season with our old-fashioned Gingerbread Loaf recipe. Rich in classic gingerbread flavors, this moist, easy-to-make molasses quick bread is perfect for Christmas gatherings or as a special homemade gift.

As the holiday season rolls around, the aroma of gingerbread starts to fill the air. Our Gingerbread Loaf recipe brings all the nostalgic flavors of traditional gingerbread cookies into a soft, moist loaf that’s just right for your holiday table. 

With a perfect blend of ginger, nutmeg, and molasses, this holiday bread is a Christmas recipe that’s sure to outshine even the popular Starbucks gingerbread loaf. Ideal for breakfast, brunch, or as a thoughtful homemade gift, this gingerbread loaf will become a holiday favorite in your home.

a gingerbread loaf with two slices cut

What readers are saying:

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Jennifer says, “I made mini loaves with this recipe and they turned out fantastic. The only thing I have to say is that I made the recipe exactly the first time but the second time I creamed the butter and sugar before adding the molasses and the other liquid ingredients. It turned out much better the second time around. Thanks so much for this recipe!!!”

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Michelle says, “I made this loaf last night and it was just delicious! Very light and fluffy, and had just enough spice. Thank you for the great recipe – I will definitely be making this perfect loaf again! =)”

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Lainey says, “Really excellent recipe; thanks for sharing! I made as directed, except I was looking for a quick bread version reminiscent of my grandma’s molasses cookies, so I subbed the spices from her recipe: (heaping) 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, and ½ tsp cloves. Otherwise made as directed, and it captured all the essence of her beloved molasses cookies but in a soft and tender quick bread. Amazing.”

About this moist Gingerbread Loaf Recipe:

  • Flavor: I like the molasses and gingerbread flavor to shine through in this gingerbread recipe. Many readers like more flavor so double the spices, but I make our loaf as the recipe is written.
  • Texture: This gingerbread cake is soft and tender. It is moist thanks to the buttermilk, butter and eggs.
  • Method: Bake in an 8 1/2″x4 1/2″ loaf pan. You’ll need about an hour for the bread to bake.

Ingredients

ingredients for gingerbread loaf on a table
  • The baking soda reacts with the buttermilk to give the bread a nice lift.
  • The bread is sweetened with a combination of brown sugar and molasses
  • The bread will have the best flavor if you use a regular or light molasses. Blackstrap molasses has a bitter flavor and is very strong.
  • Ginger and nutmeg add a holiday warmth.
  • A sprinkle of powdered sugar on top gives a festive, snowy look.

How to Make Gingerbread Loaf

To prepare: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. For best results, use an electric mixer to mix the wet ingredients, then use a rubber spatula to fold together the gingerbread batter. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper for easy removal.

  • In a mixing bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
dry ingredients for gingerbread loaf in a bowl
  • In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until well combined. Add the molasses and vanilla. Mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.
gingerbread bread batter in a bowl
  • Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with the buttermilk, stirring just until blended after each addition.
mixing in buttermilk to gingerbread batter
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. If the bread is getting too brown on top, cover loosely with aluminum foil to finish baking.
baked gingerbread cake in a loaf pan

Recipe Variations

One of the joys of baking is making a recipe your own, and this Gingerbread Loaf is no exception. 

  • Mix in a handful of dried fruit, like cranberries or raisins, for a little extra sweetness and texture. 
  • Chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, can also add a delightful crunch. 
  • If you’re a fan of chocolate, try folding in some chocolate chips for a decadent twist. I LOVE chocolate and gingerbread together!
  • For an extra festive touch, consider adding a simple powdered sugar glaze (orange glaze would go well) or cream cheese frosting on top. 

Serving Ideas

This Gingerbread Loaf is perfect on its own, but you can also dress it up a bit. 

  • Try serving it warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a comforting dessert on Christmas Eve. 
  • For a morning treat, a slice goes wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee or tea
  • If you’re looking to pair it with a drink for a cozy evening, try a glass of eggnog, spiced cider or a latte.

Storage Instructions

  • Room temperature: Store in an airtight container (or wrapped in plastic wrap) on the counter for up to 48 hours.
  • Refrigerator: Store this loaf cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before eating.
  • Freezer: Freeze the bread whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.

