This Ginger Persimmon Bread Recipe is packed with soul-warming spices. Whether you serve this quick bread as part of a Christmas breakfast or as an afternoon snack, it will become one of your favorite persimmon recipes!
The fall and winter months are an invitation to bake. Are you with me?
Comforting and cozy treats, delicious aromas of warming spices making their way through the house, the oven heating the kitchen . . .
I love quick breads, which are really dessert breads -- cakes, if you will. 😉 There's no yeast or kneading involved -- you can throw this recipe together and get it in the oven inside of 30 minutes.
Ginger Persimmon Bread is full of the quintessential flavors of fall. It's like gingerbread with the sweet flavor of persimmon running through it.
The Ingredients
- Fuyu persimmons - Persimmon season is approximately October through January. During that time, you should be able to find them in almost all major grocery stores and at Farmers Markets. They should be on the firm side with a deep orange color.
- brown sugar
- olive oil
- eggs
- pure vanilla extract
- fresh ginger
- crystalized ginger - This will add delightful tiny chewy, sweet bites of ginger. You can likely find crystalized ginger in the baking section of grocery stores. Or you can get it here.
- ground cinnamon
- ground cloves
- ground ginger
- all-purpose flour - See gluten-free option below.
- baking soda - If you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure your baking soda is still good. To do so, pour a couple of tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice over about ¼ teaspoon of the baking soda. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.
- Kosher salt - I bake (and cook) with Kosher salt because I like its larger flake size and it usually doesn't contain additives. (If you use table salt, use half the amount.)
Substitutions
- Crystalized ginger. If you don't have crystalized ginger, you can substitute it with golden raisins and an additional ½ teaspoon of ground ginger.
Can you make Gluten-Free Persimmon Bread?
Yes, you can substitute the flour in the recipe for Cup4Cup All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour. Please note that although still delicious, the texture of gluten-free persimmon bread might be slightly different than the one with regular all-purpose flour.
Recipe Tips
- Don't substitute the Fuyu persimmons with the Hachiya variety. You will not be able to grate them as they'll be way too soft when they're ripe.
- Be sure not to skip the step of adding the baking soda directly to the grated persimmons. It will help thicken the liquid derived from grating the fruit.
- Generally, baking times will vary from pan to pan, oven to oven, etc. It's more about how the bread looks and feels, than how long it bakes. It should be golden, beginning to crack, and if you touch it, it should feel sponge-like.
How to Make it
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease an approximately 12-inch loaf pan with a light coating of olive oil. (It's easiest to do this with a spray, pastry brush -- or dab the oil on a paper towel to spread it around.) Set aside.
- Slice the stem ends off of the persimmons (just a ½-inch or so), then use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel them. Use either a hand held grater or a food processor with the grater attachment, to grate them. (You will need 1½ cups.)
- Now add the grated persimmon to a bowl and add the baking soda. Mix to blend and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar with the olive oil and mix to blend. Add the eggs and egg yolk and mix again. Once it's smooth, stir in the fresh ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, and salt. Fold in the flour and mix just until it's fully incorporated.
- Then fold in the grated persimmon and crystallized ginger.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the 350°F preheated oven until it's golden brown, set, and beginning to crack on top, about 50 minutes.
- Let it cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Storing Persimmon Bread
Persimmon Bread and be made the day before you want to serve it. Cover it lightly with foil overnight, at room temperature and it'll be ideal the next morning.
- Room temperature. In a tightly sealed container, Persimmon Bread can be kept at room temperature for about two days.
- Refrigerator. Wrapped tightly, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezer. Wrapped tightly, you can store it for about a month in the freezer.
More Amazing Quick Bread Recipes
- Butternut Squash Bread
- Almond Butter Bread
- Chocolate Breakfast Bread
- Macadamia Honey Bread
- Glazed Pineapple Guava Bread
- Zucchini Avocado Bread Recipe
This is one of my favorite persimmon recipes so I hope you'll try it to share with your family and friends. Maybe even make an extra loaf or two for gifts.
I hope you love every last crumb!
Ginger Persimmon Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ cups grated Fuyu persimmons (about 1 pound persimmons)
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1½ tablespoons fresh ginger pulp
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Instructions
- Set oven and prepare pan. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease an approximately 12-inch loaf pan with a light coating of olive oil. (It's easiest to do this with a spray, pastry brush -- or dab the oil on a paper towel to spread it around.) Set aside.
- Prepare persimmons. Slice the stem ends off of the persimmons (just a ½-inch or so), then use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel them. Use either a hand held grater or a food processor with the grater attachment, to grate them. (You will need 1½ cups.) Now add 1½ cups of the grated persimmon to a bowl and add the baking soda. Mix to blend and set aside. (The baking soda will help thicken the liquid derived from grating the fruit.)
