Enjoy the warm and cozy flavors of fall with this healthy apple cinnamon bread. Made with almond flour, oat flour and naturally sweetened. A healthier sweet bread you can feel good about eating. Takes just 15 minutes to mix up the ingredients and get ready for the oven.
If you love healthier apple recipes, then you should try my gluten-free apple blondies, apple oat muffins and healthy apple crisp next.
Reasons to Love This Recipe
- Easy - You just need one bowl and 15 minutes of prep time!
- Gluten free & clean ingredients - I use the perfect mix of almond flour and oat flour to get the right texture, making this bread both gluten free and healthy-ish. Try my healthy almond flour pumpkin muffins for another delicious almond flour baked good.
- Naturally sweet - I use coconut sugar and applesauce to lightly sweeten this healthy apple cinnamon bread, keeping it refined sugar free (and lower in sugar than the other guys).
- No oil - The applesauce in this recipe replaces the need for any oil.
- Cozy fall flavors - Just like my gluten-free apple blondies and apple cinnamon baked oatmeal, this apple bread screams warm apples and cinnamon!
This healthy apple cinnamon bread is proof you can enjoy a delicious fall baked good with real food ingredients (like my healthy almond flour pumpkin muffins, these have no refined flours, sugars, or oils). This definitely checks the boxes for a healthy fall baking recipe with all the craveable fall flavors.
And as a bonus, there are 6 grams of protein in a slice - not bad for a slice of bread! Love protein in your baked goods? Check out my protein banana muffins or healthy chocolate protein banana bread.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour - Use almond flour and not almond meal. Almond flour is more finely ground and works best in this healthy apple cinnamon bread.
- Oat flour - If making for someone with celiac's or a gluten sensitivity, be sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour (even though oats are technically gluten free, they can become contaminated during processing). Also, I prefer to make my own oat flour - it's easier and cheaper!
- Apples - I recommend you use sweet, crisp apples, like honeycrisp or pink lady. If you have extras, try my air fryer apples, which also use sweet and crisp apples.
- Applesauce - Applesauce should be unsweetened.
A complete list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below. The above are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
Optional Add-ins
- Unsweetened craisins or cranberries - For added flavor and a seasonal twist.
- Chopped walnuts or pecans - You can never go wrong with adding in some nuts for healthy fats and a nice crunch. I also love added chopped nuts in my healthy gluten-free pumpkin scones.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut - Adds some texture and slight flavor.
- Shredded carrots or grated zucchini - Both carrots and zucchini would taste amazing in this bread (if adding zucchini, be sure to squeeze out the excess water first). And if you're a zucchini lover, don't miss my gluten-free zucchini bread recipe.
How to Make Healthy Apple Cinnamon Bread
Step 1: Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then, make a well in the center.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to the well, and whisk the wet ingredients together.
Step 3: Fully mix the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients.
Step 4: Fold in the peeled and chopped apples.
Step 5: Pour batter into a prepared loaf pan. Spread batter evenly and sprinkle with additional chopped apples.
Step 6: Bake at 350-degrees F for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing.
Tips for the Best Bread
- Use room temperature eggs. Room temp eggs mix better with the gluten free flours and other ingredients and help create the right texture.
- Let the batter rest for 20 minutes before baking. Due to the structure of almond flour and oat flour, letting the batter rest allows the flours to absorb the moisture and result in lighter, fluffier texture.
- Fully cool before slicing. This bread will continue to set as it cools. To allow for a light and fluffy texture, let bread fully cool before slicing.
How to Store
Storing: After the bread has completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temp. This healthy apple cinnamon bread will stay fresh on the counter for up to 3 days. You can also store in the fridge to extend the shelf life.
Freezing: This bread also freezes great. I recommend slicing and then freezing so you can easily grab a slice at a time. Store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Stasher bags are my favorite for storing slices of quick breads in the freezer. Thaw bread at room temperature or warm slightly in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
The best types of apples are ones that are crisp and sweet, such as honeycrisp apples or pink lady. If you'd like something more tart, green apples are also a great choice since they are nice and crisp. You can also try a combo of sweet and tart.
Absolutely! Slice into individual slices and then place in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
While I have not personally tested this with an egg substitute, you can definitely try using flax eggs as an egg replacement. Aside from the eggs, all other ingredients in this bread are vegan.
The almond flour and oat flour behave differently with the other ingredients in this recipe, therefore I do not recommend using just one or the other. If allergies are a concern and you need something without almond flour, try my apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins.
More Recipes with Apples to Try
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Eat Clean.Be Well!
-Sara
Healthy Apple Bread
Save This Recipe For Later!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later. Plus, enjoy weekly clean eating recipes as a bonus.
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup almond flour
- ⅔ cup oat flour
- ⅔ cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup peeled and chopped apples
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees F and lightly grease an 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, oat flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, applesauce, coconut sugar, vanilla, and vinegar. Whisk the wet ingredients together in the center, then mix them into the dry ingredients until fully combined. Fold in the chopped apples.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Let the batter rest in the pan for 20 minutes-this step is important to help the gluten-free flours absorb moisture and prevent soggy bread.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Tip: Check the bread around 35 minutes and if it's starting to brown too much, tent the bread with a piece of foil.)
- Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack or plate to cool completely before slicing.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- The size of the loaf pan matters - your standard loaf pan is 8.5"x4.5" and is what I recommend for this recipe. If you use a 9x5 pan, slightly reduce baking time.
- Crisp, sweet apples are best, like honeycrisp or pink lady.
- Feel free to save a few of the chopped apples for sprinkling over the batter before baking.
- Let the batter rest for 20 minutes in the pan before baking. This allows the gluten-free flours time to absorb the moisture, resulting in a light and fluffy texture.
- Allow the bread to fully cool before slicing. Gluten-free flours need the cooling time to allow the interior of the bread to firm up.
Nutrition
Save This Recipe For Later!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later. Plus, enjoy weekly clean eating recipes as a bonus.
Sara says
We are loving this recipe right now! Easy to make, love the clean ingredients, and as a bonus, it leaves my kitchen smelling amazing!