You may also love our chewy molasses cookies.

overhead view of powdered sugar topped gingerbread loaf
overhead view of powdered sugar topped gingerbread loaf

Gingerbread Loaf

4.59 from 323 votes
Soft, moist, molasses quick bread is perfectly seasoned with ginger and nutmeg. Gingerbread Loaf gives that classic holiday flavor that you love!
Servings 10 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

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Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8 1/2"x 4 1/2" or 9×5" inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Then line with parchment paper for easy removal.
  • In a mixing bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until well combined. Add the molasses and vanilla. Mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.
  • Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with the buttermilk, stirring just until blended after each addition.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. If the bread is getting too brown on top, cover loosely with aluminum foil to finish baking.
  • Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan and cool completely.
  • Dust the top with powdered sugar after the bread has completely cooled.

Video

Notes

  • For best results, use a kitchen scale to measure the flour so that you don’t end up with too much flour (which will make the bread dry).
  • Fresh nutmeg really elevates the flavor in this bread.
  • Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
  • The calories shown are based on the bread being cut into 10 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of bread. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 377IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Calories 294
Keyword christmas quick bread, gingerbread cake, molasses bread, molasses quick bread
Soft, moist, molasses quick bread is perfectly seasoned with ginger and nutmeg to give you that classic holiday flavor.

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Daphne
3 years ago

5 stars
I wrapped the loaf tightly and waited patiently for 3 days before tasting. How delicious! I did make a few additions: ground pepper and cardamom. Do you have a “shelf life”/time limit for keeping, as I’m thinking they will make great Christmas gifts .

Reagan
1 year ago

5 stars
Wow!! Super delicious! I read the comments about it being bland, so I just measured with my cup and then with my heart. It turned out great! Cooked for 40min and then I put foil over it to get the middle cooked for about 8 minutes on 350. I added cinnamon on top before I put it in to bake and it was a perfect added touch! Super simple recipe! Great for beginners.

Jennifer Brace
8 years ago

5 stars
I made mini loaves with this recipe and they turned out fantastic. The only thing I have to say is that I made the recipe exactly the first time but the second time I creamed the butter and sugar before adding the molasses and the other liquid ingredients. It turned out much better the second time around. Thanks so much for this recipe!!!

Jazzmin
9 years ago

Has anyone tried making these in canning jars? I want to try that for using as gifts and am wondering if anyone else had success.

Julie
1 year ago

5 stars
I doubled the spices and this was so good! I wanted to taste the ginger and I saw the reviews that it was bland. The texture is spot on. For those complaining it was “doughy” you under baked it. I made mini loaves and used a cake tester to make sure they were done.

Carley
9 years ago

5 stars
These turned out great! I used 1 cup wheat flour and 1 cup white flour. I also added 1/2 tsp ground cloves, and next time I think I’ll add cinnamon, too. I baked them in 3 mini loaf pans (5.75 x 3 x 2) for a little over 30 minutes and they are perfect! Thanks for the great recipe.

Janet
8 years ago

Going to fix this for Thanksgiving and serve it with Apple ice cream from a local creamery!

I’m guessing it will freeze just fine, but wondering if it would bake up OK in an 8×8 pan.?

Thx

Michelle
8 years ago

5 stars
I made this loaf last night and it was just delicious! Very light and fluffy, and had just enough spice. Thank you for the great recipe – I will definitely be making this perfect loaf again! =)

Sara
1 year ago

5 stars
I added chopped pecans to the bread….yummy

Ginger
1 year ago

3 stars
I should have read the comments! I thought this tasted bland as well. I had to bake an additional 10 minutes past max time (with a foil tent). The texture is very nice, but very lacking in flavor.

Erin
2 years ago

So this recipe batter tasted delicious. I subbed a little fresh ginger into it as well, which is a nice touch. The two problems I had were 1) the prep time is longer than written, but that’s not really any big deal. The second issue is I used the pan size called for and about 25 mins into baking, I started smelling burn. When I opened to inspect, there was a huge mound of batter on the floor of my oven and dripping down the loaf pan. This recipe is waaaaaay to big for the pan size it instructs you… Read more »

Matt @ Plating Pixels
9 years ago

5 stars
Hi! I found your blog on the BlogHer facebook group. Looks great. I like how you gave extra tips on mixing the batter. I’ve been incorporation more cooking tips into my food blog as well. Shared and connected with you on social media.

Liz
9 years ago

Thank you for the nice recipe.

Mary
2 months ago

Can you make butter milk if you don’t have any?

Lainey H.
4 months ago

5 stars
Really excellent recipe; thanks for sharing! I made as directed, except I was looking for a quick bread version reminiscent of my grandma’s molasses cookies, so I subbed the spices from her recipe: (heaping) 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, and 1/2 tsp cloves. Otherwise made as directed, and it captured all the essence of her beloved molasses cookies but in a soft and tender quick bread. Amazing.