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This easy applesauce bread recipe is a hearty and moist quick bread that everyone in the family will love. Goes together in no time and freezes well.
*This post was originally published in 2015. It’s been updated with all new images, more information, and fresh source links. I’ve also slightly adjusted the ingredients so this bread is healthier. Enjoy!
This easy applesauce bread is so moist it melts in your mouth. It’s sweet…but not too sweet. There are no chunks, nuts, or other things that kids might not like, so it’s the perfect family-friendly snack or dessert. I made four small loaves, but this batter would also make great muffins. Mini muffins would make an easy breakfast on the go. I love that this bread rises in the middle and cracks on the top, which makes a fluffier, lighter bread.
Easy Applesauce Bread Ingredients
- Brown sugar: provides a hearty hint of molasses.
- Coconut oil: a healthier choice than canola oil. You want to slightly melt solid coconut oil to liquid form before measuring. You don’t want it hot, just melted. You can also substitute an equal amount of softened butter, but the bread texture will be different.
- Eggs: binds the bread batter together.
- Fat free plain Greek yogurt: a good substitute for sour cream, which was used in the original recipe. Normally it’s advised to add 1 teaspoon of baking soda per cup of fat free yogurt. Since this recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of baking powder, I left the baking soda out.
- Pure vanilla extract: adds flavor.
- Flour: the base of every bread recipe.
- Oats: thickens the batter and adds a nutty texture.
- Baking powder: leavening needed for the bread to rise.
- Salt: flavor balancer.
- Cinnamon: other spices can be substituted for part of the cinnamon. Nutmeg or allspice would be good choices.
- Unsweetened applesauce: adds moisture and a delightful apple flavor.
- Other tasty additions: raisins, chopped walnuts or pecans, sliced almonds.
How To Make
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine brown sugar, oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla on medium speed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 increments. Make sure to combine well and scrape sides of bowl.
- Stir in applesauce by hand with a large spatula.
- Pour into 4 prepared small bread pans.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.
- Cool slightly and then remove from pans.
Is brown sugar better for you than white sugar?
Because it’s made from molasses, brown sugar contains trace amounts of minerals, so it’s a slightly healthier choice than white sugar. This is a matter of debate among foodies! Most will say that nutritionally speaking, brown sugar and white sugar are the same. If you’re wondering, I’m with the “yes, it’s healthier” team. Every little bit helps.
Does coconut oil taste like coconut?
Well…that depends on what kind you choose. There are two versions of coconut oil available at the grocery store and online: refined and unrefined. Unrefined coconut oil, sometimes marked as pure or virgin, has a pleasant coconut scent because it’s made from fresh coconut meat. This is what you would use in sugar scrubs, or any recipe where you want a distinct coconut flavor. Refined coconut oil is tasteless and has no scent because it’s made from dried coconut meat. I keep both on hand because I love to make sugar scrubs…but I don’t want my baked goods to taste like coconut! Also available is liquid refined coconut oil (my favorite option) that comes in a bottle, and will pour like any other baking oil.
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Easy Applesauce Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup refined coconut oil (in liquid form)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine brown sugar, oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla on medium speed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 increments. Make sure to combine well and scrape sides of bowl.
- Stir in applesauce by hand with a large spatula.
- Pour into 4 prepared small bread pans.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.
- Cool slightly and then remove from pans.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you
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What size loaf pan would be suitable? 4×8 or 5×9? Thank you.
Hi Deborah…to be honest, I’ve never made this particular recipe in a large loaf pan. I think either size would work. The thing about baking in large loaf pans is getting the inside done without burning the outside. If you try a larger pan, let us know how it comes out!
Hi Ann, I made this bread today! Wonderful! It’s a new favorite for us. I like that it’s not so sweet. I don’t have small bread pans so I doubled the recipe and it made three large loaves. Thanks for sharing!
In the applesauce bread recipe, is the 1/2 cup of coconut oil a 1/2 cup solid that you would then melt or 1/2 cup liquid form? Thanks for the clarification!
Hi Gayle…thanks for this question! I added clarification to the recipe card. You want to slightly melt the solid coconut oil to liquid form before measuring. You don’t want it hot, just melted. Enjoy the bread!
This bread made for an amazing breakfast treat, making the house smell deliciously of apples and fall scents.
Could I replace half the oats with sweetened coconut but use canola oil?
Yes! I think that would be delicious. Please let us know how it comes out!
Made this recipe this afternoon. My grandkids came in after school and loved the smell. They kept asking when they could have a sample taste! Love your recipes, they are basic and I usually have the ingredients on hand. Thanks!
ANN. Made the Applesauce Bread this morning. Was quick and really good with a coffee break from making a Computer generated photo album.
As always we have liked all of your recipes
Definitely going to try this tonight!
I can’t wait to try this recipe this weekend using my homemade applesauce. This looks really yummy. Thank you for sharing.