Our Best Quick Bread Recipes—No Long Rise Required

Carrot Cake Quick Bread
Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Homemade bread is really something special. There's nothing like pulling hot, pillowy dinner rolls out of your oven and spreading on the butter. However, with busy schedules, a fluffy, from-scratch Parker House roll just isn't always in the cards. That's where our tasty quick bread recipes come in. Quick breads can encompass everything from the iconic banana bread to treats like muffins, scones, and biscuits. The only qualifier (besides not being cake) is that they are chemically leavened, as opposed to using baker's yeast. So, there's no long rise required. We can attest that these quick bread recipes are downright delicious. Bake up a loaf of Zucchini Bread or a batch of Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins to add some pizazz to breakfast. (They're also great on the go as the kids are running for the school bus.) Peach scones are a delightful summer afternoon treat, and we'd never forget the cornbread, a staple at every Southern table. The next time you find yourself in a pinch, whip up one of these simple recipes, and you're guaranteed a winner.

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Pumpkin-Honey-Beer Bread

Pumpkin-Honey-Beer Bread
Alison Miksch; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell

Recipe: Pumpkin-Honey-Beer Bread

Pumpkin pie spice, mellow honey, and some bubbly beer make a deliciously soft loaf.

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Nana's Banana Bread

Nana's Banana Bread
Robbie Caponetto

Recipe: Nana's Banana Bread

Banana chunks and a hint of lime juice bring out a wonderfully fresh, fruity taste in this pillowy-soft quick bread.

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Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread
Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

Enjoy banana bread without all the guilt with this healthy banana bread recipe.

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Carrot Cake Quick Bread

Carrot Cake Quick Bread
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Carrot Cake Quick Bread

The drizzle of icing adds a sweet note to the spicy, dense bread. A generous handful of pecans ensures a little crunch.

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins

pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins

Tender, moist, with pumpkin spice—it's the perfect sweet treat to start your morning or afternoon.

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Sweet Potato Biscuits

Sweet Potato Biscuits
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Sweet Potato Biscuits

Just slightly earthy, our Sweet Potato Biscuits are light, fluffy, and begging to be served with a slab of butter and drizzle of honey.

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Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Zucchini Bread

The beauty of this quick bread? It's good pretty much any way you serve it. Throw in some chocolate chips, toast with butter, and eat it at breakfast or as a snack.

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Applesauce Muffins

Applesauce Muffins
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Applesauce Muffins

The addition of applesauce yields a fluffy, soft crumb. Cinnamon, ginger, and cloves add warmth and spice. If you fancy them, golden raisins are also a sweet addition to this quick bread.

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Buttermilk Cornbread

buttermilk cornbread
Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Recipe: Buttermilk Cornbread

Whether you are team sugar or not where cornbread is concerned, there's no denying that it's a dinnertime staple side.

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Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

Biscuit Cinnamon Sweet Rolls
Alison Miksch

Recipe: Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

If you don't have time to let the dough rise, this quick bread promises cinnamon rolls in a jiffy—20 minutes of hands-on time, to be exact.

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Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Buttery Chive-and-Mustard Drop Biscuits
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

We packed this quick bread with whole-grain mustard, garlic powder, fresh chives, and Parmesan for a super-savory biscuit that will fly right off the dinner table.

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Banana Bread

Banana Bread
Southern Living

Recipe: Banana Bread

The best solution for those overripe bananas sitting on your counter? Banana Bread, of course. It's a go-to quick bread that never fails to please.

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Sweet Potato-Cranberry Scones with Molasses-Orange Butter

Sweet Potato-Cranberry Scones with Molasses-Orange Butter Recipe
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Recipe: Sweet Potato-Cranberry Scones with Molasses-Orange Butter

Are you here for the tender scones or the delightful Molasses-Orange Butter? If you answered both, you are correct.

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Carrot Cake Muffins

Carrot Cake Muffins
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Carrot Cake Muffins

These are the classic cake in muffin form, packed with coconut, golden raisins, and carrots, of course. A drizzle of molasses adds a rich flavor profile.

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Peach Scones

Peach Scones
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Peach Scones

Serve these tender, peach-laden scones at a summer brunch or breakfast and watch the compliments roll in.

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Apple Bread

Apple Bread
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Apple Bread

With a generous sprinkling of cinnamon, cubes of Granny Smith apples, and a tender crumb, this is the quick bread you'll want every morning along with your coffee.

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Apple Butter-Pecan Quick Bread

Apple Butter-Pecan Quick Bread
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Apple Butter-Pecan Quick Bread

A favorite fall spread works its way into a nutty quick bread. Cut generous slices, toast, and serve with an exuberant swipe of butter as an afternoon snack.

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Mini Cream Scones

Mini Cream Scones
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Mini Cream Scones

Hosting an afternoon tea? Put these simple scones on your menu and serve with homemade jam.

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Ham and Cheese Cake Salé Quick Bread

Ham and Cheese Cake Salé Quick Bread
Sheri Castle

Recipe: Ham and Cheese Cake Salé Quick Bread

A sweet quick bread may be familiar, but have you tried a savory version? Ours is loaded with Gruyère, smoked ham, and olives for a delightfully homey, crumbly creation.

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Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Southern Living

Recipe: Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

Zingy lemon and crunchy poppy seeds come together to create a light, nutty breakfast treat.

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Buttermilk Breakfast Scones

Buttermilk Breakfast Scones
Southern Living

Recipe: Buttermilk Breakfast Scones

Crisp, sugared tops, plump currents, and that zing of orange zest make these Buttermilk Breakfast Scones a hit at the morning meal.

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Piña Colada Quick Bread

Piña Colada Quick Bread
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Piña Colada Quick Bread

Fans of the drink and pineapple upside-down cake will say cheers to this pineapple-packed bread.

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Blackberry-Lime Drop Biscuits

Blackberry-Lime Drop Biscuits
Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner

Recipe: Blackberry-Lime Drop Biscuits

The beauty of these biscuits is in the name. No shaping, just drop them on the pan. Now that's one of the easiest quick breads we ever did see.

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Bacon Cheddar Scones

Bacon Cheddar Scones
Joy Howard

Recipe: Bacon Cheddar Scones

We love a good savory scone, especially when bacon and cheddar are the winning combination.

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