Pawpaw Honey Bread

Pawpaw season in the Ozarks is short, sweet, and something I look forward to every year. When the fruit starts dropping in late summer, there are few things better than finding a perfectly ripe pawpaw and turning it into something that really lets its tropical flavor shine.

This Pawpaw Honey Bread is one of my favorite simple ways to use the fruit.

Pawpaw naturally has a rich, custard-like texture with flavors reminiscent of banana, mango, vanilla, and melon. That makes it perfect for a quick bread, where the pulp adds both flavor and moisture.

Instead of relying heavily on refined sugar, this recipe uses honey to complement the natural sweetness of the pawpaw. The result is a soft, moist loaf with plenty of pawpaw flavor and just enough sweetness to make it feel like a treat without turning it into cake.

It’s excellent served slightly warm with butter and another drizzle of local honey, but it’s just as good sliced the next morning with a cup of coffee.

For me, recipes like this are what cooking with wild foods is all about. Pawpaw doesn’t need to be turned into something overly complicated. Sometimes the best thing you can do with a wild ingredient is give it just enough support to let it speak for itself.

Pawpaw Honey Bread Recipe

Yield: 1 standard loaf
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 50–60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup ripe pawpaw pulp, seeds and skin removed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped black walnuts or pecans, optional

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven and pan.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a standard 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.

2. Mix the wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pawpaw pulp, honey, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.

3. Combine the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4. Make the batter.
Add the dry ingredients to the pawpaw mixture and gently fold everything together until just combined. Avoid overmixing. If using black walnuts or pecans, fold them in at the end.

5. Bake.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

6. Cool.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature with butter and a drizzle of local honey.

Chef’s Notes

The flavor and moisture content of pawpaws can vary quite a bit from tree to tree. Use fully ripe, aromatic fruit for the strongest pawpaw flavor.

For an especially Ozarks-inspired loaf, add black walnuts. Their rich, earthy flavor works beautifully against the tropical sweetness of the pawpaw and honey.

Pawpaw pulp also freezes extremely well. During the short pawpaw season, remove the skin and seeds, portion the pulp into freezer containers, and freeze it so you can make this bread throughout the year.

One important note: Pawpaw is best enjoyed cooked or eaten fresh in reasonable amounts. If you’ve never eaten pawpaw before, start with a small serving to see how your body responds.

Enjoy the season it never lasts long enough.