Indiana Persimmon Bread

A Hoosier State Fall Classic

This Indiana persimmon bread is the iconic fall recipe of the Midwest, where wild persimmons drop from trees in late September and October. Two cups of soft, ripe pulp go into the batter, lending a warm, honeyed-apricot sweetness and a gorgeous mahogany color you can’t fake.

The brandied raisins are the move that takes this bread from good to great. Soaking the raisins in brandy while you mix the rest of the batter plumps them into juicy, flavorful nuggets and saves the brandy from evaporating in the oven. That trapped alcohol cooks down during baking, perfuming every bite without overpowering.

Warm spices stay restrained: just cinnamon and nutmeg, letting the persimmon flavor sit center stage instead of getting buried under a heavy spice mix.

The batter makes two large loaves or three smaller ones, ideal for the fall holiday gifting season. Wrapped tight, persimmon bread keeps for days and actually improves the second day as the flavors settle.

Pro Tips

• Use ripe wild American persimmons or Hachiya variety. Underripe persimmons taste astringent and chalky. They should be jelly-soft, almost too ripe to handle.
• Push the persimmon pulp through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any seeds or skin bits before measuring.
• Test for doneness with a cake tester or toothpick. Persimmon batter looks underdone for longer than other quickbreads, so visual cues are unreliable.
• Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out. The bread is very tender straight from the oven and tears easily.
• Store wrapped in plastic at room temperature for 3 days, or freeze whole loaves for up to 3 months.

Variations

• Substitute pecans for walnuts or use a mix.
• Swap brandy for bourbon or dark rum for a different boozy profile.
• Stir in ½ teaspoon ground cardamom or cloves for a more complex spice background.