The Most Delicious Almond Persimmon Bread Ever [Gluten-free]
It took me two full years, over three persimmon seasons and a lot of family drama (we can joke about it now) to create this recipe. But, good news! I’m happy to say, I have absolutely succeeded at my mission of making the most deliciously moist, spongy gluten-free persimmon bread ever.
I love quick breads and I can’t stop eating this one. My daughter can’t stop eating it. She even said it was my best bread ever, and that’s a lot coming from a 21-year old who doesn’t generally love GF food. There’s a first time for everything.
It is 100% addictive and packed with ridiculously healthy, wholesome ingredients. We eat it for breakfast, for an afternoon snack and for dessert. One loaf lasts about a day around here. Made with finely ground almond meal, this persimmon bread recipe is not only rich in fiber, but honey-sweetened and free of refined sugars.
This has already become one of my favorite family recipes. The taste is rich, and it has such a moist texture. It blows the dry, crusty, gluten free breads I’ve tasted right out of the oven.
Jump to RecipeSince persimmons aren’t as common as some fruits, I’ve put together some FAQ’s to answer some of your questions before baking:
Can you eat persimmons with the skin?
A lot of people ask about the persimmon skin. The Fuyu persimmons I use in this recipe have an edible skin. Hachiya persimmons are also common in San Diego and have an edible skin, too. Either can be used, but like I said, I’m using the Fuyu persimmons I picked from Ramona Fresh Fruit. Find out more about picking your own persimmons here.
When is a Fuyu persimmon ripe enough to bake with?
Fuyu persimmons are best for baking when they are fully ripe. Unlike some other varieties of persimmons, Fuyu persimmons, when eaten fresh, are typically enjoyed while they are still firm, but slightly yielding when gently pressed. Waiting until they begin to darken and fully soften enough that you can easily press into them with your finger ensures they will be their sweetest for baking. I like using soft persimmons, but overripe persimmons have a tendancy to spoil quickly over night, so I often stick them in the fridge as soon as they’re soft if I’m not ready to bake them that day.
What do persimmons taste like?
Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons differ in that Fuyu are sweet and flavorful even when still firm, and they don’t have the astringency that requires them to be fully soft before consumption. The taste is often described as a combination of pear, apple, and a hint of spice. Hachiya are typically acorn-shaped and need to be fully ripe before eating. When unripe, they can be very astringent, leaving a dry, puckering feeling in the mouth. However, when fully ripe, they become sweet and have a smooth, custard-like consistency. The flavor is often described as honey-like, rich, and sweet.
How can I preserve persimmons for future baking?
The easiest way to preserve your persimmons for later use with this recipe is to blend them in a food processor into a smooth puree and store in 1 1/4 cup portions in small freezer bags and then freeze. When you’r ready to bake, put the frozen persimmon puree in the refrigerator overnight and use in the recipe as directed. As the persimmon puree defrosts, you’ll notice the water content increase. This is the juice and contains a lot of flavor. Do not drain this off before adding to the batter.
One other way to extend the life of ripe persimmons if you need a couple extra days before baking is to puree them and add 1 1/4 cups puree to a pint mason jar along with the 1/2 cup creamed honey and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract from the recipe. Mix well and refrigerate to prolong the life of your puree. Then, when you go to bake the bread, just dump the jar into your wet ingredients bowl and add the eggs, butter and almond butter.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- If you are toasting your slivered almonds, place them in a lightly greased frying pan on medium low heat.
- Watch until they start turning brown, then use the cooking spatula to move them around, so they toast evenly.
- Keep an eye on them, so they don't burn and remove from heat when most of them are golden brown. Set aside.
- Wash persimmons
- Remove seeds: open persimmons up to check for seeds. This might get messy if your persimmons are very ripe, so open them over a bowl. Some have seeds, some don't, but you're looking for a black, coin-shaped seed or seeds. Remove them when you find them.
- Blend persimmons: persimmons should be blended with skins on until creamy.
- In one mixing bowl, add the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt
- In the second mixing bowl, add persimmon puree, eggs, creamed honey, vanilla extract, butter and almond butter
- Using a whisk, mix the dry ingredients well
- Using a hand mixer, blend the wet ingredients until well combined. You may see small chunks of butter that didn't fully mix in and that's fine as long as they're not too large and more like flecks.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together with a cake spatula until you no longer see dry ingredients in the bowl. Set aside while preparing the loaf pan.
- Butter a 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pan
- Line with parchment paper to prevent crust from over cooking
- Carefully pour the batter into the loaf pan, scraping the batter off the sides of the bowl with the cake spatula
- Sprinkle slivered almonds over the top of the batter
- Loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the loaf pan while baking to create a softer, moister crust.
- Bake for 50 minutes at 325 degrees on the center rack. Check for doneness with a toothpick. If batter comes off on the toothpick, remove the aluminum foil and bake for 10 minute increments until done.
- When done, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. You should be able to lift the loaf out of the pan by pulling up on the parchment paper. Let the loaf cool with the parchment paper and then pull the parchment off once the bread is sufficiently cool.
- Once cool, wrap the loaf in fresh parchment paper and aluminum foil or in an airtight container.
- It keeps well at room temperature for a few days. Refrigerated, up to a week. Freeze to store longer.
