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Cinnamon Applesauce Bread

Cinnamon applesauce bread with a deeply golden, cracked top and a tender, moist crumb. Baked in a loaf pan after a cinnamon-sugar swirl topping goes on before baking.
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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: 340
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 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 0.25 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
Topping
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan for easy release.
  2. Position the pan so the loaf bakes evenly and can be placed on a rack or sheet pan if needed.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until evenly combined.
Cream the butter and sugar
  1. Beat the softened unsalted butter and packed brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
Combine and fill the pan
  1. Stir in the unsweetened applesauce and sour cream or Greek yogurt until the batter looks cohesive.
  2. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain.
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer.
  4. Sprinkle the topping of sugar mixed with cinnamon over the top.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350F for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is deeply golden.
  2. Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

For the moistest crumb, fold the flour mixture only until just combined—overmixing can make the loaf dense. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze sliced portions for up to 2 months. For a dairy-light option, use plain Greek yogurt swap and keep the butter as-is for best structure.