Looking for something a little different? This cantaloupe quick bread uses fresh, ripe melons to create a delicious snack or breakfast that’s perfect for summer!
Why this recipe works
Because it’s different! This tasty cantaloupe quick bread itself is a novelty among guests. Most people offer up banana bread or zucchini bread. But not us!
This is an easy to make recipe and you’ll be enjoying it as soon as it cools.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
How to Make Cantaloupe Quick Bread
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. Please scroll down to simply print out the recipe!
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
- Puree enough cantaloupe in a blender to make 2 cups puree.
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and cantaloupe puree.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger.
- Stir flour mixture into cantaloupe mixture; stir to combine. Do not overwork the batter, stir just until no traces of flour remain.
- Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.
- While the bread is baking, make the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar and add the vanilla.
- Stir in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until a thick glaze is reached. When you lift the whisk, it should fall in an even stream and form a ribbon before disappearing.
- Remove bread loaves from the oven and place on cooling racks. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Place wax paper under cooling rack to catch the drips. Pour the glaze over both warm loaves, covering the tops of both. The glaze will drip down the sides and drip onto the wax paper. Let cool at least one hour before serving.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- To bring out even more sweetness of the cantaloupe, cut it into pieces, place the pieces on a wax paper lined baking sheet or plate, and place in the freezer. Run the frozen cantaloupe through a blender and continue with the recipe.
- As with all quick breads and muffins, be careful not to over-mix the batter. This can make the finished bread tough.
A note about this recipe. It was on this blog for years and years and YEARS. It wasn’t getting any attention and I ended up removing it. Then in a one week span I received emails from two different readers asking where it went. So I had new photos done and updated the post. I hope you get a chance to try it!
What Readers Are Saying
Thanks a million Amanda!!! This is such a good recipe. I make it your way and then adjusted to create a different version that I cook in a cake pan instead.
- I cut up and freeze the cantaloupe for a few days which makes it much sweeter and then blend it.
- Just a tad less oil
- Halved the flour with wheat/white
- Halved sugar brown/white
- Added a tablespoon ground fresh ginger
- Added three tablespoons walnuts
- Added a teaspoon almond extract
- And sprinkled the top with candied walnuts and ginger.
Rave reviews!
~ Joshua
More Quick Bread & Muffin Recipes
- Lemon Zucchini Bread with Blueberries
- Blueberry Muffins
- Fresh Strawberry Muffins
- Shortcut Zucchini Muffins
- Apple Bread
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Cantaloupe Quick Bread
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup canola oil or coconut oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups pureed cantaloupe
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- enough milk to make a thick glaze
Things You'll Need
- 9x5 loaf pan you will need 2 pans
Before You Begin
- To bring out even more sweetness of the cantaloupe, cut it into pieces, place the pieces on a wax paper lined baking sheet or plate, and place in the freezer. Run the frozen cantaloupe through a blender and continue with the recipe.
- As with all quick breads and muffins, be careful not to over-mix the batter. This can make the finished bread tough.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
- Puree enough cantaloupe in blender to make 2 cups puree
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla and cantaloupe puree. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Stir flour mixture into cantaloupe mixture; stir to combine. Do not overwork the batter, stir just until no traces of flour remain. Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.
- While the bread is baking, make the glaze. Add the vanilla to the sifted powdered sugar. Stir in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until a thick glaze is reached. When you lift the whisk, it should fall in an even stream and form a ribbon before disappearing.
- Remove bread loaves from the oven and place on cooling racks. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Place wax paper under cooling rack to catch the drips. Pour the glaze over both warm loaves, covering the tops of both. The glaze will drip down the sides and drip onto the wax paper. Let cool at least one hour before serving.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Denice says
I want to make half the recipe should I use one or two eggs?
Amanda Davis says
1 large or extra large egg should be ok
Joe says
No Brad should be McCantaloupe
Amanda says
Can you substitute honey new for the cantaloupe?
Amanda Formaro says
We have not tried that but I would imagine it would work.
Loretta says
I had made some appetizers with cantaloupe and prosciutto and had a bunch of cantaloupe left over and I looked on line to see what I could do with it. This recipe sounded Interesting and it is delicious. Everyone loved it. The only change I made is I cut the icing glaze in half and added a little more milk so it wouldn’t be so sweet.
