It seems like every year when autumn hits, I get a serious baking itch and I start baking like crazy.
Anyone else do the same thing?
I especially get into the quintessential fall baking ingredients – including pumpkin, apple, cinnamon and nutmeg. I feel like I can’t get enough! I mean, is there anything that smells better than all of those delicious flavors baking in the kitchen?
Playing around in the kitchen with my favorite sweet fall ingredients is precisely how this recipe was born. I’m not normally a juice drinker, but I bought apple cider a few times this season after trying some at a local orchard and remembering that apple cider is in fact delicious.
This recipe puts a twist on pumpkin bread by including apple cider and diced apple in the batter. I also made this bread healthier than your average recipe by sweetening it with honey and using a bit of coconut oil instead of butter.
The recipe itself is dairy free, and while I use whole wheat flour in the recipe, I also tested out a gluten free version that uses oat and almond flours. It came out really tasty, but also a bit softer (not surprising, gluten holds things together well!). I include the gf version as an option in the recipe instructions if you prefer it.
I had a bunch of people try the recipe while I was testing it out, and it was unanimously loved. If you like pumpkin and are looking to whip up a new recipe that’ll be a crowd pleaser for a dessert, snack, or fancy occasion breakfast, I hope that you give this one a try.
It’d be a great recipe to whip up for brunch on Thanksgiving if you want to make something special for your loved ones!
Pumpkin Apple Cider Bread {dairy free with gf option}
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour*
- 1 cup pure pumpkin
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup honey can use maple syrup for a vegan version
- 1 apple peeled and diced
- 2 TBSP coconut oil melted
- 1 TSP pumpkin pie spice
- 1 TSP baking powder
- 1 TSP vanilla extract
- 1/2 TSP salt
- 3 TBSP light brown sugar
- 1/2 TSP cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder. Stir with a wooden spoon just into combined.
- Add the pumpkin, apple cider, honey, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract to the bowl. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Mix in the chopped apple.
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar. Spoon it evenly over the batter.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to slightly cool before removing it from the loaf pan and transferring it to a cooling rack. Once it's cooled enough, cut the bread into slices and enjoy!
Notes
Tell me… Have you been baking a lot? What’s your favorite seasonal food/meal in autumn?
Pinned! I need this bread in my life.
DO IT! 🙂
Apple cider in pumpkin bread? Love the creativity! I’m intrigued and want to try making this soon.
Thank you Jennifer! I hope that you give it a try.
Oh man, you’ve included all the good Autumn things in this recipe…like every single one! Apple cider. Pumpkin. Cinnamon. Pumpkin Spice. That’s like a lineup of superheroes right there! I love baking breads every fall, too, and I definitely want to put this one on the list. I suspect it wouldn’t last very long around here!
Haha, yes exactly – I really packed in the autumn flavors with this one!
I love that all of the best fall flavors rolled into one delicious bar! The diced apple was such a great idea. These look so wholesome and I’d eat them for breakfast, snack or even dessert!
Exactly, this pumpkin bread works for any time of day!
Well this looks fantastic! I bet it smells amazing too
Thanks, Deborah! Yes, it does smell awesome. Can’t beat that smell of something pumpkin + cinnamon baking.
Agreed! Cool weather ALWAYS puts me in the mood for baking! It’s so much fun! This pumpkin apple cider bread looks SO GOOD.
I’ve been doing SO MUCH BAKING! Thanks Ashley!
This is such a cool idea! I really love cider, but never finish a whole jug of it. Perfect way to use some.
Yes, exactly! It just sweetens the bread up a bit.