This spiced carrot bread is a hearty quick bread recipe made with whole wheat flour that bakes into a soft and tender crumb. Carrot juice, fresh mango and grated carrots bring a subtle sweetness to each bite of the bread.
If you love carrot cake and banana bread, this carrot bread is like the perfect mash up of the two classic recipes. It’s the kind of thing you whip up when you want something homemade and perfect for anything from breakfast to snacking to dessert. It’s moist, tender and hearty all at the same time and with a few twists that you won’t find in other carrot bread recipes.
It turned out like a healthy carrot cake minus the addictive cream cheese icing — though you could certainly add that to the top!
If you’ve tried and like these healthy zucchini bars, I can say with confidence you’ll like this carrot bread recipe too.
Why This Carrot Bread Recipe Is The Best
- Nutrient-Packed Ingredients: This recipe is packed with freshly grated carrots and ripe mango that provide a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
- Whole Wheat Flour Base: Utilizing whole wheat white flour adds depth of flavor, a hearty bite and extra nutrients compared to all-purpose flour.
- A Flavor Boost from Carrot Juice: Instead of using milk like most quick breads, this bread uses carrot juice that adds a whole extra layer of flavor, sweetness and moisture.
- Warm Spice Blend: With a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice, the carrot bread is warm and comforting just like a carrot cake.
- Versatile and Balanced Sweetness: I love this carrot bread recipe because it’s just sweet enough to satisfy cravings without being overly sugary.
Ingredient Highlights
- DryIngredients: Whole wheat white flour, coconut sugar, warming spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda combine to make up the dry ingredients in the carrot bread.
- Carrots: Add moisture, sweetness and texture to the bread. I like to grate them by hand using the coarse side of the grater for a chewy and moist texture. Peel them first if using conventional carrots or give them a good scrub clean if they’re homegrown or organic. Avoid using pre-shredded carrots and they’re much drier and it will affect the moisture level in the bread.
- Fresh Mangoes: A bit of diced ripe fresh mangoes is an unexpected ingredient in the recipe but they’re perfect for adding natural sweetness, moisture and a touch of tropical flavor to the bread. You could swap out mango for pineapple if preferred. They both complement carrots very well. Or, try our pineapple carrot muffin recipe.
- Carrot Juice: You can juice your own if you have a juicer at home or use your favorite store-bought variety. V8 makes a carrot mango blend that’s also a good option for this bread.
- Coconut Sugar: Adds sweetness to the bread while imparting subtle caramel notes, I love it for complementing the fruity flavors of the mango and carrots in the bread. You can swap brown sugar if you don’t have or like the taste of coconut sugar.
- Pecans: These can be an optional add-in but there’s no better nut than pecans to complement the flavor of carrots. I much prefer them to walnuts but they can certainly be used interchangeably. Omit all nuts if you have an allergy, the bread is still fantastic without them.
How to Make Carrot Bread
Start by combining the dry ingredients in a large bowl, including the flour mixture and spices.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth. Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
Fold in the shredded carrots, diced mango, and chopped pecans until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Transfer the batter to a prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once baked, allow the bread to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This ensures the bread sets properly and maintains its moisture. Slice and serve once the bread has cooled.
If you want to make it a sweeter treat, consider using the icing for these healthy carrot cake cookies. The maple cream cheese topping in this apple carrot pancake recipe is also perfect for glazing this carrot bread. With an icing on top, it basically passes for cake and I don’t think anyone will object to that.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- If the bread begins to brown too quickly on top, tent it loosely with aluminum foil during the last few minutes of baking to prevent over-browning while ensuring the center cooks through evenly.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Like most quick breads, the texture comes out best when the batter is stirred until just combined.
- Check the bread to see if it’s done at the 30 minute mark since all ovens cook differently to avoid over-baking and drying out the loaf.
Variations
- Experiment with different add-ins like dried fruit. Raisins or chopped dried apricots would both add a nice burst of sweetness and chewiness to the bread. Fold them into the batter along with the carrots when making it.
- If you prefer a lighter texture, you can substitute whole wheat white flour with all-purpose flour.
- Customize the blend of spices to suit your taste preferences by adjusting the amounts of ground nutmeg and cinnamon. Increase or decrease the quantities based on your preference for a more pronounced or subtle spice flavor.
- Instead of melted coconut oil, you can use other oils for different flavor profiles. Olive oil or avocado oil both work well in this recipe. Melted butter also works just fine.
- I have not tried it with this recipe but you can experiment with making this a gluten-free loaf by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Storage Tips
To keep your mango carrot bread fresh, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the bread by wrapping it in plastic wrap and then placing it in a freezer-safe, airtight container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Another option is to freeze the bread already sliced. Separate slices of the bread with parchment paper and freeze. This way you can thaw one slice at a time to enjoy whenever you’re craving a piece.
When ready to enjoy, simply thaw the bread at room temperature or gently reheat it in the oven before serving.
More Quick Bread Recipes To Try:
Nothing makes a better afternoon snack with tea than this tart cherry tea bread. Using steeped tea as the liquid is just as inventive as the carrot juice in this bread.
Matcha bread is a divisive recipe but only because matcha is an ingredient that tends to split the room in opinions. Its texture is soft and fluffy and the almond flavor that permeates each bite is incredibly delicious.
Paleo chocolate zucchini bread is a recipe any chocolate lover will like. Like most zucchini breads, you don’t even know the vegetable is there and the chocolate flavor shines through perfectly. Kids love this bread and it’s great for after school snacking or packing in lunch boxes.
These carrot raisin muffins may not be a quick bread, but they’re basically the same thing just in muffin form. These make great snacks with their single-serve portion size and have a very similar flavor profile to this bread.
Spiced Carrot Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 cup carrot juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup shredded carrots, squeezed of excess water
- 1/2 cup diced mango, fresh and ripe
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan with baking spray.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the sugar, eggs, coconut oil, carrot juice and vanilla in a medium bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined.
- Fold in the carrots, mango and pecans until well combined.
- Transfer batter to the loaf pan and bake for about 40 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let rest until cool enough to touch.
- Gently remove bread from the pan and let cool on a rack.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
The description of your spiced carrot bread is so enticing. The nutrient-packed ingredients and warm spice blend truly make it a wholesome treat. Your innovative twist with carrot juice is definitely a game-changer. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
This was a huge hit and I loved the use of coconut sugar!