Karen Dahn says
In the oven now and batter looked great, but one comment– I read over the comments a couple of days ago and wanted to freeze the cut up cantelope, as suggested. At the time I could only guess how close my estimation of two cups would be once it was pureed. Today I was about 1/4 cup short. Maybe helpful to provide a bit more information, even to those pureeing straight from the melon–like, 3 cups (or whatever) melon chunks will puree to 2?
Sue Sawyer says
A friend just shared this with me and it was wonderful. I plan to make some soon but was wondering if anyone tried freezing the bread and how did it taste? Cantaloupe isn’t around long, so this would be great to pull out of the freezer this fall and winter. Zucchini bread freezes well.
Burl Faulk II says
Phenomenal recipe. I just thought zucchini & banana breads were my go to’s… I honestly believe I’ll convert to the cantaloupe religion because of this very recipe. I didn’t get the deep orange color in mine, but who cares?! It’s heavenly, moist & so satisfying!
Lynn says
Turned out perfectly, very tasty. A definite “keeper recipe”. Thanks!
Ginger says
I used coconut oil and it came out beautifully. I was skeptical about using my musk melon (with minimal flavor), but it worked so well! I love that it’s an unusual ingredient. It was so moist, but held together well. I made a spiced glaze, which paired well. Excellent recipe!
Cathryn Sadowski says
My glaze a little runny but that bread 😋
It’s a keeper!
kelli h weiss says
Amanda, had never heard/seen recipe 4 a cantaloupe bread, but sounded intreesting so made the 2 loaves as described! gifted an entire one to a deserving couple which they devoured in a couple days, and shared the other with a few friends, neighbors, and enjoyed a couple slices myself! it was delightfully moist and very good so will make it again, thx so much:): kelli
kelli h weiss says
hi, i’m gifting most of these breads but will keep a piece to taste as making a bread with cantaloupe is a great idea but just gave a couple comments! used less sugar, and wanted to skip the glaze but when i saw how shallow both 9×5 pans were, i changed my mind but used 2C of sugar, a few T of almond milk to pour ober both breads! i would use 2 8×4 pans next time, as i think the large pans were too large! smell nicely from all the speces i think, and only use lite olive oil for all my baking!! thx again:): kelli
Tammy Kieselbach says
Beautiful recipe, this one is a keeper! Thank you for sharing. Who knew you could make cantaloupe bread??
I buttered the loaf pans and lined with fine granulated sugar. The best nonstick remedy for loaves , cakes and muffins.
Gotta go, the family is eating it all!! Lol
Gayle Trunfio says
It’s soooo good!! Much like spice bread but better. The worst part was blending the not-so-ripe cantaloupe, which is the reason I went searching Pinterest for ideas. I love making different quick breads, so this recipe was right up my alley.No changes to the recipe ingredients. Batter makes 24 regular + 3 jumbo muffins, instead of loaves.
Thanks Amanda for sharing!!
Maddox says
Do any of you know how much it rises because I used a 9×9 and I scared it’s going to rise over and leak
Karina says
Saving this recipe! Had a very ripe cantaloupe to use and this was perfect. I substituted half oil with a banana instead and the bread was super moist. I also made it in a Bundt Cake mold and set for mix 350-325 for total 50min.
Lydia Miller says
I made this into muffins. I made some with chocolate chips (since my daughter will not eat any muffins without chocolate chips) and some without. I also used 1/4 cup of applesauce and reduced the oil to 3/4 cup. I also used 1/4 cup brown sugar and reduced white sugar to 1 3/4 cup. And I always like to increase the vanilla to 1 tbsp instead of 1 tsp. Also reduced the ginger to closer to 1/8 tsp. I did both regular size and mini muffins. Minis took around 20 minutes and regular took closer to 30 minutes. The neighbor kids and my daughter were devouring the muffins (and wouldn’t drink the smoothie I made with the leftover cantaloupe). The muffins reminded me more of a zucchini bread and really didn’t taste of cantaloupe. Which means that I loved them!!! Thank you so much for the recipe. Now I can have a way to use up the melon that nobody can finish after days of eating it.
Lydia Miller says
Oh, forgot to mention that I didn’t need to bother at all with the icing. And I used 1/4 cup brown sugar and only 3/4 cup white sugar….
Ray says
I just made this bread and everybody at home is enjoying it !
Thank you Amanda :)
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome, so glad you like it!
Sarah Young says
I was a little leery but figured I’d try it since I had alot of cantaloupe, and good thing I did because the bread is amazing! To me it tastes like a sweet spice bread but super moist. Followed recipe exactly. Excellent!
Amanda Formaro says
Yay that’s great to hear, thanks so much Sarah!