Strawberry ricotta sweet breads are full of sweet strawberries that pair so well with rustic, sweet cornmeal. The addition of ricotta helps to make the cakes light and fluffy. They’re perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Valentine’s Day is on its way {sorry for the rhyme}, as in less than a week away. Burken and I have decided not to get each other gifts this year. Last year I kind of wasn’t a great gift giver because I wasn’t sure if we were doing gifts. So while I got him a DVD, he got me a beautiful set from Victoria’s Secret. Not exactly on the same playing field here.
So this year, I asked what we were spending so that I did not make the same mistake again. Instead, we decided that rather than gifts, we’ll go out for a nice dinner. Being the person who cooks all of our meals at home, a nice dinner out will be a great reprieve from the kitchen.
But, as much as I love dessert, I don’t love it that much at a restaurant. Unless we’re talking about the Cheesecake Factory, then I will eat ALL the dessert! Instead, I would rather make a nice dessert we can enjoy at home when we come back from dinner.
Enter the strawberry ricotta sweet breads
It’s honestly sort of a cross between bread and cake. It’s sort of dense, but sort of light at the same time. How it can be both, I’m not really sure, but you’ll understand when you make them.
I also love that they bake in ramekins, instead of a loaf or cake pan. Then you can take one and not have to share it with anyone. Burken isn’t usually a dessert person, but he has been sneaking little bites of these mini sweet breads quite a few times lately. ?
Mix it up
We start with whole wheat flour and cornmeal. I love the addition of the cornmeal to these sweet breads. It pairs so perfectly with the strawberries and makes for a hearty texture. Then mix in the ricotta, which gives it that nice light and airy texture.
Somehow strawberries have become the fruit of Valentine’s Day, but were also the perfect addition to this sweet bread/cake. I quickly pureed the strawberries with some lemon juice {for a little brightness, but not a lot of lemon flavor} and pure maple syrup {for just a touch of added sweetness}.
I love this little Ninja food processor btw. It’s so nice when you don’t have a lot of ingredients to blend, because it makes everything smooth. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my big food processor for all it does, but sometimes you just need a little one with lots of power to get the job done. And for $20, it’s definitely a steal!
Mix it all together and pour into four greased ramekins. I’m sure you can bake this in a loaf or cake pan, but I have not done so. If you do, let me know how long you baked your bread or cake for.
Strawberry ricotta sweet bread goodness
These strawberry ricotta sweet breads come out of the oven looking fantastic! If you’re planning on eating for breakfast, I would suggest a dollop of cool Greek yogurt on top.
If dessert is more you’re route, then a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream {or go all-out strawberry with strawberry ice cream} is the perfect topper. Watch your ice cream ooze into the warm bread, I mean cake, bread/cake…whatever you’re calling it, it’s sure to be a hit!
- ½ cup white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- ½ tsp. xanthan gum
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. ground cardamom
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ¾ cup part skim ricotta
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¾ cups fresh strawberries, divided
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 fresh lemon, juiced
- ½ tsp. vanilla
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Preheat oven to 375°F and grease four ramekins with cooking spray. Place on a small baking sheet.
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In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, xanthan gum, baking powder, cardamom and salt.
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Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the ricotta, applesauce and egg.
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In a small blender or food processor, add 1 cup of strawberries {stems removed}, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
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Pour the strawberry puree into the ricotta mixture and stir to combine.
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Slice the remaining ¾ cup strawberries and fold into the batter. Spoon into the prepared ramekins.
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Bake for 30-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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If eating for breakfast, top with a dollop of Greek yogurt. If eating for dessert, top with a scoop of ice cream.