- Make batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar with the olive oil and mix to blend. Then add the eggs and egg yolk and mix again. Once it's smooth, stir in the fresh ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, and salt. Fold in the flour and mix just until it's fully incorporated. Then fold in the grated persimmon and crystallized ginger.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the 350°F preheated oven until it's golden brown, set, and beginning to crack on top, about 50 minutes.
- Let it cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before serving.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Liz Schmitt
This looks terrific and I will bet it freezes beautifully. Happy Holidays!
valentina
Thanks so much, Liz! Yes, great for making ahead! 🙂 Happy Holidays to you and yours. xo
annie
I've never used persimmons in baking. I bet they taste fantastic with the ginger. I would have to exercise a lot of self control with this around.
valentina
I hope you try it, Annie. Ginger and persimmons are a match made in heaven. 🙂
David
Mark will love this! Now, I just need to find the persimmons! Merry Christmas, Valentina! Wishing you and your family all the best, and a year filled with love and joy!
valentina
Aww thank you, David. Right back to you & Mark -- may you both have the happiest (& most delicious) holiday season. XO
Vickie h.
Do you have any adjustments for: High altitude? Cook time for smaller loaves? Sugar substitutes? Thank you
Valentina
Hi Vickie. I can offer some general rules of thumb for baking in high altitudes, but since I haven't tested it in a higher altitude, I can't say for sure. Increase oven temp by about about 20%, decrease baking time a bit (though this is really something where you have to see the bread to know -- start checking it at about 45 minutes.), decrease the sugar (for this recipe I'd subtract 1/4 cup), use less baking soda (for this recipe I'd use 1 1/8 teaspoon). I'd also add a bit more liquid -- a second egg yolk. I haven't tested small loaves with this recipe, so again, I can't guarantee, but I'd start checking it at about 20 minutes or so. I hope this is helpful! Warmly, Valentina
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite
What a great idea to add persimmons! I love gingerbread so I bet it's delish. I have never heard of cinnamon persimmons, all I can imagine is sweet cinnamony balls of goodness!
valentina
Thank you, Sophia! Cinnamon persimmons are really lovely -- I hope you can try one. 🙂
Maria
Gingerbread loaves are absolutely the best in the winter! I recently made a gingerbread one combined with chocolate, and it tasted amazing! I am also going to try this one.
valentina
Thanks so much Maria. Gingerbread with chocolate sounds so lovely. THAT, I must try! 🙂
Helen
What a great way to use perisimmons. I do like a bit of ginger cake at Christmas, always seems appropriate.
valentina
I agree, persimmons and Christmas just seem to go together. 🙂 Thank you for visiting.
Natalie | Natalie's Food & Health
This gingerbread looks absolutely delicious. So soft and moist. LOVE how you added persimmons. Such a great idea! Thanks for the recipe. Sharing this! Happy Holidays!
valentina
Thanks so much, Natalie! Happy Holidays to you! 🙂
Brian Jones
Boy does that look good, fabulously moist and great flavour combinations.
valentina
Thanks, Brian! Happy Holidays!
Elizabeth
HI Valentina, How do you think this would work with 1.5 cups of Hachiya persimmon goo? Would it be too wet or turn out just right?
thanks!
valentina
I think it's worth a shot! Flavor will be lovely -- it will change the consistency, but since I haven't tried it with the Hachiya, I'm not sure how, or how much. I would guess the baking time might increase and there will be more liquid in the batter, and I might suggest 1 cup instead of 1 1/2. LMK how it turns out and good luck. 🙂
Cherye
This is a lovely bread, but it needed closer to an hour than 30 minutes 🙂 Aside from that, it was great! I added a little maple syrup as a tweak and it worked out beautifully.
valentina
I so appreciate your comment, Chery! Thanks for sharing. So happy you like this recipe -- the maple syrup addition sounds delicious!
Michael
I was looking through the comments for this to make sure I didn’t mess up something in the preparation. Mine also took closer to an hr, but turned out amazing! My persimmons were a little on the over-ripe side, so that may have been a factor.
valentina
Thanks so much for sharing. I'm so happy it was amazing! I'm not sure why the cooking time has been longer for a couple readers, but I'll be making this soon, and will make any necessary adjustments if it's different. You should try a slice tosted with a bit of unsalted butter melting on top. (If you still have some.) ~Valentina
Jasmin
This was a delicious way to use up my Costco persimmons that got a little too ripe, greatly enhanced by the bursts of ginger. I have to agree with the other commenters that it took closer to an hour to bake. My largest pan is only 10" which could have been a factor. I look forward to toasting tomorrow for breakfast.
valentina
I'm so happy you liked this, Jasmin. I hope you enjoyed it toasted this morning . . . with coffee or tea, maybe. Thanks so much for the comment and for trying my recipes! 🙂
valentina
UPDATE: I've tested and retested this recipe a handful of times since a few of you were needing longer baking times. Guess what!? You were right! I've edited the recipe to indicate the baking time is approx. 50 minutes. This can vary of course, depending on a few things, including the thickness of your pan, if you use a pan that's bigger or smaller, if your oven is calibrated, etc.
