Fluffy, tender, and moist vegan cinnamon apple bread bursting with cozy fall flavor. A whole grain, perfectly sweet breakfast or snack.

I’ve been making this vegan cinnamon apple bread on repeat for the last 2 months – I just can’t get enough of it! It’s so cozy, perfectly sweetened, and full of fiber and healthy fats to keep me satiated. Despite being packed with fresh apples, whole wheat flour, and walnut butter instead of butter or oil, it’s super tender and, most importantly, not dense! Usually whole wheat flour results in very dense breads and cakes, so I normally cut whole wheat flour with half all purpose to ensure light, tender crumbs. But some magic happens during baking to make this apple bread soft, tender, and fluffy while being 100% whole wheat. I still can’t explain it, but I’ve used the same formula for my favorite Healthy Banana Bread which I’ve been making for years (try it if you haven’t!).

Vegan Apple Bread FAQ

How do I store vegan apple bread?
Due to all the moisture from the apples, I don’t recommend leaving the bread out at room temperature for longer than 1 day (the day you make it). I store mine covered in the fridge, then briefly heat in the microwave to serve. You can also freeze individual slices.

What if I don’t have walnut butter?
You can make your own walnut butter at home very easily! First, roast walnuts at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. See my homemade walnut butter post for more details.

What kind of apples should I use?
Since we are blending the apples, the texture of the apples doesn’t really matter (i.e. you don’t need to buy baking apples). You can use whatever apple you like! If you use a very tart apple, such as Granny Smith, you may want to add an extra tablespoon or two of sugar to the bread, depending on your sweetness preference. I prefer to use sweeter apples, like Fuji or Gala apples.

Tips for Success

Weigh the apples! ⟶ Apples are all different sizes so for accuracy and best results, I highly recommend weighing your apples. You can get an inexpensive kitchen scale on Amazon* or at stores like Target, Walmart, Marshalls, or your grocery store.

Tent the bread halfway through baking ⟶ The streusel may start to burn before the bread is done, so check the bread at the halfway point. If the streusel is browning too quickly, make an aluminum foil “tent” to cover the top of the bread.

Pinch the streusel into clumps ⟶ You don’t want the streusel to be all small crumbles or it will fall off easily after baking and make a mess. Use your fingers to pinch the streusel together and form clumps.

More Plant-Based Fall Treats!

apple pie snickerdoodles close up — Apple Pie Snickerdoodles

vegan pumpkin oat pancakes drizzled with maple syrup — Pumpkin Oat Pancakes

close up of pumpkin melon pan on a plate — Pumpkin Melon Pan

vegan pumpkin muffins stacked on top of each other, set on a wire rack — Whole Grain Pumpkin Muffins

vegan mochi cake cut into squares — Sweet Potato Mochi Cake

overhead shot of vegan apple bread with a bite taken out of it

If you make this cinnamon apple bread, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:1 15

Servings: 8

Ingredients

360 grams apples** (about 2 medium or 3 small) see notes
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
¼ cup (45g) brown sugar
5 tbsp (75g) walnut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups + 1 tbsp (190g) whole wheat flour**
¾ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp cinnamon

Streusel

3 tbsp (20g) flour (all purpose, whole wheat, oat)**
2 tbsp (22g) brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp (30g) walnut butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Make the streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Add walnut butter and stir to coat the flour. Use your hands to pinch the mixture into clumps – if you don't make clumps the streusel will be messy and fall off easily after baking. Place in the fridge while you prepare the bread.
Blend apples: Chop apples and add to a blender or food processor. Blend until you have a chunky applesauce texture.
Combine wet ingredients: Add apples to a large mixing bowl. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar, walnut butter, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
Add dry ingredients: Add whole wheat flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Fold in with a rubber/silicone spatula until just incorporated and no dry flour is left.
Transfer to loaf pan: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle streusel clumps on top. If you have any leftover apple pieces, you can dice them and add them on top of the streusel.
Bake: Bake for 45-75 minutes depending on loaf pan size. (For a 9-inch pan, start checking the bread around the 45 minute mark. For an 8-inch pan, start checking around 60 minutes. It took me 75 minutes in an 8-inch pan.) Check the bread at the 30 minute mark, and if it's browning too quickly on top loosely tent the bread with aluminum foil. The bread is done when a toothpick/skewer inserted in the center of the bread comes out with no wet batter on it (some crumbs are fine).
Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan, gently remove the parchment paper, and cool the bread on a wire rack. It will take a couple hours for the bread to cool completely.
Storing: Let the bread cool completely, then store in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for 1 day. After that, store in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze individual slices for up to 3 months.

Notes

Apples: Weigh apples after removing the core. You can peel the apples for a smoother texture, but I usually don’t. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can measure the apples after blending. You need 1 ½ cups blended apples.

Gluten-Free Option: Replace whole wheat flour with 120 grams oat flour + 70 grams light buckwheat flour.

Streusel: If you like an oat streusel, use 2 tbsp all purpose or oat flour + 2 tbsp rolled oats.

Nutrition Facts

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