With over 300 5-star reviews, this persimmon bread recipe has become a long-time reader favorite. The texture is super moist and fluffy, it’s the perfect combination of spices, and not too sweet.

Here’s what people are saying about the best persimmon bread they’ve ever had:

  • “This is the most delicious bread I’ve ever made!”
  • “Super moist, not too sweet, perfect combination of spices!”
  • “The texture of this bread is amazing.”
  • “Fluffy, moist, and super duper delicious!”
  • “…the smell was absolutely heavenly while it baked.”
Baked quickbread loaf decorated with sliced persimmon next to a striped kitchen towel.

Want the complete scoop on baking with this fruit? Read my thorough persimmon guide.

🌟Why You’ll Love This Persimmon Bread Recipe

  • Easy for beginners – I have tested this recipe thoroughly to make sure it’s accessible for beginner bakers and provided easy-to-follow instructions for every step.
  • Over 250 5-star reviews – Ratings don’t like, and this persimmon bread recipe is has won the hearts of many readers.
  • Persimmon flavor is the star of the show – Persimmons are my favorite winter fruit. They’ve got all the fall and winter spice flavors, and overripe persimmons are irresistibly sweet and delicious.
  • Moist texture – This bread has the texture of the best banana bread, moist and scrumptious. You’ll never have a dry, cakey bread with this recipe!
  • Great way to use ripe persimmons – Persimmon lovers can always eat these lovely fruits as they are, but I think they really shine in baked goods like this bread, these persimmon cookies, or these persimmon muffins.

🧾Ingredients for Persimmon Bread

  • Persimmon pulp – I prefer to use Hachiya persimmons because they have a better yield, but Fuyu and American also both work. Your persimmons must be really ripe and mushy (think a super squishy and soft texture) for this recipe to work best. To ripen persimmons, leave them on the counter at room temp. Then pulse them into a puree.
  • All-purpose flour – Some readers have tried using gluten-free flour substitutes with success, but I haven’t tested it myself.
  • Unsalted butter – It’s better to use unsalted butter in baking so that you can control the salt content yourself.
  • White sugar – Use white granulated or white cane sugar.
  • Spice mix – I use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to spice this bread with fall flavors. You can also substitute with pumpkin spice.
  • Vanilla extract – Try to use a high-quality vanilla extract for this recipe.
  • Eggs – These act as the binder for the mix.
  • Salt – I usually use kosher or sea salt in this recipe.
  • Baking soda – This is the raising agent that helps the persimmon bread rise. Baking soda uses the acidity from the fruit to activate.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🧡 Pro Tip 🧡

Use very ripe and mushy persimmons for your puree. The riper they are, the sweeter they taste. Also, the mushiness of the ripe persimmon makes it so the persimmon can be evenly distributed throughout the batter. Discard as much of the persimmon skins as possible when baking for the smoothest texture.

👩‍🍳How to Make Persimmon Bread

Before starting, you will need to have three bowls ready: 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small. You will also need your pureed Hachiya persimmon pulp.

Orange pulp being processed in a food processor next to a window.
  • Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly grease the surface of a 9x5x3 loaf pan with butter or a non-stick baking spray. I like to use a non-stick loaf pan for easy results.
  • Peel your overripe persimmon and pulse them in a food processor.
Sifting flour into a glass bowl.
  • In your medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves). If you don’t want to sift them, you can also whisk them together to break down any clumps.
  • In your large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well incorporated and they have a light, fluffy texture.
  • In the small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla extract with a whisk.
  • With a hand mixer or standing mixer, slowly pour the egg mixture into the creamed butter and sugar and mix them together well.
Scraping the sides of a metal bowl with a rubber spatula.
  • Next, add in the persimmon puree. Mix until just incorporated.
Pouring flour into a metal stand mixer bowl.
  • Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients one-third at a time. Mix until just incorporated. It will be a very wet batter.
Pouring batter into a loaf pan from a stand mixer bowl.
  • Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. I sometimes like to top the batter with very thinly sliced Fuyu persimmons for decoration.
Quickbread being released from a metal loaf pan.
  • Cook the bread for 1 hour until a toothpick inserted into the bread center just barely comes out clean. Take care not to overbake it as the texture will not be as moist.

🧡 Pro Tip 🧡

To make sure your bread retains its moist texture, let the bread cool completely in a sealed environment. Use a plastic bag or large resealable container. Then, leave the bread overnight and enjoy it in the morning.

📋Persimmon FAQs

When are persimmons in season?

Fuyu persimmons come into season around September and can linger into December. Hachiya persimmons tend to arrive later, usually from October through late December.

Are persimmons good for baking?

Persimmons are wonderful for baking. When they ripen to become mushy and sweet, they’re so easy to incorporate into different batters from persimmon cookies to persimmon pancakes.

What’s the difference between Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons?

Fuyu persimmons are small, squat, and can be enjoyed like apples – skin and all. When ripe, they’re sweet, slightly tangy, and perfect for snacking on.
Hachiya persimmons are longer and heart-shaped with a bright orange color. They’re incredibly astringent when not fully ripe. You must wait until they’re soft and ripe to eat them, or else they’ll taste sharp.

Can persimmons be eaten raw?

Absolutely! Persimmons can be enjoyed raw, and are extra delicious when ripe. Simply peel the skin (if it’s an astringent Fuyu) and slice it into wedges. You can also use them in salads, baked desserts, or even as a topping for yogurt.

Do persimmons taste like apples?

They are not that similar. Apples are sweet and often have a tart edge, whereas persimmons are sweet with more of a honeyed flavor with warm spice, Unripe Hachiya persimmons are super astringent and sour, so wait until they ripen for a sweet taste.

A loaf of quickbread on a white countertop.

If you like this recipe, you’ll love these other creative ways to use persimmon in savory recipes and sweets!

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Author: Candice Walker

Persimmon Bread

4.96 from 315 votes
Print Recipe Save
With over 250 5-star reviews, this persimmon bread recipe has become a long-time reader favorite. The texture is super moist and fluffy, it's the perfect combination of spices, and not too sweet.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 300kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature, plus more for greasing your loaf pan
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup persimmon puree Hachiya preferred
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat to 350F. Lightly grease your 9x5x3 loaf pan.
  • In a medium bowl sift the dry ingredients. Flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
  • In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract.
  • With a hand mixer or standing mixer slowly pour the egg mixture into the creamed butter and sugar. Mix well.
  • Add the persimmon. Remove from mixer.
  • With a spoon or rubber spatula, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients 1/3 at a time. Mix with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.
  • Pour into loaf pan*. Optional to top with thinly sliced persimmons.**
  • Cook 48-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Cool completely. I let it cool overnight and have it for breakfast!

Video

Notes

* Usually when baking in a glass pan, the temperature should be 25 degrees lower, and will take up to 10 minutes longer – this recipe has not been tested in a glass pan, but in a non-stick pan (see photos).
**If you plan to decorate the top of the loaf with persimmon, know that it keeps the center from cooking evenly with the sides of the loaf. The center of the loaf will need longer to cook than the sides. For best results, do not top the loaf with persimmon. If you do, slice them VERY thinly.
Additional Notes
  • Use very ripe and mushy persimmons. The riper, the sweeter. Also, the mushiness of the ripe persimmon makes it so the persimmon can be evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  • Note that the batter is very wet, so don’t be concerned with this texture.
  • For zero sticking when baking, I use a non-stick loaf pan.
  • Fuyu or Hichaya? Although I prefer to eat slightly under-ripe Fuyu persimmons for snacks on the go, the over-ripe hachiya works best in the batter of this recipe. I use sliced Fuyu persimmons for the top of the bread.
  • Discard as much of the persimmon skins as possible when baking for the smoothest texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 127mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 19.6mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

340 Comments

  1. Hi, I am reading two different instructions regarding baking time. Two places say bake for one hour, and the recipe itself says 40 to 50 minutes….which is it?Thanks!

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Made this twice. It was especially great the first time even though the edges were a little dark and the bread didn’t rise as much as banana bread. I thought it was due to spray of baker’s joy on the pan. The second time the loaf rose even less, after baking over an hour and the toothpick coming out clean. Not sure if this was due to using part frozen and thawed Fuju persimmon and part mostly ripened fresh Hachaya persimmon the second time. Both tasted great. None left over here.
    Please advise how to make it rise more. Do I need more flour than the recipe called for? more mixing? less persimmon? different temperature for the oven? Thanks, I now have something to use persimmon for when people give them to me. I do usually eat the Fuju ones.

