Spiced Persimmon Bread

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Persimmon is a fruit that I recently (well, like in the last decade) discovered that I loved, which is wild because in China they’ve been around for two thousand plus years- so a little late to the game there. And now, it is a flavor that I *cannot* go without during the winter season. I’ll take it in all its forms, I eat them like apples, cook with them, dehydrate them, and so much more, but one of the most special ways I love to use persimmons is when they’re perfectly overripe, bake them into spiced persimmon bread.

Now, spiced persimmon bread might be a bit of a misnomer, because while I am baking it and it is *technically* bread my recipe is more like bread and fruitcake had a baby. These loaves are chock full of mix-ins and have a crumb that holds together well, but aren’t quite the ‘use as a hammer’ density that some fruitcakes can be! So, you can have a slice with rosemary butter for breakfast or a side of ice cream for dessert- both work wonderfully!

Sourcing Persimmons

I mentioned that you need overripe persimmons for this recipe, and that’s true! But while many recipes call for only Hachiya persimmons (the ones that are acorn-shaped and only can be eaten when soft) Fuyu persimmons (short, squat persimmons that can be eaten fresh) which are my favorite variety work just as well in this bread. So, if you’ve purchased a bunch of persimmons and some accidentally went soft? No need for food waste, use them!

You’ll know that either type of persimmon recipe is ready for baking when you pinch the fruit between your fingers and it feels nearly liquid inside and your fingers leave an indent! And if they’re REALLY overripe, all you have to do to get the purée you need is to cut a hole into the skin and squeeze!

Spiced Persimmon Bread Ingredients

Spiced Persimmon Bread Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and powdered ginger. Sift to combine then add sugar and whisk to combine.

Add the chopped nuts and candied ginger to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, oil, and persimmon purée. Whisk well to combine.

Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing well. Combine well using a spatula scraping the sides until all the flour has been incorporated.

Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. I very rarely use parchment paper instead of oil, but this loaf likes to get stuck! (When I do use parchment paper, I use the If You Care brand- it is compostable, unbleached, and FSC Certified!)

Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan (I’m using a Le Creuset cast iron loaf pan because I love how it holds heat) and pop into the oven for 60-75 minutes.

I start checking at 60 minutes, using a toothpick to check if the loaf is done. The top should be golden brown and slightly cracked, and when the loaf is completely done the toothpick will pull out clean!

Let cool for 15 minutes and then lift out the loaf. Let cool completely on a wire rack and then slice!

The slices will be firm and have nuts and ginger integrated- so they are so fun to display cut side up while serving!

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