This is the red velvet quick bread recipe you’ll want to make for Valentine’s Day

Red velvet cake and special occasions just seem to go hand-in-hand … even when that red velvet is in the shape of an armadillo. (Do “Steel Magnolias” references still hold up in 2021? I hope so!)

Being a red velvet connoisseur, I was thrilled to find this red velvet quick bread recipe on Taste and Tell. I instantly thought how perfect this recipe would be for a Valentine’s Day breakfast. With a cup of ice cold milk or a warm cup of coffee, red velvet quick bread can make even a drab February morning feel special.

The unique part about this quick bread recipe is that instead of having a glaze, it has a cream cheese filling. Not only does the cream cheese filling provide that beautiful red-and-white swirled hue, but it also makes it feel more like a pastry or morning bread and less like a decadent after-dinner dessert.

The complete recipe is on Taste and Tell, but I have made it a few times and I have some suggestions after experimenting with it. First, I tried making this quick bread with McCormick Color From Nature instead of red food coloring. However, I can say with certainty that this was not a success, and the quick bread did not turn out to be a brilliant red or even pink hue but rather reddish-brownish. My daughter thought it was lasagna. Hmm.

On my next trial, I used the real red food dye, but I also wanted to bump up the flavor a bit. I added in three tablespoons of cocoa powder instead of the suggested single tablespoon of cocoa powder; I also increased the sugar by about half a cup and used dark brown sugar instead of white.

Of course, these changes made it a bit more decadent, but for a special occasion breakfast, I think it’s worth the added indulgence as it brings home the red velvet flavor even more.

Now, if I could only find an armadillo-shaped bread pan …

Will you make a special Valentine’s Day breakfast for your sweetie this year?