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After my mother passed away two years ago, I was given her old recipe box. (I’m the only food blogger among my brothers and sisters, so it only made sense for me to inherit it – and lucky me!)
The box is filled with some old, time-tested family recipes that I vividly remember my mom making, recipes that simply caught her eye in a magazine and she saved, and other recipes that friends and family shared with her. (I can tell who gave them to her by the handwriting on the recipe cards!) It’s really a treasure!
The recipe box has been on the bookshelf of my office for a while now – and the other night, my husband Jack and I started looking through it again. We love updating and recreating old family recipes (you already know that if you’re a regular here at A Family Feast!) – and this Grape-Nuts Bread was one of the recipes that immediately caught Jack’s eye!
I have very vague memories of my mom making this bread (she loved baking all kinds of quick breads that didn’t require yeast in the recipe), and I believe she copied the recipe off the side of a Grape-Nuts cereal box
many years ago.
Jack had never heard of Grape-Nuts bread – but was immediately inspired to try baking it the next morning! And I’m so glad he did – it’s a fantastic bread!
It’s hearty, slightly (and perfectly) sweet, and the Grape-Nuts give this dense white bread some wonderful texture! Although the original recipe didn’t call for it, Jack also added golden raisins to the dough and it was a great addition! (We also updated the recipe with more current cooking terms – buttermilk today used to be referred to as ‘sour milk’ in older recipes, etc.)
The dough mixes up very heavy and dense – but it bakes up perfectly so don’t be worried that this bread won’t rise in the pan! Also, my mom’s original recipe did not include a baking time (gotta love those old recipes!) – but we found that an hour was about right for our oven. You may want to start checking the bread for doneness about 50 minutes into the baking time – using a toothpick inserted into the middle as the method to check for doneness.
We loved this Grape-Nuts bread so much – we can’t wait to make it again! (And thanks for the great recipe Babci!)
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Grape-Nuts Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup Grape-Nuts cereal
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- Shortening to grease the loaf pan
- Flour to coat the loaf pan
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix Grape-Nuts cereal, buttermilk and raisins and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- After 15 minutes, add baking soda to grape nut mixture and stir.
- In a medium bowl, sift sugar, flour and baking powder and stir into grape nut mixture. Use a wooden spoon for this, the dough is very dense and sticky.
- Grease and flour a loaf pan and place dough into pan, pushing to edges.
- Place in center of oven and set timer for 50 minutes. If it is browning too quickly, cover with foil and continue baking for 10 more minutes. Test loaf by inserting a tooth pick in center to see if it pulls out clean and tap the bread to see if has a hollow sound. If not quite there, bake for another five to ten additional minutes.
- Let cool in pan for a few minutes then remove to a cooling rack.
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I used to make this bread when my husband and I were first married… Have loved grape nuts since I was a kid, so I’m sure that’s how I found the recipe… Anyway, after a very long fallow grape nut bread period (decades), I’m back in the saddle!😂… I love the old timey-ness of it, and it’s just a great little bread…thank you!
You’re welcome Anne – so glad this recipe brought back such nice memories!
I loved the texture of this bread and its simplicity. It is great will butter and a cup of tea or with a meal. Delicious…thank you for sharing! 😊
You’re welcome Lisa – So glad you enjoyed the bread recipe.
WHAT SIZE PAN???????????
Hi Mary – we used the standard 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan. I’ll update the recipe to clarify – thank you for your question.
Although the recipe sounds great, and I’m going to make it, this comment is on “updating” the old recipes. In old recipes, sour milk means sour milk, not buttermilk. Many recipes back then were created to use up milk that had soured so as not to waste it. Buttermilk is a good substitute, and they’re pretty much interchangeable, but they did NOT mean buttermilk.
Thank you.
Love this not too sweet and chewy bread!
Thanks Susan!
have not had this bread since I was a little girl that my gram used to make loved it I am now 93 and would love to eat it again, going to see if one of my daughters will make it for me. thanks for the recipe, I will not use raisins even though I like them lots,just want to have the old fashioned grapenut bread
I hope our recipe is as good as the bread your gram made Catherine!
Made recipe as written. The bread turned out fabulous. It’s a dense bread, not too sweet but delicious with a cup of coffee.
Thanks Kris!
Hello, I found a period version of this recipe in a family letter dated March 2, 1938.
“get a pkg of Grape Nuts at the store, if they have them there, and put 3/4 cup in 1 cup of sour milk & let stand a few min, then put in 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 2 cups of flour with a teaspoon of B.Powder, soda & salt & bake 40 minutes & see what a good loaf of bread it is & easy to make.”
This was from my maternal great-aunt Emma (Potter) Parker in Corry, PA to her brother, my grandfather, George Potter in Sargent, Missouri.
Wow Hugh! Thanks for sharing!
I loved this bread!!! It was so satisfying with a cup of coffee or tea! A new favorite, for sure…thank you!
You’re welcome Lisa! Glad you enjoyed the bread!
I have been looking for this recipe intermittently for years! I added a banana (my Nanny used to do with this same recipe) ❤️ Amazing, thank you!
You’re very welcome – adding a banana sounds delicious Laura! Thank you for the suggestion!