Fresh Mango with Toasted Pecan Quick Bread
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Fresh mango with toasted pecan quick bread folds juicy diced mango and crunchy pecans into a tender buttermilk batter. Bakes as a loaf, mini Bundts, or muffins for an easy tropical breakfast or snack.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minFresh mango with toasted pecan quick bread is a happy collision of tropical fruit and Southern nut, all wrapped in a tender buttermilk batter. Diced ripe mango brings golden flecks of bright sweetness throughout the loaf, while toasted pecans add the kind of buttery crunch that lifts a plain quick bread into something worth a coffee break.
The magic of a good quick bread is in the mixing. The wet ingredients fold into the dry only until just combined, then the mango and pecans get stirred in with restraint. Overmixing develops gluten and turns what should be a tender, cake-like crumb into something rubbery.
The versatility is the other selling point. The same batter bakes as one large loaf, three mini loaves, six mini Bundts, or a dozen muffins, with the oven temperature just shifting up or down by 25 degrees. Top with extra pecans before baking for a craggy, golden crown.
Pro Tips
- Toast the pecans dry in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes before chopping. Toasting deepens the nutty flavor dramatically and is the difference between flat and fragrant pecans.
- Use mango that’s ripe but still firm, not mushy. Soft mango releases too much juice and turns the bread soggy in spots.
- Stop stirring the moment no streaks of flour remain. Three or four extra strokes changes the crumb noticeably.
- Cool the loaves in the pan for the time noted in the recipe before turning out. Hot quick bread tears apart when it leaves the pan too early.
Variations
- Swap pecans for walnuts or macadamia nuts to lean further into tropical flavors.
- Add a teaspoon of grated lime zest to the wet ingredients for a brighter, more island-style profile.
- Stir a half cup of shredded coconut into the batter along with the mango for added chew and texture.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F for muffins, mini loaves and mini Bundts or 375°F for a large loaf.
Coat pan(s) (see “Pan Options") with cooking spray.
Prepare Quick-Bread Dry Mix.
Mix together eggs, buttermilk, brown sugar, butter, oil and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, stir in the wet ingredients until just combined.
Stir in mango and pecans to combine, do not overmix.
Transfer batter to the prepared pan(s).
Top with additional pecans, if desired.
Bake until golden brown and a wood stick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes for muffins or mini Bundts, 35 minutes for mini loaves, 1 hour 10 minutes for a large loaf.
Let cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Let muffins and mini Bundts cool for 5 minutes more, mini loaves for 30 minutes, large loaves for 40 minutes.
Each of these recipes will make:
1 large loaf (9-by-5-inch pan) 3 mini loaves (6-by-3-inch pan, 2-cup capacity) 6 mini Bundt cakes (6-cup mini Bundt pan, scant 1-cup capacity per cake) 12 muffins (standard 12-cup, 2½-inch muffin pan)
