The apples this year are supposed to be especially good after the hot summer. This vegan apple-crusted cinnamon bread is an easy and delicious loaf that will use up windfalls and make the best of any deals in the supermarkets.
For me, the top two reasons to bake this loaf are the cinnamon-y scent that fills the house when it’s baking and the apple crust that you can design differently each time. Taking it out of the oven is almost as exciting as the moment when you untie tie-dye or cut open a pom-pom you’ve made from scraps of wool. Well, it is for me, anyway.
It rises really well, and the wholemeal flour lends it a lovely wholesome flavour and texture. The apple slices turn crispy and chewy under the cinnamon sugar.
This is the kind of loaf you can eat for breakfast – think of it as halfway between a hunk of wholemeal bread and a cinnamon apple bun. You can always reduce the sugar a bit for a healthier version.
The photos show a 6″ round loaf made using half the quantities of ingredients, and a full-size rectangular loaf.
Vegan Apple-Crusted Cinnamon Bread…
Ingredients
- 200 ml apple puree (2-3 medium-sized dessert apples)
- 120 ml odourless/flavourless coconut oil or another mild oil
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 175 g white or soft brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 175 g white self-raising flour
- 125 g wholemeal self-raising flour
- 1 level tsp baking powder
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk
- 100 g raisins
topping
- 1 thinly sliced dessert apple
- 20 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Method
- Stir the ground flaxseed into 3 tbsp of water and set aside for a few minutes.
- To make the apple puree, cook the peeled and sliced apples in 3 to 4 tbsp of water until they have started to soften, then puree using a blender.
- Heat the oven to 180°C/360°F.
- Whisk together the melted coconut oil, flaxseed mixture and apple puree in a large bowl.
- Add the vanilla extract and sugar and mix well.
- Whisk together the flours, baking powder and cinnamon in a separate bowl before sifting into the liquid mixture. Stir until barely combined.
- Stir in the raisins and the milk until combined.
- Transfer to a loaf tin and level the top a little.
- Arrange the apple slices across the top, gently pressing one edge of each slice into the mixture so that the other side sticks up a bit.
- Reserve 1 tsp of the sugar. Mix the rest with the cinnamon and sprinkle over the apple.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for up to an hour.
- While the loaf is still warm, sprinkle the reserved caster sugar over the top.
- Leave to cool completely before slicing.
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