Spiced Applesauce Bread

By Bree Hester Jump to Recipe

Skip the yeast and complicated steps, but get a moist, tender, spicy-sweet bread with this quick and easy recipe!

I am an impatient baker. I love eating sweet baked goods but dislike laboring in the kitchen for hours to create them. So I’m always looking for recipes that skip all the complicated processes in favor of near-instant gratification.

This spiced applesauce bread is one of my faves. It requires only 10 minutes of hands-on prep and ingredients I typically have on hand all the time. Plus, it fills my kitchen with the most incredible aromas while it bakes! Quite literally the most difficult part of this recipe is waiting for the bread to cool before digging into it. But I encourage you to summon the patience for that! If you don’t, you’ll end up with squashed slices that have a gummy middle—and the rest of the loaf will quickly go stale. Not ideal!

Whether you bake this bread to take to a potluck gathering or simply to enjoy with friends over tea or coffee, you’ll love its warm, cozy flavor profile and ridiculously soft texture.

The chemistry behind quick breads

How do quick breads like this one rise without yeast? Chemistry! The baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients in the batter—applesauce, sour cream, and even some of the brown sugar—to release carbon dioxide bubbles as soon as the wet and dry ingredients meet. Baking powder adds its own gas, both when it first hydrates and again in the heat of the oven, so the loaf continues to rise as it bakes. At the same time, steam from the liquid ingredients expands in the oven, and the fat, eggs, and flour proteins set around all those bubbles, creating a soft, even crumb instead of a dense brick.

Overmixing works against all those reactions. Once the flour is hydrated, stirring vigorously or for too long develops more gluten—great for chewy bread, not so great for a tender quick loaf. Extra mixing can also knock out the gas that the leaveners are already producing, tamping down some of the lift just created. That’s why the recipe tells you to stir only until no dry streaks remain and to accept a few small lumps. That restraint keeps gluten development in check, preserves those tiny gas bubbles, and lets the chemical leaveners and oven heat do their job. The payoff? A tall, moist, sliceable loaf instead of a tough one full of large holes.

How do I store leftovers?

Store completely cooled spiced applesauce bread in an airtight container, resealable bag, or well-wrapped in plastic wrap. Leftovers will keep at room temp for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze this bread for up to 3 months by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and placing it in a freezer-safe container or bag with as much air removed as possible. Thaw overnight in the fridge. For the best flavor and texture, let refrigerated bread warm to room temp for 15 to 20 minutes or microwave briefly (10 to 15 seconds) to revive that fresh-baked experience.

Spiced Applesauce Bread

Bree Hester

4.46 from 72 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Cooling Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course bread

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 234 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated or ground
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup applesauce store-bought or homemade
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup sour cream at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides, and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger until no lumps remain.
  
• In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs, applesauce, sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, sour cream, and vanilla paste until well combined.
  
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick and a few small lumps are okay. Do not overmix.
  
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
  
• Bake for 55-65 minutes, until the top is a deep golden brown, the edges start to pull slightly away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
• Remove from oven and let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
• Use the parchment overhang to lift the bread out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely, 30-60 minutes, before slicing with a serrated knife.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 232mgFiber: 1g

Keyword apple pie spice, fall, loaf pan

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