Fall spices unite with apple cider and applesauce to make this super moist gluten free apple spice bread recipe. With Honeycrisp apple ribbons and cinnamon sugar, the oat flour mini loaf is a cozy treat for breakfast, dessert, and anytime in between!
Easy Gluten Free Apple Quick Bread
The calendar may not say fall yet, but the weather outside says it is! Cooler days and nights mean cozy spices and my favorite fall baking. But, if you’re not quite ready for all things pumpkin and spice, this apple quick bread recipe is a delicious way to tip-toe into autumn.
In my opinion, this has to be the best gluten free apple spice bread. Honeycrisp apples lend a delightful crunch and soft sweetness to the quick bread. Paired with a blend of cinnamon and spices, this mini loaf will have you craving all the apple recipes for the season!
Much like my gluten free apple spice cupcakes and apple pumpkin streusel muffins, this apple bread is soft, moist, and studded with seasoned apples. But if it is pumpkin you’re craving, then you must check out the very popular cinnamon swirl pumpkin bread and the gluten free cinnamon pumpkin bread!
Everything To Love About This Sweet Bread
- Cozy spices – Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and allspice combine to make a delightful blend of the best fall spices.
- Apple, apple, and more apple! – Apple cider reduction, applesauce, and fresh chopped apples weave their layers of flavor throughout the bread. It’s called apple bread because it tastes like apple!
- Flavorful gluten free quick bread – Like all of my gluten free recipes, this apple bread doesn’t taste gluten free! We use a flavorful blend of single gluten free flours to make the best bread.
- Sweet mini loaf – Yes, the loaf is sweet in taste and appearance. Made in a mini loaf pan, this fall bread makes a lovely hostess gift, or treat all for yourself!
- Easy to make – No mixer required or hard-to-find ingredients for this recipe!
What You Need To Make gluten free apple bread
Ingredients
- Fresh Apple – I like to use Honeycrisp apples for their texture and flavor. Any apple you like to eat will work!
- Apple Cider – The apple cider is reduced to a flavor-packed syrup. The same we use in the apple cider cake, apple cider caramels, and gluten free apple cider donuts.
- Applesauce – Unsweetened applesauce is recommend since we are adding our own sugar.
- Oat Flour – Oat flour gives the bread its structure and soft texture. You can buy ready-to-use oat flour or make your own by grinding rolled oats into flour.
- Sweet Rice Flour – The sweet rice flour combines with the oat flour to give the bread a soft, yet firm texture.
- Tapioca Flour – Tapioca also lends to the soft texture and gives the bread its chew.
- Baking Powder – To leaven the bread.
- Salt – A must have! Salt balances and enhances flavors.
- Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Allspice – I love this blend because it is spicy, with floral notes from the cardamom. Feel free to improvise.
- Light Brown Sugar – I recommend light brown sugar vs. dark brown sugar for rich flavor without adding too much moisture.
- Granulated Sugar – I love to use organic cane sugar, but granulated white sugar will also work.
- Coconut Oil – Melted coconut oil adds a little fat and keeps the bread moist.
- Egg – 1 egg is all we need.
- Vanilla Extract – For flavor!
Baking Equipment
- Mixing Bowls – A couple small mixing bowls for the wet and dry ingredients.
- Small Saucepan – The saucepan is for reducing the apple cider.
- Mini Loaf Pan – The mini loaf is 3.5 x 5. You can also use a muffin pan to make 4 muffins.
How To Make Gluten Free Apple Bread
- Reduce the apple cider – Simmer the cider for about 15 minutes to make a concentrated apple syrup.
- Prepare the apple – Chop into 1/4 inch chunks then toss with brown sugar, cinnamon, and tapioca.
- Mix the dry ingredients – Whisk together all the flours, spices, salt, and baking powder.
- Mix the wet ingredients – Moisten the sugars first with the oil, then combine the remaining wet ingredients and mix well.
- Combine dry and wet – Stir until no dry streaks remain.
- Rest the batter for 5 minutes – A must to yield the soft and moist bread!
- Half the batter into the pan
- Top with half of the prepared apples – Evenly sprinkle half the apples over the batter.
- Finish with remaining batter, then apples – And include all of the juices from the apples!
- Bake – About 40 minutes.
- Cool – The bread tastes infinitely better when it has had time to cool.
- Enjoy!
Tips For Baking Success
- Reduce the apple cider – It may seem like extra work, but reducing the apple cider concentrates the apple flavor.
- Chop the apples small – This is a small loaf, so we want small apple chunks. About 1/4 inch pieces work great.
- Let the batter rest – Gluten free batters benefit from time to rest so the flours hydrate. Otherwise, the bread may turn out crumbly and dry.
- Cool the bread before devouring – It is tempting to eat the bread warm – I know! But, gluten free bakes taste much better when they are cool.
