Not only does this bread taste amazing, it is naturally gluten-free since it uses oat flour (which is one of my favorite flours to bake with!). In fact, most of the quick bread (and many muffin) recipes on the blog use oat flour. I make oat flour in my Vitamix in a matter of seconds…literally all you need is oats (quick or rolled oats; both work well). You can process in a blender until a fine flour forms, or you can buy oat flour in the baking aisle of your grocery store. Trust me…if you’ve never baked with oat flour before…it’s about time you did! ? I LOVE the taste and texture of baked goods with oat flour, not to mention it’s 100% whole grain too! However, I have also tested this recipe using all-purpose or white whole wheat flour and I am happy to report it works well! You can also likely use a 1:1 gluten free all-purpose flour if you don’t want to use oat flour but want/need a GF option.
In addition to being naturally gluten free, this apple cinnamon streusel bread has a tested vegan option and is MUCH lower in sugar than most of your baked goods recipes.
I am SO excited to share the first fall recipe of the season with you all today!! I personally like starting with apple recipes…and moving onto pumpkin in due time. When brainstorming fall recipe ideas to test, I had to go back through the blog recipes I’ve already posted! Here’s a little round-up of apple recipes:
Apple Recipes!
- Apple Cinnamon Streusel Baked Oatmeal
- Apple Breakfast Cookies
- Apple Baked Beans-no added sugar!
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Gluten Free Apple Crisp
- Apple Butter-no added sugar!
As you can see, there are lots of yummy options! I realized though that I didn’t have any apple muffin or bread recipes on the blog yet.
Recipe Testing
This recipe surprised me in that it actually took me several tries during recipe testing to make it just right. I adapted this cinnamon raisin oat bread, and thought I’d simply sub in apples for the raisins. However, something I didn’t take into account was how much more moisture fresh apples have than dried raisins. The first loaf (despite baking forever) was very mushy/underdone and didn’t rise well. The apples released too much moisture and didn’t allow the bread to rise and cook properly. In future test batches, I increased the flour, decreased the milk, and decreased the amount of apples (I had double the amount of apples the first time which was WAY too much haha). Anyways, I’m happy to report that the final result is absolutely delicious!!
Like this cinnamon raisin oat bread, tahini banana bread, and peanut butter chocolate chip bread, this recipe was also tested for a vegan version using flax eggs, which is simply 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 2.5 tablespoons water in place of 1 egg. So for two flax eggs, you will need 2 tablespoons ground flax meal and 5 tablespoons water.
Ingredients for Apple Cinnamon Streusel Bread:
Oat Flour
If you didn’t already know, you can make homemade oat flour in approximately 30 seconds (Not exaggerating!) in your blender! I simply place oats (quick or old-fashioned) in my blender and blend until they are a fine powder/flour. You can also buy store-bought oat flour in the baking aisle of almost any grocery store these days. I love the texture of baked goods with oat flour, plus it’s very inexpensive and a whole grain! You will need slightly over 2 cups oats (about 2 ¼ cups oats) to make 2 cups oat flour.
However, I have also tested this recipe using all-purpose or white whole wheat flour and I am happy to report it works well! You can also likely use a 1:1 gluten free all-purpose flour if you don’t want to use oat flour but want/need a GF option. Of note, all of the photos are shown using oat flour.
vegan (flax egg) version baked in mini loaf pans
Spices and Such
Baking powder and baking soda are both used as a leavening agent to make the bread rise. Cinnamon (yes, I use 1 full tablespoon but feel free to adjust to your taste preference!) and nutmeg provide the most delicious warming spice flavors that pair so well with the apples and streusel. Salt is needed to balance all the flavors and bring out the sweetness, and pure vanilla extract for the best flavor!
inside texture using flax eggs
Applesauce
Applesauce helps bind the ingredients together and keep the bread moist. I always have applesauce on hand in my pantry. I used two of the single serving ½ cups, which are perfect when you just need a certain amount for a recipe.
