Vegan Apple Cinnamon Bread

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Bread Ingredients

You only need a handful of simple ingredients for this vegan apple bread. You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.

• Apples: You’ll need 1 cup of grated apple (about 1 medium apple). Any apple works, and Honeycrisp are great. Choose apples that are firm, free of bruises, and smell sweet, which means they are fresh and ripe. No need to peel them. I leave the peel on.
• Unsweetened applesauce: Binds the batter just like eggs and keeps the bread moist. Unsweetened applesauce keeps it from getting too sweet.
• Vegetable oil: Keeps the bread moist for days. Any neutral-tasting oil, like canola oil, works.
• Sugar: I like granulated white sugar or brown sugar. Brown sugar gives the bread a deeper, caramel-like flavor. I haven’t tested coconut sugar yet, so if you try it, let me know how it goes in the comments!
• Vanilla extract: Adds a delicate flavor and aroma.
• All-purpose flour: My go-to for baking. I haven’t tested it, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work well.
• Baking powder: Helps the bread rise and makes it nice and fluffy.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the other flavors.
• Cinnamon: The warm spice that makes this bread taste like fall.
• Add-ins (optional): Raisins, vegan chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts. Just like my vegan banana bread, this loaf is a great base for mix-ins.

PRO TIP: Fall is prime apple-picking season, so take advantage of the big selection at your local farmers market. My favorite baking apples are Honeycrisp, Cortland, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin, because they’re firm enough to hold their shape when baked.

Recipe Variations

This apple bread recipe is easy to switch up. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:

• Chopped nuts: Pistachios, walnuts, pecans, or peanuts add crunch. For extra nutty flavor, toast them in a dry skillet before folding them into the batter.
• Dried fruit: Add raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates, or chopped dried apricots.
• Vegan chocolate chips: Fold them into the batter for melty pockets of chocolate in every bite.
• More fruit: I haven’t tested these, but swapping some of the apple for grated pear, or folding in a handful of blueberries or chopped cherries, should work nicely.
• More spices: Add a pinch of nutmeg, ginger, allspice, or cardamom, or use my homemade pumpkin pie spice along with the cinnamon.
• A pretty top: Sprinkle the batter with extra grated apple, chopped nuts, or dried fruit before it goes into the oven.
• Streusel topping: I haven’t tested it on this loaf yet, but the buttery crumble topping from my vegan apple crumble would be delicious sprinkled on top before baking.
• Muffins: I haven’t tested this batter as muffins yet, but for a handheld snack, try my vegan apple muffins, made with applesauce and fresh grated apple too.
• Mini loaves: I haven’t tested mini loaves yet, but one reader baked this in small loaf pans so she could enjoy one loaf now and freeze the other for later.
• Gluten-free: I haven’t tested it, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour should work.

How to Make Vegan Apple Cinnamon Bread

Before you start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper. You’ll find the full instructions in the recipe card below.

PRO TIP: Try not to overmix the batter! Stirring too much makes the bread dense. Stir only until everything is combined and no dry flour remains.

PRO TIP: If the top browns before the center is done, cover the loaf loosely with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking.

Toni’s Recipe Tips

• Leave the peel on: There’s no need to peel the apples. The grated peel bakes right into the loaf and adds little flecks of color.
• Grate or chop: Grated apple melts right into the loaf. For chunkier bites of apple, chop them into small pieces instead.
• Keep chopped apples from browning: Soak the chopped apple in a bowl of water with a splash of lemon juice, then drain it well before adding it to the batter.
• Measure the flour correctly: Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife, rather than scooping it from the bag. Too much flour makes the bread dry and dense.
• Let it cool before slicing: Let the baked loaf cool for 20 to 30 minutes. If you slice it while it’s hot, it will crumble and fall apart.
• Lift it out easily: Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the long sides, so you can lift the whole loaf right out.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy a slice warm or at room temperature with:

• A spread of vegan butter or your favorite fruit jam
• A spoonful of Instant Pot apple butter
• A scoop of vegan ice cream for dessert
• A dollop of vegan whipped cream
• A drizzle of date caramel sauce
• Warm baked apple slices on top

Making a fall brunch? Serve it with a stack of apple cinnamon pancakes and a warm mug of mulled apple cider. For a holiday brunch spread, add a loaf of my cranberry orange bread to the table.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Room temperature: Once the bread has cooled, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Slice only what you plan to eat, so the rest of the loaf stays moist.
• Fridge: Wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, and refrigerate it for up to 1 week.
• Freezer: Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months.
• Reheat: For that freshly baked feeling, warm a slice in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
• Make ahead: Bake it a day or two before a brunch or holiday morning, and store it at room temperature.

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Bread FAQs