Applesauce Bread

A flavorful, moist applesauce bread recipe that can be made with store-bought or homemade applesauce. The texture is light, soft, and fluffy, the perfect afternoon snack or breakfast treat!

This applesauce bread came together after several rounds of testing with both homemade and store-bought applesauce. Inspired by this apple bread, it, too, has a light, moist crumb and a delicious apple flavor. This bread is perfect on its own, but my family loves it with peanut butter or this pumpkin butter recipe!

If you want to explore other ways to bake with applesauce, my delicious applesauce cake takes those same warm, apple-forward flavors in a completely different direction. You should also try these apple scones or these apple cider donuts!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Coconut Oil: Use it slightly warm so it stays fluid and blends smoothly with the sugars and eggs without solidifying into greasy pockets. You can omit the oil in this quick bread, but it will leave a slightly gummy texture rather than a moist, tender one.
• Dark Brown Sugar: The molasses content adds moisture, chew, and caramel notes that complement the applesauce and spices.
• Granulated Sugar: A smaller amount of granulated sugar balances the dark brown sugar and helps develop a finer crumb structure. It also contributes to the golden color and caramelized top crust.
• Unsweetened Applesauce: Applesauce is the bread’s primary moisture source and flavor anchor. Using unsweetened applesauce helps keep the sweetness in check, so the loaf stays moist without turning gummy. Store-bought applesauce will bake slightly faster than homemade, which varies in consistency.
• Low-Fat Buttermilk: Buttermilk reacts with baking soda to create lift and a lighter crumb, and its mild acidity keeps the flavor from tasting flat. Do not substitute plain milk, as you will lose both the leavening reaction and the slight tang that sharpens the overall flavor. You can make your own buttermilk 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. And with the leftover buttermilk, you can make this buttermilk pie!
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Cinnamon & Ginger: If you are using a particularly potent variety like Saigon cinnamon, pulling back to 2 teaspoons keeps the spice from overtaking the applesauce, which I highly recommend. A small amount of ginger adds a warm, lightly sharp note that supports the cinnamon and brightens the apple flavor. If apple and cinnamon are your game, check out these apple cinnamon rolls or this easy apple crisp recipe.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations on This Applesauce Bread

• Homemade Applesauce. The flavor when made with homemade applesauce is a knockout! Expect the bake time to run slightly longer since homemade applesauce varies in consistency and tends to carry more moisture than store-bought. For homemade, follow this applesauce recipe- 2 ingredients!
• Apple Butter Version. Swap the applesauce for homemade apple butter, and reduce the cinnamon in the bread by half. The caramelized sugar and apple cider in the apple butter layer add a wonderful depth of flavor, making this feel like an entirely different loaf.
• Change the spice. Substitute an equal amount of this apple pie spice or this pumpkin spice recipe for the ground ginger to shift the flavor profile toward fall baking.
• Add some fruit! This bread would be delightful with some fresh apples, easy apple compote, or dare I say some blackberries!? You could swirl in some cranberry sauce for a winter quick bread!

Professional Tips

• Work quickly once the oil goes in. After adding the oil, fold only until the flour disappears. Overmixing at this stage develops gluten and turns a light, tender crumb into a dense, tough one.
• Pull the bread before the toothpick comes out completely clean. The loaf is done when a cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, and the center offers slight resistance when lightly touched. A completely dry tester means it has gone too far. Bake at 325°F convection or 350°F conventional, and start checking at 55 minutes.
• Do not skip the 10-minute pan rest. The crumb is fragile straight from the oven, and turning it out too soon causes it to crumble. Let it sit in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and wait until it is fully cooled before slicing. Just like when making this banana bread with crumb topping, use a serrated knife and saw gently to protect that crunchy caramelized edge, which I love.
• Choose your cinnamon intentionally. A milder cinnamon at 2½ teaspoons lets the applesauce flavor stay front and center. If your spice cabinet leans bold and you have saigon cinnamon, reduce it to 2 teaspoons. The same balance applies to these cinnamon scones.

How to Make Applesauce Bread

This comes together quickly, so have everything measured before you start.

Make the Batter:

Step 1: Prepare your pan and preheat. Set the oven to 350°F conventional. Spray a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray, making sure to coat the corners. Set it aside while you mix the batter.

Maybe go the extra mile and add some granulated sugar to the pan as I do with this chocolate chip banana bread!

Step 2: Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the dark brown sugar, applesauce, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and fully combined, with no streaks of egg remaining. (photos 1 & 2).

Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients separately. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger until evenly distributed. (photos 3 & 4).

Whisking the dry ingredients together before combining ensures the leavening and spices are dispersed throughout, which means no pockets of baking powder and no uneven heat in the finished loaf.

Step 4: Combine wet and dry. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk gently just until combined. A whisk works better here than a spatula because it breaks up the lumps more efficiently without requiring aggressive stirring, which keeps the mixing time short. Stop as soon as the flour disappears. (photos 5 & 6).

Step 5: Add the warm coconut oil. Pour in the warm coconut oil and whisk quickly to incorporate it completely. The batter should look emulsified and uniform, with no oily streaks. (photo 7).

Store-bought applesauce tends to have a more consistent moisture level than homemade, so if you are using homemade, your batter may look slightly thinner or thicker. Either will work in this recipe, though the homemade will bake a few minutes longer.

Bake and Cool:

Step 6: Transfer the batter to the pan. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly to the edges with a spatula. It will fill the pan generously. (photo 8).

Step 7: Bake until just set. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, checking at the 55-minute mark. The loaf is done when a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, and the center gives just a little resistance when you press it lightly with your finger. (photo 9).

Do not rotate the pan for the first 45 minutes, which helps the center rise to its full height. If your applesauce is on the wetter side, expect the longer end of the range.

Step 8: Cool in the pan, then turn out. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edges and turn it out onto a wire rack. Cooling it briefly in the pan gives the crumb time to set, so it holds together when sliced.

Step 9: Slice and serve. Once the loaf has cooled completely on the rack, slice and serve. It is also wonderful served still slightly warm, when the spices are most fragrant, and the crumb is at its softest. (photo 10).

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

If this spiced, tender loaf disappears before it has a chance to cool, I completely understand. If you love a quick bread recipe as much as I do, be sure to check out this moist banana bread recipe next!