My delicious vegan apple bread is moist, cinnamony, and does not disappoint! Made with fresh Granny Smith apples and a handful of pantry ingredients, it's a super easy vegan quick bread recipe that you will want to make over and over again!
If you love comforting quick breads check out my moist vegan pumpkin bread too!
Is there anything better than apple season and all the ways to use them!? My vegan apple cinnamon bread is one of my favorites!
The recipe was inspired by a neighbor I had as a kid from Germany. Every year she would make the most amazing German apple bread full of cinnamon and tart green apples that I still think about to this day.
So the chef in me decided to take everything I loved about her recipe and create a vegan version. Apple cinnamon bread recipes with fresh apples are all about getting the texture right, and I'm happy to say I nailed it!
Jump to:
Why This Is The Best Recipe
- Moist & Flavorful: The apples add natural sweetness and moisture, while the cinnamon and nutmeg create that perfect cozy, autumnal flavor we all love.
- Quick & Easy: You don’t need to be a professional baker! With just a few ingredients you can have a warm baked vegan apple loaf in under an hour.
- Versatile Recipe: One of the best things about this apple cinnamon quick bread is it's sweet enough to enjoy as a dessert, but it’s also wholesome enough for breakfast.
Ingredients Needed
Making apple bread vegan doesn't require any hard to find ingredients. My simple recipe uses a lot of pantry basics you likely already have on hand.
- Granny Smith Apples – These tart, crisp apples are ideal for making quick bread with apples because they hold their shape well and add a perfect balance of sweetness. Other firm apples like Honeycrisp or Braeburn are good second choices.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg – The warming spices of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg give my easy apple cinnamon bread recipe its signature cozy flavor.
- All Purpse Flour – Used to form the base of the bread, all-purpose flour provides the structure. Feel free to use a mix of whole wheat flour and white flour.
- Ground Flaxseed – Acts as an egg replacement, which makes my recipe an eggless apple bread. When mixed with water, it forms a gel-like consistency. If you don’t have flaxseed, you can use chia seeds to make chia eggs.
- Cane Sugar & Brown Sugar – I use a combination of cane sugar and light brown sugar that adds the perfect amount of sweetness and moisture. You could also use coconut sugar.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – These leavening agents help the vegan apple bread rise and create a light, fluffy texture. It's important to use both, but the baking soda, which reacts with the apple cider vinegar to give the loaf an extra lift is key.
- Grapeseed Oil – This neutral, light oil keeps the bread moist without overpowering the other flavors. You can substitute with vegetable oil or even melted coconut oil if preferred.
- Almond Milk – I used almond milk but any type of plant-based milk, like oat or soy milk works to make dairy free apple bread.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – When combined with the baking soda, it helps the bread rise and creates a tender crumb. It also enhances the overall flavor without being detectable.
- Vanilla – I add just a teaspoon of vanilla extract to give the bread a rich, warm aroma and enhance the sweetness of the apples and cinnamon.
Why Granny Smith Apples?
Ask almost anyone who bakes and they will most likely tell you that one of their favorite types of apple to bake with is Granny Smith. Why? For starters, they pack a punch of tart and tangy flavor that is delicious in baked goods with the right amount of added sweetness.
They are also quite firm in texture so they hold up really well to heat, which makes them perfect for baking. This is why I chose to use them in this German apple bread recipe.
Plus, Granny Smith apples are super healthy! They are low in sugar, high in fiber, and rich in antioxidants. (source)
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Bread
Quick breads are one of the easiest things to bake and my vegan recipe for apple cinnamon bread is no different. It just takes one bowl and a few minutes of prep time.
Before I begin my vegan apple bread recipe, I preheat my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Then I grease a 9x5 inch pan and dust it with flour. I also like to line the pan with parchment paper to make extra sure the loaf doesn't stick.
Next, I make the flax eggs by combining the ground flaxseed and water. They need to sit for about 10 minutes to form a gel-like consistency.
While the oven is heating up, I start making the batter. First, I sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk everything together.
Now, I move on to the wet ingredients and beat the oil, flax eggs, sugar, and brown sugar with a whisk until well combined. Then I add the almond milk, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar to the mixture and beat again until combined.
To finish the batter, I slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture a little at a time, folding it together carefully to avoid overmixing. Then I fold in the diced apples, and the granny smith apple bread batter is done.
To bake, I pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake it for 55 to 65 minutes. The bread is done when it is golden brown, firm, and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
Once it's done, I allow the vegan apple cinnamon bread to cool in the loaf pan on a cooling rack for about 15 to 20 minutes. Then I run a knife around the edges and turn the loaf out from the pan.
I continue to cool the bread on the rack until it's ready to be sliced. It's perfect served as is or spread with rich vegan butter.
✏️ You'll find instructions and exact measurements in the recipe card below at the bottom of the post.
Expert Tips
- Use a Kitchen Scale: For accuracy, I weigh my ingredients using a digital scale. This ensures consistent results every time.
- Without a Scale: If you don’t have a scale, use the spoon and level method to measure the flour. Fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife to avoid using too much.
