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Almond Flour Apple Bread

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This Almond Flour Apple Bread is light, fluffy and packed with apples, cinnamon and walnuts.

And it’s also a Paleo, dairy-free and gluten-free apple bread. But it’s good enough to serve to anyone who doesn’t care about all those adjectives I just listed.

This recipe and photos were updated September 30th, 2025.

A loaf of gluten-free apple bread with almond flour on a towel.

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Why this recipe works

Pulling a warm, cinnamon-scented loaf of bread out of the oven is the definition of cozy, especially when it’s packed with chunks of juicy apples. But there’s no reason it has to be packed with flour and sugar.

Instead, this version uses almond flour in place of regular flour, giving it great texture while also providing protein, fiber and healthy fats. And instead of butter, it uses extra virgin olive oil. While it might seem strange to bake with olive oil, Italians do it all the time. It adds a subtle complexity to the flavor without overpowering it at all.

Plus, this Paleo apple bread is only sweetened with applesauce – it has absolutely no added sweetener at all.

It’s a great introduction to grain-free baking as it requires only a few basic ingredients and one bowl.

What you need

The individual ingredients for Almond Flour Apple Bread in separate bowls on a marble surface.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan (see more information about baking with olive oil below)
  • 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour – I use the “scoop and level” method for measuring almond flour. Do not use almond meal.
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot flour/starch – This helps absorb moisture and give the bread a light, fluffy texture.
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature – If your eggs are cold, submerge them in a bowl of very warm water for 5 minutes.
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 medium apple (any kind you like; I like Granny Smith or Fuji)
  • ¼ cup chopped, toasted walnuts

Equipment:

How to make this Almond Flour Apple Bread

Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°.

Step 2: Grease the loaf pan with olive oil.

Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, arrowroot, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.

Step 4: Add the eggs, applesauce, ¼ cup olive oil and vanilla. Whisk until fully blended (batter will be a little lumpy).

Step 5: Peel, core and and dice the apple. You should end up with about 1 cup, but a little less is fine. If you have more than 1 cup, lucky you! You can eat the extras.

Step 6: Stir the diced apple into the batter. Scrape it into the greased loaf pan.

Step 7: Sprinkle the walnuts on top, gently pressing them into the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

A loaf of healthy apple bread on a cutting board with two slices.

Baking with almond flour

This might be the easiest Paleo bread recipe you’ll ever find. Instead of regular flour, we’re using almond flour. Blanched superfine almond flour is just almonds blanched (skins removed) and ground down until it’s the texture of flour. It still retains all it’s healthy fats, protein and fiber, creating more nutrient dense baked goods.

And while almond flour is more expensive than regular flour, it’s also more filling, so your treats stretch further.

Dessert recipes made with almond flour have come a long way in the past 10 years and this Almond Flour Apple Bread is proof you can have your bread and eat it, too (that is, after all, what bread is for).

You can learn more about this and other grain-free ingredients here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I make substitutions?

You can use a pear instead of an apple.

You can add other spices to the dry ingredients, such as ground ginger and/or ground cardamom.

You can use melted, cooled coconut oil instead of the olive oil. The bread might be a bit more crumbly but it will still taste good.

You can use any nuts on top you like, such as almonds, pecans or hazelnuts.

Can I make this Almond Flour Apple Bread ahead of time?

Yep. Store the bread at room temperature for 1 day. After that, store it in the fridge, where it will last for another 3 days.

Can I freeze Almond Flour Apple Bread?

Yep. To freeze, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and put into a freezer-safe, sealable baggie or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

What’s the best olive oil for baking?

It might seem weird to use olive oil for baking but it’s actually pretty common. Italians do it all the time and when have we ever steered you wrong, culinarily? Italian olive oil cakes and olive oil cookies grace cookbooks both old and new.

The olive oil creates a rich, buttery texture but a more complex taste than butter. And I’m not suggesting a light olive oil here. I’m suggesting the good stuff: extra virgin olive oil. A good EVOO will have a lot more depth and complexity. Depending on where it’s from, it could be a little grassy, a little peppery or maybe both.

But you won’t taste those exact flavors in this bread. You’ll just get a much more interesting background for the apples and spices. And obviously, it adds a lot of great nutrients and health benefits.

It helps to make sure what you’re getting actually is 100% extra virgin olive oil. There’s a lot of shady practices around the producing and marketing of olive oils, so knowing which brands to trust can be tricky.

Based on a lot of research, I personally have come to like brands like California Olive Ranch and O-Live (not an ad, I just like them), which have been verified by third party sources.

