This apple bread recipe is moist and tender, thanks to applesauce, and loaded with warm fall spices. It’s finished off with a sweet, crunchy brown sugar pecan topping that brings everyone back for more.
Most people think of pumpkin when they think of fall and winter comfort foods, but I always try to remember another major fall flavor – apples!
Dishes like apple cobbler for dessert or apple walnut crepes for a sweet breakfast are a great way to make those cold days more cozy. I even get creative with sweet appetizers like apple pie wontons.
This latest apple recipe is a super moist and tender quick bread that uses applesauce for its flavor and texture. It’s infused with warm fall spices and topped with a crispy, sweet brown sugar pecan topping for even more flavor. Delicious!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: This quick bread uses simple baking ingredients found in any kitchen or grocery store.
- So Easy: This is a basic quick bread with an equally simple topping, so anyone can make this with ease.
- Moist and Tender: Using applesauce not only gives the bread its delicious apple flavor, but it also adds tons of moisture for a moist, tender texture.
- Classic Fall Flavor: The combination of applesauce and warm spices gives this bread classic fall flavor.
- Sweet, Crunchy Topping: The brown sugar pecan topping adds a sweet, crunchy flavor layer to the bread.
- Great for Meal Prep: This is a freezer-friendly recipe, so you can make extra loaves for future use.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Applesauce: Applesauce gives the bread its apple flavor and adds moisture for a moist, tender quick bread.
- Spices: A blend of cinnamon and allspice gives the bread its classic, warm fall flavor.
- Maple Syrup: Using maple syrup in place of sugar adds more deep fall flavor, along with sweetness.
- Chopped Pecans: Chopped pecans add an earthy flavor and crunchy texture to both the bread and its topping.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gives the crunchy topping its sweetness.
Variations
- Cake Flour: For a super-tender cake, try using cake flour in place of all-purpose flour.
- Diced Apples: Add diced apples to the batter for even more flavor and texture.
- Pecans: Walnuts can be used in place of pecans. You can also try any of your favorite nuts to create different flavor profiles.
- Frosted: Skip the crumble topping and use the maple frosting from my apple loaf cake for a super sweet version.
How to Make This Apple Bread Recipe
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Beat the wet ingredients except the eggs until fluffly. Then, beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Then, fold in the applesauce. Stir in the chopped pecans.
4. Pour the batter equally between two prepared loaf pans.
- Mix the topping ingredients until combined. Then, sprinkle the mixture over the batter.
- Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Expert Tips
- Loosely spoon your flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to avoid using too much and making a dry loaf.
- Mix your wet and dry ingredients until just combined to avoid a tough loaf.
- Be sure to buy unsweetened applesauce, or your bread will be far too sweet.
- Make things easy on yourself and buy pre-chopped pecans.
Apple Bread Recipe FAQs
Liquid and fat are what make apple bread nice and moist. This recipe is made with butter, eggs, and applesauce to give it all the moisture and fat it needs to be moist and tender.
Yes, you can! Simply dice your favorite variety and fold it into the batter. You don’t need to change any of the other amounts.
This apple bread will last for up to four days in an airtight container at room temperature or up to 2 months in the freezer.
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Apple Bread Recipe with Crunchy Topping
Ingredients
Apple Bread
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
- ⅔ cup chopped pecans
Brown Sugar Pecan Topping
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray (2) 8×4 loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
Apple Bread
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and all spice together until combined.
- In a separate bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until fully incorporated.
- On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Next, add the applesauce. Make sure not to overmix.
- Stir in chopped pecan.
Brown Sugar Pecan Topping
- In a medium bowl add brown sugar, pecans, flour, and melted butter. Stir with a fork until fully combined.
- Pour batter equally into prepared loaf pans.
- Sprinkle the topping mixture over the batter.
- Bake in the oven uncovered for 50-55 minutes. If the topping starts to brown too much, just place a piece of aluminum foil over both loaf pans.
Notes
- Loosely spoon your flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to avoid using too much and making a dry loaf.
- Mix your wet and dry ingredients until just combined to avoid a tough loaf.
- Be sure to buy unsweetened applesauce, or your bread will be far too sweet.
- Make things easy on yourself and buy pre-chopped pecans.
Nutrition
What a scrumotious seasonal dessert. This and a dollop of ice cream is heaven!
There is nothing quite like the aroma of fresh apple bread baking in the oven! It’s the perfect treat to enjoy with a warm cup of coffee in the morning.
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Delicious. I had a warm slice with an obscene amount of butter, and it’s my new favorite.
This is so yummy. I made it for dessert last night, and we finished it this morning for breakfast!
I love the crunchy topping on the moist, tender bread. This is an amazing recipe!