- Let the Flax Eggs Gel: I allow the flaxseed and water mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes until it becomes thick and gel-like. This is an important step in making my apple bread without eggs.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best results, I recommend using room-temperature almond milk and flax eggs to help the batter mix more smoothly and ensure even baking. Cold ingredients can affect texture and rise.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: When folding the dry ingredients into the wet, I'm very gentle and stop as soon as everything is combined. Overmixing can lead to a dense apple cinnamon loaf cake.
- Don’t Skip the Vinegar: The apple cider vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the bread rise. This ingredient is crucial for a light, fluffy texture in this apple cinnamon loaf recipe.
Variations
Gluten-Free: You can easily make vegan gluten free apple bread by simply substituting the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour. Just make sure that the blend you use includes xanthan gum, which acts like gluten.
Nutty: For extra crunch and flavor, I sometimes mix in ½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds into the batter with the apples. Nuts add texture and complement this moist apple cinnamon bread perfectly.
Dried Fruit: If you want to add some more fruit flavor, add ½ cup of raisins or dried cranberries to the batter for a chewy, sweet contrast. I don't recommend adding any additional fresh fruit as it will impact the results.
Spiced-Up Version: While I used cinnamon and nutmeg to add warmth to my vegan apple bread, you can spice things up by incorporating ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger or allspice for an even more fragrant loaf. You could even add some of my homemade pumpkin pie spice!
Maple-Infused Bread: Substitute the brown sugar with maple syrup to give my cinnamon apple quick bread a rich layer of sweetness.
How to Store & Reheat
At Room Temperature: Once completely cooled, I wrap the vegan apple bread tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for about 3 days at room temperature. I always try to keep it in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight to maintain its freshness.
In the Refrigerator: You can also store the bread in the fridge, either in a container or wrapped in plastic. It will stay fresh for about a week. Before serving, I like to warm up slices in the toaster or microwave to bring back their softness.
Freezing: If you want to store your bread even longer, freezing is a great option, and it will keep for up to 3 months. To preserve freshness, you can either double-wrap the loaf before freezing or freeze individual servings.
To freeze individual slices, I slice the bread into portions, wrap each slice in plastic wrap, and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. This makes it a convenient vegan breakfast bread that's easy to grab and thaw one slice at a time.
Thawing: When you're ready to enjoy, simply let your vegan cinnamon apple bread thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or warm it in the microwave for a quicker option.
FAQs
A dense loaf usually results from overmixing the batter, which activates too much gluten and causes heaviness. This is why it's so important to gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones.
If your vegan apple bread sinks in the middle, it’s likely because it wasn’t baked long enough or the oven temperature was too low. I always give my oven plenty of time to preheat- at least 10 minutes. You should also avoid opening the oven door too early.
Like banana bread, too much moisture often comes from using too much fruit, which releases excess juice during baking. For the best texture, it's important to stick to 2 cups (about 300 grams or a little over half a pound) of diced apples as stated in my recipe.
Dry or crumbly quick bread can happen if too much flour is used or the bread is overbaked. I always advise using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method to measure flour accurately. You should also check the bread at the 50 to 55 minute mark to avoid overbaking.
Make sure to subscribe to my email list to stay up to date with all my amazing vegan recipes!
More Vegan Sweet Treats
One Last Thing! If you make this, please leave a review and rating to let me know how you liked this recipe! Doing so helps other readers and me too! Your feedback makes a difference.
You can also hashtag #danceswithknives with a photo of your creation on Instagram where you can find me @dances_with_knives.
Vegan Apple Bread
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
- 5 tablespoon warm water
- 2 cups granny smith apples, peeled and diced (2-3 apples)
- 2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour (300 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 pinches nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (54 grams)
- ⅓ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
- ¾ cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
- Make flaxseed eggs by mixing the 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal with the 5 tablespoons of warm water in a small bowl. Then set the mixture aside for 7-10 minutes to firm up.
- Prepare a 9x5 inch loaf pan by greasing it, dusting with flour, and then lining with parchment paper. The parchment paper is worth the extra step to ensure your bread doesn’t stick to the bottom.
- Peel, core, and dice the apples. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the oil, flax eggs, sugar, and brown sugar with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the vanilla, apple cider vinegar, and almond milk to the flax egg, oil and sugar mixture. Again beat to combine.
- Slowly add the flour mixture a little at a time folding it in to combine well, but being careful not to overmix. The batter will be thick.
- Fold in the diced apples and then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) for 55 to 65 minutes until firm and golden brown. A cake tester should come out clean when the vegan apple bread is done.
- Allow the bread to cool on a cooling rack in the pan for 20 minutes. Then turn out from the loaf pan and continue to cool in the cooling rack.
Traci says
I loved this apple loaf. My family had it for breakfast this past weekend. Do you think pears would work in place of the apples too?
Kim says
So glad you enjoyed it! I don't think pears would be a good substitute in this case because while apples tend to hold their shape, pears can often times get mushy. This loaf is already pretty moist, so I just wouldn't want you to end up with mush. But if you do try it please let me know how it goes!