Cecilia G
Can I use an alternative flour to make it gluten free? Walnuts too
valentina
Hi Cecilia. While I haven't tested this particular recipe with a gluten-free flour, I'm pretty confident that if you use a gluten-free, all-purpose 1 to 1 flour, it will work well. This is the one I use a lot. And yes, add the walnuts! I wouldn't use more than 1/2 cup and chop them finely. Also, here are a couple of my gluten-free short breads in case you want more choices: Gluten-Free Almond Butter Bread Recipe, Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Well, cake really. ;-). Enjoy and thanks so much for writing in, and checking out my recipes. 🙂 ~Valentina
Penny M
This is an all time favorite. I made the recipe as muffins and just took a couple I had saved out of the freezer and can hardly wait for them to thaw. They are light and moist and filled with flavor.
valentina
Hi Penny. Thank you so much for this lovely comment. Made my day! Great idea to make them as muffins, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
2pots2cok
Beautiful, beautiful photos and beautiful loaf to make these days ! Love all the ingredients and the way you put them all together is absolutely great !
valentina
Thank you so much, Davorka. Hope you try and enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
John / Kitchen Riffs
Love persimmons with ginger! Heavenly pairing. And speaking of which, this bread looks heavenly -- really nice recipe. Thanks.
valentina
Thanks so much, John. I do love the ginger with the sweet persimmons. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Colette
I can almost smell the warm spices of this bread!
Persimmons are a fav this time of year and the Fuyus don't last long in our house. I gobble them up so quickly. I might have to slow down and bake this bread of your for breakfast in the morning! xo
valentina
Thank you, Colette. 🙂 I LOVE it for breakfast. ~Valentina
Vanessa
This recipe is divine. My family loved it and I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing!
valentina
Thanks so much for sharing, Vanessa. So happy you all loved it! 🙂 ~Valentina
Annie
Wow! This recipe is great....better than great! I made it last year and EVERYONE who tried it wanted the recipe. I have a Fuyu tree and harvested 4 large baskets so far this year. Friends and neighbors want some just to make this bread. I had trouble giving them away last year. I'm so happy to have this recipe. It makes me want more of the fruit for myself. Thank you so much for sharing it and helping me spread my 'Persimmon Love'.
valentina
Hi Annie. Thank you so much for writing in. I was JUST thinking today about how how persimmon season has begun, and what recipes to create with them next. I'm so happy you love this bread -- well let's be honest, cake-like bread. 😉 And I so appreciate that you've shared it with friends, and how lovely to share your persimmons too. Awesome you have a Fuyu tree! Hope you enjoy many more loaves. Cheers 🙂 ~Valentina
Monika
Absolutely love this recipe! Especially love the crystallized ginger. Nice change to use olive oil. Just used pumpkin pie spice. Ended up divided into three loaves. Thank You!!!
valentina
Hi Monika! Thanks for writing in. So happy you liked this recipe. Hope you love it every persimmon season. 🙂 ~Valentina
Celine Rickards
VERY GOOD! A friend gave me some Fuyu persimmons and I didn’t know what to do with them. I don’t really care too much for eating them out of hand, so I went looking for a recipe and found this site! I made the gingerbread yesterday because I had all the ingredients. I used a 10” Caphalon non-stick loaf pan, sprayed it with Pam for baking (contains flour), I replaced 2-3 TB of All purpose flour with whole wheat flour (just to add a little more fiber). I’m at 3200’ elevation, so it took a full hour to bake. It had plenty of room in the pan. The gingerbread is perfectly moist and delicious and my husband loves it! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I’m going to try the pork tenderloin recipe as well.
valentina
Hi Celine, Thanks so much for writing me. I'm so happy you and your husband loved this recipe! You made my day! 🙂 It's one of my favorites for persimmons this time of year. The touch of wheat flour is a great idea and, so great you had all of the other ingredients at the ready. Happy holiday season. Warmly, Valentina
C.Sheneman
This is the most amazing recipe ever. I’ve made loaves and muffins. I’ve frozen them, taken them on road trips, shared them with friends and family, becoming, I’m sure, everyone’s best friend, at least for a *few* minutes. This is the only persimmon recipe I’ve made, and now we’re trying to buy persimmon trees. Thanks for an amazing recipe.
