Micah A. Leal
Moderately sweet and packed with small cubes of Granny Smith apple, our apple bread is a sliceable loaf that's easy to justify with a cup of coffee for breakfast. Both brown sugar and honey are incorporated into the batter, lending a mellow sweetness that compliments the hearty texture of the bread itself. Instead of a traditional butter-sugar mixture as the base of this loaf bread, we use applesauce and eggs as a healthier alternative. The vegetable oil in the recipe gives the bread a slight moistness, and while the bread bakes, the tart apple pieces dispersed throughout the dough release their moisture as they cook, making soft pockets of apple within the loaf. A generous amount of cinnamon is also incorporated to spice the loaf with a familiar sweet warmth often associated with apple desserts. Only requiring 10 minutes of hands on time, this apple bread is easy to throw together. But be forewarned, while it’s easy to put on the counter, it certainly isn’t easy to keep it there—few quick breads are quite this snackable.
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and line a standard-size loaf pan with parchment paper. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together applesauce, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, honey, and vegetable oil. Whisk vigorously until mixture is completely homogenous. Add dry ingredients and whisk gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Fold in apple pieces.
Step 3
Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar, if desired.
