This is basically a giant brownie loaf, but the acorn adds a little something nuttier. It’s such a simple quick bread dessert. You can dress it up with nuts or raspberries or a light dusting of powdered sugar. You can also throw in some candy cane pieces for holidays, wrap it in parchment, and give it to your neighbors.
BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE ACORN TEA BREAD
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup maple sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup bread flour
- ¾ cup acorn flour I used a darker valley oak acorn flour as opposed to the lighter white oak flour for this one
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Grease and flour a bread pan, using cocoa in place of flour.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add egg, mix well, then add buttermilk and vanilla (the batter at this point might look a little curdled but it’s ok).
- Sift in flours, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Sifting is important because cocoa tends to be a little clumpy and you want to keep the batter smooth.
- Pour batter into coated bread pan, and bake in oven for approximately 1 hour, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool before inverting and removing from bread pan.

Sara Calvosa Olson is a Karuk writer living with her soulmate, raising two large teenage sons. She has a regular column in News From Native California that explores California Indian foodways and reconnection to traditional Indigenous ingredients. Chími nu’am! (Let’s eat!)