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Home » Baking and Desserts

Persimmon Bread: A Perfect Way to Use Hachiya Persimmons

by Beth Lee · Published: Oct 17, 2020 · Modified: Oct 15, 2024

1.9K shares
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pinterest image showing whole loaf with knife and a napkin plus dried fruit and persimmon pulp

Persimmon bread - the perfect way to use up all that gorgeous hachiya persimmon pulp. This hachiya persimmon recipe, a riff of the famous James Beard quick bread, makes two loaves or 16 minis so you can get ahead on your holiday gift giving.

Also a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving feast.

For ease of browsing, here are all of my baking and dessert recipes in one place.

Persimmon bread loaf with powdered sugar and a cup of coffee.

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Persimmon bread - A unique quick loaf for fall, Thanksgiving and the holidays

As with many dishes in my kitchen, this recipe started with an abundance of a food item beckoning me to find a creative way to use it up. In this case, it was a lovely gift of Hachiya persimmons from a friend.

I knew very little about persimmons, especially the Hachiya variety. I researched the myriad possibilities and decided to make a variation on James Beard’s famous persimmon bread.

Why is it famous? Probably because in the culinary world, James Beard is well-known or perhaps it’s because of the variable quantity of sugar or maybe the volume of cognac. Or maybe the one-bowl preparation. No matter – this persimmon bread recipe is fun to make and to eat!

Why you'll love this recipe!

This Hachiya persimmon recipe is flexible and easy to prepare. You’ll see in my step-by-step instructions below and in the recipe card, all the variations you can make and still end up with a wonderful loaf of persimmon bread.

It also makes 2 loaves or 16 minis. So it’s a great quick bread to bake and freeze or to give away as gifts. I like to make one large loaf and 8 minis.

Mini persimmon loaf sliced on cutting board along side dried fruit, persimmon pulp, and a knife.

A slice of the bread stands up to a slathering of cream cheese at breakfast but also tastes great on its own especially with a cup of tea or coffee.

The first time I made it, I tucked a loaf away in the freezer to serve on Thanksgiving Day. It was a lovely addition to the buffet – providing complementary flavors to the rich, sweet, and savory aromas of the meal.

Check out my persimmon bread recipe story for a quick visual guide on making this wonderful quick bread!

Ingredients you'll need

Ingredient shot for persimmon bread showing all ingredients to make 16 loaves.
  • Hachiya Persimmons: Be sure to use hachiyas for this recipe and not fuyus. Fuyus are the short squat persimmon that is firm and crisp and eaten more like an apple. The hachiya, on the other hand, is ripe when it becomes soft. You extract the pulp and use it for cooking and baking. Hachiyas are a deeper orange color than fuyus and more elongated and tear-dropped shape.
Comparison of fresh  Hachiya persimmon to Fuyu persimmon on white background.
  • Butter (or olive oil): The original recipe calls for melted butter. You can substitute olive oil – using ¾ cup olive oil for every cup of butter (3:4 ratio). I’ve made the bread both ways. Personally, I love to bake with olive oil but either one will work well.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour is a great choice but I like to add some whole wheat flour to the mix.
  • Nuts: Use pecans or walnuts or a combination of both. Original recipe calls for 2 cups – I use 1.5 cups.
  • Dried Fruit: Use whatever you have around or a combination. The last time I made this, I combined barberries (tiny cranberry-like tart berry used in Persian cuisine), cranberries, dried apricots and raisins. Just raisins will also work well. For a little extra zing, you can soak the dried fruit in the cognac or some orange juice but this is completely optional and not a required step.
  • Cognac: We happen to have cognac in the house but other liquors will work such as bourbon or whiskey, for example.
  • Spices: The original recipe calls for just nutmeg. I use a combination of nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and cardamom. Use what you like or what you have around. The idea is to have it add up to about 1 teaspoon of dry warming spices.
  • Orange Zest: Orange is a perfect complement to the flavors of this loaf so I added some to the sugar for another layer of flavor. Optional but really excellent.

Steps to make this recipe

How to make persimmon pulp

Make sure your Hachiyas are soft and squishy. If they are still firm, they are not ready to use. Using Hachiya persimmons takes patience - they must be soft! Once they become squishy, then the pulp is ready to be used.

Wash them, cut them in half through the equator, and just scoop out the pulp with a spoon. You can puree the pulp in a blender or food processor. If you want it a bit chunkier, use a hand potato masher.

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Hachiya persimmon cut open
Hachiya persimmon pulp in a glass measuring cup.
Hachiya persimmon pulp in a food processor.

