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. 😋
Gingerbread Amish Friendship Bread
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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!
Can you leave out the crystallzied ginger? Where do I find it if I can’t leave it out.
Hi Susan! You can find it in the grocery store in the spices area, or in the dried fruit area. While you can leave it out, it does contribute to the wonderful texture and flavor of the bread.
You could also try this: https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-900321-Gourmet-Crystallized-Ginger/dp/B0005XNIHO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?dchild=1&keywords=crystallized+ginger&qid=1607398255&sr=8-3&linkCode=ll1&tag=fbkitchen-20&linkId=c290e024eaa26194d6c886ddf0b9a80b&language=en_US
Just made the Gingerbread this evening with my frozen and defrosted Amish bread starter. It came out perfect. I used a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan and all the batter fit into it, but it was a dark pan so it took about 95 minutes to bake because I baked it at 315 degrees. I had a large box of vanilla pudding to which I added one teaspoon ground ginger per your instructions. I also only added a quarter cup of diced crystallized ginger to the batter. I also only added three quarters of a cup of sugar. It was plenty sweet for my husband and I! Thank you for the recipe. I wish I could post a picture it looks so perfect!
Hi Gloria! We’re so glad it worked out for you! We’d love to see pictures if you took any! Feel free to post them on our group Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/amishfriendshipbread
Getting ready to make this. Is it 1 box of pudding or 2? The recipe isn’t clear.
There is some flexibility in how much instant pudding you want to put in your recipe, which is why some of these recipes will say 1-2 boxes. A lot of people will either do 1 5.1 ounce box of instant pudding or 2 3.4 box of instant pudding when the recipe calls for 1-2 boxes. We personally usually only put one small box in most of the recipes (which is a personal preference). Let us know if you have any more questions!
Yes, I like gingerbread. I have not cooked with it. I would try it. I would share it with my family.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Comment posted on AFB Gingerbread- looks delicious.
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.
This recipe is great! Using pudding makes it so good!
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.
I love gingerbread and so does my family, cant wait to try this for Christmas
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 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 do like gingerbread me and my daughter would bake
I need to make this for my mom to compare to her gingerbread cookies!
This sounds delish. Will definitely try this.
I’m going to give it a try for my neighborhood goodie plates. I love gingerbread hope they do too!
I love ginger ANYTHING!!!
I’m going to try this as you suggested…toasted
With ice cream on top 😋
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’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.
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’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.
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’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 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’m a gingerbread fan for sure. I’ve never seen gingerbread flavored pudding- I’ll have to look for it!
I love gingerbread, and I will definitely be making this for my husband
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. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
I love gingerbread and will definitely be trying this recipe.
this would be perfect formy son he loves gingerbread
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.
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 haven’t made anything ginger before. But, with the amount of starters I have, I think I just might to. Looking forward to it!
Love it! Great for family, specially grands!
I love ginger snap cookies and gingerbread so I know I will love this.
I will definitely try this!! Gingerbread is one of my favorites at Christmas time!!
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 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.
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 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 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 Gingerbread anything but have never made it…I’m usually the recipient of gingerbread gifts ❤️ I would definitely make this for my sister!
Oh I can’t wait to try this! Sounds delicious!
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.