Equipment
Ingredients
Fruit Puree
- 3 ripe hachiya persimmons, flesh scooped out
- 5 ml lemon juice
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs, large, room temperature
- 120 ml neutral oil
- 130 g dark brown sugar
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 210 g all-purpose flour
- 5 g baking soda
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground ginger
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 3 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 271 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 35 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 17 g
- Sodium
- 272 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 37 mg
- Potassium
- 108 mg
- Calcium
- 27 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 11 mg
- Phosphorus
- 49 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 40 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 35 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease the loaf pan lightly with oil or butter and dust with flour, or line with parchment paper.
Scoop the flesh from the persimmons, discarding skins and seeds. Puree the flesh with the lemon juice until smooth.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined and the sugar begins to dissolve.
Stir the persimmon puree into the egg mixture until fully incorporated.
In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula. Mix only until no streaks of flour remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- Hachiya persimmons (acorn-shaped) are essential here. Do not substitute with Fuyu (tomato-shaped) unless you cook the Fuyus down into a puree first, as Fuyus are crisp.
- For a healthier profile, you can swap 50% of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour, though the loaf will be denser.
- This recipe is naturally dairy-free (Pareve for Kosher tables) and suitable for Halal diets (ensure vanilla is alcohol-free).
- Toasted walnuts or pecans (80g) make an excellent addition if nut allergies are not a concern.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Slice before freezing for easy reheating.
Reheating: Toast lightly or microwave for 15 seconds to restore warmth.
Troubleshooting
Bread has a chalky, astringent taste
Cause: Under-ripe Hachiya persimmons were used
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure Hachiyas feel like water balloons and have no firmness before using
Center is raw or gummy after baking time
Cause: High moisture content in fruit or oven temperature too high (cooking outside too fast)
Fix: Cover with foil and bake for 10-15 minute increments
Prevention: Weigh the pulp (300g max); tent foil over bread if browning too fast and continue baking
Cultural Context
Quick breads originated in the United States during the 19th century with the advent of chemical leavening agents. Persimmon bread is a classic American usage of the Hachiya persimmon, often gifted during the holidays in California and the Midwest where the fruit ripens in late autumn.
