Brioche Bread Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits (2024)

Brioche bread is a slightly sweet bread with a light and airy texture. Due to the taste and texture of this French pastry, it goes so well with both sweet and savory dishes.

You may like brioche bread for making french toast or to balance the flavors in your gourmet burger. Here is a look at the nutrition facts, health benefits, and uses of brioche bread.

Brioche Bread Nutrition Facts

A 38-gram serving of brioche bread has 110 calories, 4 grams of protein, 1.4 grams of fat, and 20 grams of carbohydrates. This nutrition information is provided by the USDA.

Carbs

One 38-gram serving of brioche bread has 20 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of fiber. Most of the calories in this sweet bread come from carbohydrates while the sugar in the bread is from added sugar.

Fats

Brioche bread has only 1.5 grams of fat per 38-gram serving. The source of fat in the bread may depend on the recipe. Commercial brands may use vegetable oils. However, most homemade recipes call for butter.

Vegetable oils contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, while butter contains saturated fat. Though commercial baked goods use vegetable oils as the source of fat for pastries like brioche bread, they also may contain trans fat. According to the nutrition facts provided by the USDA, brioche bread is not a source of trans fat.

Protein

One serving of brioche bread provides 4 grams of protein.

Vitamins and Minerals

Most commercial brands of brioche bread use enriched flour. Processed flour has added nutrients that match or exceed the nutrients found in the unprocessed flour.

One 38-gram serving of brioche bread meets more than 10% of the daily value for thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin. It also provides about 5% of the daily value for iron and 9% of the daily value for folic acid.

Despite its sweet taste, brioche bread also contains sodium with 200 milligrams per 38-gram serving. Though the bread only provides 9% of the daily value, it is something you need to keep in mind if you are trying to limit your sodium intake. Too much sodium in your diet increases blood pressure and your risk of developing other health problems like heart disease or kidney disease.

Calories

A serving of brioche bread has 110 calories. More than 70% of the calories in the sweet bread comes from carbohydrates. The rest of the calories come from protein and fat.

Health Benefits

Many people enjoy the versatility and sweetness of brioche bread. Plus, there are some benefits to eating it. Here are some potential health benefits of eating brioche bread.

Provides Energy

Though many fad diets place carbs on the do not eat list, carbohydrates supply your body with energy. When you eat foods like brioche bread, your body breaks down the carbs in the bread into glucose.

Glucose is the primary fuel for all the cells in your body, especially the brain. Your brain is always on, even when you’re sleeping. Unlike your muscles, your brain has no way to store glucose for later use and needs a steady supply to function at its best. Though your brain only makes up about 2% of your body weight, it uses about 20% of the glucose you eat every day.

Helps Meet Nutrient Needs

Most Americans fail to meet their daily needs of many key vitamins and minerals, including iron and magnesium. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends half your grain choices come from whole grains, like oatmeal and whole-wheat bread.

Though whole grains are nutrient-dense, enriched refined grains like those used to make brioche bread are an essential source of the nutrients many Americans may be missing in their diet. According to a September 2021 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, enriched and fortified foods positively contribute to the American diet, helping you meet your daily iron, magnesium, and vitamin B needs.

Brioche bread may not be a significant source of all these nutrients, but it can help you meet your daily needs. Of course, check labels because not all makers of brioche bread use enriched flours.

Provides an Easy-to-Digest Option

Whether you are recovering from the stomach flu or need a quick source of energy before a workout, you may be searching for easy-to-digest foods.Made from enriched refined flour, brioche bread has very little fiber and is easy to digest. This makes it a good choice for anyone who needs to follow a low-fiber diet when recovering from a gastrointestinal problem.

The fast-digesting carb also makes it a good choice for athletes who need to fuel up before their workout. The International Society of Sports Nutrition says you can safely consume carbohydrate-rich foods like brioche bread up to 30 minutes before your workout. However, you should experiment with foods and meal timing to find out what pre-workout snack works best for you.

Aids in Production of Red Blood Cells

Enriched brioche bread provides your body with iron and folate. Both of these nutrients support the production of red blood cells. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, which is a red blood cell that carries oxygen throughout your body.

Folate is a B vitamin that helps make red blood cells. When you do not get enough folate in your diet, you may develop megaloblastic anemia—which means your red blood cells are too large. You also need folate to make DNA and for proper cell division. This is why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that bread and other grain-based products be fortified with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects in babies.

Fits Some Nutrition Plans

Fat is an essential nutrient, but a concentrated source of calories. Many people follow low-fat diets to manage health conditions or for weight maintenance. Brioche bread has only 1.5 grams of fat per serving, making it a good choice for those monitorering their fat intake.

Allergies

A typical recipe for brioche bread includes wheat flour, eggs, butter, yeast, and salt. If you have an allergy to wheat, eggs, or dairy, you want to avoid brioche bread. Brioche bread also contains gluten and is not a good choice for people with celiac disease or who have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity.

Storage and Food Safety

It is best to store your brioche bread at room temperature. It should keep for up to 2 weeks in your bread box or pantry. Keeping bread in the refrigerator may prevent molding, but it speeds up staling. You can store your brioche bread in the freezer for up to 5 months, which may prevent both molding and staling.

How to Prepare

With its sweet taste and light texture, brioche bread goes well with most foods. You can use the bread to make french toast or grilled cheese. The slightly sweet bread also pairs well with burgers. Or, use your slightly stale brioche bread to make bread pudding.