vegan (flax egg) version topped with cinnamon butter! (which made it no longer vegan lol)
Eggs
Lately I’ve had lots of fresh eggs on hand from our chickens and ducks we are raising this year! However, if you are looking for a vegan option flax eggs absolutely work. Another pantry staple for me, I always have ground flax meal on hand (I keep in the fridge to stay fresher longer). You can combine one tablespoon of ground flax with 2.5 tablespoons of water can create a “gel” or egg-like binder to use in place of eggs in recipes (that is equivalent to 1 chicken egg, so you would need to double for this recipe). This is a great vegan option if you need that! I have tested this apple cinnamon streusel bread using both flax and chicken eggs. I will say the flax egg version is a bit more dense and doesn’t rise as much as the chicken eggs. It still tastes absolutely delicious and works well, but the texture will be just a bit different.
unbaked bread
Milk
This was an ingredient I decreased from other bread recipes on the blog as the fresh apples release more moisture than raisins or chocolate chips. You only need two tablespoons of milk for this bread, and you can use dairy milk or any non-dairy milk of your choice.
baked bread
Pure Maple Syrup
I love using pure maple syrup and honey to sweeten recipes and baked goods! You can try subbing honey for the pure maple syrup if you want. I also love how you only need ¼ cup for the entire recipe!! When broken down into servings, that is a VERY small amount of added sugar per slice (even with the crumble topping!). I have also tested this recipe using honey, and it works well although I do prefer the maple syrup with the apple cinnamon flavors. Either one will work well though!
Almond Butter OR Butter
I have tested this apple cinnamon streusel bread using both almond butter and butter! I honestly love both versions. The melted butter will taste a bit more like a traditional baked good/bread, and the almond butter version will have a slight almond butter flavor. ? I find the almond butter pairs SO well with the apples, and I love using nut butters in place of butter in many recipes for healthy fats and protein (not to mention, they just taste AMAZING!).
Apples
Any variety of apple will work here, so use your favorite! I personally used gala apples in one test batch, and pink lady apples in other test batches. You could use granny smith apples for a more tart flavor, and honeycrisp would also be delicious. I would just make sure you’re using a fairy firm/crisp apple so the apples don’t turn to mush during baking.
Streusel Topping
This streusel topping is the exact same recipe I use in this apple baked oatmeal! It’s so simple to make and honestly takes this apple cinnamon bread to a whole new level. I don’t recommend skipping! The flavor and texture add so much. You will need oats, chopped walnuts (feel free to sub other nuts), cinnamon, brown sugar (could sub coconut or white sugar), butter (could use almond butter), cinnamon, and salt. You’ll notice that many of the ingredients are also used in the bread!
Caramel Glaze
Last minute, I remembered how delicious the maple tahini glaze on this tahini banana bread was and thought I’d add a similar version to this apple cinnamon streusel bread! I used almond butter and pure maple syrup for this delicious healthier caramel. Peanut butter is another option if you don’t mind a peanut butter taste!
Serving Suggestions
I absolutely love this apple cinnamon streusel bread warmed up and topped with (store bought) cinnamon butter. You could also top this bread with nut butter of your choice, plain butter, or more caramel drizzle! Or simply plain, of course. If you want a more decadent option, this bread is delicious with maple pecan ice cream. Or with a side of vanilla Greek yogurt for breakfast! This bread is delicious for breakfast, as a snack, paired with dinner, or as dessert with ice cream. So many options!
I sincerely am SO excited for this recipe!! I hope you give it a try to see for yourself; let me know what you think! I’d love it if you’d leave a comment and rate the recipe after you make it ?
- For the bread:
- 2 cups oat flour OR all-purpose OR white whole wheat flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup applesauce
- 2 eggs OR 2 tablespoons ground flax mixed with 5 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons milk of choice
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup almond butter OR butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely diced apple
- Streusel topping:
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
- ¼ cup oats
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter (or almond butter), softened but not melted for best crumb texture
- Pinch sea salt
- For the caramel glaze:
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan or 12 muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine applesauce, flax (or regular) eggs, milk, maple syrup, butter or almond butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- In a smaller bowl, combine oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir until combined.
- Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and gently stir until combined. Stir in apples and pour batter into a loaf pan (mine was 9x5).
- In a smaller bowl, mix together streusel ingredients until combined, then sprinkle with streusel topping.
- Bake at 350 degrees in loaf pan about 45-50 minutes. Can also make 12 muffins, which will take about 18-24 minutes to bake.
- For the caramel drizzle: in a small microwave-safe bowl, heat almond butter and pure maple syrup about 15 seconds in microwave, then stir together. Let sit a couple minutes to thicken, and drizzle caramel sauce over the apple bread!
- This recipe freezes great too!
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