Is there anything better than waking up to a warm breakfast bread? A perfectly healthy and classic homemade baked good that everyone is going to go crazy for.
What I love about this recipe is that it combines so many different “good for you” ingredients in one loaf. A “grab and go” breakfast or snack you can change up by adding any type of chopped nuts, seeds, dried or fresh fruits, berries, veggies or even chunks of chocolate. Do you think it’s weird that I added spinach to this bread? I don’t. It was in the fridge, I threw it in and no one complained.
I also used spelt flour in this bread, but you can feel free to sub in whatever your heart desires. The benefit of using spelt over white flour is totally worth it. It has a good source of dietary fiber, protein (which it contains more of than common wheat), and vitamins and minerals. This grain is also more water-soluble than wheat, which makes it much easier for the body to digest.
Now, in order to ensure that I would bake this more frequently, I decided it had to be healthy and contained no refined sugar. It also had to be easy to make, didn’t compromise on texture or flavour, and of course, it had to be practically “guilt-free”. That’s a pretty tall order, but I look at it as this is a go to “ALL- INCLUSIVE” style bread.
If you love healthy recipes using fresh berries, this is also the perfect treat that can be made year round. Don’t have fresh berries on hand? You can also use frozen, but make sure you don’t thaw them before adding them into the batter. This bread is SUPER moist, dense and has a beautiful crunch from the nuts and seeds added into the batter.
Secret ingredient? Cardamom. It’s is a wonderful mild spice and works well in most baked goods. Just a pinch adds a wonderful hint of flavour that completely blends well with the hint of cinnamon in the recipe.
Quick tip:
Don’t get too excited to slice into this bread the second it comes out of the oven. That’s one of my biggest problems – I CANNOT WAIT. When patience is not a virtue, I end up with a crumbly mess that can’t be reversed. Although it is dense, the bread needs to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove it and let cool on a wire rack. If you want to store the bread, make sure it has cooled completely, then slice individual portions and pop them into ziploc bags. You can also freeze it, but I guarantee it won’t last long enough to get to that point.
You are going to take a bite of this bread and get the following taste sensations – tart, sweet, spiced, savoury, crunchy and OH SO GOOD. A symphony of different flavours and OH My Gawd, I want a piece right now but guess what? I gave most of it away. Really not a smart move.
The only good thing about giving it away were the rave reviews. The recipients all said, “please bake this for me again”. So back to the kitchen I go, I’m “BERRY” excited. 
- Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups spelt flour (can sub in 1:1 gluten free flour)
- 1 cup rolled oats (regular or gluten free)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup non dairy milk, I used coconut
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Mix in's
- 1 cup mixed fresh berries, I used raspberries, blueberries and blackberries
- 1 cup finely chopped baby spinach
- 1 cup finely grated carrots
- 1 medium sized apple, shredded - I used a Fuji
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup of a mix sunflower & pumpkin seeds, or any chopped nuts
- ¼ cup diced dried apricots
- Prepare a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375F.
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together wet ingredients then add to dry ingredients just until blended. DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Fold in balance of ingredients (the mix in's).
- Place batter into loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes then remove loaf to baking rack to cool completely.
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Hello,
The apples and carrots are watery fruits. Do I need to squeeze the juices of it?
Look soo good.. can’t wait to try this recipe.
Thank you
I saw that I could sun applesauce for the oil.👍👍
Could I sub date paste for the maple syrup??
Hi Betsy!
I’m so happy you loved it! It’s one on my faves too! Xo
Hi Alesa!
You could absolutely try applesauce or melted vegan butter in this recipe. Let me know how it goes! Enjoy xo
I prefer no oil. Do you have an alternative? Msybe applesauce? Beautifully nutritious!
This popped up on my pinterest feed and I had to try it, as it looked so beautiful and had such healthy ingredients. Absolutely delicious. I agree that the cardamom is phenomenal. I didn’t have dried fruit, so I just added another half cup of raspberries. It is almost like a pudding – so dense, moist and fruity! The flavors are complex and so satisfying. I will have a hard time only eating a few pieces a day. Thank you for my new favorite breakfast/snack recipe.
Hi Michy !
I’m so happy you loved the recipe. It’s one of my faves!! I’m so sorry but I don’t have any nutritional information for this recipe. Thank you for reaching out! Xo
Hi. I just made this and it’s incredible! I used dried figs too and they were perfect! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Do you have any nutritional information about it?
~Michy
Hi Kay,
I’m so happy you loved the recipe. It’s one of my faves too !
xo
Hi Nancy,
What a great idea! I may just try that one day.
xo
Hi Karla,
Yes, you can absolutely try this recipe with rice flour. It may yield a different texture in the end result but will still be delish. Enjoy!
xo
Could I sub rice flour in place of the spelt??
Have you tried this recipe in Muffin tins. I bet it would make great muffins.
This breakfast bread is awesome. I made it exactly like recipe, except I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free baking 1:1 flour brand, and I didn’t have the maple syrup, so used raw organic honey instead. This turned our fantastic. YUM!
Hi Noelle !
They are in the recipe list. Here’s what they are:
Mix in’s
1 cup mixed fresh berries, I used raspberries, blueberries and blackberries
1 cup finely chopped baby spinach
1 cup finely grated carrots
1 medium sized apple, shredded – I used a Fuji
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup of a mix sunflower & pumpkin seeds, or any chopped nuts
¼ cup diced dried apricots
Xo
Debi
What are the mix ins in the recipe?