Freshly-picked strawberries line the wooden shelves found inside The Peach Stand in Fort Mill every spring. The glowing red berries make their grand arrival in April, with harvest season ending only when the last berry is picked and the shelves cleared to make room for newly ripe peaches.

I’ve been head over heels for strawberries this spring and visit the Peach Stand every few weeks to get my fix. This strawberry bread is a refreshing way to incorporate strawberries into your next baking adventure – especially if you buy them by the gallon like me.

After finding a great recipe online, I substituted the all-purpose flour for wheat, went with stevia instead of sugar, and then halved the amount of stevia (or sugar) needed. The sweetness of the berries add enough flavor that the extra sugar isn’t necessary. I also decreased the amount of vegetable oil needed, added some apple sauce as a substitute, and threw in some chia seeds for fun.

The strawberry bread is definitely moister than other breads, but it does harden up a bit after sitting for a day.

My recipe includes measurements to make two loaves. If you’re only looking for one loaf, visit the recipe source link below and you can change the calculation there. But trust me, you’ll want two.

strawberry bread

recipe source: inspired by snook’s bayside club strawberry bread
serving size: 2 loaves

ingredients

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup stevia
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2  cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 4 eggs
• 4 cups strawberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 (8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch) loaf pans

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour the two loaf pans.
3. Mix the flour, stevia, cinnamon, baking soda, chia seeds and salt in large mixing bowl.
4. Add the oil, applesauce, eggs, strawberries, and walnuts.
5. Beat until the dry ingredients are just moist.
6. Pour into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour.
7. The breads are done when they start to come away from the sides of the pan and an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.