Whole Wheat Applesauce Bread, served with Walnuts

This whole wheat apple bread recipe is a hearty and straightforward speedy bread made with a touch of sweet applesauce and crunchy walnuts. Reliable for brunch, breakfast, or snacking!

At a glance

What stands out: This straightforward apple bread is soft, moist, and full of apple flavor. This recipe makes two loaves and freezes great!

How long it takes: 15 minutes of prep and 1 hour to bake.

Equipment you’ll need: a bowl and a loaf pan.

Servings: 2 loaves (about 10 slices per loaf).

We're partnering with California Walnuts to bring you a year of nutty and rich walnut recipes. This post is sponsored by California Walnuts, but all opinions are our own.

Straightforward Apple Bread With Walnuts

This soft and moist apple bread is straightforward to mix with whole wheat flour and crunchy California walnuts, plus applesauce for a touch of sweetness. Like our apple spice cake and wholesome apple cinnamon muffins, this recipe is filled with the flavors of fall. Freshly grated nutmeg rounds out the flavors of the applesauce and walnuts and makes this bread all sorts of cozy and warm.

What stands out

• Make-ahead. This speedy bread is fantastic fresh out of the oven, and it’s also great frozen and saved for later.
• Reliable taste and texture. Our apple bread is ultra-moist and soft thanks to applesauce and yogurt instead of tons of oil. That same applesauce gives the crumb a nice natural sweetness along with maple syrup.
• Added crunch. The bread is flecked with crunchy walnuts that add flavor and texture.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Below you’ll find some notes on the ingredients you’ll need to make this from-scratch apple bread. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full amounts and detailed instructions.

• Eggs
• Applesauce – we recommend unsweetened applesauce, or you can make your own from-scratch Instant Pot applesauce.
• Maple Syrup – For a touch of natural sweetness.
• Greek Yogurt – Plain yogurt cuts down on the amount of oil in this recipe.
• Oil – Canola oil or vegetable oil, for ultra-moist speedy bread.
• Flour – we make this apple bread with whole wheat flour, but you can use regular all-purpose flour instead.
• Ground Flaxseed – For an extra dose of nutrition.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder
• Nutmeg – Freshly grated or ground nutmeg.
• Salt
• Walnuts – Our favorite is California walnuts. You can use raw or toasted walnuts.

How it comes together

If you’re new to baking, speedy bread recipes like this straightforward apple bread are the way to go! It’s a short, three-step process:

• Combine the wet ingredients. First, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, yogurt, and oil.
• Add the dry ingredients. Next, mix in the dry ingredients, and finally fold in the walnuts.
• Bake. Lastly, transfer the batter to two greased loaf pans. Bake the bread loaves at 325ºF for about 1 hour. Enjoy slices while the bread is still warm, or allow the apple bread to cool beforehand.

Tips for Success

Here are our final tips for a standby from-scratch apple bread:

• Don’t overmix. Overmixing the bread batter will yield a dense, tough loaf.
• Check the bread for doneness. Towards the end of the baking time, stick a toothpick into the center of the bread loaf. If the toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, the bread is done!
• Make this recipe nut-free. Feel free to omit the walnuts if you’re making this apple bread nut-free.
• Add raisins or dried cranberries for even more texture.

Ways to serve it

Serve slices of apple bread topped with pats of salted or unsalted butter, or try this festive gingerbread butter. Pair this whole wheat apple bread with boiled eggs or a breakfast casserole and fresh fruit, and you have breakfast fit for a queen (or king!).

Storing and Freezing Apple Bread

• To Store. Store the baked apple bread airtight on the counter for 3-4 days. Alternatively, you can keep this bread in the fridge if you prefer, though it’s best to serve it at room temperature.
• Freezer. Wrap the apple bread tightly or freeze it in an airtight container or freeze bag. Slice the loaf before freezing, this way you can thaw the whole loaf or grab out a single slice for straightforward defrosting. Warm the frozen apple bread in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until thawed, before serving.

Cranberry Walnut Bread with Oats

This Whole Wheat Applesauce Bread Recipe is sponsored by the California Walnut Board. All opinions are always our own. Thank you for supporting Bomumo by reading about products and food we use and love in our own home.

• Yield: 2 loaves
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 1 hour
• Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped California Walnuts

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray two loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, yogurt, and oil. Add all dry ingredients except walnuts on top of wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients together gently before stirring them into the wet ingredients. Fold in California Walnuts.
3. Pour evenly into prepared pans and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean or with a few crumbs.

Notes

Nutrition information calculated for 1/10th of a loaf.