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Packed with fresh apples, rolled oats, and warm cinnamon spice, this irresistibly moist Apple Bread Recipe is the perfect fall breakfast or healthy snack. Plus, it’s super quick to prep! Just 15 minutes and you’ll have a beautiful apple loaf ready to pop in the oven!
Table of Contents
Apple Cinnamon Bread
Today we’re making apple bread! It’s a recipe I have made time and time again for nearly two decades and it remains one of my absolute favorite quick bread recipes. Warm out of the oven and slathered with melted butter, it’s impossible to eat just one slice! Before discussing how to make it, let’s chat about why I love this recipe so much, and why I think you will, too!
- Texture: Soaking the rolled oats in the wet ingredients softens the oats just enough to give the loaf a softer, more tender bite. It also evenly distributes the oats throughout the batter, so that they won’t clump while baking. Tender oats combined with evenly dispersed chopped apples throughout the loaf make for an irresistibly moist and tender apple bread. For texture, you have the option to include chopped pecans or walnuts or leave them out.
- Flavor: This apple bread tastes like buttery spiced apples with just the right amount of sweetness. It’s a healthier version of ‘traditional’ apple quick bread since it’s made with less oil, refined sugar, and white flour, but it doesn’t taste like it!
- Adaptability: This recipe is a great example of how easy it is to customize for different dietary needs, flavor preferences, and ingredient availability. Be sure to check out the “Ingredients and Substitutions” section below for suggested substitutions.
For more quick-bread recipes, be sure to check out my banana bread recipe and lemon poppyseed bread.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This apple quick bread is super customizable. Below I’ll share some super simple swaps to make this recipe, no matter your dietary needs.
- Dairy-Free: Swap the Greek yogurt for a plat-based yogurt alternative like almond, soy, or coconut yogurt. Plain, sugar-free yogurt is recommended.
- Egg-Free: Swap the egg with a flax egg. Use one tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons of water. You can also use arrowroot powder. To replace one egg, combine 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder with 3 tablespoons of water.
- Vegan: Substitute the egg with your favorite egg replacement and use plant-based yogurt.
- Flour: This recipe uses a mixture of all-purpose and whole wheat flour. Feel free to use only all-purpose flour or go 100% whole wheat for a heartier, slightly denser loaf. For a gluten-free version, substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and certified GF oats.
- Sweetener Swaps: Replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar or omit it entirely for a less-sweet loaf. Maple syrup can be substituted with honey or agave nectar. Note that honey is not a vegan-approved ingredient.
- Oil: Use melted coconut oil or avocado oil instead of olive oil, or increase the applesauce by 1/4 of a cup to reduce fat content.
- Applesauce: This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of applesauce. Substitute with a 1:1 ratio of mashed banana, pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, canned pear or peach purée.
My Pro Tip
What Are the Best Apples to Use For Baking?
It’s best to use firmer apples that hold their shape during baking. This recipe uses just two apples, so use your favorite sweet OR tart variety. My go-to are Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples, which are juicy, sweet-tart, and firm. They’re the apples I use to make sweet fried apples to savory pork chops with apples and onions. Granny Smith, which is more tart than sweet, is a great alternative and popular choice for pies, cobblers, and this apple crisp recipe.
Overview: How to Make Apple Bread
My family really enjoys a slice (or two) of this spiced apple bread for breakfast, afternoon snack, or as an after-dinner dessert. It’s really easy to make and quite delicious with a little butter or peanut butter smeared over the top.
This recipe yields one 9×5-inch loaf or three mini loaves using 6″ x 3″ x 2″ pans.
- To start, preheat your oven to 375°F and grease one 9×5-inch loaf pan, or three smaller loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, yogurt, applesauce, oil, and whisked egg.
- Stir in the oats and let them “soak” for 10 minutes. Soaking them before baking results in a softer, more tender loaf.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt.
- Then, combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Over-mixing can result in a dense loaf.
- Gently fold in the chopped apples and (optional) nuts.
- Transfer to the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle with oats, and bake for 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Baking Tips
- Ditch the loaf pan and make muffins instead. It’s easy! Grease a standard-size muffin tin or line with paper liners to prevent sticking. Fill each muffin cup about ¾ full and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 18-22 minutes.
- Know your loaf pan. For best results, bake your bread in an aluminum loaf pan – not glass or ceramic. I know, I know, the apple loaf in these images are clearly baked in a white ceramic loaf pan. Glass and ceramic will work just fine, but keep in mind that these materials tend to overheat the outside of the bread, resulting in bread that is baked unevenly. For the purposes of the photos, a white loaf pan simply looks better.
- Tent the loaf with aluminum foil if the top starts to brown too quickly. Quick bread is quick to prep, but it isn’t all that fast to bake. I start checking on my loaf after about 30 minutes to make sure the top isn’t getting too brown, too fast.
- Know when your bread is done. We all know the toothpick trick (stick a toothpick in the center; if it comes out clean, it’s ready). But even better than this is to test its temperature with an instant read thermometer. When the loaf registers 195-200°F, it’s done.
- Cool the bread in the pan after baking. Removing or slicing too early will cause the bread to crumble apart.
Storage Tips
I’ll let you in on a little secret. I dedicate one day a year to making this homemade applesauce recipe and baking this apple cinnamon bread. I bake so many loaves, that by the time I’m finished, I have at least 6-8 loaves stockpiled away in my freezer. It’s such a happy surprise when I open my freezer to at least one more loaf.
- To store, wrap leftover bread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in an airtight container or large ziplock bag. Place in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze, allow the bread to cool completely, then wrap the full loaf tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Transfer to the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the countertop.
More Apple Recipes
If you make this apple bread recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment section below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more delicious food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Apple Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¾ cup plain yogurt, I used plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 egg
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped into bite size pieces
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
- 2 tablespoon rolled oats for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375℉ and lightly coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, yogurt, apple sauce, oil, egg.
- Stir in the rolled oats. Let the oats soak and soften slightly for 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- After the oats have softened slightly, carefully add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Then, gently fold in the chopped apples and pecans (if using), being careful not to over-mix. The batter will look and feel very thick.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. with the back of a rubber spatula, smooth out the top of the loaf so that it is mostly flat. Sprinkle the top with rolled oats, if desired.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, tent with foil.
- Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool slightly (inside the loaf pan) before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Dairy-Free: Swap the Greek yogurt for a plat-based yogurt alternative like almond, soy, or coconut yogurt.
- Egg-Free: Swap the egg with a flax egg. Use one tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons of water. Alternatively, combine 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder with 3 tablespoons of water.
- Vegan: Substitute the egg with your favorite egg replacement and use plant-based yogurt.
- Flour: Feel free to use only all-purpose flour or go 100% whole wheat for a heartier, slightly denser loaf. For a gluten-free version, substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and certified GF oats.
- Sweetener Swaps: Replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar or omit it entirely for a less-sweet loaf. Maple syrup can be substituted with honey or agave nectar.
- Oil: Use melted coconut oil or avocado oil instead of olive oil, or increase the applesauce by 1/4 of a cup to reduce the fat content.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I never come back to leave comment on recipes, but I honestly can not believe how fast this bread vanished… my family devoured it. I wish I made more!