Applesauce Bread

Applesauce Bread is moist, flavorful and made with simple ingredients. The perfect bread to serve for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

This Applesauce Bread Recipe is one of my favorite breads to make, especially during the fall season. The warm spices, applesauce and Greek Yogurt keep this bread so moist and flavorful.

Homemade Bread Recipes are perfect to give out as gifts during the holidays or a quick breakfast in the morning.

If you are into making apple themed recipe, check out my fried apples recipe.

Here are some of my favorite bread recipes – Easy Moist Banana Bread, Oatmeal Bread, Easy Pumpkin Banana Bread Recipe, Pecan Bread Recipe and Pumpkin Bread Recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

• Quick Bread Recipe – I love making quick bread recipes. There is no yeast or kneading the bread. The ingredients are easily combined in one bowl and then poured into a pan.
• Simple Ingredients – The great thing about this recipe is I only had to get applesauce from the store. This makes this bread budget friendly which means I can make it more often.
• Variations – I love that there are many ways to make homemade bread by adding in simple additions to the bread batter.

What Is Applesauce Bread?

Applesauce bread is a one-bowl quick bread — no yeast no kneading and no waiting for dough to rise. The ingredients combine in a single bowl pour into a loaf pan and bake in under an hour. It is the most beginner-friendly homemade bread on the site.

The flavor is warm and gently spiced — cinnamon and nutmeg are the dominant notes with a subtle apple sweetness that reads more as cozy fall spice than fruit. The crumb is soft and remarkably moist thanks to the applesauce and Greek yogurt working together to add moisture and richness throughout every slice. If you have ever had banana bread this is the apple version — same soft texture same quick preparation same one-bowl simplicity.

Ingredients

• Butter, melted and cooled — always melt first then let cool for 5–10 minutes before adding to the eggs and applesauce. Hot melted butter added directly to the eggs can cook them before the batter comes together
• Granulated sugar — provides sweetness and helps create the tender crumb throughout. Combined with the brown sugar for the best balanced sweetness
• Light brown sugar — adds a subtle molasses warmth that complements the cinnamon and nutmeg beautifully. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper more intense result if you prefer
• Large eggs — bind the batter and add richness and structure. Always use room temperature eggs for the smoothest most evenly combined batter
• Unsweetened applesauce — the star ingredient that adds moisture natural sweetness and subtle apple flavor throughout every slice. Always use unsweetened — sweetened applesauce makes the loaf noticeably too sweet alongside the granulated and brown sugar already in the recipe
• Greek yogurt — the secret ingredient that makes this loaf noticeably more moist and tender than a basic quick bread. The acidity reacts with the baking soda for extra lift and the fat adds richness throughout. Full fat gives the best result. Sour cream works as a direct substitute
• All-purpose flour — the structure of the loaf. Always measure by spooning into the cup and leveling off — never scoop directly from the bag which packs in too much flour and gives you a dry dense loaf
• Baking soda — the primary leavening agent. Always check the expiration date — old baking soda gives you a flat dense loaf that does not rise properly
• Baking powder — works alongside the baking soda for extra lift throughout. The combination of both gives you a perfectly risen tender crumb
• Ground cinnamon — the dominant warm spice that gives this bread its signature fall flavor. A full tablespoon gives a bold cinnamon forward result — reduce to 2 teaspoons for a milder version
• Ground nutmeg — adds a subtle earthy warmth that rounds out the cinnamon beautifully. A little goes a long way — do not increase the amount
• Salt — balances the sweetness and enhances every other flavor throughout. Never skip even in sweet recipes

Which Applesauce to Use

The single most important ingredient decision in this recipe is which applesauce you choose — and it is easy to get wrong.

Always use unsweetened applesauce. Sweetened applesauce adds a significant amount of extra sugar to the batter and makes the finished loaf noticeably too sweet alongside the granulated sugar and brown sugar already in the recipe. The recipe card specifies unsweetened and this is non-negotiable for a properly balanced result.

Jarred vs homemade: Store-bought unsweetened applesauce from any standard grocery store works perfectly. Homemade applesauce gives a slightly more complex apple flavor — see our [Homemade Applesauce] recipe for a simple version that takes under 30 minutes.

Chunky vs smooth: Smooth applesauce gives the most even tender crumb throughout. Chunky applesauce works but gives you occasional small apple pieces in the finished bread — not a problem if you enjoy the texture.

Equipment You Need

• 9×5-inch loaf pan — the standard size for this recipe. A larger pan gives you a flatter loaf and a smaller pan causes overflow. Line with parchment paper for the easiest removal
• Large mixing bowl — everything comes together in one bowl
• Wooden spoon or silicone spatula — for gentle folding that prevents overmixing
• Wire rack — essential for cooling the bread evenly on all sides. Cooling in the pan traps steam and can make the bottom of the loaf slightly soggy
• Toothpick or skewer — for the doneness test

How to Make Applesauce Bread

Follow along with my simple instructions to learn how I make applesauce bread.

