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Cinnamon Applesauce Bread

Cinnamon applesauce bread is a moist, golden loaf with a cracked top, built with applesauce and sour cream for tender crumb. Easy one-bowl mixing and a cinnamon sugar topping make every slice fragrant and lightly spiced.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 0.5 lb unsalted butter, softened
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1.5 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
Topping
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and prep the pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan so the loaf releases cleanly.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a bowl until the spices are evenly distributed.
Cream the butter and sugar
  1. Beat the softened unsalted butter and packed brown sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat again until smooth.
Combine and fold
  1. Stir in the unsweetened applesauce and sour cream or Greek yogurt, then fold in the flour mixture just until no dry streaks remain.
Bake with cinnamon sugar topping
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon topping over the top.
  2. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is deeply golden with a domed surface.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out so the loaf sets.
  2. Cool completely before slicing to keep the crumb moist and prevent crumbling.

Notes

Pro tip: don’t overmix after adding the flour—fold just until combined for the moist, tender crumb. Store airtight at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze wrapped slices for up to 2 months. For a dairy-light swap, use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream (texture will stay similar).