Healthy Cinnamon Apple Bread Recipe
This cozy Apple Cinnamon Bread is moist, tender, and full of shredded apples and warm spice. It’s toddler-approved in my house, fuels me before long runs, and doubles as the perfect fall treat with coffee or ice cream. One bite and you’ll see why this apple quick bread is on repeat in my kitchen all autumn long.
Ingredients
Apples
- 2 large apples Fuji, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, etc., shredded; or 1 ½ cups shredded apples
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Bread dough
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plain Greek Yogurt 0% or 2%
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour (2 ½ cups, 300g, total)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a loaf baking pan with non-stick cooking spray or avocado oil.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the shredded apples, brown sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and lemon juice until combined. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until dark brown and juicy.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, sugar, vanilla extract, and avocado oil until smooth and pale yellow.
- Add the flours, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and baking powder to the egg mixture. Whisk until most of the flour is incorporated and the batter is thick. Note: it will seem abnormally thick during this stage, and that is ok! When we add the apple mixture in the next step, it will thin out.
- Add the shredded apples to the bread dough. Stir in vigorously with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, or until a smooth batter forms and no remaining clumps of thick dough remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the apple loaf comes out clean.
- Cool the bread in the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Turn the bread out onto the cooling rack and cool until room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store slices in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Toast individual slices lightly in the toaster or heat them in the microwave for 15 seconds until warm.
- Peeling the apples. Save on prep time by not peeling the apples. Though you can peel if preferred, the small bits of skin melt into the batter making it a step I usually skip.
- Weigh or spoon your flour. Too much flour = dense bread. For the best texture, use a scale or lightly spoon into the measuring cup.
- Let the apples rest. A short maceration with sugar and spices draws out juices, keeping the bread moist and flavorful. This is especially important given how dry the batter is before adding the apple mixture.
- Stir firmly. Mixing apples into the batter vigorously ensures they and their juices are fully incorporated.
- Check doneness with a toothpick. Insert it into the center — it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece (1/12 of the loaf)Calories: 260kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 169mgFiber: 3gSugar: 22g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
