With over 300 5-star reviews, this persimmon bread recipe has become a long-time reader favorite. The texture is super moist and fluffy, it's the perfect combination of spices, and not too sweet.
Here's what people are saying about the best persimmon bread they've ever had:
Want the complete scoop on baking with this fruit? Read my thorough persimmon guide.
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🌟Why You’ll Love This Persimmon Bread Recipe
🧾Ingredients for Persimmon Bread
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🧡 Pro Tip 🧡
Use very ripe and mushy persimmons for your puree. The riper they are, the sweeter they taste. Also, the mushiness of the ripe persimmon makes it so the persimmon can be evenly distributed throughout the batter. Discard as much of the persimmon skins as possible when baking for the smoothest texture.
👩🍳How to Make Persimmon Bread
Before starting, you will need to have three bowls ready: 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small. You will also need your pureed Hachiya persimmon pulp.
🧡 Pro Tip 🧡
To make sure your bread retains its moist texture, let the bread cool completely in a sealed environment. Use a plastic bag or large resealable container. Then, leave the bread overnight and enjoy it in the morning.
📋Persimmon FAQs
Fuyu persimmons come into season around September and can linger into December. Hachiya persimmons tend to arrive later, usually from October through late December.
Persimmons are wonderful for baking. When they ripen to become mushy and sweet, they're so easy to incorporate into different batters from persimmon cookies to persimmon pancakes.
Fuyu persimmons are small, squat, and can be enjoyed like apples – skin and all. When ripe, they're sweet, slightly tangy, and perfect for snacking on.
Hachiya persimmons are longer and heart-shaped with a bright orange color. They're incredibly astringent when not fully ripe. You must wait until they're soft and ripe to eat them, or else they'll taste sharp.
Absolutely! Persimmons can be enjoyed raw, and are extra delicious when ripe. Simply peel the skin (if it's an astringent Fuyu) and slice it into wedges. You can also use them in salads, baked desserts, or even as a topping for yogurt.
They are not that similar. Apples are sweet and often have a tart edge, whereas persimmons are sweet with more of a honeyed flavor with warm spice, Unripe Hachiya persimmons are super astringent and sour, so wait until they ripen for a sweet taste.
Persimmon Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature, plus more for greasing your loaf pan
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cup persimmon puree Hachiya preferred
Instructions
- Preheat to 350F. Lightly grease your 9x5x3 loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl sift the dry ingredients. Flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract.
- With a hand mixer or standing mixer slowly pour the egg mixture into the creamed butter and sugar. Mix well.
- Add the persimmon. Remove from mixer.
- With a spoon or rubber spatula, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients ⅓ at a time. Mix with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.
- Pour into loaf pan*. Optional to top with thinly sliced persimmons.**
- Cook 48-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely. I let it cool overnight and have it for breakfast!
Video
Notes
- Use very ripe and mushy persimmons. The riper, the sweeter. Also, the mushiness of the ripe persimmon makes it so the persimmon can be evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Note that the batter is very wet, so don't be concerned with this texture.
- For zero sticking when baking, I use a non-stick loaf pan.
- Fuyu or Hichaya? Although I prefer to eat slightly under-ripe Fuyu persimmons for snacks on the go, the over-ripe hachiya works best in the batter of this recipe. I use sliced Fuyu persimmons for the top of the bread.
- Discard as much of the persimmon skins as possible when baking for the smoothest texture.
Luna
This recipe is amazing! I had been wanting to try to bake persimmon bread for a while now not really knowing what to expect. I substituted with all oatmeal flour (1 3/4 cup; found conversion online) and added chia seeds. We all just ate it up. I had to make more to share with my parents who gave me the persimmons. I also used the flatter tomato like persimmons that my dad grows on his tree. So good!! This will be a staple every fall.
Candice
That sounds like such a good addition and love the idea to use oatmeal flour! Never added chia seeds before. I'm so glad you loved it, Luna... and I'm so jealous they have a fuyu persimmon tree! Enjoy!
Justin
You have educated me on persimmons. I made the persimmon muffins and I was sold. Now the bread. I think I like it even more. It's so moist and I love slicing it and warming it up on a hot griddle with a little butter to get it crispy. Excellent!!!
Candice
That sounds so good, Justin... I'm glad you liked it, and I'm going to have to give your serving suggestion a try!