Some things to look for on the bottle are a) olives from a single source, not multiple countries and b) a date on the bottle. It helps verify the freshness and indicates the maker is transparent about the timeline of the batches that hit stores.

And if you’ve heard you shouldn’t use extra virgin olive oil for cooking, that’s only kind of true! Drizzling it over veggies or using it in a dressing is a great way to taste all its notes. But it has a smoke point of 400° (meaning that’s the temperature where it will start to break down, making it less healthy). This recipe is baked at 350° so it’s safe!

Other Paleo baked goods and snacks:

A loaf of healthy apple bread on a cutting board with two slices.

Almond Flour Apple Bread

Don Baiocchi
This Almond Flour Bread recipe could not be easier to make. Plus no added sweetener at all means you can treat yourself without any refined sugar.
Plus it's gluten-free, dairy-free and Paleo friendly.
4.78 from 18 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 10 slices
Calories 236 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 2 cups blanched superfine almond flour (do not use almond meal)
  • ¼ cup arrowroot flour/starch see notes
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 large eggs room temperature (if cold, submerge in very warm water for 5 minutes)
  • ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 medium apple (any kind you like, such as Granny Smith or Fuji)
  • ¼ cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 350°.
  • Grease a 9×5" loaf pan with the olive oil (use your fingers or a pastry brush).
  • In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, arrowroot, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and nutmeg.
  • Add the eggs, applesauce, ¼ cup olive oil and vanilla and whisk until combined (it won't be perfectly smooth but there shouldn't be any lumps of almond flour).
  • Peel, core and dice the apple. (Don't do this before you mix the other ingredients or the apple might brown before you can mix it in.) You should end up with about 1 cup, but a little less is fine. If you have more than 1 cup, lucky you! You can snack on the extra.
  • Fold the apple into the batter. Scrape the batter into the greased loaf pan and sprinkle the walnuts on top, gently pressing them down into the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
  • Let the bread cool completely before slicing. Drizzle over the maple glaze, if using.

Notes

Note: The arrowroot is a new addition to the recipe to help create a lighter, fluffier texture.
Nutrition note: Nutritional info does not include maple glaze.
Normally I love a super-crunchy apple, and if that’s all you have for this recipe that’s fine. But I find this is actually the time to use a softer apple, as it will melt and ooze a bit as it bakes (which is also why I peel the apple).
Variations and substitutions
  • You can use a pear instead of an apple
  • You can add other spices to the dry ingredients, such as ground ginger and/or ground cardamom.
  • You can use melted, cooled coconut oil instead of the olive oil. The bread might be a bit more crumbly but it will still taste good.
  • You can use any nuts on top you like, such as almonds, pecans or hazelnuts.
Store the bread at room temperature for 1 day. After that, store it in the fridge, where it will last for another 3 days.
To freeze, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and put into a freezer-safe, sealable baggie or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Maple glaze
The original version of this recipe included an optional maple glaze to drizzle over the cooled cake. If you’d like to make that:
Chill the coconut milk in the fridge for at least 24 hours. When ready (do NOT shake the can), turn the can upside down, open it and pour out the coconut water. Scoop out ¼ cup of the thick coconut cream. (You can reserve the water and extra cream for smoothies, drinks, soups, curries, etc.)
Whisk 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 tablespoon water into the coconut cream. It’ll take some smooshing and beating to incorporate the liquids. To make it really smooth, blend it in a blender or mini food processor. If it’s too thick, whisk in more water one teaspoon at a time. If it’s too thin, whisk in more coconut cream. Pour over the cooled apple bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 184mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 63IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 0.4mg
Keyword almond flour apple bread, dairy free, gluten free, gluten free apple bread, grain free, olive oil, paleo apple bread, refined sugar free
Tried this recipe?Mention @paleoglutenfreeguy or tag #paleoglutenfreeguy!

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Comments

  3. Tarah says

    5 stars
    I was just recently introduced to using olive oil in baking and it produces amazing results! Can I just point out that there is NO added sweetener in this recipe!!!

    Reply

  12. Joni Gomes says

    5 stars
    Almond flour is my fave gluten-free alternative to use for baking! Made this recipe and it came out perfectly sweet enough for me! Loved all of the ingredients and very much approve of them!

    Reply

  16. Jenni LeBaron says

    5 stars
    This is my kind of sweet bread! I love that you’ve used olive oil in this because I think that it really balances the flavor and sweetness of the apples and gives the bread a superb texture. Can’t wait to try this, Don!

    Reply
4.78 from 18 votes (1 rating without comment)

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