Vegan Apple Bread – Simple & Easy!

Sweet, moist, and full of cosy apple-cinnamon flavour! This delicious, easy, and simple vegan apple bread is topped with sweet maple icing and is the ultimate treat for breakfast, snacks, or dessert!

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Who doesn’t love the comforting smell of apples and cinnamon wafting through the kitchen? This vegan apple bread is everything you need for a cosy sweet treat! This bread is packed with chunks of fresh and juicy apples and warm cinnamon spice, and I topped with luscious maple icing, which turned out pretty well! It’s great for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or even dessert. And as always, it’s made entirely dairy-free and egg-free, so everyone can enjoy a cosy slice!

Main ingredients and substitutions

This vegan apple bread is made with really simple ingredients like the usual dry ingredients like flour, and sugar, and wet ingredients like plant milk, etc. If you can’t find applesauce in your local supermarket, don’t worry! You can make it super easily. Here is a recipe for homemade applesauce. 

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Diced apples: The star ingredient! Fresh, juicy apples add sweetness and a lovely apple texture. I like using sweeter varieties like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala, but do go for tart apples like Granny Smith if you prefer a tangy twist!

Flour: I used plain flour, it creates the perfect structure for this bread. You can use a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour blend if you want to make it GF.

Caster sugar: Simple caster sugar is all this recipe needs to add just the right amount of sweetness to the beard. You can substitute with granulated sugar or dark sugar like brown sugar or coconut sugar for a richer flavour and more moist texture.

Melted vegan butter: I used vegan butter from Flora as the fat in this recipe, it provides richness and a tender crumb. Other vegan butter from other  brands should work perfectly in this recipe too! Margarine can be a substitute too. You may not want to use oil instead of vegan butter as it will alter the texture.

Applesauce: Applesauce is an amazing ingredient in vegan baking! It acts as a natural egg replacer, keeping the bread moist and tender. It works so perfectly and it also enhances the apple flavour as well in this recipe.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds warmth and a cosy spice that pairs beautifully with the apples. You can also use pumpkin pice too.

Maple syrup: Maple syrup is used in the maple icing! I recommend you use maple syrup but if you absolutely can’t find it, use date syrup or agave syrup instead.

Other ingredients: Soy milk, cornflour, icing sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda

Note: Substitution may change the final taste and texture of this recipe.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Mixing bowls: Prepare a fairly big mixing bowl to mix the batter. This recipe can be made in one bowl if you mix the wet ingredients first then add all the dry ingredients afterwords!

Loaf pan: I use my 2lb loaf tin for this recipe. Grease and line it with parchment paper to prevent the bread from sticking to the tin.

Wooden spoon or silicone spatula: If you are reading this for the 100s time you might be tearing your ears off because I write this in almost all of my recipe posts but use a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula to mix the batter because trust me the result will be better than mixing vigorously with a whisk.

Small bowl and spoon: Prepare a small bowl and spoon or fork for whisking up the maple icing.

How to make vegan apple bread with maple icing

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients

Let’s start making this vegan apple bread! You’ll be surprised how easy it is. First thing first, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 2lb loaf tin and line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal.

In a medium bowl or jug, mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar to make vegan buttermilk. Set aside while it curdles, about 5 mins. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornflour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the batter

Once the vegan buttermilk is curdled, mix the melted vegan butter, soy milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract very well in a large bowl with a whisk until smooth. Add the caster sugar and mix thoroughly, then add the dry mixture and mix with a large wooden spoon or a silicone spatula in a cutting motion until they are just combined. Then fold in the diced apples until evenly distributed. Do not overmix the batter here, otherwise, you will risk a tough and rubbery texture in the bread!

Step 3: Bake the bread

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of your loaf starts to harden or burn, which my oven does sometimes when baking for a long time, place a sheet of aluminium foil over the bread halfway through around 30 mins mark. This will prevent burning or drying out!

Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Let it cool completely and whilst it’s on the cooling rack, let’s make the maple icing!

Step 4: Make the maple icing

While the bread is cooling, whisk together the icing sugar, maple syrup, and soy milk in a small bowl until smooth and drizzly. That’s it! Super easy.

If you are wondering what the other thing is on the bread in the picture, they are dried apple slices I made with my air fryer. It’s very easy to make too just core an apple, cut it in quarters, then cut fairly thin slices like 5mm(about a quarter an inch) and cook in an air fryer for about 5 mins at 200℃ or until they are dried and somewhat crispy.

Step 5: Decorate and enjoy

Once the apple bread has completely cooled, drizzle the maple icing generously over the top and sprinkle the dried apple slices. Slice and enjoy!

Serving tips and ideas

• Serve it toasted with a dollop of vegan whipped cream or a scoop of vegan ice creams like vanilla, caramel, or chocolate to make an indulgent dessert!
• Toast it lightly and spread some vegan butter like regular toast for a delicious breakfast option. Extra fibre and extra delicious!

Expert tips and tricks

Use fresh apples

The quality of your apples matters. Fresh, firm, and crisp apples will give your bread the best texture and flavour. I like using sweet apples but you can also use tart apples too! I dice the apples with the skin on, but if you rather want to peel the skin you can too.

Dice the apple in small chunks

Big chunks of apples tend to sink to the bottom of the loaf pan, so dice the apples in small chunks to ensure the apples are evenly distributed throughout the apple bread! I dice into about 1cm thick(about half an inch), and they usually don’t sink to the bottom.

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

• I don’t know if it’s just me, but apple pairs so well with nuts like pecans and it’s one of my favourite combos! Fold in chopped pecans, or any other nuts like walnuts, or almonds to the batter for added crunch and deliciously nutty flavour.
• The recipe does include cinnamon powder but if you are feeling extra spicy then add a pinch of nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom for extra warmth and cosy spiciness.
• Apple + caramel = Deliciousness in heaven! Swap the maple icing for a drizzle of vegan caramel sauce. Mmmm, yummy.
• Toss in a handful of raisins to the batter and voila! Tasty vegan apple raisin bread ready to serve.

How to store

• Refrigerator: You can store the bread in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. To keep it in the fridge, place the bread in an airtight container and before serving, let it come to room temperature or warm it up in the oven for 5-8 mins. I don’t recommend microwaving a slice, as it can go soggy.

• Freezer: For longer storage, you can keep it in the freezer. Slice the bread and wrap each slice individually in cling film or foil, place the slices in a freezer-safe airtight container, and they’ll stay good for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm up in the oven for a freshly baked taste.

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

You will LOVE this vegan apple bread because it is:

• easy to make
• full of delicious apples
• cosy spicy flavour
• simple and moist

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious apple and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

• Apple turnovers
• Homemade applesauce
• Apple crumble cake
• Apple cinnamon muffins
• Apple crumble muffins
• Apple pie cookies

Visit the bread and loaves page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!