Cinnamon Spice Applesauce Bread with Honey Butter
You won’t need scented candles ever again. Just make this.
The scent of apples, cinnamon, coconut oil, and bread baking makes your house smell absolutely heavenly.
The bread is supremely moist and soft, with just enough cinnamon to complement the applesauce, without being overpowering.
It’s actually more like an apple spice cake that happens to baked in a loaf pan, so we’ll call it bread. You know, because bread is healthier than cake so you can have extra.
I didn’t add ginger and allspice so it’s not quite as spicy as spice cake, but you can always add them if you want. Spice cake reminds me of the fall and winter, and I’m trying to think about spring and summer.
I used every softening and moistening trick in the book to keep this loaf supple and tender. Applesauce, coconut oil, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt) all lend moisture to the bread. I loathe dry bread and cake, and this is anything but.
I used storebought cinnamon applesauce. If you use plain applesauce, you may want to bump up the cinnamon in the batter. I haven’t tried using reduced sugar applesauce, and while I’m sure the recipe works, it won’t be as sweet. I love the bread as is and wouldn’t make the sacrifice.
I love baking with coconut oil in place of other cooking oils especially for quickbreads, muffins, cakes, and far prefer it to melted butter. Oil in general keeps things softer, springier and bouncier than butter.
I didn’t notice any overt coconut flavor, but if you’re concerned use another oil. Between the applesauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, any coconut flavor is masked.
I used Nutiva Coconut Oil from iHerb.com. Code AVE630 at checkout saves you $10 off your order. I love iHerb for everything like probiotics, bulk cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, liquid vanilla stevia drops, bulk white stevia powder, medicinal fancy-grade honey, chia seeds, face cleanser, and nutritional yeast.
I served it with honey butter and honey pairs beautifully with apple. Or try a simple butter and confectioners’ sugar glaze, a vanilla cream cheese glaze, or just eat it plain. It’s soft, moist, and flavorful enough that it doesn’t ‘need’ anything. But you know.
The crust is slightly firmer and chewier, while the interior soft, fluffy, and springy.
It’s great zapped in the micro for a few seconds to warm it with a big dollop of honey butter or toast it.
I’m sure would make great French toast, but this loaf never made it long enough to turn into French toast. It was gone in just over a day.
That drippy, glistening honey butter gets me every time.
Cinnamon Spice Applesauce Bread with Honey Butter
The bread is supremely moist and soft, with just enough cinnamon to complement the applesauce, without being overpowering. It’s more like an apple spice cake baked in a loaf pan than bread. The crust is slightly firmer and chewier, while the interior soft and fluffy. I used cinnamon applesauce and if using plain, consider adding additional cinnamon to the batter. I used coconut oil, and the bread doesn’t taste like coconut, but substitute with your favorite oil or melted butter if concerned. Make sure the butter for the honey butter is extremely soft or you’ll have a hard time whisking it together.
Ingredients:
Bread
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cinnamon applesauce (plain may be substituted, consider adding more cinnamon)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (canola or vegetable oil or melted butter may be substituted)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup sour cream (lite okay; Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon (not teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Honey Butter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, extremely soft
- 1/4 cup honey, or to taste
- pinch cinnamon, optional and to taste
Directions:
- Bread – Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside (don’t use an 8-by-4-inch pan; it’s too small)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the first 7 ingredients, through optional salt.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix. Batter will be thick and with a few lumps. Don’t try to stir the lumps smooth.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the surface lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 56 to 63 minutes (I baked exactly 60), or until top is set and firm, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, tent bread with a sheet of fiol (lay it loosely over top of pan) if your bread is looking a bit darker before you anticipate the center to cook through fully; I tented mine.
- Allow bread to cool in pan on top a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before turning out onto rack to cool completely. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or may be frozen for up to 6 months. Serve plain, with honey butter, with a butter and confectioners’ sugar glaze or a vanilla cream cheese glaze.
- Honey Butter – Combine the butter (make sure it’s extremely soft and squishy), honey, and optional cinnamon in a small bowl and whisk vigorously until smooth and fluffy. Extra portion will keep airtight in the fridge for at least 1 month.
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I baked this today & it is great! Especially with the honey butter:)
I added a little extra applesauce & this will be our Rosh Hashanah dessert.
Thanks Averie!
Thanks for trying it and how nice it will be your Rosh Hashanah dessert! Happy New Year!
Made this bread twice in the last week! Has just the right amount of spice and sweetness without being too much. I really enjoy reading your blog and trying your recipes!
Thanks for making it, and twice in one week! Love that! Thanks for reading and glad you’re enjoying my site and recipes!
I have made this a couple times. Very good, but definitely very coconutty!
Funny I really don’t taste the coconut oil but if you do and if anyone is sensitive to it, just sub with canola or veg oil like I wrote in the recipe. Thanks for trying this recipe a few times!
Was about to make some persimmon butter when I realized that I had persimmon puree from LAST year still in the freezer. I tripled this recipe and made no changes other than subbing persimmon puree for the applesauce. Oh, and I had no nutmeg, but used ginger.
It smells divine and tastes sooooo good! They are perfect. Sometimes recipes are too oily and sometimes too dry. These came out perfect! I got 2 loaves and a dozen muffins out of it and I’ve already eaten 2! It is 85 degrees and sunny in San Diego, but at least it smells like fall here! Thank you!!!
I live in San Diego too! And yes, it’s HOT here! Small world :)
I wish I just had a random stash of persimmon on hand and could sub that for applesauce, wow, how wonderful that sounds! And the ginger for nutmeg. Glad the texture was perfect, not too oily and not too dry! Stay cool on this ‘fall’ day :)
Loving your ‘breads’ :) Have you (or anyone else) ever tried them using coconut flour? If so, what quantities/substitutions would you use?
Coconut flour is sooooo highly absorbent and really is like a sponge! So without trying it first hand in this recipe, I really don’t know what to recommend. I don’t bake with it often enough to be able to guesstimate, either.
Hi. I love this bread. I’m wondering if I could bake it as muffins as well. Would I need to change anything? I tried to scan the comments to see if this was already asked/answered, but there were so many! Thanks!
Probably would be just fine as muffins and other than reducing the baking time dramatically, I would just make as-is! Keep me posted how it goes if you try!
Hi there ,,,can you make the Applesauce bread in muffin tins ?? The honey butter sound yummy too ,,,ty
Ooops ,,,saw the above comment
Just made this! It really does make the house smell great and tastes great too!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
I love your recpies.
Thanks!
Could I use a vanilla yogurt? I don’t have Greek or sour cream, but I’m pregnant and must make this today. Lol Thank you!
I haven’t tried with regular yogurt. It’s thinner and runnier than Greek or sour cream so am a bit concerned you would need to alter the flour and maybe other things too. Good luck!