This easy applesauce bread recipe is soft, moist, and full of warm cinnamon flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients and smooth applesauce, it bakes into a tender loaf with a beautifully cracked top and just the right amount of sweetness. Because there are no nuts or chunks of fruit, it’s a family-friendly quick bread that’s perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a simple dessert.
Why This Applesauce Bread Recipe Works?
This easy applesauce bread recipe turns out soft and moist every time because the ingredients work together so well. The applesauce and yogurt add moisture without making the bread heavy, while the oats give it just enough texture and heartiness. Brown sugar and cinnamon add warm flavor, and the coconut oil keeps the crumb tender. Since there are no chunks of fruit or nuts, this is a simple quick bread that’s easy to slice and perfect for both kids and adults. The batter can be baked as one standard loaf, several mini loaves, or even muffins if you prefer. No matter how you make it, this applesauce bread turns out reliably every time and fills the kitchen with the comforting scent of homemade baking.
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Easy Applesauce Bread Recipe 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. Refined coconut oil has a very mild flavor and does not make the bread taste like coconut. An equal amount of softened butter can be substituted for the coconut oil, 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.
Tips for Moist Applesauce Bread
- Don’t overmix the batter.
- Make sure to use unsweetened applesauce.
- Measure the flour correctly. Lightly spoon it into the measuring cup and leve off the top with a knife. Too much flour can make applesauce bread dry.
- Let the bread cool slightly before slicing.
- Check early for doneness since small pans bake quickly.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for two days. After that, store in your refrigerator.
- This is the perfect “make-ahead and freeze” recipe.
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 try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. A quick rating or comment is always appreciated, and helps other readers too.
If you enjoy simple homemade quick breads, make sure to try my applesauce muffins recipe too. They are soft, lightly sweet, and perfect for breakfast or lunchboxes. For a version made with fresh fruit, my classic apple bread recipe is another family favorite. It’s filled with tender apples and warm cinnamon flavor, making it especially good during apple season and throughout the fall months.
Shop & Source
- Goldtouch mini loaf pans
- KitchenAid Mixer
- Grain sack kitchen towel
- Clear Pyrex mixing bowl
- Small serrated knife
- Round wood board with handle
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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.