So remember when we went apple picking a few weeks ago? Yeah, we still have a CRAPLOAD of apples to go through. I’ve been making applesauce like a maniac and may actually decide to can some of it if I could keep it around long enough. It’s not looking very good for that though, this kid LOVES him some applesauce. 
One of the things that I did want to make was some apple bread and muffins. I’m a huge fan of quick breads and this time of year means I’m ending my reign of terror with the Zucchini Bread and starting up with pumpkin and winter squash bread instead. But since I’d never made apple bread before, I thought I would give it a try!
The best part about quick bread is that the recipes tend to be very similar from bread to bread. So remember that AWESOME recipe for zucchini bread that I have? I totally just amended it to make a apple-i-er, spicier version for the fall. And because I’m pregnant and DYING for sweets around here, I even added a little special kick of cinnamon and sugar on top, for an added sweetness and crunchy crust. I just can’t help it, I WANT SUGAR.
Overall though, the bread is still pretty good for you (as breads go), with whole wheat flour and a little applesauce substitution. Give it a try and ENJOY FALL!!
Apple Spice Bread
(click here for a printable version)
Ingredients
1.5 cups of All Purpose White Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Baking Powder
3 Tsp of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Tsp Ground Ginger (makes it just a little spicier)
3 eggs
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Applesauce
1 cup of Brown Sugar
1 cup of White Sugar
3 Tsp of Vanilla Extract
1.5 Cups Shredded Apples (cored and peeled)
( I do the two separate kinds of cuts because the shredded apple will melt into the muffins/bread and make them moist, while the diced apples will show throughout the muffins for that yummy apple bite!)
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup White Sugar
1 TB Cinnamon
Directions
Grease and flour two 8x 4 bread pans or a combination of muffin pans, mini muffin pans and a bread pan… whatever you want to use.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices in a bowl. If you don’t have a sifter, or don’t want to deal with the mess of using one, add all of the ingredients in the bowl and whisk them. Just make sure that you’re baking soda and your baking powder are fresh and NOT LUMPY. (I’ve made this mistake. Lumps of baking powder in a muffin kind of suck.)
In a different bowl, cream the eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla and sugar together. Add the “sifted” ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in the apple and nuts, if you are using them, and mix well. Do NOT over mix!! I did this all without my kitchen aid mixer and just did it all by hand. Easy stuff.
Pour the batter into the two pans (or whatever pans you’ve decided to use) and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 40-60 minutes, or until the tester comes out clean. When I do mini muffins, they are ready in about 10-15 minutes. Regular size muffins are ready in about 20.
Just know that for the big bread, I set the timer for 40 minutes and then proceed to check it every 5-10 minutes or so. You really don’t want to overcook this because it becomes a LOT less moist… and moist is what we’re shooting for.
Cool in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes. Take it out of the pan and let it cool completely if you can before devouring it.
