This Super Nutty Apple Cinnamon Bread has it all – it’s healthy, tastes great, is super easy (and relatively quick) to make, and won’t break the bank! Sweet apples and hearty oats, spiced with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg create a moist and healthy bread that can also be made dairy-free, gluten-free or vegan. Served warm, this bread makes the perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert!
Why you'll love this Apple Cinnamon Bread
Loaded with classic apple cinnamon flavours, this bread uses the natural sugars in apples (no added sugar) without being too sweet. The bread is soft with a tender crumb, but you also get the soft crunch of the nuts for a contrast in texture.
Additionally, this recipe is also budget friendly! It costs roughly AUD$9.55(~USD$6.35) to make without any specials. Important to note this recipe was made during peak apple season.
This is just an easy, yeast-free, and relatively quick bread recipe (on the table in an hour!). This also makes it a fabulous recipe for teaching the kids about baking!
You also get all the health benefits, such as dietary fibre, protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants! As a snack, this Apple Cinnamon Bread will satisfy those snack attacks and keep you full until your next meal!
Nutrition
This Apple Cinnamon Bread is a great high fibre recipe, with a whopping 7.5g per serve, making it a fabulous choice for your gut health. It is also high in protein, with 10.2g of protein serve. While it is not low fat or cholesterol, it is made of mostly healthy fats from the extra virgin olive oil and nuts. However, it is low in sodium. Despite this recipe not being heart friendly, it uses heart healthy ingredients. This recipe is also vegetarian, and can be made vegan and gluten-free.
What you need for Apple Cinnamon Bread
KEY INGREDIENTS
- Rolled oats – Are a fantastic source of soluble fibre, called beta-glucan. Soluble fibre helps soften stools to support bowel movements, slows digestion to help keep us full, and is associated with better blood sugar control, reduced cholesterol levels and decreased risk of heart disease. Oats are also loaded with manganese, which is used for bone formation.
- Almonds & walnuts – Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help relax blood vessels and maintaining regular blood pressure. Whereas almonds are loaded with calcium for strong, healthy bones and vitamin E, an essential nutrient that doubles as an antioxidant. Both nuts also contain magnesium, which is needed for bone strength and energy metabolism.
- Wholemeal flour – Is a great substitute for white flour, as it contains more dietary fibre, calcium, magnesium, and manganese. Wholemeal flour is also rich in potassium, which assists in transmitting nerve impulses, and muscle contractions (including maintaining a steady heartbeat). I used ‘The Healthy Baker’ wholemeal flour, as it contaisn more dietary fibre than regular wholemeal flour.
- Red apple – I used Pink Lady apples for a sweet and tart flavour. Apples contain a decent amount of dietary fibre but is also high in antioxidants such as ‘quercetin’ and ‘catechins’. These antioxidants may help to neutralise free radicals and reduce bodily inflammation.
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) – Is a great, healthy fat that makes the loaf nice and moist. EVOO contains monounsaturated fats, such as ‘oleic acid’, which helps stabilise it for high temperature cooking. Research hints that regularly eating EVOO may help reduce inflammation, prevent heart disease and strokes, and protect against a range of other conditions. I used the ‘Cobram Estate’ Light EVOO, which is light in flavour.
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- Eggs – Adds protein and gives structure to the bread.
- Vanilla extract – Is more natural and has a stronger flavour than vanilla essence.
- Spices– I used cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
- Baking powder – Adds a touch of salt and helps the bread rise.
- Baking / bicarb soda – Helps the bread rise like baking powder but on steroids.
- Milk – Preferably low fat.
How to make Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, add the oats and nuts. Place a fine sieve over the bowl and sift in the wholemeal flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Tip the remaining bran from the flour into the bowl. If using a whole nutmeg seed, grate it finely into the bowl. Stir to mix.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, extra virgin olive oil, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Grate the pink lady apples, quickly add them to the wet ingredients and stir to mix. You want to do this step as quick as possible, as coating the grated apple in the egg mix will prevent it from turning brown.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg-apple mixture and gently fold until combined. It is important not to overmix; otherwise, you will end up with a dense loaf of bread that doesn’t rise as much.
- Scoop the bread mixture into the lined loaf tin. Place the loaf tin into the oven and bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the top is a nice golden brown.
- Leave the bread in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool further. Serve warm plain or with a spread of your choice. Enjoy!
