Festive Christmas Bread with Colorful Sprinkles and Sweet Glaze Recipe
This Easy and Festive Christmas Bread is a delightful holiday treat perfect for gifting and sharing. Featuring a moist and buttery crumb with bursts of colorful jimmies sprinkles, topped with a sweet vanilla glaze and extra sprinkles, this bread captures the festive spirit in every slice. Quick to prepare and budget-friendly, it makes a joyful addition to holiday celebrations or a charming edible gift.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings or 4 mini loaves 1x
- Category: Dessert / Holiday / Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American / Holiday Baking
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Ingredients:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- ⅓ cup Christmas sprinkles (jimmies recommended)
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Extra sprinkles for topping
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or several mini loaf pans if making smaller loaves for gifting.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which creates a tender texture in the bread.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract, beating until well combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to ensure even distribution of the leavening agents.
- Mix Batter: Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture with the sour cream and milk into the wet mixture, stirring gently and just until combined to avoid overmixing the batter.
- Fold in Sprinkles: Gently fold in the Christmas jimmies sprinkles to retain their shape and prevent the colors from bleeding into the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan(s). Bake for 45–55 minutes if using a large loaf pan, or 25–30 minutes if using mini loaf pans. Use a toothpick inserted into the center to check for doneness; it should come out clean.
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread and sprinkle extra Christmas sprinkles on top for a festive finish.
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients for the best texture and even mixing.
- Only use jimmies sprinkles as nonpareils will bleed color and affect the appearance.
- Allow the loaf to cool completely before applying the glaze to prevent it from melting off.
- For gifting, wrap mini loaves in parchment paper and tie with festive twine and a tag.
- You can substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream if preferred for a slight variation in texture and flavor.
Keywords: Christmas bread, holiday baking, festive bread, glazed bread, buttery bread, sprinkles bread, easy holiday recipes, gifting bread
