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Apple Oatmeal Bread is a nutritious, autumnal quick bread with warm spices and big apple flavor. Beloved by both kids and adults, and a great way to sneak in extra nutrients.
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Fall is in full gear, friends—as evidenced by the fiery foliage, resurgence of pumpkin spice, and abundance of apples at local markets.
And even though pumpkin tends to get most of the love this time of year, there’s something ultra cozy and comforting about the aroma of apple baked goods.
This Apple Oatmeal Bread has been an absolute favorite at our house (along with my beloved Healthy Pumpkin Bars). It’s mega-moist, brimming with warm fall spices, and super simple to make.
Plus, it offers a good dose of fiber and micronutrients from the oats and applesauce. (I prefer using applesauce over chunks of fresh apples.)
It’s topped with a lovely brown sugar and cinnamon oat topping, which adds extra texture to each bite.
Enjoy as is, or slather each slice with maple butter, almond butter, or a pat of good ol’ salted butter!
How to Make Apple Oatmeal Bread
This is a healthy apple bread compared to most. The applesauce replaces a good amount of the oil and it reduces the need for excess added sugar.
Plus, you can use white whole wheat flour for extra whole grain goodness.
The Ingredients
- Applesauce: This apple bread leans on applesauce over fresh apples for convenience + extra moisture. Look for unsweetened applesauce to control added sugar.
- Eggs: For binding and structure. I have not tried this recipe with a vegan alternative, such as flax or chia eggs.
- Oil: I suggest using a neutral oil, such as canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil.
- Sugar: I like to use a mix of brown sugar and maple syrup in this quick bread. The maple notes complement the apple spice beautifully.
- Flour: You can use white flour, white whole wheat flour, or even whole wheat pastry flour. White whole wheat flour offers a little more protein and fiber than plain white flour.
- Baking Powder + Soda: To help the bread rise, or “leaven” it.
- Spices: Look for either apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice, which include warm notes of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Oats: Oats give the bread extra heft and fiber. You can either use old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats.
- Milk: Use any unsweetened alt milk (such as cashew or almond milk) or 2% cows milk.
Dietary Note
Looking for a gluten free apple bread? While I have not tried the recipe with gluten free flour, I imagine swapping the flour for a gluten free 1-to-1 baking blend (such as Bob’s Red Mill brand) will work well.
If you try this, please post yout results in the comments below.
For a complete list of recipe ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
The Directions
Step 1: Soak Oats
In a small bowl, combine oats and milk. Let sit for 20 minutes to allow oats to absorb milk and plump up.
Step 2: Combine Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine applesauce, eggs, oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla.
Step 3: Add Oat Mixture; whisk well to combine.
Step 4: Combine Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
Step 5: Combine Wet + Dry Ingredients
Pour dry ingredients into bowl with wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Don’t overdo the mixing or you’ll end up with tough bread. As soon as the flour disappears, it’s good to go.
Step 6: Pour Batter into Pan and prepare oat crumble topping.
Step 7: Top with Oat Crumble and Bake at 350ºF for 50 to 60 minutes.
Recipe Tip
You know apple oatmeal bread is done baking when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, without any moist crumbs. You can also check the bread’s temperature by inserting an instant-read thermometer and seeing that it registers 195-200 degrees F.
Let the bread cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, and then set it out on a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Variations
If you’d like to switch it up or add some extra flair, here are a few easy additions and swaps.
- Apple-Walnut Bread. For extra richness and crunch, you can add toasted, finely chopped walnuts directly to the batter or scatter them overtop before baking the bread.
- Caramel-Apple Bread. Drizzle your favorite caramel sauce over the bread before baking, or reserve a hefty drizzle for each slice after baking.
- Snickerdoodle Apple Bread. Stir in 1/2 cup of cinnamon baking chips, and scatter a few extra overtop (in place of oat streusel topping).
Storage Tips
- To Store. Store leftover apple oatmeal bread in an airtight storage container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze. Place the whole loaf of baked apple bread in an airtight zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also wrap and freeze individual slices for on-demand breakfast portions.
- To Reheat. Let the bread thaw for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before reheating. Place your apple bread on a baking sheet or wrap in aluminum foil, and warm in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through. You can also rewarm individual slices in the air fryer or microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
This Apple Oatmeal Bread offers a wide array of nutrients, such as fiber, protein, B vitamins, and vitamin C. It’s also lower in added sugar than most apple bread recipes.
Quick breads tend to be dense when the batter is overmixed before baking. For best results, mix only until the flour is just incorporated into the other ingredients.
You should easily be able to convert this bread recipe into muffins. Simply divide batter evenly into a prepared muffin tin and bake at 375ºF for about 20 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center and seeing that it comes out mostly clean.
More Cozy Apple Recipes to Try
Slow Cooker Apple Pie Steel Cut Oats
Slow Cooker Gingerbread Apple Pie Crumble
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (Vegan)
f you give this recipe a try, be sure to snap a picture and tag #dishingouthealth on Instagram. Also, follow along on Facebook and Pinterest for the latest recipe updates.
Apple Oatmeal Bread
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- 9×5-inch loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup milk of choice (I use unsweetened almond or cashew milk)
- 3/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or white whole-wheat flour)
- 1 Tbsp. apple pie spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cold, salted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a standard loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place oats and milk in a medium size bowl; stir to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine applesauce, eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla; whisk to combine. Stir in oat mixture after 20 minutes.
- In a separate smaller bowl, combine flour, apple pie spice (or pumpkin pie spice), baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add dry mixture to bowl with wet ingredients; stir until just combined.Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- For Streusel Topping, combine oats, brown sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Mix with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Scatter overtop of bread batter.Place pan on the center rack of the oven and bake at 350°F until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Loosen with a bread knife around the edges and carefully remove the bread from the pan. Cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.
Notes
- Suggested toppings: I love smearing some maple butter, almond butter, or plain ol’ salted butter on a slice of warmed bread. You can also crumble the bread and serve it over a bowl of yogurt.
- To Store. Store leftover apple bread in an airtight storage container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze. Place the whole loaf of baked bread in an airtight zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also wrap and freeze individual slices for on-demand breakfast portions.
- To Reheat. Let the bread thaw for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before reheating. Place your apple bread on a baking sheet or wrap in aluminum foil, and warm in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through. You can also rewarm individual slices in the air fryer or microwave.
Nutrition
I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.
This is delicious! Would be great with the addition of nuts, too.
Really enjoyed this one! I omitted the sugar cause I am not that much of a sweet tooth, it came out really well!