Carrot Bread with Walnuts

Carrot Bread with Walnuts
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This flavorful Carrot Bread with Walnuts has all the goodness of carrot cake disguised in a breakfast loaf. Filled with freshly grated carrots, toasted walnuts and your favorite spices, this scrumptious bread can be served all year long.

When it comes to food, potatoes lobby hard for most-popular vegetable. Not only are they the main ingredient in French fries, Pringles and vodka, but they also make all the other vegetables look like they aren’t even trying. Frankly, it’s not fair to the carrots. So what if saying that carrots improve your vision is actually an Old Wives’ Tale? Keeping carrots away from eyes is actually better for your sight than eating them. I know this firsthand (and first-eye) since my sister once poked me in the cornea with the sharp end of a carrot.

The vegetable savagery didn’t stop with a singular attack. Before I knew it the two of us were sparring with carrots like dueling fencers. Seeing as I had no depth perception due to the aforementioned eye poking, I was not the victor.

carrot bread topped with walnuts. Top down view of an uncut loaf of bread. image is styled with stemmed carrots, small red flowers and walnut pieces.

But, alas, if life gives you the short end of the carrot stick all is not lost. Besides doubling as makeshift weapons for sibling rivalries, carrots are great for shredding into sweet bread recipes. Take it from me, carrots are better suited for amateur baking than competitive fencing. So grab your favorite spices and a fistful of walnuts and let carrots be the shining star of the vegetable world with this scrumptious breakfast bread.

carrot bread with walnuts. top down view of loaf. one slice has been cut and is resting flat so you can see the moist crumb.

Before sharing this Carrot Bread recipe, here are a few baking tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

Freshly grated carrots are a must for moist carrot bread. Do not buy the dry, pre-shredded carrots that have been sitting under the florescent light of a grocery shelf for an eternity. Instead, buy fresh carrots (or, better yet, pull them from your garden) and grate them yourself. It’s easy and fun (as long as you don’t grate a finger in the process).

Olive oil, and lots of it, is the secret ingredient that makes carrot bread moist. When baking with olive oil, choose a mild, extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation Tips

Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping flour is a no-no. That technique overpacks flour into the measuring cup which will result in dry, dense bread.

Always bake carrot bread in a 9 x 5 metal loaf pan. Glass pans require longer bake times and, therefore, are not recommended for this quick bread recipe.

Wondering how to toast walnuts? Simply preheat the oven to 350 degrees then bake walnuts in a single layer for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool nuts then grind them in a food processor before adding to batter.

Cover bread with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent walnuts from overbrowning.

How to Store Carrot Bread

Store carrot bread in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Can You Freeze Carrot Bread?

Yes, you can freeze carrot bread. After bread has cooled completely, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap then wrap in a layer of aluminum foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

carrot bread with walnuts. top down, close up view of bread loaf with two slices cut and facing up so you can see the walnut topping and the moist inner crumbs.

I hope you enjoy this Carrot Walnut Bread! Please leave a comment and a rating at the bottom of this blog once you try it out. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting treat.

Finally, if you like making recipes with vegetables then you’ll love this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. Loaded with moisture and studded with dark chocolate chips, this quick bread gets an extra layer of flavor from chocolate ganache frosting. 

chocolate chip zucchini bread topped with chocolate ganache. top down view of 6 slices arranged on a white oval plate.
carrot bread with walnuts. side view of sliced loaf so you can see the moist inner crumbs. bread is topped with yellow and orange flowers.

Carrot Bread with Walnuts

Heather Wolf
This super flavorful Carrot Bread with Walnuts has all the goodness of carrot cake disguised in a breakfast loaf. Filled with grated carrots, toasted walnuts and all your favorite spices, this scrumptious bread can be served all year long.
5 from 12 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Breads and Rolls
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf

Equipment

  • 9 x 5 metal baking pan

Ingredients
  

Carrot Bread

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt fine
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract pure
  • 1 1/4 cups freshly grated carrots fine
  • 1/2 cup walnuts toasted and ground
  • 1 cup walnuts halved

Instructions
 

Carrot Bread with Walnuts

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 5 metal loaf pan with nonstick spray then line with parchment paper leaving an overhang for ease of removal. Set aside.
  • In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk oil and eggs with both sugars and vanilla until well combined.
  • Add grated carrots and ground walnuts to wet ingredients then stir with a spoon until incorporated.
  • Add wet ingredients to dry then stir with a spoon until just barely combined. Note: batter will be thick, avoid overmixing.
  • Pour batter into loaf pan then top with walnut halves.
  • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. For best results, do not overbake. Note: to prevent walnuts from overbrowning, cover loaf with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.
  • Place loaf pan on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes then remove loaf from pan and cool completely before slicing.
  • Store carrot bread covered at room temperature up to 3 days.
Keyword bread, carrot


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Ben
Ben
2 years ago

5 stars
Holy delicious treats, Batman! I have to make this. I love carrot bread, and I’m a fan of anything with nuts in it.

Brianne
2 years ago

5 stars
Everything about this bread looks amazing! I love all those walnuts. You certainly didn’t skimp on them!

Ivan M. Jose
2 years ago

5 stars
Delicious! I love the mildly sweet taste of carrot cake. I like the addition of walnuts to make it more chunky.

Talya Stone
2 years ago

5 stars
Come to mama! This looks so damn good. The perfect treat for Autumn days ahead.

Gervin Khan
Gervin Khan
2 years ago

5 stars
Two of my favorites ingredient in bread carrots, and walnut.
Your recipe looks so delicious and easy. I am so excited to make this for everyone.

Nkem
2 years ago

5 stars
Great recipe! Thanks for sharing. Perfect for Fall. 🙂

Fransic verso
Fransic verso
2 years ago

5 stars
Amazing recipe, we have carrot and we looking for some recipes to use it. this would be perfect.

Fransic –

Iféoluwa
2 years ago

5 stars
This is my first time hearing of carrot bread! Reminds me of banana bread so yummy

Veronika Sykorova
Veronika Sykorova
2 years ago

5 stars
Carrots and walnuts are the best combo! This bread was delicious and I’ll definitely make it again soon!

Neely Moldovan
Neely Moldovan
2 years ago

5 stars
I have never had carrot bread but I think I would love it!

Life Mag Health
2 years ago

5 stars
I have been wanting to learn how to bake carrot cakes, and what you did, seemed so easy. I hope it’s gonna be easy for me too! Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’m gonna try this next weekend!

emman damian
emman damian
2 years ago

5 stars
I love carrot cake especially with walnuts. It’s so yummy! Can’t wait to try your recipe.