Here in New England, we have a quirky love of recipes made with Grape-Nuts cereal (often simplified to “Grapenut” in recipes), a century-old midwestern health cereal made from twice-baked morsels of wheat and barley. After Grape-Nuts hit the market in 1897, one of the ways in which inventor Charles W. Post promoted it was in recipe contests. The pudding and ice cream recipes have proved to be the most enduring, but we also have a soft spot for this easy Grapenut bread recipe. Here’s how to make it!
How to Make Our Favorite Grapenut Bread Recipe
Making Grapenut bread is a lot like making any other quick bread — it just requires an extra step to get the cereal ready. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-by-4-inch loaf pan with parchment to help with loaf removal later. In a medium bowl, pour 1 1/3 cups of scalded milk over 2/3 cup of cereal and allow it to cool.
Pour scalded milk over the cereal and allow it to soak up the milk while you get the dry ingredients ready. Photo Credit : Aimee TuckerAs the cereal absorbs the milk, it will soften and thicken. Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
In a separate bowl, sift together the 2 cups of flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 2/3 cup of granulated sugar. Add a beaten egg and 3 tablespoons of melted butter to the milk and cereal, then stir to combine. Add the flour mixture to the cereal mixture and stir until just combined — do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the waiting parchment-lined loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The nutty aroma will have your kitchen smelling terrific.
Grapenut Bread Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
For best flavor and greater ease in slicing, wrap and store overnight. When I brought this loaf into the Yankee offices, I returned a few hours later to a plate of crumbs, which is always a good sign.
Are you a fan of Grapenut bread? This recipe is a keeper.
Aimee Tucker is Yankee Magazine’s Home Editor and the Senior Digital Editor of NewEngland.com. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.
