Quick breads are my kind of breads. They’re fast, easy and will get your house smelling like a bakery in no time. You don’t have to wait for the dough to rise or knead it. You just mix and bake. There are tons of different variations of quick breads out there; in fact, during the quarantine one of the top Google searches was for Banana Bread. While I love Banana Bread, I make it often and was desperately needed change things up. I have paired carrots with ginger for some time now in soups (like this Carrot Coconut Ginger Soup), so I figure they would work well together in a bread. Always seeking a healthy snack, this recipe uses less sugar and oil than most. It also calls for Greek yogurt, packing it with some hidden protein.
Ahhh…shredded carrots…that sounds like a lot of work!
Don’t be intimidated by shredded carrots. If you have a food processor, shredding carrots is incredibly easy. Remember all those discs that your machine came with? Dig out the shredding disc and in no time, you’ll have a bowl full of perfectly shredded carrots. Throw the ginger in right along with the carrots since it is too small to shred on its own effectively. You could use a box grater if necessary, but this will drastically up your prep time. And if you are not into shredding yourself, simply buy a bag of shredded carrots at the grocery store—they sell everything these days.
Do I really need the ginger?
No! If you don’t have any or don’t like it, leave it out. I love ginger and think that it adds a nice flavor to this bread, but it’s subtle and you really won’t miss it. It’s your bread so make it work for you.
What else can I add to this bread?
For this bread you could certainly add walnuts, pecans, raisins or even chocolate chips. Personally, I always add walnuts because I like a little crunch. If craisins are your thing, add those. Adjust this recipe to your liking and let me know how it goes!
Finding the sweet spot
Please note that this recipe calls for a ½ cup of sugar. Many recipes call for ¾ or even a full cup. I find that the carrots are sweet on their own and that ½ cup is more than enough, but if you have a sweet tooth, add some more sugar.
Get baking!
There is nothing better than the wafting smell of baking bread and since this bread is loaded with carrots and Greek yogurt and uses very little oil and sugar, you can feel good about the fact that you ate the whole loaf in one day! And if you are looking for more breakfast ideas, try these No Fuss Egg Cups or make Shakshuka (eggs poached in tomatoes). As always, let me know how your Carrot Ginger Bread comes out by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Carrot Ginger Bread
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt low fat is fine
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 large peeled and shredded carrots about 2 cups
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger shredded alternatively you could use 1 tablespoon of either ginger paste or frozen de-thawed ginger
- ½ cup optional add-ins chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, …
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 X 5 loaf pan or alternatively line it with wax paper sprayed with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and then add vegetable oil, yogurt and vanilla mixing well. Fold in the grated carrots and ginger as well as any optional add-ins.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until completely combined. Do not over mix. Pour the batter in the greased pan and bake at 375 F for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and allow bread to cool completely before enjoying.
Notes
Feel free to add walnuts, pecans, raisins or even chocolate chips (about a 1/2 cup; a bit less if you are adding more than one ingredient).
