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Bob Evans Cherry Bread Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 437 reviews

This Bob Evans Cherry Bread is a moist, flavorful quick bread loaded with maraschino cherries and infused with cherry flavoring and vanilla. The bread is topped with a sweet cherry glaze, making it a delightful treat perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. The recipe yields a classic loaf with tender crumb and vibrant cherry notes, combining a tender texture with a glossy, fruity finish.

Ingredients

Scale

Loaf

  • 16 ounces maraschino cherries (about 40 cherries), drained and patted dry
  • 2 cups all purpose flour, divided
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk (see notes for dairy free alternatives)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon cherry flavoring (Lorann Oils baking emulsion recommended)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup maraschino cherry juice (reserved from cherry jar)

Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
  • 3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice (see notes for shipping alternative)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan or prepare 4 mini loaf pans (3″ x 5″). Properly greasing and flouring helps prevent sticking and ensures even browning.
  2. Prepare the cherries: Drain the jar of maraschino cherries, reserving the liquid. Pat the cherries dry thoroughly with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, then chop them into quarters or smaller pieces. Pat dry again to avoid soggy batter. Toss these chopped cherries with ¼ cup of flour in a small bowl to prevent them from sinking during baking. Set aside.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1¾ cups of flour, sugar, and baking powder evenly to distribute the leavening agent and sugar.
  4. Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, cherry flavoring, vanilla extract, and reserved cherry liquid until smooth and combined. This mixture forms the wet base of your batter.
  5. Combine batter: Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Fold gently just until combined to avoid overmixing, which can make the bread tough. Then fold in the flour-coated cherries evenly through the batter.
  6. Bake the bread: Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling about ¾ full if using mini loaf pans. Bake the large loaf for 60-70 minutes or mini loaves for about 35 minutes. Tent the large loaf with foil after 45 minutes and mini loaves at 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean or with few crumbs.
  7. Cool the loaf: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it to a wire rack to cool completely. Proper cooling prevents the bread from becoming soggy.
  8. Prepare the glaze: Only glaze bread when completely cooled. In a small bowl, stir confectioners sugar, corn syrup, and maraschino cherry juice until smooth. The glaze should be poured over the loaf on a wire rack positioned over wax paper to catch drips.
  9. Apply the glaze: Pour the glaze evenly over the cooled loaf and allow it to firm at room temperature before serving. The glaze adds a sweet, shiny finish with an extra cherry punch.
  10. Store the bread: Un-iced bread can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature up to 5 days. Once glazed, wrap leftover bread first in wax paper then plastic wrap; glaze may become liquidy after one day but maintains flavor.

Notes

  • For dairy-free alternative to buttermilk, use ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes.
  • If maraschino cherry juice is unavailable, use a mixture of cherry juice concentrate diluted with water or a cherry-flavored syrup substitute.
  • Tent with foil during baking to prevent excessive browning especially if your oven runs hot.
  • Completely cool bread before glazing to prevent glaze from becoming runny.

Keywords: cherry bread, quick bread, maraschino cherries, homemade bread, cherry glaze, dessert bread, breakfast bread

Find it online: https://bakedbylisa.com/bob-evans-cherry-bread-recipe/