Almond Flour Apple Bread

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

4.78 from 18 votes

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

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 9x5" 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