Gingerbread Loaf [+Video]

Master the art of baking a delicious gingerbread loaf full of the flavors of the holiday season with this easy quick bread recipe. Moist, flavorful, and sure to be a hit at any holiday gathering!

For the last 10 years, I’ve worked on a gingerbread loaf recipe, and I’ve hated all of them. This recipe is the first that’s actually moist and dense while still full of flavor and bounce. It is pure gingerbread heaven!

And I am an expert on gingerbread heaven, believe it or not! Have you tried our soft and chewy gingerbread man cookie recipe? That, my friends, is gingerbread heaven, and this molasses quick bread is like those gingerbread cookies but in loaf form. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert or snack!

Ingredients for the Perfect Gingerbread Loaf

Here is a quick overview of all the ingredients you will need to make this rich gingerbread loa cakef. It is the perfect mix of those bold holiday spices in a moist delicious bread.

• Dry Ingredients: All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Nutmeg, Ground Ginger, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, Allspice and Salt
• Wet Ingredients: Sugar, Brown Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Apple Butter, Molasses, Vanilla Extract, Eggs and Buttermilk
• Powdered Sugar: gives it a beautiful festive snowy appearance

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe at the end of the post.

How to Make a Gingerbread Loaf

We are going to follow the typical baking steps for making a quick bread recipe. Dry ingredients, wet ingredients, combine and bake! Here are those steps a little more detail:

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a bread loaf pan.
2. Whisk: Combine all the dry ingredients together and whisk to combine.
3. Cream: Add the sugars, oil and apple butter to a large bowl and cream together until well combined. Then add the molasses and vanilla and mix well. Finally add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated each time.
4. Combine: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients mixture and stir until a few flour streaks remain.
5. Fold: Fold in the buttermilk.
6. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan and bake for 50-60 minutes.
7. Cool: Once baked, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
8. Dust: Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top once it has cooled completely.

The entire recipe can be found in the recipe card down below so keep scrolling for all the details. You can also print or save the recipe there.

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookie Recipe

Old fashioned molasses cookies are one of the chewiest, yummiest cookies to make for the holidays, you will absolutely love them!

These old fashioned molasses crinkles are fantastic and totally similar to our white chocolate molasses cookies. These are meant to get those beautiful cracks all over the top and be a little more chewy to bite into. I have a secret to making those cracks as cracky as possible too!

Note, these cookies are not crunchy as we aren’t making gingerbread cookies, but chewy as is in sink your teeth into delicious. It seems like molasses crinkles are becoming forgotten but I refuse to let that happen.

What Do I Need to Make Molasses Cookies?

I’ve had quite a few molasses crinkle cookies in my day and I’m sorry to say that I have the same complaint with all of them, too much molasses and ginger. I don’t want to be breathing fire when I bite into a cookie.

Now I do like molasses cookies to have warmth to them as that’s how they should be but that all comes from the right ingredient ratios. We only need 1/2 cup of molasses and that’s plenty to bring on the flavor. Here is everything you need:

• Butter: unsalted, softened
• Brown Sugar: adds sweetness and rich molasses flavor
• Sugar: Just regular granulated sugar is used to both sweeten the dough and to roll the dough in before baking.
• Molasses: adds flavor, sweetness and richness of flavor
  • PRO TIP: We prefer Grandma’s brand dark molasses.
• Vanilla: adds flavor
• Eggs: gives the cookies structure
• Flour: just simple all purpose flour is all you need
• Ground Cinnamon: adds warmth and flavor
• Ground Cloves: adds festive holiday flavor
• Baking Soda: gives the cookies rise and fluffiness
• Ground Ginger: adds flavor and warmth
• Salt: enhances all the flavors

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Molasses Cookies

These old fashioned soft molasses cookies come together quickly and easily. Here are the basic steps:

1. Wet Ingredients: Mix the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream until light and fluffy using the paddle attachment. Add the molasses and beat until smooth and then the egg and mix again.
2. Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.
3. Combine: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Chill: Scrape the sides of the bowl down and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
5. Prep: Preheat the oven and prep baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.
6. Form: Scoop the cookie dough into balls and using your hands, roll the dough into balls. Roll the dough in