Chocolate Covered Cherry Bread

We took our most-loved cherry loaf and turned it into a delicious chocolate covered cherry bread! With chocolate chips inside and a smooth chocolate ganache on top, this easy bread recipe is a chocolate cherry lover’s dream.

It was over 4 years ago when we first published our popular cherry bread. It went viral on Facebook about 3 years ago and has been one of our most popular recipes ever since.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Bread

The fun thing about videos going viral on Facebook is that readers give their suggestions on what they would change about the bread or what they would like to see. You can bet that with that pink cherry bread, people wanted to add CHOCOLATE. And this is why I love you all!

My husband loves chocolate covered cherries, so he was on board with making a chocolatey quick bread. This is the result and I hope you all love it!

How to Make Chocolate Covered Cherry Bread

Here are a few tips to make this cherry bread:

1. Mix together the dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients.
3. Then pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well, but only until the ingredients are just combined. It’s important to not overmix quick bread so that the bread stays soft.
4. Prepare the maraschino cherries by draining them well. Discard the cherry juice. Place the cherries in a food processor and pulse them a few times to chop the cherries.
5. Fold the cherries and the chocolate into the quick bread batter.
6. Grease and flour a bread loaf pan, then pour the batter in.
7. Bake for about 50 minutes.

**PRO TIP: Some maraschino cherries now do not contain red dye (Aldi cherries do not have red color). If you want a pink bread, use cherries that do have the red dye in them. Just check the ingredient label. If you don’t care about the color of the bread, use any maraschino cherries. You can also add a drop of pink or red food coloring if you’d like a brighter color.**

How do you know when quick bread is done?

The center of the bread should be slightly puffy and might have a crack on top. Use a toothpick to test the center of the bread to make sure it is done. Don’t open the oven until the bread “looks” done (turn on the light to take a peek). If you open the oven before the bread is done, it may cause the bread to fall in the center.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache

Making chocolate ganache is easier than you think! Although you can make ganache in a double boiler on the stovetop very easily, it’s just as easy to make it in the microwave. Here’s how to do it:

• Heat the heavy cream in the microwave until it is very hot and steaming, but not boiling.
• Place the chocolate chips in a small glass bowl.
• Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips.
• Cover the bowl with a plate and allow the bowl to sit for 3-4 minutes.
• Remove the plate and stir the chocolate and cream together. This will take maybe 2 minutes of stirring to get it completely combined, but eventually you’ll get a smooth, dark, silky chocolate.

The ganache will firm up as it sits, so you’ll want to let it cool for at least 10 minutes before spreading it on the bread. Otherwise it will all fall off.

How do you store quick bread?

This bread stores well at room temperature for 2-3 days. Make sure the bread is an an airtight container.

Can you freeze quick bread?

Yes! This bread freezes well, even with the chocolate ganache. Be sure to wrap it well once the chocolate has set completely. Allow it to defrost completely before unwrapping it so that the bread retains its moisture.

OTHER QUICK BREAD RECIPES

• Gingerbread Loaf
• Cottage Cheese Walnut Bread
• Banana Bread Recipe
• Pistachio Bread
• Strawberry Bread
• Peach Bread
• Apple Bread

 And try our chocolate cherry lava cake!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Bread

4.75 from 4 votes

Servings 12

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

US Customary – Metric

For the Bread

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces maraschino cherries* (1 jar)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

For the Ganache

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, milk, oil, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Drain the maraschino cherries and discard juice. Coarsely chop the cherries in a food processor or with a knife. Gently fold the cherries and the mini chocolate chips into the batter.
• Pour the bread batter into a greased 9″x5″ bread pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the bread should come out clean.
•  Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the bread to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the ganache,  heat the heavy cream until it is very hot, but not boiling.
• Place the chocolate chips in a small mixing bowl and pour the heavy cream over the chocolate. Put a plate over the bowl to lock in the heat. Allow this to sit for 3-4 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt.
• Stir or whisk the ganache until all of the chocolate is melted and it is completely smooth. 
• Allow the ganache to sit for 10 minutes so that it firms up slightly. If you pour it on the bread right away it might all run off.
• Once the bread is cool, spread the ganache on top of the bread. 
• Allow the ganache to set.
• Slice and serve. Freezes well!
  

Video

Notes

The calories shown are based on the bread being sliced into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of bread. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition

Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2.3mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 441

Keyword bread recipe, cherry bread, christmas quick bread, valentine’s day dessert

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