Festive Christmas Quick Bread Recipes
Festive Christmas Quick Breads for Gifting
A Holiday Roundup of the Best Loaves to Bake & Share
There’s no ‘taste of Christmas’ quite like slicing into a fragrant loaf of festive bread during the holiday season. This is the time of year when warm ovens, cinnamon, dried fruit, and sweet bread batters feel like part of the perfect time of year, bringing back floods of memories to our minds. Quick breads make especially wonderful gifts: you can bake several loaves in mini loaf pans, wrap them in plastic wrap and ribbon, and hand them out to neighbors, friends, teachers, and anyone who deserves something freshly homemade.
Below is a curated list of Christmas bread recipes that bake beautifully, hold up well at room temperature, and make the perfect addition to a holiday party or Christmas morning breakfast.
⭐ 1. Classic German Christmas Bread (Stollen)
Traditional German Stollen
A beautifully rich yeast bread loaded with dried fruit, almonds, and marzipan. Brushed with butter while hot and coated in powdered sugar.
German Stollen
A gorgeous festive bread that keeps for weeks when wrapped tightly. Perfect when you want to bake ahead for big family gatherings.
⭐ 2. Cinnamon Roll–Style Quick Breads
Cinnamon Roll Quick Bread
A crowd pleaser with buttery cinnamon swirl and a sweet glaze. Made in a single large bowl and baked until perfectly golden brown.
Cinnamon Streusel Mini Loaves
Designed for gifting and ideal for mini loaf pans. The streusel topping gives this bread the perfect balance of crunch and sweetness.
Cinnamon Roll Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze
If cinnamon rolls and cake had a baby — and topped it with cream cheese glaze.
⭐ 3. Fun Flavor Christmas Quick Breads
Cranberry Orange Quick Bread
A bright, sweet-tart loaf with citrus zest and ruby cranberries — the perfect holiday breads flavor profile.
Gingerbread Quick Bread
Everything you love about gingerbread cookies, but in a soft, sliceable loaf. Great for meals breakfast or gifting.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Not strictly Christmas — but beloved as a crowd pleaser at holiday parties. Moist, dependable, and travels well.
Eggnog Quick Bread
A festive, fragrant loaf that tastes like pure Christmas. Bakes beautifully in standard bread pans or mini loaf sizes.
⭐ 4. Pull-Apart Cinnamon Star Bread
Cherry Christmas Star Bread
A stunning yeast-based pull-apart that looks incredibly impressive on the holiday table.
Cinnamon Christmas Star Bread
Sweet dough filled with cinnamon sugar and baked until golden.
Chocolate Star Bread
Layers of frozen bread dough and ribbons of chocolate swirl.. this bread is a favorite.
Apple Butter Star Bread
The swirls of apple butter in this layered bread gives a vintage Christmas feel.
Cheesy Garlic and Butter and Herb Star Bread
This savory bread is amazing… and a nice change from all the sweet breads. Perfect for an appetizer table!
⭐ Gifting & Storage Tips:
• Use the right loaf pans: Quick breads do especially well in mini loaf pans for gifting.
• Cool fully on a wire rack: Prevents soggy bottoms and allow the bottoms of the pans to cool more quickly.
• Wrap tightly: When cooled, wrap in plastic wrap first, then decorative paper if desired.
• Include storage info: Let recipients know whether the loaf can remain at room temperature, be frozen, or should be eaten within 3–5 days.
Be creative with wrapping and packaging. Layers of decorative papers, paper doilies, different widths and kinds of ribbon all make a beautiful gift. If you want to keep it more simple, use a wide ribbon, wrap it around the loaf and tie a large bow on the top of the bread.
Happy Baking and Gifting!
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