Cinnamon applesauce bread is your new go-to quick bread recipe for fall! Applesauce and grated apples give the bread its fresh apple flavor, and warming spices cinnamon and nutmeg (plus a cinnamon streusel topping!) lend serious fall vibes. The batter comes together in one bowl, and it takes less than 30 minutes of hands on time to whip up a loaf of this easy, moist, and delicious bread.
Move over banana bread! There's a new quick bread recipe in town that's just as quick, easy, and flavorful as everyone's favorite quick bread.
This spiced applesauce loaf is adapted from my favorite banana bread recipe, so you know it's seriously moist and full of flavor! I simply swapped the bananas for applesauce and grated apples, browned the butter, added brown sugar and warming spices, topped with cinnamon streusel and voilà: a quick bread recipe that's absolutely perfect for fall!
I love quick breads because they're easy to make, they store and freeze well, they're great for gifting because they travel well, and - of course - they're quick! There's no waiting for yeast dough to rise, since these breads are leavened with baking soda or baking powder. The batter for this bread comes together in one bowl (though you'll need to dirty a few more dishes for browning the butter and making the streusel), and it takes less than 30 minutes of hands on time to bake a loaf!
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Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Unsweetened Applesauce - Unsweetened applesauce is the key to this bread recipe, adding both apple flavor and just the right amount of moisture to the batter.
Grated Apple - Grated apple adds extra apple flavor and a bit more moisture to the batter. You'll only need about half of one apple to get enough grated apple for this recipe. Be sure to peel your apple before grating.
White & Brown Sugars - In addition to white granulated sugar, brown sugar adds extra flavor and moisture to the batter and complements the warming spices perfectly.
Ground Cinnamon & Nutmeg - Ground cinnamon and nutmeg add delicious spiced flavor to this recipe. I tested different combinations of warming spices... some were lacking while others were overpowering. I found 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg to be just right.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a standard loaf pan (8.5 inches x 4.5 inches) with cooking spray and set it aside.
Step 2: Brown the butter. Place butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat to melt the butter. Once melted, reduce heat to low. Continue to cook the butter, occasionally stirring or gently swirling the pan to ensure it doesn't burn, until the milk solids at the bottom of the pan become a nice golden brown and the butter emits a toasty aroma. Immediately transfer the browned butter to a heat safe bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
Step 3: Make the batter by first combining applesauce and grated apple in a large bowl.
Step 4: Add both sugars and stir to combine.
Step 5: Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
Step 6: Carefully add egg and browned butter and stir gently just until combined.
Step 7: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Set aside.
Step 8: Make the streusel. In a small bowl, add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and whisk to combine. Add melted butter and whisk until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter in the loaf pan.
Step 9: Bake the bread for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.
Step 10: Place the pan on a wire rack and let the bread cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before carefully turning the loaf out onto the wire rack to cool completely. (Tip: I recommend running a cake tester or butter knife carefully around the edges of the pan immediately after removing it from the oven and again before turning out the bread to ensure the bread doesn't stick to the pan.)
Allison's Top Tips
Use a box grater to easily shred the peeled apple before adding to the batter.
Be careful not to over mix the batter after the flour is added to avoid a dense or gummy texture in your bread.
Recipe FAQs
Quick breads, like this applesauce loaf, freeze well when wrapped in plastic and then stored in an airtight plastic container or bag (or a wrapping of aluminum foil) and frozen for up to 3 months.
Applesauce is a great substitute for oil in baking and can be used to moisten cakes, muffins, and quick breads. The resulting baked goods won't be quite as moist as they would with oil but will contain much less fat. In this recipe, applesauce pairs with grated apple to add a distinctive apple flavor.
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Recipe
Cinnamon Applesauce Bread with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
Bread Batter:
- ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (240 grams) unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup (34 grams) peeled and grated apple
- ½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (107 grams) light brown sugar
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
Streusel Topping:
- 2 Tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons (26 grams) brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.25 grams) ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a standard loaf pan (8.5 inches x 4.5 inches) with cooking spray and set it aside.
Brown the butter.
- Place butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat to melt the butter. Once melted, reduce heat to low. Continue to cook the butter, occasionally stirring or gently swirling the pan to ensure it doesn't burn, until the milk solids at the bottom of the pan become a nice golden brown and the butter emits a toasty aroma. Immediately transfer the browned butter to a heat safe bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
Make the batter.
- In a large bowl, combine applesauce and grated apple.
- Add both sugars and stir to combine.
- Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
- Carefully add egg and browned butter and stir gently just until combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Set aside.
Make the streusel topping.
- In a small bowl, add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and whisk to combine. Add melted butter and whisk until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter in the loaf pan.
Bake the bread.
- Bake the bread for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.
- Place the pan on a wire rack and let the bread cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before carefully turning the loaf out onto the wire rack to cool completely. (Tip: I recommend running a cake tester or butter knife carefully around the edges of the pan immediately after removing it from the oven and again before turning out the bread to ensure the bread doesn't stick to the pan.)
Jandji Barone says
My family and I liked the loaf, we thought the flavor was good and I liked how the batter cooked up and around the streusel topping.
I made the loaf the first time I tried the recipe then I made muffins and checked the baking at 20 and 30 minutes on the 325 temp.
In my preschool classroom we get unsweetened applesauce for school lunch and I was looking for a recipe my students would like but I wanted to take muffins. So the loaf is good for family and muffins for my classroom.
I typically have salted butter but that was the only change I made.
Sharon says
My whole family loved this bread
Mike says
Super bland. Not sweet enough, no flavor. The lack of salt in the batter leaves a tasteless bread. Perhaps adding salt could have brought out the sweetness of the apples and sugar. Sorry, but I would not recommend this recipe 😔
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Mike! I'm sorry to hear that you didn't find this bread to be flavorful enough. I'd be curious to know what variety of apple you used and if your spices were fresh, and I'd be happy to help you troubleshoot.
- Allison
Lindy says
I just got some mini loaf pans that I want to try out. I will keep an eye on them, but I figured I would ask anyway. Have you tried mini loafs? How should I adjust the time? I am winging it, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Lindy! Yes this recipe can absolutely be divided among mini loaf pans. The baking time will depend on the dimensions of your loaf pans, but I would suggest starting to check on the baking loafs (using the oven light, without opening the oven door) after 20 to 30 minutes. Keep checking the loaves until they appear done (the tops should be domed and golden brown), then remove the loaf from the oven and test with a cake tester or toothpick (it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs) to confirm that the loaves are finished baking. Happy baking!
- Allison