Easy Butter Pecan Bread

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 03/7/22
Butter Pecan Bread
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 10 servings

A touch of cinnamon and nutmeg add flavor to this easy quick bread. The bread is perfect breakfast or snack bread, and it can even be served as a dessert instead of cake. Slice it and serve it with a scoop of ice cream or drizzle some sweet lemon sauce over it.

The bread is made with a relatively small amount of fat, making it lighter than many other quick breads. Buttermilk, brown sugar, and chopped pecans add flavor and texture to the moist bread.

Serve this quick bread as a coffee cake or breakfast bread or as a snack. It's great with this quick cinnamon butter or a flavored cream cheese spread.

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Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C / Gas 4.

  3. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.

  4. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices; mix with a spoon or whisk to blend thoroughly. Stir the brown sugar into the flour mixture.

  5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg lightly. Whisk in the buttermilk and melted butter until well blended. Stir the egg and buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until well blended.

  6. Fold in the chopped pecans.

  7. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

  8. Bake the quick bread in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

  9. Cool the bread in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes. Turn it out and place it on the rack to cool completely before slicing.

  10. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • This quick bread recipe can easily be converted to make muffins. Just heat the oven to 400 F and grease 12 muffin cups. Make the batter, fold into the pan, and fill the prepared muffin cups about two-thirds full. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  • When making quick breads and muffins, always preheat the oven completely and have pans ready before you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. The baking soda and baking powder begin to rise as soon as the batter is combined, so get it into the pan and the oven as quickly as possible.

Recipe Variations

Feel free to change it up slightly by using walnuts instead of pecans.

  • Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips, chopped dates, or raisins.
  • Jazz it up with a crunchy topping. Toss a few teaspoons of cinnamon sugar with an extra 1/4 cup of chopped pecans and sprinkle them over the loaf just before it goes into the oven.
  • A streusel crumb topping is another great way to add texture and flavor to an everyday quick bread.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
296 Calories
12g Fat
42g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 296
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 16%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 353mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 115mg 9%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 145mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)