This bread absolutely positively BLEW MY MIND. So delectably moist and wonderfully packed with cinnamon (like my Healthy Apple Cake, Flourless Apple Cinnamon Muffins and Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats!), bejeweled with juicy Honeycrisp apple and studded with luscious cinnamon sugar pecans. Does life get any better than this?!
Ingredients
Flour: We’re rockin’ all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour here for fluff factor! Sugar: We’re using good old white sugar in the bread and brown sugar in the filling. Keeping it classic! I use organic cane sugar, but any version of your favorite granulated dry sweetener should work. Coconut sugar should work instead of brown sugar, although it may taste less sweet. (This recipe has not been formulated for a wet sweetener like maple syrup.) Applesauce and oil: To bring out the apple flavor even more, we’re using unsweetened applesauce instead of adding a lot of extra oil. There’s only 2 tbsp of oil in the recipe, but it’s mega moist. Any neutral flavored oil works well here. Add-ins: Swap walnuts for pecans if you prefer. If you can’t do nuts or dislike them, you can omit, but I’d add a bit more brown sugar so the cinnamon layer is substantial! Spices: This bread has a full tablespoon of cinnamon, which I found to be the perfect amount. You could also add ¼ tsp of nutmeg or a pinch of ginger if you like! If you have apple pie spice, that would also be delish. Egg: Flax eggs have worked wonderfully as a substitution for eggs in my other bread recipes, so I have no doubt they’d work well here.
Wouldya look at that golden beauty?!
Which flour to use
I did 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour. It’s delish with 2 cups of all-purpose flour as well! If you want to go 100% whole grain, I suggest using whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour, which is nice and soft and less “wheaty.” For a gluten free loaf, I suggest using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 all purpose baking flour. It works amazingly well! Oat flour, coconut flour, and almond flour won’t work in this recipe. My Pumpkin Bread and Double Chocolate Banana Bread are naturally gluten free and use almond + oat flour!
You can absolutely whip up muffins if you prefer individual portions versus a loaf. They cook in way less time, which is always a plus. Simply make the batter, divide half the batter into the muffin tins, sprinkle with a spoonful of cinnamon sugar, and repeat with the remaining batter and cinnamon sugar. Swirl each muffin with a knife for that pretty cinnamon sugar swirl. Bake for 8 minutes at 425°F then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs. The total baking time will be about 20-23 minutes.
Storage tips
You can store this apple cinnamon bread on the countertop in an air-tight container for up to three days. If you still have some left, you can store it in the fridge for up to a week. Warm it in the microwave before serving and it tastes as good as new!
How to freeze
To freeze, wrap the loaf tightly in foil then in a plastic bag with the air squeezed out. It will stay fresh for up to three months. You can thaw it on the counter overnight when you’re ready to eat. I hope you’re as in love with this wondrous Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread as I am! If you make it, please leave a comment and star rating letting me know how it turned out. I’m so grateful for your feedback! *Be sure to measure the 1 cup of diced apple. Using more can make the loaf too moist! TO MAKE VEGAN: Sub a flax egg. Mix 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp warm water. Set aside to gel for 5 minutes. TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE: Some readers have commented that they’ve had success with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 all purpose gluten free baking flour, but I have not tested it. Do not substitute other flours like almond, oat, or coconut as they will not work in this recipe.