valentina
Hi there, Thank you so very much for this lovely note! I so happy to hear you love this recipe, and that they've been shared the bread and muffins with many, and that they've traveled far and wide. 😉 So fun you're going to get a persimmon tree! I know someone with one, but would love to have my own. You'll be finding all sorts of new ways to use them and have many best friends! Hope you have a great week ahead. 😀 Warmly, Valentina
Ally V
This is a wonderful recipe. I usually make the James Beard Persimmon Bread to use up persimmons, which is much more of a dense fruit cake. This recipe has a light spongy crumb with a good spice ratio. So moist. And very easy to make. No mixers or electric beaters required (although I did use the stand mixer to get the brown sugar and oil started...but that was just me being extra).
I made them as mini and full size cupcakes because I thought I might bring them to a pot luck, but we ended up eating them all. Recipe yielded 24 minis + 12 regular size cupcakes filled half to 1/3 of the way...the baking soda made them rise and dome very nicely. My mom particularly loves them toasted with some butter.
It feels like this would also take additions (chopped dried fruit, nuts, etc.) really well, so long as you don't overload the batter so that the sponge can't rise.
Thank you so much for this recipe. It is now going to be a standard part of my regular fall/winter baking.
valentina
Hi Ally, Thank you so much for sharing. I'm so happy you loved this recipe! And I appreciate the info about the muffins -- as will other readers. Yes, it would be lovely with dried fruits, nuts, etc. I especially love it with my morning coffee. Happy holiday season to you. 🙂 ~Valentina
Ann Watson
if I'm out of olive oil, will something else work? I have avocado, sunflower, canola, coconut, and culinary algae oil.
valentina
Hi Ann. Out of these choices, I'd go with the Canola. I hope you love it. Happy holidays! 🙂 ~Valentina
2pots2cook
I had some persimmon trials few years back but didn't even get close to this beauty!
Marissa
I'm loving the warm flavors in this bread, Valentina! And the texture looks perfect. I bet it smells incredible coming out of the oven too!
Nilmini
My neighbor dropped off a bunch of fresh persimmons from their tree. I never had persimmons and didn't know what to do with them. I decided to give this recipe a shot, and I'm so glad I did. The bread turned out wonderfully — it was fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness.
Due to a lack of some spices, I substituted 1 1/2 teaspoons of allspice for the ground cloves and ground ginger, and I skipped the crystallized ginger altogether. These changes didn't seem to detract from the delicious end result at all. Also, because my partner is gluten-intolerant, I used Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour instead of regular flour.
I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone, especially if you're new to persimmons or need to make it gluten-free. It's a keeper, and I'll definitely be baking this again!
Valentina
Hi Nilmini, Thanks so much for this review! The use of allspice is great, and I'm so happy you loved the bread. Persimmons are everywhere right now and I love it. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. 🙂 ~Valentina
Sue Goldish
I haven't sliced it yet, but cut down the recipe to 8 servings. I used 2 whole eggs, and instead of the extra egg white, I added some ground chia seed, to make up for my probably overripe persimmons, so more liquidy. It worked well to thicken it. I made it gluten free, using primarily chickpea flour and a bit of buckwheat, what I had on hand! It cracked quite a bit but looks good. I added some dried cranberries too.
Seems to be a great recipe, and very versatile. I might try millet flour next time. I prefer a denser whole grains bread though.
Valentina
Hi Sue, I'm so happy you like the recipe and that it worked well with your changes. The addition of the cranberries sounds delicious, and very cool that the ground chia seeds worked as a thickener for your overripe persimmons. Great idea. Happy holiday season. Warmly, Valentina
Beth
This bread is in the oven and smells wonderful. What is the science behind baking soda thickening liquid? I can't find any information on it.
Valentina
Hi Beth. So happy you're making this bread. While the science of baking is far from my culinary expertise 😉 -- years ago, a pastry chef I worked with in a restaurant told me that specifically with persimmons, baking soda reacts because they're slightly acidic. It creates carbon dioxide, which helps the juices either thicken or less likely to become too liquidy while sitting. Hope this helps, and I hope you love the bread! Happy holiday season. 🙂 ~Valentina
Healthy World Cuisine
Persimmons is one of our favorite fruits and gingerbread is our favorite holiday treat! You know we are all about the moist and spiced delight. Great bread to make extra to freeze and have for last minute guests around the holiday.
Valentina
Yes! So good to have things at the ready for guests. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina