Sour Cherry Almond Bread

Last updated on March 25th, 2025

Sour Cherry Almond Bread is a made with a wholesome blend of white whole wheat and almond flour, tart sour cherries, tangy greek yogurt and honey for a bit of sweetness.

I’ve modified this 1980’s easy quickbread that can be made with fresh sour cherries picked in season or frozen ones. Try this cherry loaf for breakfast, Sunday brunch or with an afternoon cup of tea.

• Whole Wheat Flour (White): White whole wheat flour is made from hard white spring wheat and considered a healthy choice, because it retains the bran and germ. It provides the same nutrition as traditional whole wheat flour, with a lighter color and milder flavor.
• Almond Flour: Blanched almonds are ideal for baking because the skins have been removed, giving them a pale appearance and milder flavor compared to raw almonds with skins. For this recipe you can use ground blanched almonds, almond meal, or almond flour in the cake.
• ClearJel: I add Instant ClearJel to almost all of my baked goods to give them a light and tender texture. Use cornstarch as a substitution if ClearJel is hard to find. For every 1 T. of cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. For every 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel. You can find it online here.
• Baking soda: Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening agent that, when combined with an acid (such as lemon juice, buttermilk, or vinegar) creates carbon dioxide gas, and makes baked goods rise during baking.
• Baking powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid, like cream of tarter, and a base, like baking soda to help baked goods rise. Use a double-acting aluminum-free baking powder to avoid a bitter aftertaste.
• salt: Use a fine-ground pink salt which adds essential minerals and nutrients to baked goods.

WET INGREDIENTS

• Oil: When baking, use a neutral, light tasting oil such as canola oil or extra light olive oil.
• honey: Honey is a sweet, liquid sweetener produced by honeybees from the nectar of flowers. It is considered an unrefined natural sugar used as an alternative to refined sugar.
• greek yogurt: Plain greek yogurt is strained to remove the whey, resulting in a thick, tangy texture that has a higher protein content and lower sugar content vs. regular yogurt. 
• vanilla extract: Vanilla provides hints of caramel and spice, enhancing the depth of flavor to baked goods. Always use a high-quality, all-natural brand made from real vanilla beans containing at least 35% alcohol. MAKE YOUR OWN! Purchase Grade B vanilla beans (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 oz. of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.
• almond extract: All-natural almond extract is made from bitter almonds or pits of stone fruits (like apricots) soaked in alcohol. Avoid using artificial almond extract, as it tastes bitter and lacks the depth of natural almond flavor.

MIX-INS

• almonds: Blanched almonds are ideal for baking because the skins have been removed, giving them a pale appearance and milder flavor compared to raw almonds with skins. For this recipe you can use ground blanched almonds, almond meal, or almond flour in the cake.
• sour cherries: Sour cherries grow on fruit trees and are known for their tart flavor due to a higher acid content compared to sweet cherries. Their peak season in from late June to early July.

Dietary Substitutions

For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.

TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE

Here are some tips for gluten free baking

• Use a premium gluten-free flour blend. You can easily convert this recipe and your other favorite recipes using my premium gluten-free flour for proven, delicious results every time.

• Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
• Add 1-2 tablespoons additional buttermilk to help hydrate the flour.
• Reduce the oven temperature by at least 25° to bake low and slow, since gluten-free flour is delicate and tend to burn before the center is cooked through.
• Gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf-life than conventional baked goods and dry out faster. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days, refrigerate 3-5 days, or seal in plastic and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. After pulling the container from the freezer, bring to room temperature before opening the lid.

TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE

• To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
• Replace the dairy with unsweetened oat or almond milk.

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Equipment

Recommended tools: (affiliate links)

• stand mixer
• whisk
• mixing bowl
• liquid measuring cup
• measuring cups and spoons
• loaf pan

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Storage

If Baked: Cover in air-tight container and leave on counter up to 3 days. To freeze, cover in saran wrap and place in freezer-safe container up to 6 months. Thaw on counter in the container for 1/2 hour before opening up the container.

Unbaked Batter: Prepare batter and place in a sealed container up to 3-5 days in refrigerator.

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How to pick and preserve fresh-picked sour cherries

Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out for you!

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