Brunch is one of the best parts of Easter morning. A time for friends and family to gather and enjoy quality time together. If you want to wow the crowd this year, you need to make this carrot-raisin bread.
There’s just something about homemade bread that hits the spot. And this carrot-raisin bread does just that and more. It’s so moist and flavorful, and best of all… it boasts a number of health benefits.
This tasty bread is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, giving it an A+ in our recipe book. Thanks to the small amount of oil and egg used, the fat and cholesterol are significantly lower than what you usually find in “dessert bread.” Plus, carrots have been linked to lower cholesterol levels in addition to being a good source of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants.
But that’s not all… The other ingredients also offer some pretty great health benefits. For example, cinnamon helps to lower blood sugar. At the same time, pecans have been shown to lower blood pressure, and raisins help with digestion and regulating the balance of bacteria in your gut.
This is a “wonder” bread if we ever tasted one!
Carrot-Raisin Bread
Prep time Cook time Yields Serving Size
10 minutes 50 minutes 8 servings ½-inch slice
Ingredients
1½ C sifted all-purpose flour
½ C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
1 egg, beaten
½ C water
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp vanilla
1½ C finely shredded carrots
¼ C chopped pecans
¼ C golden raisins
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Lightly oil a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Stir together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture.
- In a separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients; add this mixture all at once to dry ingredients. Stir just enough to moisten and evenly distribute the carrots.
- Turn into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Remove from pan and complete cooling on a wire rack before slicing.
Recipe courtesy of Stay Young at Heart; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.