FAQ’s
Can I double the recipe to make a larger bread loaf?
I haven’t tested it, but if you try, let me know how it turns out!
What are the best apples for baking?
I usually recommend apples you enjoy eating – but firm and sweet apples work great – like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Braeburn or Jazz.
Can I substitute a 1:1 gluten free flour for the blend you use?
I don’t recommend it because every gluten free flour bakes differently. I find the 1:1 blends to be drier which would require adjusting ingredients and ratios of this recipe.
What does reducing the apple cider actually do?
It cooks off a lot of excess moisture leaving behind a concentrated apple flavor. Almost like a syrup, but still liquid.
Can I swap in sweetened or flavored applesauce?
You can, but keep in mind we are adding our own sugar and spices. I recommend using unsweetened for this reason.
The bread looks like it’s done earlier than you say in the recipe. Can I take it out earlier.
The short answer is no. Gluten free bakes often require more time in the oven to ensure they are baked through. Trust me – the bread is not burning at 40 minutes!
Gluten Free Apple Spice Bread
Yield: 1 Mini Loaf
GF
Cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, and ginger come together to make the best small batch gluten free apple spice bread recipe. This easy fall quick bread is made with a flavorful oat flour blend, apple cider, and applesauce to guarantee an incredibly moist mini loaf. And diced Honeycrisp apples coated with cinnamon and brown sugar weave delicious apple ribbons throughout the bread. It's a cozy autumn treat that's just as perfect for breakfast as it is for a mid-day snack or even dessert!
Ingredients
Spiced Apples
- 1/2 cup apples, chopped (1/4 inch chunks; about 1/2 of one apple)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon tapioca flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Gluten Free Spice Bread
- 1 cup apple cider (reduced to 1/4 cup)
- 6 tablespoons gluten free oat flour
- 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 2 tablespoons cold pressed refined coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Reduce the apple cider – Add the apple cider to a small saucepan. Over low heat, simmer the apple cider until you have 1/4 cup. Check every 5 minutes until you have 1/4 cup – mine takes about 15 minutes. Transfer the reduced apple cider to a liquid measuring cup and let cool to room temperature.1 cup apple cider
Spiced Apples
- Chop about half of one apple into 1/4 inch chunks. You want them to be small because this is a mini loaf. Peeling the apple is optional and based on your preference.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the apple chunks, brown sugar, tapioca, and cinnamon. Toss to evenly coat the apples. Set aside at room temperature.1/2 cup apples, chopped, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon tapioca flour, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Gluten Free Spice Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Lightly grease the mini loaf pan and line with parchment paper – cut long enough to hang over the sides of the pan. Note – The mini loaf pan is 3.5 inches x 5 inches.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.6 tablespoons gluten free oat flour, 1/4 cup sweet rice flour, 2 tablespoons tapioca flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the brown sugar and cane sugar. Pour the melted coconut oil over the sugars and stir with a fork to combine. Add the applesauce, egg, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Then stir in the reduced apple cider.3 tablespoons light brown sugar, 3 tablespoons organic cane sugar, 2 tablespoons cold pressed refined coconut oil, melted, 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce, 1 large egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet and stir until no dry streaks remain. Rest the batter for at least 5 minutes to allow the flours to hydrate and the flavors develop.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the prepared apples over the batter, then top with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the remaining apples over the top – including any juices from the apples – and bake for 40 minutes, or until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
- Cool the mini loaf in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then carefully lift the loaf out of the pan and cool completely on the wire rack. If needed, run a sharp knife or offset spatula around the edges of the loaf to release the bread from the pan.
- The bread is best enjoyed completely cool and the day it is baked. Store leftovers in a covered container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days.
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RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This recipe is tested as a small batch and will yield enough slices for up to 4 people. I can’t say for certain how doubling the recipe will turn out.
- Substitutions – I don’t recommend substituting the flours for a 1:1 gluten free flour blend. Every gluten free flour behaves differently and likely, other ingredients and ratios would need to be adjusted.
- Resting Gluten Free Batter – I strongly recommend allowing the batter to rest for at least 5 minutes to give the flours time to hydrate. I find gluten free flours – especially rice flour – benefit from a rest and bake soft and evenly.
- Best Apples for Baking – My recommendation is use apples you enjoy eating. I like Honeycrisp because they are a nice blend of tart, sweet, and crisp.
- Reduced Apple Cider – Heating and reducing the apple cider amplifies the flavor. If you choose to skip reducing the cider, note that the bread may not have as strong an apple flavor.
- No Mini Loaf Pan? – You can try to make the bread as muffins. The recipe should yield 4 muffins. Your bake time will be reduced – start checking at 18 minutes.
- Freezing the Bread – Baked and cooled apple bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and slip into a tightly sealed Ziploc bag. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch gluten free and traditional desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you!
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