    Reply

    1. Hi Sue, I’m so glad you liked it! But sad to hear that it didn’t rise much. Did you look at the expiration date on the baking soda? I saw your comment and one other so I’ve made two loaves this week so far to test if I had a rise issue, and none over here… so I’m not sure what could be wrong except the expiration or your oven temperature. 55-60 minutes has been the perfect bake time for me and I checked my oven temperature with an infarred thermometer. So if you had to cook it longer than 60 minutes, maybe your oven temperature is too low. You can baking at 10 degrees higher.
      Let me know what you think and how it goes!

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    About a month ago, I bought a house with a persimmon tree, but since I had never tried persimmons at all, I needed some urgent ideas! This recipe is excellent. Persimmon bread will henceforth be a Thanksgiving tradition for our family!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    I just made this recipe and it turned out perfect! It was my first time baking (nevermind eating) persimmons and I will definitely make this again. I followed the recipe exactly and the only thing I would change is I wouldn’t put the decorative slices on top as the loaf was a bit too moist underneath. The recipe itself is perfect, great texture and taste and not over or under sweet.

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Thank you for sharing the recipe. I appreciate chefs simplifying the ingredients and/or steps as much as possible. My family almost finished the loaf immediately; and have asked me to make it again. Success! 🙂

    Reply

      1. 5 stars
        My husband liked the persimmon bread so much that he asked me to use the recipe to make banana bread. I was very nervous when the batter was more runny than usual. But it turned out perfect! Most moist banana bread that I’ve made so far. This recipe called for a 1/4 cup less flour than other recipes and that did the trick. Thank you! This is a keeper for all kinds of sweet bread. 🙂

        Reply

        1. I’m so happy to hear it, Linh, and thank you for sharing! Glad you both liked it so much and used it to make banana bread, too. Yay for keeper recipes!

          Reply

  6. 5 stars
    This recipe is a keeper! I let my persimmons ripen to the mushy point and they were sweet and easy to incorporate into the batter. I added chopped pecans to my mix, so good.

    Reply

    2. Mine didn’t rise much either, but was still tasty. I split the batter into two 8×8 pans because I didn’t have a loaf pan and was afraid it would rise over the top in just one pan. That was not an issue. 🙂

      Reply

      1. Hi Jon, I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t rise much. Did you look at the expiration date on the baking soda? I saw your comment and one other so I’ve made two loaves this week so far to test if I had a rise issue, and none over here… so I’m not sure what could be wrong except the expiration or the pan size that you used. I’ve never baked it in an 8×8… always a loaf pan. Let me know what you think!

        Reply

  9. 5 stars
    I am cooking it tonight my husband wanted Splenda in it and he told me it would be too sweet, and I told him we needed the same amount of it for weight, but he won. Either way I am looking forward to trying it.

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Ok so I found your recipe while looking for recipes with ripped persimmon and oh it is did not disappoint! I followed the recipe exactly step by step until i got to : let it cool completely 🥴 could not do it! The smell 😭😭😭 was beyond bearable! I had to have a slice 😋😋😋 thank you for sharing. Definitely saving this one for a rerun!

    Reply

  11. I double checked the size of my loaf pan before I made a comment. An hour of baking time is way to long. I checked mine at 45 minutes and I could have taken it out 5-10 minutes earlier with my oven set at 350. It’s cooling now, hoping it did not over cook.

    Reply

    1. Hi Valera, I’m surprised to hear that! I saw your comment and I’ve made two loaves this week so far to test if I had a timing, and none over here… so I’m not sure what could be wrong except your oven temperature. 55-60 minutes has been the perfect bake time for me and I checked my oven temperature with an infarred thermometer. So if it was done after 45 minutes, maybe your oven temperature is too high. You can baking at 10 degrees lower.
      Let me know what you think and how it goes!

      Reply

  13. This is my afternoon project! It’s raining here in the Bay Area and I look forward to the scent of this baking.

    Reply

  15. Hi, I’m hoping to make this today with some ripe persimmons that I froze before they went bad. I’d like to try monkfruit sugar to replace some of the sugar and will try a small quantity in a muffin tin so I can see how that turns out before making a full loaf. Not sure on timing – maybe 20 min?? Love persimmon any way you make it ❤️ Wish me luck!!

    Reply
4.96 from 315 votes (198 ratings without comment)

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