A hearty bread recipe is an old family favorite and so easy to make. Slather a piece with warm butter – it’s delicious.
Boston Brown Bread is a classic bread recipe that’s so simple. A type of quick bread that’s easy to mix up and bake whenever you get a craving for homemade bread. This recipe has been passed around my family for years.
Traditional Boston Brown Bread from New England is made with different kinds of flour, including rye flour, whole wheat flour, and cornmeal – this recipe I’m sharing is slightly different.
My Favorite Kitchen Tools To Make This Recipe
From trusty pots and pans to handy gadgets, I’ve curated a list of products I use and love.
Easier to make with just all-purpose flour but with the same great flavor from brown sugar and molasses, and, of course, it’s studded with juicy raisins.
It’s the recipe I grew up with, and I imagine it was adapted to be a bit more economical and easy. So many old family recipes are like that – our grandmothers and mothers use what they have on hand, and I appreciate it! With a busy family of seven, easy is my mantra.
These treasured recipes, like my grandma’s oatmeal bread, ginger cookies, and now this brown bread recipe, are priceless. I get so much joy sharing them with you!
Why is it called Boston Brown Bread?
Grandma’s Brown Bread Recipe
What I love best about this recipe is it’s a quick bread that is so simple to make.
Like a lot of my old family recipes, this bread has shortening. I love what it does to baked goods – they have a softer and lighter texture. This is a special recipe and there’s nothing better than pulling a loaf of warm homemade bread out of the oven. You will love it!
Lightly sweetened from the brown sugar with a hint of molasses. It’s denser and not as sweet as other quick breads like pumpkin bread. It’s also very moist so it keeps well for several days if you keep it tightly wrapped.
If you don’t like raisins, you can swap them out for chopped nuts instead.
recipe tips
Homemade bread is delicious and if you don’t have the time to make a loaf of yeast bread make this recipe it’s quick, easy, and delicious!
More Homemade Bread Recipes
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Boston Brown Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raisins
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 heaping tablespoon shortening
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon molasses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320°F. Grease a 4×9" loaf pan or line with parchment paper (I do this to easily remove from the pan after baking)
- Soak raisins in boiling water and let stand until cool, about 20 minutes.
- Cream sugar, shortening, egg, and molasses with an electric mixer.
- In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Alternately add flour and raisins to the sugar mixture until combined.
- Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to cool before serving.
I love Boston Brown Bread! I can’t wait to try your recipe. All it needs is milk and butter.
So I looove bread but I don’t often have the patience to make it with all the yeast and the rising involved 😉 This sounds like it’s right up my alley! I’m getting ready to hit the “print” button!
Such a fun bread recipe! Love the raisins.
I am so glad to make the Boston Brown Bread at home! Everyone will love it!
Oh my, this sounds wonderful! So easy and delicious!
This brown bread sounds incredible!! I would love to try it!
Sounds incredibly delicicous1 Can’t wait to grab a slice!
I think it’s very tasty to remember just like the Chocolate Biscuits you said before
I love that the original uses sorghum! I love sorghum and always have it on hand, so now I know what needs to happen…!
I’ve been looking for this recipe forever. This tastes just like my aunt used to me. SO good with butter.
This bread is now officially a favorite in our house too! We loved it toasted with butter or with a bowl of chili! We’ll be making it on repeat for sure!
The Boston Brown Bread was absolutely delicious! It brought back nostalgic memories of my childhood. The molasses flavor was perfect, and it had just the right amount of sweetness.
This is incredible! We finished the whole loaf in no time – I’m going to have to make it again soon!
I have never heard of this before and I’m so glad I found this recipe! Absolutely delicious!