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Amish Friendship Bread Variations #2

The following are several more variations e-mailed to us by our readers. What's really wonderful is that this networking is an affirmation of the Amish Friendship Bread tradition. Each of us might have favorite ways of changing and modifying the basic recipe, but the underlying connection is sharing something we made with our friends.

California Friendship Bread

Bonnie Reece (California)

When I was traveling through the eastern US in a RV, I frequently baked several loaves of Amish Friendship Bread to eat and share with people that befriended us. In Lancaster Co, Pennsylvania, I wanted to give some to an elderly Amish woman who owned a fabric shop. She had been particularly helpful to me. I felt uncomfortable calling it Amish bread and giving it to an Amish person. My solution was to call it California Friendship Bread because I was from California. She thought it was wonderful. Maybe it erased some of the negative misconceptions about Californians in her mind. So, the recipe can be any thing you need or want it to be.

Chocolate Variations

Note: these variations require the basic Amish Friendship Bread batter

Robin Sandwick, Charlotte, NC

Replace the vanilla pudding with chocolate and add 1/2 cup each of chocolate chips and coconut. I use small (about 1 cup size) bundt pans and bake for 45 - 50 minutes

Becky Stathos

Instead of using two loaf pans, I bake it in a bundt pan. Another favorite is to use chocolate instant pudding, and add pecans, chocolate chips and coconut. Let your imagination and taste buds guide you.

Karen & Randy Bell Maggie Valley, North Carolina

Here's one we came up with ourselves .... Substitute almond ALMOND flavoring (NOT Imitation) for the vanilla flavoring... substitute WHITE CHOCOLATE pudding For the vanilla pudding....`

Sharon Allardyce

My variation for the Friendship Bread is a chocolate one, but I use 1/4 cup cocoa, or even a little more (I prefer Hershey's European Chocolate), and either the vanilla or chocolate pudding can be used. I reduce the cinnamon to half (1 teaspoon). Everyone that tastes it thinks it is outstanding. The cinnamon gives it an even better taste than just using chocolate alone.

Marilyn Di Palma from Sedona, AZ

1 to 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips - this is great if you put the chocolate chips in a bowl and shake 1/2 teaspoon extra cinnamon to coat them. This is very popular. 1 to 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips and orange zest to taste.

SA Brown

I substitute chocolate pudding for the vanilla and add 1 cup of chocolate chips for an awesome Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bread. My friends beg for it! I even had a restaurant ask me to bake it for them. Try it, you'll like it!

Lemon Variations

Note: these variations require the basic Amish Friendship Bread batter

Robin Sandwick, Charlotte, NC

Use lemon pudding and add 1/4 cup of poppy seeds. I bake these in a very small muffin pan for about 20 - 25 minutes.

Jean M. French

For lemon bread, I substitute lemon pudding mix and lemon extract, omit the cinnamon and nuts, and add poppy seeds.

Mary Dierick

Lemon Amish Friendship Bread Use 2 sm. boxes of instant lemon pudding instead on the vanilla pudding, replace poppy seeds for the cinnamon, & use lemon peel instead of the vanilla. Bake for about 1 1/2 hrs. Very Good!

Carol Williamson, Ontario, Canada

I love to make mine with dried pineapple and lemon instant pudding.

Nancy Scheiner

Lemon-Poppyseed Variation: Use lemon pudding mix instead of vanilla pudding. Add 2-tsp. Lemon extract instead of vanilla. Eliminate cinnamon. Add 1/4 cup poppyseed.

Michelle Fox, Taylorsville, North Carolina

Lemon-Poppyseed Friendship Bread Use two small pkgs. of lemon pudding rather than the vanilla and lemon flavoring in place of vanilla flavoring. Add one tablespoon of poppyseed. This is excellent for making lemon-poppyseed muffins.

Lynn Davis

Here are some more variations on Amish Friendship bread - I forgot who gave them to me! Lemon Coconut - Delete cinnamon, nuts and vanilla. Use lemon flavored pudding, add 1-tsp. lemon extract and 2 cups coconut.

Ann Fowler, Fortson, Georgia

"Here is my recipe for the Amish Friendship Bread Variation.
Lemon Walnut Friendship Bread: Omit Cinnamon, Vanilla Pudding in basic recipe and add 1 teaspoon lemon extract, 1 package lemon pudding and one cup of chopped walnuts. Umm Umm Good! "

Kelly Glasser

Kelly writes: "Lemon pudding and cranberries are my variation to the friendship bread!"

We also received lemon poppyseed variations from Darcey of Omaha, Nebraska and Kim Strid. We thank you!

Banana and Zucchini Bread Variations

Note: these variations require the basic Amish Friendship Bread batter

Robin Sandwick, Charlotte, NC

Use banana cream pie pudding and two mashed bananas. I have also added 1/4 cup of chocolate chip to this on occasion. I use the small bundt pans and bake for about 40 - 50 minutes.

Jean M. French

For banana bread, I substitute banana cream pudding mix and a mashed banana, and omit the cinnamon.

