Quick bread became a part of the kitchen after the invention of baking powder in 1846; before that, making bread and cakes were not easy as they required yeast. Quick bread is easy to make as it can be baked immediately after it is prepared. It is chemically leavened with baking soda or baking powder instead of yeast. Quick breads are a hybrid between a bread and a cake.

Quick breads include cakes, brownies, muffins, and cookies—as well as banana bread, zucchini bread, cheddar biscuits, scones, and Irish soda bread.