1. Toast your nuts and optionally macerate the dried fruit. If you macerate the dried fruit - just add enough orange juice (or even cognac) to immerse them and about a teaspoon of cinnamon - pour out most of the juice before you use them.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess. (I used one loaf pan and one 8 compartment mini-loaf pan).

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the orange-zested sugar and whisk to combine.

Whisking dry ingredients in a large red bowl for persimmon bread.
Sugar whisked into dry ingredients for persimmon bread.

4. Make a well in the center then add the wet ingredients: butter (or olive oil), eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.

Wet ingredients for persimmon loaf added to dry ingredients in a big red mixing bowl.
Nuts and dried fruits added to persimmon batter.
Persimmon bread batter ready to pour in pans and bake.

5. Pour into prepared pans. The recipe will make one large loaf and 8 minis or as many as 16 minis depending on the size of your loaf pans.

Persimmon bread batter in mini loaf pans.
Persimmon batter in a large and mini loaf pan.

6. Bake 50 - 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (the mini loaves took 30 minutes and the large loaf took 50 minutes)

Hand holding a slice of mini loaf of persimmon loaf showing interior of nuts and fruits, with mini loaf pan in the background.

Expert tips and recipe FAQS

  • This recipe works really well if you sub in some whole wheat flour. But I don’t recommend all whole wheat as you probably will need extra liquid if you do. I used 2 cups of white whole wheat flour and 1 ½ cups of unbleached flour. I've also made it with all all-purpose flour with great success.
  • You can use all nutmeg like the original recipe but I like the addition of some of the warming spices like allspice and cinnamon and even a bit of cardamom. It adds extra nuance to the loaf.
  • I was out of regular sugar the first time I made this and used coconut palm sugar and organic regular and it worked out just fine.
  • Fearing it would be too much like fruitcake, I reduced the amount of dried fruit and nuts and love the current proportions. But feel free to add more.
  • Soaking (macerating) the raisins in some warm orange juice and cinnamon before adding to the mix is a nice touch but not mandatory.
  • You could back off on the cognac to ½ cup from ⅔ to make it a little more friendly for the young crowd (not that they didn’t eat and enjoy it anyhow). The alcohol does cook away.
  • I also grated about ½ tablespoon of orange zest into the sugar and rubbed it in to incorporate the flavor, before I added the sugar to the flour mixture.
Orange zest mixed into granulated sugar.

Can you freeze hachiya persimmon pulp?

If your hachiyas are soft but you aren’t ready to use them, just put the pulp in containers and freeze it. I would suggest portioning it into 1 cup amounts.

How long will the persimmon bread last after it is baked?

This loaf will last about a week on the counter well wrapped. It retains its moisture very nicely.

Can you freeze the baked persimmon bread?

Yes you can freeze the large loaf or minis. Wrap well, mark the date on the outside and use within 3 months (ish).

More Fun Fall and Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas and Planner

Vegetable Wellingtons

Soup Shooters

Orange Thyme Cocktail Cookies

Fig Cocktail Cookies

A mini loaf standing up on cutting board with knife in the background.

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P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!

whole loaf with slices on little plate and a cup of coffee

Persimmon Bread

Beth Lee
Persimmon bread - the perfect way to use up all that gorgeous hachiya persimmon pulp. This hachiya persimmon recipe, a riff of the famous James Beard quick bread, makes two loaves or 16 minis so you can get ahead on your holiday gift giving.
4.82 from 11 votes
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Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 45 minutes mins
Cook Time 50 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Course bread
Cuisine American
Servings 16 servings
Calories 550 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ½ cups all purpose flour I used 2 cups white whole wheat flour and 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh or jarred)
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom
  • zest from one medium orange
  • 2 cups sugar Dec '22, used 1 ¾ cups and that was still sweet enough for my tastebuds.
  • 1 cup melted unsalted butter cooled to room temperature or ¾ cup of olive oil
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
  • ⅔ cup Cognac bourbon or whiskey works well too
  • 2 cups persimmon puree from about 4 - 8 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons depending on their size**
  • 1.5 cups walnuts or pecans toasted and chopped
  • 1 cup raisins or a mixture of diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates) - I used raisins soaked in orange juice and cinnamon
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Extract the pulp from the hachiya persimmons: Wash them, cut them in half through the equator, and just scoop out the pulp with a spoon. You can puree the pulp in a blender or food processor - I like it a bit chunky so I just used a hand potato masher.
  • If you need to toast your nuts, start that process now as well as macerating the raisins if you plan to add this step. If you macerate the raisins - just add enough orange juice to immerse them and about a teaspoon of cinnamon - pour out most of the juice before you use them.
  • Butter or spray 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess. (I used one loaf pan and one 8 compartment mini-loaf pan).
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Whisk the flour, baking soda, kosher salt and spices together in a large bowl. Add the orange-zested sugar and whisk to combine.
  • Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.
  • Bake 50 - 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (the mini loaves took 30 minutes and the large loaf took 50 minutes)
  • Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The persimmon breads freeze well too.

