Why do you use freeze-dried strawberries instead of fresh?

Freeze-dried strawberries have no water, so they give intense, all-natural strawberry flavor with none of the watery, gummy pockets fresh berries can leave in the crumb. They also need no chopping, straining, or patting dry. They go straight into the batter and make a great berry-flavored loaf!

Can I use fresh strawberries instead?

Yes, but they need a little prep so the loaf doesn't turn gummy. Dice them very small, cut them at least 30 minutes ahead, strain off any juices, pat them dry, and toss them in flour before folding them in. The smaller the pieces, the better. See the fresh strawberry variation above for amounts.

Why is my strawberry banana bread wet or gummy in the middle?

That comes from the water in fresh strawberries. Freeze-dried strawberries avoid it entirely, which is why they take the lead this recipe. If you use the fresh option I've provided, dice them very small, pat them dry, toss them in flour, and don't overload the batter. The smaller the dice, the less potential for gummy pockets to form.

Can I freeze strawberry banana bread?

Yes. Wrap it well and freeze it for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature before serving.

Best Strawberry Banana Bread (Never Gummy)

Name: Moist Strawberry Banana Bread Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g) *see notes for measuring flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda (6g); 1 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (4.5g); 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (113g); 1 1/2 cups pure cane or granulated sugar (300g); 3 large eggs, room temperature (150g); 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (8g); 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature (120g) *see notes for a buttermilk substitute; 1 heaping cup mashed overly ripe bananas (about 2 1/2 to 3 bananas) (300g); 1 1/2 cups freeze-dried strawberries (30g) *see notes for substituting fresh strawberries; homemade strawberry sugar, for dusting

Description

Never gummy, always tender, and bursting with real, all-natural strawberry flavor. The fool-proof secret is freeze-dried strawberries, and don't worry if you've only got fresh, I've got the perfect prep for those too. Two delicious options, and freeze-dried is our favorite.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (260g) *see notes for measuring flour

1 teaspoon baking soda (6g)

1 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (4.5g)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)

1 1/2 cups pure cane or granulated sugar (300g)

3 large eggs, room temperature (150g)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (8g)

1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature (120g) *see notes for a buttermilk substitute

1 heaping cup mashed overly ripe bananas (about 2 1/2 to 3 bananas) (300g)

1 1/2 cups freeze-dried strawberries (30g) *see notes for substituting fresh strawberries

homemade strawberry sugar, for dusting

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark even when your hands have flour all over them

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and prep the pans. Butter two loaf pans, dust with flour, tap out the excess, and set aside.
Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together well, and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar. Using a handheld mixer (or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment), cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Add the eggs and vanilla. Crack 3 eggs into a small prep bowl and add the vanilla. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, add eggs one at a time, waiting about 5 seconds in between each addition, blending just until the eggs are incorporated. The addition of all three eggs should take no longer than 15 seconds to incorporate. Turn off the mixer.
Incorporate the flour mixture and buttermilk. Starting and ending with the flour mixture, add the flour in three additions alternating with the buttermilk in two, mixing on low just until combined.
Process the strawberries. Break or process half of the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until they look like pebbles, and some is a powder, then break the remaining slices into small pieces by hand. Processing half gives you all-over strawberry flavor and color, while the larger pieces give you berry bits in every slice.
Add the bananas and strawberries. Gently fold in the mashed bananas and freeze-dried strawberries until just combined. Divide the batter between the two pans and tap on the counter a couple of times to release air bubbles.
Bake the strawberry banana bread. Bake for about 40 minutes, checking at 35 minutes, until the tops are golden and a tester comes out clean from the center. Freeze-dried strawberry loaves bake slightly faster than fresh, so start checking early. Cool 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Once it's fully cooled, dust the tops with strawberry sugar.

Notes

Measuring the flour: spoon it into the cup and level it, or weigh it.

Buttermilk substitute: add 1 tablespoon (15g) lemon juice to a measuring cup, fill with whole milk to 1/2 cup, stir, and rest 10 minutes as it thickens.

Fresh strawberry variation: substitute 1 1/2 cups (225g) finely diced fresh strawberries plus 1/2 cup (65g) flour to toss them in before adding to the batter. Dice them very small, cut at least 30 minutes ahead, strain off juices, pat dry, and toss in the flour before folding in. Using fresh strawberries need a slightly longer baking time, about 45 to 50 minutes.

Different pans: To bake in one large Pullman loaf pan, add about 8 to 10 minutes (if using freeze-dried strawberries) and about 10 to 15 minutes if using fresh strawberries. Tent with foil if you notice the top browning too quickly; muffins bake faster, start checking around 20 minutes.

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temp for 3 days, in the fridge for 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Dust with strawberry sugar just before serving. If using fresh strawberries, store them in the fridge and not at room temperature.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Cakes + Tortes
Method: Oven Bake
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 179
Sugar: 19g
Sodium: 163mg
Fat: 5.6g
Saturated Fat: 3.2g
Unsaturated Fat: 2.4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 31g
Fiber: 0.9G
Protein: 2.7G
Cholesterol: 44mg