Cinnamon Spice Applesauce Bread with Honey Butter Recipe
This Cinnamon Spice Applesauce Bread with Honey Butter is a moist, flavorful quick bread infused with warm cinnamon and nutmeg spices, sweetened naturally with cinnamon applesauce and sugars. Perfectly tender with a slightly spiced crumb, it bakes up beautifully in a loaf pan and is complemented by a luscious honey cinnamon butter spread, making it an ideal cozy treat for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
- Author: lea
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 standard 9x5-inch loaf (about 10-12 slices) 1x
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Bread
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cinnamon applesauce (plain may be substituted, consider adding more cinnamon)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup melted coconut oil (canola or vegetable oil, or melted butter may be substituted)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup sour cream (lite okay; Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt (optional and to taste)
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Honey Butter
- ½ cup unsalted butter (extremely soft)
- ¼ cup honey (or to taste)
- pinch cinnamon (optional and to taste)
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or spray it with floured cooking spray to prevent sticking. Avoid using a smaller 8-by-4-inch pan as it won’t accommodate the batter properly.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cinnamon applesauce, granulated sugar, melted coconut oil, light brown sugar, sour cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt if using. Mix until well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder to the wet ingredients. Gently stir until just combined; the batter will be thick with some lumps—avoid overmixing or trying to smooth out lumps to keep the bread tender.
- Fill Pan and Smooth Batter: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and lightly smooth the surface with a spatula to even it out.
- Bake the Bread: Bake in the preheated oven for about 56 to 63 minutes, or until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the bread starts to brown too much before it’s fully baked, tent it loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning.
- Cool the Bread: Allow the bread to cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Then, carefully remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on the wire rack before slicing.
- Prepare Honey Butter: In a small bowl, whisk the extremely soft unsalted butter with honey and optional cinnamon until smooth and fluffy. This luscious honey butter can be served immediately or stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Notes
- The bread keeps well airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or can be frozen for up to 6 months, tightly wrapped.
- Use a 9×5-inch loaf pan to ensure proper baking size and texture; smaller pans will result in overflow or undercooked centers.
- Don’t overmix the batter to maintain a tender crumb and avoid dense bread.
- The honey butter can be adjusted in sweetness by adding more or less honey to your preference.
Keywords: cinnamon applesauce bread, quick bread, honey butter, fall bread recipe, apple bread, cinnamon bread, moist bread