This healthier apple bread is soft and lightly sweet. It is just 3 ingredients and doesn’t contain any white flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil. The bread is easy to make and takes only a few minutes to prepare.
A loaf of apple bread with two slices cut from it

This soft apple bread is an easy homemade bread to make. It has a texture similar to yeast bread rather than a cake-type bread, but takes only a few minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

  • Applesauce
  • Whole wheat flour
  • Baking powder

Applesauce: This bread is made with unsweetened applesauce. You can use store bought or homemade. You can also make the bread with sweetened applesauce if you prefer a little sweeter bread.

Whole wheat flour: This bread can be made with whole wheat flour, golden whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. My family prefers whole wheat pastry flour because it has a softer grain that is more similar to regular white flour. If you prefer using white flour, I do have an apple bread that uses white flour.

Baking powder: Make sure to use aluminum free baking powder to prevent any potential metallic aftertaste. This bread uses a large amount of baking powder because whole wheat flour needs more baking powder to help it rise.

Optional add-in: The bread comes out soft and lightly sweet if you make it with applesauce but it doesn’t have a very strong apple flavor. If you prefer your bread to have a stronger apple flavor, you can add in small chopped apple pieces. I’ve made it both with and without and both versions taste good.

How to Make Healthier Apple Bread

  • The wheat flour and baking powder are first whisked together. The applesauce is then mixed in until your mixture resembles a wet dough or thick batter.
  • Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for about 45 minutes or until the bread is fully cooked.

An apple loaf with three slices cut

Texture

This bread is not a sweet cake-type bread. It has a texture more like regular yeast bread. It is soft, chewy and very lightly sweet.
A slice of apple bread with butter spread on top

Expert Tips

  • If you are making your own applesauce or adding apple pieces, I recommend using a sweet apple variety such as Fuji, Envy, Honeycrisp or Pink Lady.
  • The applesauce makes the bread soft and lightly sweet but it doesn’t have a strong apple flavor. If you want the bread to taste more of apples, I recommend adding finely chopped apples to the bread batter. However, if you prefer just a lightly sweet soft bread, you don’t need the apples. Below is the version made with regular whole wheat flour and no apple pieces (the other photos are of the bread made with whole wheat pastry flour and apple pieces)

A loaf of apple bread after baking

More Easy Bread Recipes

5 from 7 votes

3 Ingredient Healthier Apple Bread

This healthier apple bread is just 3 ingredients and comes out soft and sweet. It doesn't contain any white flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil. It is easy to make and you can have homemade bread ready in under an hour.
Servings: 12 slices
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups (368g) whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour (353g)
  • 2 1/2 tbsp (29g) aluminum free baking powder
  • 2 cups (472g) unsweetened applesauce

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Line an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Add flour and baking powder to a large mixing bowl and whisk to evenly combine. Add in the applesauce.
  • Mix with a spatula until applesauce and flour are completely incorporated and no lumps or streaks of flour remain. Your batter will be very thick and should look like a very wet dough or thick batter. If adding chopped apples, stir them in now. See note regarding adding chopped apples.
  • Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan. Place into oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the bread is cooked through and dark golden brown on top. If you press down lightly on the surface of the bread, it should bounce back.
  • Let bread cool fully in pan before cutting and serving. Store any uneaten bread in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • This recipe was tested with whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour. I prefer using whole wheat pastry flour because the grain is softer and closer to white flour in texture. I tested with Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flour* and  Whole Foods 365 whole wheat pastry flour*
  • Baking powder note: This recipe uses a large amount of baking powder, so make sure to use an aluminum free baking powder. I used Whole Foods 365 aluminum free baking powder.*
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Chopped apples: The bread comes out lightly sweet but won't have a strong apple flavor from just the applesauce. Adding chopped apples will give the bread more apple flavor. If adding chopped apples, I recommend add about 1/2 cup (56g) of peeled chopped apples, cut between 1/8 to 1/4 inch cubes. You don't want the apple pieces to be too big because then they won't fully cook and will cause large gaps in the bread. I also recommend using a sweet apple variety like Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Envy.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 138kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 4g, Sodium: 207mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 4g, NET CARBS: 23
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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