This is Gingerbread Amish Friendship Bread is exactly what you want baking in your kitchen for the ENTIRE month of December. It’s aromatic and spicy, with just the right warm, sweet notes. The scent alone is worth it, but it is absolutely delicious and is a great way to bake with your one cup of starter.
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During the holiday season, you can sometimes find gingerbread instant pudding in grocery stores and big-box stores like Walmart or Target, but if you’re making the bread at any other time of the year, you can simply use a box of vanilla pudding mixed with 1 teaspoon ground ginger (wondering if you need the pudding? It’s up to you, but read this first).
What makes this bread so phenomenal is the addition of chopped crystallized ginger and 6 tablespoons of molasses (you can substitute ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar if you can’t find any molasses, or pick up a bottle here). There’s also the usual suspects: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg. It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas, isn’t it?
The crystallized ginger becomes soft and tender during baking, so when you take it out of the oven, the warm bread coupled with the soft nuggets of ginger is pretty tantalizing. I made two loaves and they were GONE before people had a chance to go back for seconds. These would make terrific mini loaves or cupcakes, or even a Bundt cake!
Another fun serving option: cube the bread and top on a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Toast the cubes first if you prefer it a little crunchy. The result is heaven. 😋
- 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup oil
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 6 tablespoons molasses if unavailable, substitute ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 1-2 small boxes instant gingerbread pudding if unavailable, use vanilla pudding mixed with 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ cup diced crystallized ginger plus 2 tablespoons for topping
- Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C).
- In a large mixing bowl, add ingredients as listed.
- Grease two large loaf pans.
- Dust the greased pans with a mixture of ½ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Pour the batter evenly into loaf or cake pans. Top with 2 tablespoons diced crystallized ginger and sugar.
- Bake for one hour or until the bread loosens evenly from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
- ENJOY!
>> Have you tried this? Share your best pic with us or leave a comment below and let us know how it worked for you!
Hello,
Yes I am a gingerbread fan, would definitely try this recipe, it would be made for myself & my husband and I have made gingerbread cookies before.
Oh I can’t wait to try this! Sounds delicious!
I love Gingerbread anything but have never made it…I’m usually the recipient of gingerbread gifts ❤️ I would definitely make this for my sister!
I will try this because I like gingerbread soft not hard and crunchy like most gingerbread cookies. Also have all the ingredients (except for ginger pudding) that I would like to use up i.e. crystallized ginger and molasses. Lol but true.
I love to try any recipe once, although right now I have decided to cease baking until after the holidays. Too much going on! I’m pretty much the only one in my family who actually likes gingerbread, though, so I’d have to make it for myself (not that I’m complaining!). I’ve never made gingerbread before, so if I do try this recipe, it will be a first for me. But I love trying new baking recipes (probably a little TOO much), so it would be fun after crazy holiday times!
I have never tried crystalized ginger before, but I love regular gingerbread cookies so this sounds like just the ticket. thank you for all the great recipes. Linda
I love gingerbread and Amish Friendship Bread. I cannot wait to make this as soon as my starter is ready to go! Not sure my hubby will try it, but the grandkids will love it!. thanks for the recipe.
This looks amazing and I am definitley going to try this!!! I love everything gingerbread, cake,bread,cookies,ect. I am already subscribed and love giveaways. Merry Xmas
I will definitely try this!! Gingerbread is one of my favorites at Christmas time!!
I love ginger snap cookies and gingerbread so I know I will love this.
Love it! Great for family, specially grands!
I haven’t made anything ginger before. But, with the amount of starters I have, I think I just might to. Looking forward to it!
I’m not the biggest fan of gingerbread but it’s my dad’s absolute favorite holiday treat! I would make this for him in a heartbeat! Love the idea of using pudding packets!
I’ve made gingerbread as a cake before, but not one like this. I’d love to try this recipe out soon. might make it this weekend to take to work as a little tasty treat for my coworkers.
this would be perfect formy son he loves gingerbread
I love gingerbread and will definitely be trying this recipe.
I LOVE Gingerbread. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
I’m not a fan of gingerbread but my husband is so I might make it for him. The closest I have come to making gingerbread is making Old Fashioned Stack Cake which is a gingerbread like recipe from hubby’s Great Grandmother.
I love gingerbread, and I will definitely be making this for my husband
I’m a gingerbread fan for sure. I’ve never seen gingerbread flavored pudding- I’ll have to look for it!
I love gingerbread and have made it before. I’d try this recipe,love that it has crystallized ginger in it. My granddaughter would love it.
I’ve never actually tried gingerbread! I would love to give this a go–my husband eats anything so he would definitely try it, and my almost-4-year-old loves to help in the kitchen. 🙂
I haven’t tried this yet, but I like the addition of ginger pieces to the bread. I can’t wait to start this one.
I’m a huge gingerbread fan and definitely will try this recipe. I would bake it for myself and my family. I have made gingerbread before.
Never made gingerbread. Usually eat other people’s at Christmas time (don’t like it enough I would eat an entire batch). My daughter likes them though.
I’ve never made gingerbread cake but like spice cake so this should be good. I would use Hood’s Pumpkin Eggnog instead of milk, and butterscotch pudding mix, which I have on hand. I’ve never seen gingerbread pudding mix. Mini loaves would be good for the bake sale held by The Power of Flowers Project, for which I volunteer. We take donations of unsold flowers, and arrangements from events held the previous day. Then we disassemble them, refresh the flowers overnight, and make individual arrangements in paper cups lined with damp ened floral foam. These are given to residents in assisted living and nursing homes, to senior daycares, meals on wheels, chemo and dialysis clinics, ets.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love making holiday breads in mini loaf pans to share with my neighbors and friends. I hope this is as good as the Pumpkin Spice bread I made at thanksgiving. Everyone love that one.
I love ginger ANYTHING!!!
I’m going to try this as you suggested…toasted
With ice cream on top 😋
I’m going to give it a try for my neighborhood goodie plates. I love gingerbread hope they do too!
This sounds delish. Will definitely try this.
I need to make this for my mom to compare to her gingerbread cookies!
I do like gingerbread me and my daughter would bake
I have never tried gingerbread, but I know if I make this my husband would be very happy! I will have to give it a try – thank you for the recipe!
I am a fan of gingerbread and I will be trying this recipe on my upcoming Day 10. I will be baking this for 6 of my friends to gift with the AFB starter, gift tags, friendship quotes…all things AFB!
I have not made gingerbread before and I am excited to try it!
I love gingerbread and so does my family, cant wait to try this for Christmas
Gingerbread is good in moderation. We generally only it it this time of year, so we don’t really get tired of it. Pumpkin is the same way. WE all love gingerbread and pumpkin spice this time of year, but if we ate it more frequently, it wouldn’t have any allure to it.
This recipe is great! Using pudding makes it so good!
My husband and I love gingerbread so this will certainly be one I would try. I might add some nuts along with the crystallized ginger.
Comment posted on AFB Gingerbread- looks delicious.
I am not a big fan of gingerbread but I know my husband would enjoy this. I’m looking forward to trying it out. Thank You.
Wow, can’t say I’m a huge gingerbread fan, but your recipe sounds amazing and I love the various options you give if some ingredients can’t be located.
Missed answering questions in my first comment….it’s been a long day…. but yes, I’d make this for my husband & honestly haven’t made anything gingerbread before.
I do like gingerbread and I would try it. I would make it for me and my family and I have not used it before.
Yes, I like gingerbread. I have not cooked with it. I would try it. I would share it with my family.