Notes

**I removed the pulp from 17 persimmons which yielded 4 cups of pulp - I froze the other 2 cups in one cup containers for later use.
  • This recipe works really well if you sub in some whole wheat flour. But I don’t recommend all whole wheat as you probably will need extra liquid if you do. I used 2 cups of white whole wheat flour and 1 ½ cups of unbleached flour.
  • All nutmeg is fine but using some of the warming spices in pumpkin spice like allspice and cinnamon and a bit of cardamom adds extra nuance to the loaf.
  • I was out of regular sugar the first time I made this and used coconut palm sugar and organic regular and it worked out just fine.
  • Soaking (macerating) the raisins in some warm orange juice and cinnamon before adding to the mix is a nice touch but not mandatory.
  • You could back off on the cognac to ½ cup from ⅔ to make it a little more friendly for the young crowd (not that they didn’t eat and enjoy it anyhow). The alcohol does cook away.

Nutrition

Calories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 7gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 380mgPotassium: 355mgFiber: 2gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 420IUVitamin C: 20.7mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 3.1mg
Keyword James Beard, persimmon bread, quick bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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  1. Esther

    February 04, 2025 at 10:05 pm

    My first time baking anything with hachiya persimmons. I followed the recipe and improvised for a few of my own dietary preferences. I am happy to post, this recipe turned out deliciously to our liking. For sweetness, I chopped dates and a small amount of maple syrup. I used on 2 eggs and for the other 2, flax meal =(2 tbsp to 4 tbsp water) and I added tart cherries and raisins that I soaked in fresh squeezed orange juice while I prepped. Thank you! I’m sure I’ll make this again!

    Reply
  2. Kim

    December 22, 2024 at 11:07 pm

    5 stars
    This is my first time ever baking with Hachiya persimmons and this was the perfect recipe! I didn’t have cognac so I used apple juice, no oranges so I used food grade orange essential oil in the sugar and baked them in the little rectangle tins from Hobby Lobby. They were done in 35-40 min and are absolutely delicious! Definitely a keeper recipe. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      December 24, 2024 at 1:42 pm

      Yay - love those substitutions and thank you for sharing them with us so we can try them too! Got another hachiya ripe so I might actually be able to make my loaves in a day or two. Can't wait.

      Reply
  3. Sharon C

    December 27, 2023 at 12:52 pm

    I did not have success with this recipe. Baking time was 1hr15min to get the toothpick clean so the edges were very dark, which I cannot stand.
    Perhaps there was too much persimmon pulp.

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      December 27, 2023 at 2:32 pm

      Sorry you didn't have success Sharon! A few questions: 1) What size pans did you use? 2) Is it possible your persimmons were more liquidy (that's a tough variable to know or control) 3) you mentioned there was too much persimmon pulp - do you mean you used more than the recipe called for or you think the volume in the recipe is too much? Also do you know if you oven tends to run hot or cool? (I know mine runs a little cool these days.) I just made a 1/2 recipe of this and it came out great. Happy to help you problem solve what happened - I've made this recipe a lot and know it works. But that doesn't mean you didn't hit a snag that I can tell other people about in the future. We are all always learning right?!

      Reply
  4. Sandi

    October 17, 2020 at 11:55 am

    5 stars
    What a great way to use persimmons! Our neighbor has a tree, hoping they ripen soon!

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      October 17, 2020 at 12:08 pm

      Oh exciting! Hachiyas?

      Reply
  5. Laura

    October 21, 2019 at 4:08 pm

    5 stars
    We always end up eating persimmon straight up, but I am totally going to try this recipe. Never baked with persimmon before! YUM!

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      December 06, 2019 at 10:21 am

      I think I am going to make another batch this weekend! I wonder if persimmons and pomegranates would play well together in something?

      Reply
  6. Ginny Marie

    November 25, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    Our family love their traditional Thanksgiving stuffing, too! I need to look at the appetizer cookie post...I'm intrigued!

    Thanks for stopping by Lemon Drop Pie on my SITS day!

    Reply
  7. Angi

    November 24, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    Wow! everything looks scrumptious and so creative. I haven't heard any of these ideas before!

