It's fall and that means cozy sweaters, colorful leaves, pumpkin spice lattes and best of all... APPLE SEASON! If you love apples like I do, you're going to love this Apple Walnut Bread with Brown Butter Glaze.
This Apple Nut bread celebrates fall flavors in a healthy, moist, and delicious bread that's quick and easy to make. And there is NOTHING like the aroma of apple baking. And although it's healthy, this delicious apple bread is soo good it tastes more like an apple loaf cake. It makes a great quick breakfast, dessert, or snack!
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🥘 Ingredients
I came up with this Healthy Apple walnut bread recipe years ago. I use prunes in my Healthy Carrot Cake and it gives it a great taste and moist texture. And I don't think prunes get used enough in baking. So I added them to this recipe and WOW! This apple bread also has a delicious brown butter glaze, which is truly the crowning glory. The photos do not do justice to the deliciousness of this bread - it's that good! My son begged me to make it again and again, but with more brown butter glaze, of course!
I'll admit I'm a little brown butter crazy. I especially love it as a glaze, like on my Saskatoon Berry Loaf with Brown Butter Glaze (shown) and my Butter Tart Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze but I also love plain brown butter in my Award-winning Pecan Brown Butter Granola! My glaze is similar to a brown butter frosting, just a little less thick. Brown butter is a little old-timey but it's a delicious timeless flavor!
🎥 Video
If you've never made brown butter, here is a video showing How to make brown butter
Although this apple nut bread recipe is healthy, it's still indulgent and as I said, it's more like an apple loaf cake recipe. It's not low-fat, nor is it meant to be WW friendly. However, you can reduce the fat and calories a little by using lighter versions of some of the ingredients, as I do.
For this apple walnut loaf recipe you'll need:
- oats *quick rolled oats
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- brown sugar
- fresh apple * Gala or Ambrosia
- Vanilla Greek yogurt * I use low-fat
- prunes
- water
- vegetable oil
- vanilla
- ground cinnamon
- coconut milk * I use light
- shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- walnuts
- whipping cream
- cream cheese (I use light)
- powdered sugar/icing sugar
*see recipe card for quantities
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Nuts- you can use pecans instead of walnuts
- Prunes -you can use dried apricots, if you don't have prunes, but prunes are ideal
- Apples-You can use any type of apple for this recipe, but I find that Ambrosia or Gala work best. I've also made it with apples given to me by my neighbor (from her daughter's tree)! Honeycrisp apple are also great for baking*I don't recommend Granny Smith, as they hold their shape well and you don't want the apples holding their shape in this recipe; you want them to bake into the essence of the bread. Granny Smiths are better for baked goods like pies and such, where you want them to hold their shape.
- Sugar - you could substitute white sugar for brown sugar
- Vegetable oil - you can substitute canola oil
🍽Equipment
For this apple walnut bread recipe, you'll need a 9x5 loaf pan (affiliate link), a cutting board, and a sharp knife. I like the loaf pans that come with lids because you can simply put the lid on and pop them right into the fridge or freezer, once they are completely cooled!
I also recommend you use a bread knife (affiliate link); it makes cutting bread so much easier. You'll also need an electric hand mixer (affiliate link). An apple corer and cake tester also comes in handy!
🌡️Storage
- Fridge: This apple nut bread can be stored in a sealed container or freezer Ziplock bag for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months. You can leave it in the loaf pan to freeze, if you prefer (I do this sometimes). Simply cover the loaf with Glad Press n' Seal (affiliate link) and slide the entire loaf into an extra large Ziplock freezer bag. Or you can use a loaf pan that comes with a lid (see equipment above). I would still put that into a Ziplock bag, just to ensure it stays as fresh as possible.
💭Top tip
Don't slice the loaf until you are ready the eat the pieces. Cut the apple bread as you need it, as slicing it dries it out more quickly. If you slice it before storing it, make sure to cover the exposed pieces with plastic wrap.
👪 Serving Size
This apple bread recipe serves 8 and they are thick slices. You could get 10 pieces out of the recipe, by cutting the slices thinner. You can also double or triple this recipe by adjusting the serving size on the recipe card. Just click on the serving size (it's highlighted in blue) and select the number of servings you’d like. You'll need extra loaf pans. *You can freeze the extra loaves (see storage, above).
If you are looking for a moist and delicious sweet quick bread recipe, you'll love this Apple Walnut Bread with Brown Butter Glaze. It's the perfect fall treat!
And if you're looking for additional apple recipes, try my Healthy Apple Crisp in a Mug (shown), Apple Sage Pork Chops, and Caramel Apple Betty Dessert Shooters!
📋 Apple Walnut Bread (with Brown Butter Glaze) Recipe
Ingredients
Loaf:
- 1 cup oats * quick rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 fresh apples, Gala or Ambrosia peeled, cored and finely chopped
- ½ cup vanilla greek yogurt- low-fat
- ½ cup pitted prunes
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ cup light coconut milk
- ¼ cup fine shredded sweetened coconut
- ½ cup chopped walnuts+ 2 tbsp
Brown butter glaze:
- 3 tablespoon brown butter
- 1.5 tablespoon whipping cream (heavy cream)
- 1.5 tablespoon light cream cheese, softened room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Spray a 9X5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray
- In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, brown sugar, and baking powder and coconut. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl beat egg with an electric mixer till fluffy, beat in oil. Mix in yogurt, and vanilla. Stir in chopped apple chunks.
- Purée prunes with water.
- Add to mixture with apple, then add in coconut milk.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Add in chopped walnuts.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle top with remaining 2 tablespoon walnuts.
- Place in center of the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove from pan onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Glaze
- Brown butter (see VIDEO in post if you're not sure how to brown butter) and set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together whipping cream, and cream cheese and then add powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in brown butter until smooth.
- Pour glaze over the top of the loaf.
- Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Vanessa
I love apple treats at this time of year! The brown butter glaze is divine!
Terri Gilson
thanks, vanessa!
Bernice
This weekend's mission is to get my hands on some new crop apples and make all the apple recipes I can! This is a great one to start with. Love that brown butter glaze.
Terri Gilson
That's a great weekend plan, Bernice! Enjoy 🙂
Colleen
We are in the heart of apple country here and the harvest is coming in, so this recipe is bookmarked on my list of must makes. It looks divine!
Terri Gilson
Thank you, Colleen! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
nancy
i'm looking forward to making this once i get some new apples on deck! this is perfect fall bread 🙂