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.

How to Know When Done Cooking

The best way to know when your bread is done cooking is to insert a toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean then the bread is finished cooking.

If the bread starts to burn on the edges and it is not done cooking, you may need to cover with aluminum foil. This will allow the center to finish cooking.

Recipe Tips

• Pouring Batter – When pouring the bread batter into the loaf pan, make sure to not overfill it if using smaller pans. You want to give room for the bread to expand as it bakes.
• Preparing Loaf Pan – For best results to remove the bread, make sure to spray with cooking spray. This helps for cleanup too. You can also line the loaf pan with parchment paper. So you easily lift the bread out of the pan to slice and serve.
• Combining Ingredients – When you are combining the wet and dry ingredients together make sure to not overmix. This could cause a change in the bread’s texture.
• Cool Completely – We recommend letting the bread cool completely before slicing.
• Muffins — fill a standard muffin tin ⅔ full and bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes approximately 16–18 muffins.
• Mini loaf pans — fill each mini loaf pan ⅔ full and bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes checking at 25 minutes. Makes approximately 4–5 mini loaves depending on pan size — perfect for gifting.
• Sheet pan — spread into a greased 9×13 baking pan and bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes for a thinner slab that cuts into squares — the fastest version for a crowd.
• Important for all sizes: Always check with a toothpick rather than relying on time since pan size affects bake time significantly.

How to Serve Applesauce Bread

This bread is delicious at any temperature but the best serving options are:

• Warm from the oven with softened butter — the butter melts into each warm slice and gives you the most classic comfort food result
• Room temperature with cream cheese — a generous spread of softened cream cheese against the warm spiced crumb is genuinely extraordinary
• Honey butter — mix equal parts softened butter and honey for a sweet spread that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon and nutmeg
• Alongside coffee or tea — this bread makes the most satisfying morning or afternoon treat served with a warm drink
• Toasted the next day — day-old slices toasted and spread with butter give you an even more caramelized crust and the most intense spice flavor

Gifting this bread: Mini loaf pans make the perfect individual gift size — wrap each cooled mini loaf tightly in plastic wrap then in a layer of parchment paper and tie with ribbon. This bread ships and transports beautifully making it one of the best homemade holiday gifts on the site.

Substitutions and Additions

• Applesauce – When making this recipe, we used applesauce from the jar. But feel free to make Homemade Applesauce. You only need a few simple ingredients to make homemade.
• Crumb Topping – This homemade bread would be delicious with a homemade crumb topping. It can easily be made with sugar, cinnamon, flour, and butter for a delicious topping.
• Additions – Feel free to add in other ingredients to this applesauce bread. We recommend raisins, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, and even chocolate chips.
• Flour – You can easily substitute the flour to meet your dietary restrictions. Add in whole wheat flour, gluten free flour and more.
• Loaf Pans – When I give homemade bread out as gifts, I like to make in mini loaf pans. This makes the perfect size to wrap up with plastic wrap and give to friends and family.
• Vegetable Oil – Instead of using melted butter, feel free to use vegetable oil, coconut oil or canola oil.
• Dairy-Free Version
  • Substitute the melted butter with an equal amount of melted coconut oil or vegan butter
  • Substitute the Greek yogurt with an equal amount of dairy-free yogurt or unsweetened coconut yogurt
  • The finished loaf is virtually identical in texture and flavor
• Egg-Free Version
  • Since applesauce is itself a common egg substitute use ¼ cup additional applesauce in place of each egg
  • The loaf will be slightly denser but still moist and flavorful
• Gluten-Free Version
  • Substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend — Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 or King Arthur Measure for Measure both work well
  • The texture is slightly more dense but the flavor is nearly identical

Can I Prepare Ahead of Time?

Yes, we love recipes that can be prepared ahead of time and cool in the pan. This saves me time when I am making it for our holiday dinner or breakfast for the week.

You can also prepare the bread batter ahead of time and pour in the prepared loaf pan. Place in the fridge, covered and then bake when you are ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Easy Applesauce Recipes

If you are looking for more recipes that have applesauce as an ingredient, try these easy recipes. Easy Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins or Pumpkin Muffin Recipe with Cinnamon Streusel are loaded with flavor and made with a tender crumb.

Another favorite is Strawberry Applesauce Recipe, Baked Apples and Monkey Bread Recipe.

We love hearing from you. Make sure to leave us a comment if you try this Applesauce Bread.