The holiday season is upon us, and for many, that means baking delicious breads to share with family, friends, and guests. Whether you’re preparing for Christmas dinner, gifting homemade treats, or simply wanting to enjoy the cozy aroma of fresh-baked bread, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the long list of to-dos. But with a few holiday bread shortcuts and Thrive Life freeze-dried ingredients, you can create a variety of delicious breads and rolls with minimal effort. Best of all, you can prepare everything ahead of time, saving you stress during the busy holiday season.
Layer all dry ingredients in a qt jar. Seal and store until you are ready to prepare... Quick and Easy! Let’s take a look at three delicious bread recipes you can easily whip up using Thrive Life ingredients to make your Christmas prep a breeze—plus, a little holiday dessert to top it all off!
Christmas Morning Cranberry Nut Bread
This quick bread recipe is perfect for Christmas morning! With the sweet-tart flavor of cranberries and the crunch of nuts, this bread pairs beautifully with coffee or tea. The best part? You can use freeze-dried ingredients to save time, making it a simple yet festive addition to your holiday breakfast spread.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups Thrive Life Freeze-Dried Cranberries
1 cup Thrive Life Instant Milk
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
¼ cup butter, softened
¾ cup warm water
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a loaf pan.
In a small bowl, rehydrate the Thrive Life cranberries with a bit of warm water for about 5 minutes, then drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and chopped nuts.
In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, butter, vanilla, and Thrive Life instant milk rehydrated with warm water.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the cranberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
Why It’s Great for Christmas: This easy-to-make cranberry bread captures the essence of the season with its festive flavors. The freeze-dried cranberries add a burst of flavor without the hassle of fresh fruit, making this recipe both time-saving and delicious.
Holiday potato Dinner Rolls
Want to impress your guests with warm, homemade rolls but without the hassle of kneading and waiting for dough to rise? A meal in a jar for dinner rolls makes it incredibly easy to bake fresh rolls for your holiday table. Simply prepare the ingredients in advance, and when you’re ready, just mix, bake, and enjoy!
Ingredients (for a 1-quart mason jar):
1 ½ cups Thrive Life Instant Potatoes (for a soft texture)
1 ½ cups Thrive Life Instant Milk
3 cups Thrive Life All-Purpose Flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp instant yeast (not included in Thrive Life)
2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
Instructions to make the jar:
In a quart-sized mason jar, layer the ingredients: instant potatoes, instant milk, flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.
To Prepare:
In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups warm water with the contents of the jar.
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil or melted butter.
Stir until the dough forms and knead for 5-10 minutes.
Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a baking sheet.
Divide the dough into small rolls and place them on the sheet. Let them rise for an additional 30 minutes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm!
Why It’s Great for Christmas: The combination of instant potatoes and instant milk makes these rolls incredibly soft and tender. Plus, the jarred version allows you to gift a DIY bread kit to others or have it ready for your own holiday feast.
Savory Onion Roll Jar Mix
In a quart jar layer
Ingredients:
1/4 Cup dehydrated onion flakes
3 1/3 cups bread flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon powdered milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 Tablespoon yeast
Instructions to make jar:
1. Place the sugar and yeast in a small Ziplock baggie and add to top of finished jar.
2. Combine all other ingredients in a one-quart jar.
To Prepare:
1. Add 1-1/8 cups of warm water (105 to 110 degrees F) to a bowl,
2. sprinkle the baggie of yeast and sugar onto the water and let float on top for a few minutes to activate.
3. Stir in jar mix with 1-2 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
4. Stir well, then knead for a couple minutes.
5. Cover and let rise, about an hour.
6. Cut into sections and make 12 rolls and let them rise again.
7. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Tips for Holiday Bread Prep Using Thrive Life Ingredients:
Batch Baking: Prep your Bread in a jar recipes ahead of time. You can gift these jars to friends and family or keep them on hand for yourself when you need to bake fresh bread for a holiday gathering.
Gift Ideas: The Holiday Dinner Rolls Jar or a quick bread makes a thoughtful, homemade gift that’s both practical and delicious. Add a ribbon and a cute gift tag for a festive touch.
Freeze for Later: If you make extra rolls, bread, or bread pudding, freeze them for a quick meal during the holiday season. Just reheat and serve when you're ready!
By using Thrive Life freeze-dried ingredients, you can create delicious holiday breads, rolls, and desserts without the mess, time, and stress that typically comes with traditional baking.
Whether you’re preparing meals for your own family or gifting them to others, these recipes are perfect shortcuts for simplifying your holiday prep, leaving you more time to enjoy the season.
Are you ready to start baking for Christmas? Try these bread recipes and let me know how it goes! And don’t forget to check out my Thrive Life store for all the ingredients you need for these recipes: Goshen.thrivelife.com
The savory onion roll mix featured above is from page 1-F of my meal in a jar and master mix recipe collection pdf if you do not have it and would like to start your meal in a jar journey! You can find it HERE!
Happy Holidays and happy baking!
Commentaires