When I find a recipe that works in the kids lunches and they actually really like I tend to make it over and over in large batches. These flax-seed cookies were perfect for that. So was this zucchini and carrot bread.
This Blueberry Citrus loaf is a new addition to the must.make.all.the.time list. And while, yes there is a bit of sugar, I've seen worse. The bread gets a good amount of sweetness (and flavour) from the orange juice, blueberries and dried cranberries. It is low in fat, no saturated fat, completely vegan and uses whole wheat flour. I say this is a win-win.
I used the juice from 2 oranges and the juice of a ruby-red grapefruit in this recipe. You could certainly use all oranges if you only had them on hand. You will probably need 3 or 4 oranges in total to get enough juice.
The following recipe makes two loaves - which will slice into 8-10 pieces each. Stash these in the freezer and you have 20 all-natural snacks ready to go for lunches. 100x better than a pre-packaged cookie or granola bar.
Before the kids eat it all, I slice up the completely cool bread and wrap each slice individually in wax paper or plastic wrap. My preference is wax paper. I then store the slices, all wrapped and ready to pop into lunches, in freezer-safe storage containers. Which looks something like this:
The slices will keep for a few months in the freezer... but ours never last that long. I let the kids take something "sweet" in their lunches every couple of days. It's not a daily occurrence - and they still have to eat their fruit and veggies - but I feel so much better when I have something like this stashed in the freezer that is homemade and with real ingredients. Since each slice is already wrapped up, the kids can grab them and put them in their own lunch box (as easy as grabbing a pre-packaged granola bar 🙂 ). The slices will thaw by the time lunch rolls around at school.
Blueberry Citrus Loaf {vegan}
Ingredients
- 2-3 oranges
- 1 ruby red grapefruit
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
Instructions
- Prepare two 9x5 loaf pans with parchment paper or with cooking spray and dusting with flour.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Zest 2 oranges and set zest aside. Juice oranges and the grapefruit. Collect enough juice to measure 1-1/2 cups. Add water if you don't have enough juice.
- Heat juice over medium heat until steaming then remove from heat and stir in sugar until dissolved. Then stir in canola oil.
- In a large bowl mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in zest and berries. Then stir in orange juice mixture into dry ingredients until just combined.
- Evenly divide batter between the two loaf pans. Place in the oven on a middle rack and bake until crust is golden brown and crisp. About 45-50 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely
Notes
Hi, I'm Trish. I share quick and healthy recipes designed to get you through your busy days, balanced with a generous serving of sweet and decadent treats for weekends and special occasions. You will find vegan, gluten-free and plant-based recipes here too. Thanks for visiting!
Nicole Boyhouse says
OMG, how did I not know about this site? Great looking recipes - I'm bookmarking and I will be back!
Tiffany says
Wow! Seriously incredible! I used Freeze Dried Cranberries, and I tossed them in a couple of TBSP of extra orange juice to moisten them. Perfectly sweet bread with tart surprises throughout. A new favorate! Thanks once again!
Trish @infinebalance says
So glad you liked it! It's been a favourite around here too.