This tender Gluten-Free Cherry Orange Pistachio Bread, lovely with a cup of tea for breakfast. Naturally sweetened and bursting with cherries! Recipe in partnership with Montmorency Tart Cherries.
Oh WOWZA, my friends.
I'm quite literally jumping for joy over today's insanely fantastical recipe! It all started because I was on a quest to create a lovely loaf that was gluten-free yet sacrificed NOTHIN' when it came to flavor and texture.
Almond flour to the rescue! Grocery tip: I buy three-pounds bags at Costco, which is by far the best deal.
The combo of almond + oat flour is one I rave about quite often, and for good reason. It's loaded with healthy fats, plant-powered protein, and nutrients galore from almonds and oats, and also unbeatable in the texture department.
Even if you adore gluten like I do, this bread is an equally phenomenal alternative to my usual whole wheat ones. The best part about this Cherry Orange Pistachio bread is that it stays fabulous in the fridge for over a week. I'm telling you...like a fine wine, this baby improves with age!
Bursting with tart cherry goodness!
Beautifully plump, ruby red jewels that are U.S.-grown Montmorency tart (also known as sour) cherries are my favorite to use in baking.
Did you know they're not imported like other types of tart cherries, helping to support local agriculture and preserve generations-old family farms? In fact, Montmorency tart cherries are grown locally in seven cherry-producing states including Michigan, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, New York and Pennsylvania. Love that!
Tart cherries are always in season, since they're available year round frozen, canned, juiced, and dried. They're not in the fresh produce section because they’re picked at the peak of freshness. I typically buy the frozen ones at Whole Foods and the dried ones at Costco.
And they're healthy, too.
The cherries complement the orange flavor in the bread so well with their unique sweet-tart taste. Beyond tasting straight DELISH and being easy on the eyes, tart cherries also contain a concentration of anthocyanins---a polyphenol in the flavonoids family.
That's right---what used to be a pie filling cherry is now a homegrown superfruit, famed for its versatility, nutrient density and health benefits.
Research suggests Montmorency tart cherry juice may help aid exercise recovery, making 8-12 ounces of 100% tart cherry juice a great post-workout choice. Melatonin-containing tart cherries have been the focus of multiple sleep studies, as well!
Helpful tools
- Loaf pan. Family owned USA Bakeware is my go-to for muffin tins, sheet pans, cookie sheets, and beyond. I love the unique fluted design, natural non stick coating and sturdy construction!
- Stainless steel mixing bowl. I use the 5qt and 7qt all the time! They hand-wash like a dream and are unbreakable.
- Silicone spatula: Made in the U.S. and heat resistant, plus I love the wood and white look.
This recipe makes very tasty muffins. Simply follow the recipe and pour batter into a muffin tin then bake for about 26-28 minutes minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Insanely fluffy!
More tart cherry recipes to love:
I hope you're as in love with this delectable Cherry Orange Pistachio Loaf as I am! If you make it, feel free to leave a comment letting me know how it turned out. I'm so grateful for your feedback!
Print
Tart Cherry Orange Pistachio Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 55 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 slices 1x
- Category: Breakfast/Desserts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The most moist and delicious Cherry Orange Pistachio Bread, lovely with a cup of tea for breakfast. Naturally sweetened and bursting with tart cherries!
Ingredients
- 2 medium overripe (brown and spotted) bananas
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 large eggs (sub 2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water for vegan version)
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup avocado or melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups super fine almond flour, packed (really pack it in there!)
- 1 cup certified GF oat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp orange zest (from 2 medium oranges)
- ½ or ¾ cup Montmorency tart cherries
- ¼ cup pistachios, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan.
- Place bananas, orange juice, eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Whisk together almond flour, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in cherries and pistachios (I love this silicone spatula).
- Pour mixture into loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until a knife comes out almost clean. Let bread cool in pan for 15 minutes until carefully removing and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
*TO MAKE OAT FLOUR: If you don't have store bought, make your own by grinding old fashioned oats in the blender until it resembles a fine flour.
TO MAKE MUFFINS: Pour batter into a muffin tin and bake for 26-28 minutes, or until a knife comes out almost clean.
TO STORE: Keep bread on countertop in an air-tight container for up to four days. It stays moist for a surprisingly long time! If you still have some left, you can store in the fridge for up to a week or more and it will stay moist.
TO FREEZE: Wrap the loaf tightly in foil then in a plastic bag with the air squeezed out. It will stay fresh for up to four months. You can thaw it on the counter when you're ready to eat.
Recipe by Alexis Joseph of Hummusapien™. Photos by Eat Love Eats.
Anita says
I made muffins with fresh, tart cherries and they absolutely wonderful! Great taste and texture and just enough sweetness. I would be happy to serve these to my wheat-eating friends - they would never know they are GF.
★★★★★
Morgan says
YUMMY. I was licking up the batter as I was mixing this up and it turned out so good! I baked muffins and the recipe made 10 muffins which were baked through after 20 mn. My favorite gluten free muffin recipe yet!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Mmmmm I love that! I'm thrilled to hear they worked well as muffins 🙂 Thanks, Morgan!
Naomi Gaia says
Hi Alexis. I've been enjoying your delicious creative recipes which I adapt because I am a whole-foods vegan, in addition to eating gluten-free.
What is the purpose of the bananas in this recipe? I can't wait to make this tempting bread; but I have to watch my potassium intake. As you know, cherries, oranges, and bananas each have a high potassium level so I want to substitute something else for the bananas as it's the tart cherries and orange combination that appeal to me. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks. Stay safe!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Hey Naomi, this recipe is essentially a banana bread with cherries, so bananas add sweetness, flavor, and contribute to the texture. You may be able to sub with pumpkin or applesauce but it would be less sweet! Hope that helps. Enjoy!
Giovonne says
This bread is simple and delicious! I used flax eggs and it turned out great. It was the perfect recipe to use up my super ripe bananas and the remaining orange juice in my fridge!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing that you loved it!
Carrie says
This is so good!! I didn't want to buy a massive bag of dried tart cherries at Costco so I found a small bag of dried bing cherries at Trader Joe's and used those. We loved it! Making our second loaf this weekend. You have really approachable yet really delicious recipes!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
That is the best feedback--thank you so much, Carrie! I feel ya on the giant bag. TJ's never fails!