    Reply
    • Beth

      November 24, 2012 at 12:20 pm

      Thanks for stopping by Angi - maybe it will inspire you to create a new tradition this holiday season too!

      Reply
  8. Sheila Skillingstead

    November 24, 2012 at 10:49 am

    Our must have is stuffing. Over the years it has changed very little. When we first got married my husband asked if the stuffing could be mystery meat free. I found out that mystery meat was every internal organ (heart, giblets, and liver) cooked, chopped and added to the mix. I asked him what he wanted and he said bread, onions, and mushrooms. That is easy! This year one of my daughters and I needed gluten-free bread and dairy free margarine. I made two batches of stuffing. They were both successes. Thanks for the beautiful post with all the photographs.

    Reply
    • Beth

      November 24, 2012 at 11:09 am

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing your favorites! Next year I'll have to share my stuffing recipe - as it is really my favorite dish if I have to choose. I've morphed a recipe from two different recipes and it's a keeper. Some things are hard to change - especially when you only eat them once a year!

      Reply
  9. Hannah

    November 20, 2012 at 9:47 am

    Now this sounds enticing...I've never eaten a persimmon before, much less baked with one. This bread looks like a wonderful new tradition! And you have a marvelous selection of dishes here, too.

    Have you read Michael Chabon's article in BA? http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2012/10/michael-chabon-thanksgiving.html Interesting how we all have different views of what is traditional/meaningful. I have some dishes that must be on table - the same stuffing and pumpkin pie - but my family is open to various sweet potatoes or green veggies.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
    • Beth

      November 20, 2012 at 9:59 am

      With all the amazing experimenting and creating you do, I can't believe I tried something before you! This is the first time I have baked or eaten persimmons - they are fun and each variety is so different. I find their color to be almost more enticing than the flavor. Just gorgeous!

      I will head over to read that article for a break from blogging and cooking in a little while. I find it fascinating how traditions evolve and how important they become to us.

      Have a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving Hannah!

      Reply
  10. Renee

    November 19, 2012 at 9:43 am

    Will definitely have to try your bread recipe - sounds so good. I've also made cookies with the hachiyas. I buy a case of the fuyus every year; one of my absolute favorite fruits! Happy Thanksgiving!!

    Reply
    • Beth

      November 20, 2012 at 9:56 am

      Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family Renee! Persimmon cookies sound wonderful - freeze me a few if you make a batch 🙂

      Reply
  11. Lizthechef

    November 17, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    5 stars
    Yum - you can freeze the purée as well. Happy Thanksgiving!! Lovely post -

    Reply
    • Beth

      November 18, 2012 at 12:14 pm

      I did freeze some - now that Gail Dosik has suggested making bread pudding with it - I think I'll have to make another batch! I loved your Thanksgiving post as well - beautiful ghosts!

      Reply
  12. Gail

    November 17, 2012 at 10:15 am

    This looks DI-VINE!

    For some reason, I want to use this bread to make a persimmon bread pudding.
    #lilygilding

    Reply
    • Beth

      November 17, 2012 at 10:28 am

      LOL - you can lily gild all you want - it's a brilliant idea. This would lend itself beautifully to a bread pudding. I also think you could get creative with what liqueur you use in the bread/pudding. I have an orange-based liqueur from Mexico called 43 that would be fantastic I think.

      Thanks for stopping by Gail - hope all is well post-Sandy for you in New York.

      Reply
  13. Val

    November 17, 2012 at 10:10 am

    I have NEVER purchased a persimmon before, lol! This looks yummy and worth a try 🙂

    Reply
    • Beth

      November 17, 2012 at 10:25 am

      Me neither, until this year. Then once I purchased them at the Farmer's Market, my friend gave me a big bag of the hachiya and I felt compelled to get creative! The fuyus are great for eating raw or adding to salads and the hachiyas are lovely once they are super soft. They sweeten up and are great for baking or perhaps a smoothie. Try them, you'll like them!

      Reply
  14. Carol Sacks

    November 17, 2012 at 10:09 am

    Such a pretty post, Beth. Love all of the great menu ideas!

    Reply
    • Beth

      November 17, 2012 at 10:23 am

      Thanks Carol - writing these posts is such a good motivator for menu planning! With my foot well on the road to recovery, I'm getting excited for the big day.

      Reply

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I'm a cookbook author, cooking teacher and preserved lemon lover. My family is a mix of Jewish, Hawaiian and Korean heritage. My virtual multicultural kitchen is always open. Let's cook together! 

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