My whole wheat apple bread is a healthy quick bread made with chunks of sweet apples, raisins and a mix of five seeds for a perfect crunch. Made without refined sugar, this vegan apple bread is semi sweet from the apples and raisins; it can be enjoyed on it's own or topped with butter and served alongside a savoury soup.
Similar to my classic date nut and rosemary bread, this vegan apple bread recipe is somewhat healthy and has a nice crunchy texture mixed in with the dried fruit and apples. This recipe is also lovely topped with my European style vegan butter.
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
Chia seeds, poppy seeds, flax, sesame and pumpkin seeds add both flavour and texture to this whole grain apple loaf. Seeds, in general, are nutritious and the addition of flax gives this recipe omega 3's, lignans and fiber—I include flax in a lot of my recipes both for it's nutritional value and to replace eggs in my plant-based baking recipes.
This loaf is also made with nutritious whole wheat flour with it's slight nutty flavour complimenting the other ingredients in this recipe. Diced apples keep this cake moist and, combined with the raisins, they provide natural sweetness without the need for refined sugar. A touch of warming spices bring this simple vegan apple bread together.
It can be enjoyed on it's own for it's mildly sweet taste, for breakfast with a cup of tea or coffee or served as a side with butter with an autumnal soup as. Like most quickbreads, this recipe is also simple to make and comes together in just over an hour.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the full list of ingredients and quantities of each, please see the recipe card below. To make my whole wheat apple bread, you will need the following ingredients:
Unsweetened Non-dairy Milk: any unsweetened non-dairy milk will work (soy, oat, cashew or almond), however, I would avoid using full fat coconut milk as it will make the final loaf quite dense due to it's high fat content.
Flax Meal: this is needed to act as a binding agent, similar to how eggs work. I prefer to use brown flax meal as opposed to golden flax meal because I find the latter gels better.
Apple: almost any apple will work for this recipe, however, I recommend not using the red delicious variety because they are drier and not as sweet; they also don't hold up well during baking. My favourites for this recipe are gala, pink lady, honey crisp, jazz, or cosmic crisp apples. You could also use granny smith, however, because they are more tart the final loaf will not be as sweet.
Raisins: any variety of raisin will work here, however, I find the smaller golden raisins (sultanas) to be sweeter and more enjoyable in this recipe. Alternatively, you could use dried currants in equal measure.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: this adds moisture and lightness to the crumb. Use any neutral flavoured vegetable oil in it's place if preferred. Avoid full bodied olive oils as they could alter the flavour of the bread.
Whole Wheat Flour: Be sure to use fresh whole wheat flour as the natural oils in the germ will go rancid over time and leave a bad taste in the final loaf. If you wish, you could also use whole spelt flour, however, because spelt has less gluten than traditional wheat flours, the crumb will be less tight.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder: both leavening agents are necessary here.
Cinnamon and Nutmeg: these two warming spices compliment apples and raisins perfectly.
Salt: to balance and enhance the flavours. I like to use sea salt, pink salt or kosher salt here.
Flax Seeds: Whole flax seeds are added to the batter to add flavour and texture. You can use brown or golden flax.
Sesame Seeds: I prefer to use toasted sesame seeds for their flavour, however, I have also made this with raw (un-toasted) sesame seeds.
Poppy Seeds: these can usually be found in the bulk section of your grocery store.
Chia Seeds: You can use white or black chia seeds.
Pumpkin seeds: opt for unroasted (raw) unsalted shelled pumpkin seeds (sometimes called pepitas).
Step by Step Instructions
The following is an overview of the steps involved in making this recipe. For the detailed instructions, please see the recipe card further down the post.
STEP 1: Preheat the oven and prepare the loaf pan.
STEP 2: Combine the flax meal and water and let stand for 5 minutes. Then add in the non-dairy milk and olive oil.
STEP 3: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and seeds.
STEP 4: Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and stir just until combined.
STEP 5: Add the cubed apple and raisins and mix until well incorporated.
STEP 6: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Top the batter with more flax seeds and pumpkin seeds if you wish.
STEP 7: Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. Allow it to cool in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Helpful Tips
- Thoroughly grease the loaf pan to help prevent prevent sticking.
- Run a long sharp knife gently around the edges of the pan to help it release. However, if you pan was greased really well, it should come out in one beautiful piece
- Use apples that stand up to baking - As mentioned above, avoid red delicious apples and opt for those mentioned above. The apple pieces need to stay in tact while baking so as not to leave you with a mushy mess.
- Cut the apples into ½" cubes - the best size dice for the apples is about ½" in size. This will make them small enough that they won't create big craters or soft spots in the crumb.
- Don't over mix the batter- as with most quick bread recipes, you want to mix only until the flour is combined evenly—there should be no white streaks of flour in the batter. Over-mixing may cause your cake to be heavy and not rise properly.
- Spoon the batter into the loaf pan, don't pour- this will ensure you won't create any air bubbles in the bottom of the cake or craters in the top.
- Wait 15 minutes before releasing your loaf from the pan - a hot loaf is more prone to breaking. As such, place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and wait about 15 minutes before removing the loaf. Don't extend the pan cooling time otherwise your loaf will start to condensate and become mushy.
Storage
Storage: the baked loaf should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and should last up to 3-4 days this way.
Freezing: to freeze this loaf, wrap it tightly in freezer safe wrap and place in a freezer safe bag before popping it into the freezer. The loaf should last up to 3 months this way. Defrost the loaf in the fridge overnight before serving.
For additional information on safe food handling and storage, please visit: the Government of Canada Food Safety website, USDA Food Safety Inspection Agency website or your country's official food safety website.
More Apple Recipes
If you enjoyed my vegan whole wheat apple bread, you may also like these reader favourites:
If you made my healthy Whole Wheat Apple Bread recipe please leave me a comment below with a star rating; it really helps others who are interested in making the recipe. For more from The Simple Green, follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Consider becoming a subscriber to receive emails of new recipes and posts.
Healthy Whole Wheat Apple Bread (vegan)
Special Equipment
- 1 9x5" Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsweetened non-dairy milk, (almond, soy, oat or cashew)
- 2 tablespoon Flaxmeal (ground flax seeds)
- 3 tablespoon Filtered Water
- ⅓ cup Extra virgin olive oil, or neutral flavoured vegetable oil
- 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoon Flax seeds
- 2 tablespoon Toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon Poppy Seeds
- 2 tablespoon Chia Seeds
- 1 large Apple , peeled, cored and cubed ½" thick
- ¼ cup Raisins
Topping
- 1 tablespoon Flax seeds
- 1-2 tablespoon Raw pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Lightly oil a 9x5" loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flax meal and water and let stand for 5 minutes. Add in the non-dairy milk and olive oil and stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and seeds and mix until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and stir just until combined. Add the cubed apple and raisins and mix until well incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the top evenly. Top the batter with 1 tablespoon of flax seeds and 1-2 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.
Disclaimer
all recipes on The Simple Green are developed and tested in a Canadian kitchen, at normal elevation, using electric appliances and ingredients available in Canada. Results may vary.
How can we make the apple crunch bread gluten free. We do not get a blend in india, so which flours and in what quantity can we use
Hello Shraddha! Unfortunately, I haven't tested this recipe with any gluten free flours, so I can't answer that question, unfortunately.