Matt Gerhardt
This is an excellent recipe. I toyed with it by adding 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts and by using two shots of bourbon: one added to the mix after the persimmon pulp and the other sipped from a glass as I baked. It turned out great. There is just a hint of bourbon, not an overpowering taste as in some holiday breads. I also placed a rectangle of parchment at the bottom of the baking dish before adding the batter, and, after baking, the loaf was very easy to remove from the pan.
Candice
Love it! Such a good idea to add the bourbon... and keep a shot for yourself. Enjoy, Matt!
Michelle Falconer
Moved to an acre almost 3 years ago with several neglected and half dead trees. We were excited to see that this fall one of the trees starting producing almost a dozen little fruits. It took awhile to find out we had Fuyu persimmon tree. I harvested my 10 persimmons 2 weeks ago and used them for thanksgiving decorations and today 4 are pretty soft so went in search of bread recipes. So glad I found yours. It was easy and delicious! I added about 1 1/2 cup pulp because that’s what the 4 persimmons yielded. I had to bake mine 60 mins to brown under the slices. Definitely will make again! Now to decide do I make cookies or what with my remaining 5 persimmons? ☺️
Candice
I am so glad to hear it, Michelle.. and I'm so jealous of your trees! Amazing!! Enjoy them. I have a persimmon muffin recipe, too, if you're interested 🙂
Carrie Wiles
Perfection! This recipe is delicious—and has left the most delectable fragrance in my home. Thank you!!!
Candice
You are so welcome, Carrie... I'm glad to hear it!
Dale
Hi, I am reading two different instructions regarding baking time. Two places say bake for one hour, and the recipe itself says 40 to 50 minutes....which is it?Thanks!
Candice
40-50! Sorry for the confusion.
Sue
Made this twice. It was especially great the first time even though the edges were a little dark and the bread didn't rise as much as banana bread. I thought it was due to spray of baker's joy on the pan. The second time the loaf rose even less, after baking over an hour and the toothpick coming out clean. Not sure if this was due to using part frozen and thawed Fuju persimmon and part mostly ripened fresh Hachaya persimmon the second time. Both tasted great. None left over here.
Please advise how to make it rise more. Do I need more flour than the recipe called for? more mixing? less persimmon? different temperature for the oven? Thanks, I now have something to use persimmon for when people give them to me. I do usually eat the Fuju ones.
Candice
Hi Sue, I'm so glad you liked it! But sad to hear that it didn't rise much. Did you look at the expiration date on the baking soda? I saw your comment and one other so I've made two loaves this week so far to test if I had a rise issue, and none over here... so I'm not sure what could be wrong except the expiration or your oven temperature. 55-60 minutes has been the perfect bake time for me and I checked my oven temperature with an infarred thermometer. So if you had to cook it longer than 60 minutes, maybe your oven temperature is too low. You can baking at 10 degrees higher.
Let me know what you think and how it goes!
Deborah Walling
About a month ago, I bought a house with a persimmon tree, but since I had never tried persimmons at all, I needed some urgent ideas! This recipe is excellent. Persimmon bread will henceforth be a Thanksgiving tradition for our family!
Candice
I'm so glad to hear it, Deborah! Enjoy!
Autumn
I just made this recipe and it turned out perfect! It was my first time baking (nevermind eating) persimmons and I will definitely make this again. I followed the recipe exactly and the only thing I would change is I wouldn't put the decorative slices on top as the loaf was a bit too moist underneath. The recipe itself is perfect, great texture and taste and not over or under sweet.
Candice
I'm so glad to hear it, Autumn! Enjoy!
Linh
Thank you for sharing the recipe. I appreciate chefs simplifying the ingredients and/or steps as much as possible. My family almost finished the loaf immediately; and have asked me to make it again. Success! 🙂
Candice
I'm so glad to hear it, Linh! Enjoy!
Linh Nguyen
My husband liked the persimmon bread so much that he asked me to use the recipe to make banana bread. I was very nervous when the batter was more runny than usual. But it turned out perfect! Most moist banana bread that I’ve made so far. This recipe called for a 1/4 cup less flour than other recipes and that did the trick. Thank you! This is a keeper for all kinds of sweet bread. 🙂
Candice
I'm so happy to hear it, Linh, and thank you for sharing! Glad you both liked it so much and used it to make banana bread, too. Yay for keeper recipes!