Robin Sandwick, Charlotte, NC

Add 1 cup of grated zucchini. Make sure you squeeze out the excess liquid. bake for about 75 minutes but start checking after 50 minutes.

Cranberry Variations

Note: these variations require the basic Amish Friendship Bread batter

Connie Davis, Janesville CA

I've found that a cup of dried cranberries and a tsp of orange zest, along with a cup of chopped nuts, makes a nice holiday variation to the cake!

Merry Axtell, Woodinville, WA

I used the basic cinnamon amish bread recipe and added 1 cup of craisins (dried cranberries) as well as the pecans. It made a great Christmas Bread this year which I gave to my brothers & sisters (6) and their families as well as friends. They all loved it including the children and adults that won't eat raisins. I received many requests for the recipe and people were surprised when they had to take a cup of starter along with them. But it was great fun.

Ronda Lambert & Stacy Tuck, Pulaski, Va

. I got a starter for Amish Friendship bread from my friend, Stacy Tuck. We like to add Craisins(dried sweetened cranberries) and chocolate covered raisins to our mix. We also like the bread with chocolate pudding instead of vanilla. We'd be tickled if you added our variation to your list. Thanks!

Miscellaneous Variations

Note: these variations require the basic Amish Friendship Bread batter

Carol Williamson Ontario, Canada

Carol loves to make Friendship Bread with dried apples and caramel instant pudding (makes it like caramel apples).

Sandy Moffet, Olympia WA

Last night I tried 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, 3/4 cup macadamia nuts and used cheesecake pudding. Delicious!!!

Marilyn Di Palma from Sedona, AZ

Substitute 2 tablespoons molasses for equal amount of sugar and add spices to make gingerbread.

Becky Stathos

I like to throw in a box of chopped dates and a cup of chopped pecans. Then, instead of using two loaf pans, I bake it in a bundt pan. Let your imagination and taste buds guide you.

Deborah Andrews, Newberry Springs, CA

I add 1 cup of drained crushed pineapple, 1 cup shredded coconut and pistachio pudding (instead of vanilla). Very yummy.

Phyllis Mehler, Louisville, KY

Great bread (cake) !!!! My neighbor gave me a starter before leaving for vacation... I've gained 5 lbs. but it's worth every bite. I used 1/2 cup nuts and 1/2 cup white raisins; to die for.

Carolyn Jones, Paducah, KY

Variation 1: use 1 small box of orange jello, 1 c. drained mandarin oranges
Variation 2: use 1 small box of strawberry jello, 1 c. thawed strawberries. These are very good and I get raving reviews about them .

G. Bekaert

Use Cheesecake pudding instead of vanilla pudding and add chopped maraschino cherries (about 6 with some juice). This tastes great and looks very festive.

Sheryl Riley

" I have made the friendship bread for a number of years and love it. One thing you can do to make it different is to use different flavors of pudding. Bannana, lemon, chocolate, and butter pecan are all good. We have also made it with fruit in it. Blueberries and raspberries work well."

Sandy Woodward

"I tried the standard recipe for cake with the vanilla pudding, cinnamon and added glazed fruit mix with walnuts and almonds. The result was a tasty fruitcake."

Malissa Chapin, Oshkosh, WI

Mallisa sends us a different low fat variation:

"to make it more healthy I've had great success with using 1/2 c oil and 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce instead of 1c of oil. I also use sugar free pudding. I made my last batch with vanilla pudding and 2c frozen blueberries--wow! "

Joyce House, California

Joyce writes:

"It was suggested that I can put anything in it (i.e. into the basic Amish Friendship Bread recipe - AW) to add flavor. On my first attempt with the recipe I used 1 cup of frozen blueberries (slightly thawed) and 1 cup of chopped pecans. It was delicious. "

Joyce Croul, Gilroy CA.

Joyce writes:

I like to use a small can of well drained pineapple in one of my variations with 2Tb. coconut scattered over the top half way through the baking.

Rebecca Amerson

Rebecca writes:

My favorite is to add a small can of well drained crushed pineapple, coconut, and chopped pecans!

Karin Conrod, Ontario Canada

Karin writes:

My favorite twist on this bread is to use banana cream pudding, with shredded coconut. I also like using coconut cream pie pudding with crushed pineapple. Absolutly yummilcious!!

Michele Maddox

Michele writes:

Use cappicino pudding , 1/2 C. chocolate chips and 1/2 C. nuts of choice.

Amish Friendship Bread Main Recipes and Variations Page

Go to Our Basic Amish Friendship Bread Recipe Page

Order Your Starter and Accessories from Us. (A starter is necessary to make Amish Friendship Bread and ours will get you going if you don't have one. While our starter is a "sourdough" type, don't let this deter you; the sweetness of the Amish Friendship Bread ingredients will be effectively enhanced by the slightly sour flavor of the starter.)

By the way, if you have a favorite variation on the basic Amish Friendship Bread theme and would like us to include it with credit to you, email us at . Let's see how many variations we can come up with!.

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