Description
This festive Christmas Bread is a moist and flavorful quick bread loaded with colorful Christmas sprinkles and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze. Perfect for holiday breakfasts, snacks, or dessert, it combines cinnamon-spiced batter with a buttery richness and sour cream for extra tenderness.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup Christmas sprinkles plus more for topping
Icing
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix just until combined, then mix in the sour cream and whole milk until incorporated; set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined with no flour streaks remaining.
- Fold in Sprinkles: Gently fold in the Christmas sprinkles, being careful not to overmix to prevent bleeding of colors.
- Bake the Bread: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden.
- Cool the Bread: Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Icing: Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Glaze and Finish: Spread the icing over the cooled bread and smooth it out with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle extra Christmas sprinkles on top if desired. Let set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If your bread is browning too quickly during baking, tent it loosely with foil to prevent over-browning.
- Use high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before applying the glaze to prevent it from melting off.
- Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute butter with a vegan margarine and use a non-dairy milk alternative, but results may vary.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
