Gluten-Free Apple Bread with Oat Crumble and Glaze
This delicious Gluten-Free Apple Bread has an oat crumble and sweet glaze. This moist cinnamon apple bread is filled with fresh chunks of apple and applesauce, light olive oil, apple cider vinegar, cane sugar, and coconut sugar. This is the perfect quick bread recipe to enjoy apple season, and it can be made with various flours.
This chunky Gluten-Free Apple Bread has a delicious oat crumble and sweet glaze. Unlike other gluten-free breads, which can taste dry and flavorless, this moist cinnamon apple bread is filled with fresh chunks of apple and applesauce, light olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and coconut sugar.
This is the perfect quick bread recipe to enjoy apple season or to satisfy your craving for an apple fritter bread or sweet treat. Everyone can enjoy it with gluten-free flour options, including oat flour, almond flour, tapioca flour, gluten-free flour, and all-purpose flour. It makes a gorgeous bread loaf that looks like it came out of a bakery and would be a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or special occasion. My family loves to enjoy it as a satisfying snack or healthier dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Apple Quick Bread Recipe
- Perfect for Apple Season: This gluten-free apple bread highlights fresh chunks of apple and cozy cinnamon flavors, making it the ideal bake for fall.
- Moist and Flavorful Texture: Thanks to the addition of applesauce, olive oil, and coconut sugar, each slice of this bread stays moist and bursting with flavor.
- Bakery-Worthy Presentation: With its beautiful oat crumble topping and sweet glaze, this apple bread looks like it came straight from a bakery.
- Versatile Flour Options: You can easily swap in your favorite gluten-free flours like oat, almond, or tapioca flour, making it easy to fit your dietary preferences.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is everything you need to make the best applesauce overnight oats recipe:
Oat Flour: See table for flour replacements and measurements
| Flour | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Oat Flour | 2 cups |
| Oat Flour & Almond Flour | 1-1/2 cups oat flour + 2/3 cup almond flour |
| Almond Flour | 2-1/4 cups almond flour + 1/2 cup tapioca flour |
| 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Flour | 1-3/4 cups |
| All Purpose Flour | 1-3/4 cups |
Apples: You can use any variety of apples you like. My favorites are cosmic crisp apples, Honeycrisp apples, and fuji apples.
Cane Sugar: Substitute with any granulated sugar, including coconut sugar or white sugar.
Light Olive Oil: Substitute with melted coconut oil, avocado oil, or unsweetened applesauce for a lower-fat option.
Applesauce: Substitute with mashed banana, pumpkin puree, or Greek yogurt for a slight flavor change.
Large Eggs: To make it egg-free, replace each egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water). Let it sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the batter.
Oat Flour: Substitute with almond flour or a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
Ground Cinnamon: You can replace it with pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice for a more robust flavor
Nutmeg: You can omit it.
Coconut Sugar: Use brown sugar or maple syrup for a richer flavor.
Butter: Use coconut oil, vegan butter, or ghee.
Powdered sugar: Use a powdered sugar substitute, like powdered monk fruit sweetener, or blend coconut sugar into a powder.
Milk: Substitute with almond milk, oat milk, or any non-dairy milk.
Pecans: You can omit the pecans in the crumble or replace them with almonds or cashews.
How to Make My Easy Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe
Here are easy, detailed, step-by-step instructions for making my gluten free apple bread recipe. The instructions are also repeated in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
Step 1: Prepare the Apples
Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Dice 1-1/2 cup of apples into .25 inch cubes to go in the bread batter. Dice the remaining apple into 1/2 cup of .5″ cubes to be used on top of the bread.
In a medium bowl, toss the 1-1/2 cups of smaller chopped apples with 1/4 cup coconut sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside to allow the apples to absorb the flavors.
Step 2: Make the Bread Batter
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup cane sugar, 1/4 cup light olive oil, 1/4 cup applesauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until well combined. Add the 2 eggs, one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients, including 2 cups oat flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and whisk until just combined.
Gently fold in the 1-1/2 cups of smaller diced apples with a spatula.
Step 3: Prepare the Oat Crumble
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons softened butter, 2 tablespoons cane sugar, 1/4 cup oat flour, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix together with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Step 4: Assemble and Bake the Apple Bread
Pour the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly.
Sprinkle the oat crumble evenly over the top of the batter. Then add the 1/2 cup of larger diced apples and 2 tablespoons of pecans over the crumble.
Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until the top is lightly brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover it loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Make the Glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk if needed.
Once the bread has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top. Let it set for a few minutes before slicing.
Helpful Recipe Notes
Grind Your Own Oat Flour: If you don’t have oat flour on hand, you can make your own by blending rolled oats or quick oats in a food processor or blender until fine and powdery. Make sure to measure after blending.
Slicing the Bread: Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Otherwise, it may be a bit crumbly if sliced warm.
Apple Dice Sizes: For best results, dice the apples nice and small before mixing into the batter so the apples will be easier to slice through once the bread has cooled.
Do you love apple recipes? Check out more of my easy and nutritious apple recipes:
Gluten-Free Apple Bread with Oat Crumble and Glaze
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup light olive oil
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups oat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Apples:
- 2 cups apples
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Oat Crumble:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons pecans
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Dice 1-1/2 cup of apples into .25 inch cubes to go in the bread batter. Dice the remaining apple into 1/2 cup of .5" cubes to be used on top of the bread.In a medium bowl, toss the 1-1/2 cups of smaller chopped apples with 1/4 cup coconut sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside to allow the apples to absorb the flavors.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup cane sugar, 1/4 cup light olive oil, 1/4 cup applesauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until well combined. Add the 2 eggs, one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition.
- Add the dry ingredients, including 2 cups oat flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and whisk until just combined. Gently fold in the 1-1/2 cups of smaller diced apples with a spatula.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons softened butter, 2 tablespoons cane sugar, 1/4 cup oat flour, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix together with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Pour the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly.Sprinkle the oat crumble evenly over the top of the batter. Then add the 1/2 cup of larger diced apples and 2 tablespoons of pecans over the crumble.
- Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until the top is lightly brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover it loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk if needed. Once the bread has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top. Let it set for a few minutes before slicing.
Video
I don’t typically like apples in my desserts but this was great! Thank you for the tip to cut the apples small that go inside the batter. The glaze is yummy, too.
Thank you for the review, Wendy! I’m so glad you like it…and the tip about the diced apples 🙂
Is the nutrition information per serving, based on 12 servings?
Yes, it is 🙂
I’m excited to share this delicious recipe with you! Please let me know how it turns out 🙂