Storage
This bread will stay fresh for up to 5 days. However, it is best kept in an airtight container in the fridge (especially since there is no added sugar to preserve it!) and then served warm. Or it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Tips & Substitutes
If you want the bread to be sweeter, try switching to either red delicious, gala or fuji red apples. Otherwise add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup.
While this recipe is made with apples, you can also use it to make banana bread. Just mash 2 or 3 medium-large, ripe bananas in a large bowl with a fork, whisk in the other wet ingredients (step 3), then continue following the recipe. You cooking time will increase to 1 hour.
Feel free to experiment with different nuts such as pecans, hazelnuts, etc. I used almonds and walnuts as these nuts are relatively cheap.
To make this recipe gluten-free, switch the wholemeal flour for certified gluten-free flour (e.g. sorghum, buckwheat, or almond flour) and substitute the rolled oats for quinoa flakes. Unfortunately, in Australia, oats are cannot be labelled gluten-free. However, if you can find gluten-free oats, always double check to ensure they are certified gluten-free.
To make this recipe vegan, swap the eggs with a suitable egg replacer (such as 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 100ml / 3.4 fl oz water – allow to thicken) and use an unsweetened plant-based milk (preferably calcium-fortified).
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Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats (Note 1)
- 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (Note 2)
- 1 cup almonds, roughly chopped (skin left on) (Note 2)
- 1.5 cups wholemeal flour (Note 3)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarb / baking soda (Note 4)
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground clove
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg (Note 5)
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk, low fat
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract (Note 6)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, light in flavour (Note 7)
- 2 large pink lady apples, skin left on
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, add the oats and nuts. Place a fine sieve over the bowl and sift into the wholemeal flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Tip there maining bran from the flour into the bowl. If using a whole nutmeg seed, grate it finely into the bowl. Stir to mix.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, extra virgin olive oil, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Grate the pink lady apples, quickly add them to the wet ingredients and stir to mix.You want to do this step as quick as possible, as coating the grated apple in the egg mix will prevent it from turning brown.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg-apple mixture and gently fold until combined. It is important not to overmix; otherwise, you will end up with a dense loaf of bread that doesn’t rise as much.
- Scoop the bread mixture into the lined loaf tin. Place the loaf tin into the oven and bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the top is a nice golden brown.
- Leave the loaf in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool further. Serve warm plain or with a spread of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Oats - Can easily be substituted for oatmeal, just choose an option with no added sugar.
- Nuts - Feel free to experiment with different nuts such as pecans, hazelnuts, etc. I used almonds and walnuts as these nuts are relatively cheap. You can also choose to leave them whole if you'd like.
- Wholemeal flour - Contains more dietary fibre and micronutrients than white flour. I used 'The Healthy Baker' wholemeal flour from Woolworths, as it has even more dietary fibre than regular wholemeal flour. However, this recipe works with regular wholemeal flour.
- Bicarb / baking soda - Necessary to achieving a nice tall bread loaf. It's sort of like baking powder but on steroids, and gives 3x more rise than just baking powder alone.
- Nutmeg - I used a whole nutmeg seed and grated it using a microplane grater. However, you can easily just used ground nutmeg.
- Vanilla extract - Is more natural and contains more flavour than vanilla essence.
- Extra virgin olive oil - Is a great, healther option to vegetable/canola oils. You want to use an extra virgin olive oil that is light in flavour only, that way you get all the health benefits without a stong, overpowering flavour. I used light extra virgin olive oil by 'Cobram Estate', which is available from all major food retailers in Australia.
- Sweetness - If you want the bread to be sweeter, try switching to either red delicious, gala or fuji red apples. Otherwise add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup.
- Gluten free - Switch the wholemeal flour for certified gluten-free flour (e.g. sorghum, buckwheat, or almond flour) and substitute the rolled oats for quinoa flakes. Unfortunately, in Australia, oats are one product that cannot be labelled gluten-free. However, if you can find gluten-free oats, always double check to ensure they are certified gluten-free.
- Vegan - Swap the eggs with a suitable egg replacer (such as 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 100ml / 3.4 fl oz water - allow to thicken) and use an unsweetened plant-based milk (preferably calcium-fortified).
- Nutrition - Calculated per serve assuming 10 serves, not including any additional spreads / condiments.