The fall baked good of your dreams! This chai spiced apple bread is perfectly cozy and loaded with the seasonal flavors you look forward to all year long. It has a double dose of apples: shredded honeycrisp and a full cup of applesauce.
Ok guys it’s official. I’ve reached that point of the year when all I want to do is put on my fuzzy socks, make a cup of tea, light a candle and bake all of the fall goodies. I can’t stop!
This latest creation is basically my dream quick bread: it’s not just apple bread but chai spiced apple bread. A double-dose of apples, flavors of chai tea (!!), and pure maple syrup. I’m not exaggerating when I say the texture is unreal. It’s the opposite of dry and has this beautiful crackly crust on the outside. Perfection!
Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
Ingredients List: Chai Spiced Apple Bread
- whole wheat pastry flour, my go-to for healthyish baking since it has a nice light texture but a little extra nutrition compared to all-purpose
- baking soda for the rise
- cinnamon to complement the chai flavors
- sea salt to bring out flavor. I prefer to use fine sea salt in baking because it gets more evenly distributed. If you use a different type of salt, you may need more or less.
- eggs for structure and stability
- applesauce, which actually replaces some of the fat in this recipe while also adding great flavor!
- maple syrup. this recipe only calls for 1/2 cup because of the extra sugar dusted on top. This is not an overly sweet bread.
- vegetable oil or whatever liquid oil you prefer. I like vegetable oil when I want a neutral flavor.
- vanilla extract to enhance the other spices and apple flavor
- honeycrisp apple. since this is shredded, it kind of just blends into the bread (you won’t get any big bites of it).
- chai sugar: sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
See printable recipe card below too.
This apple bread recipe uses a simple “muffin method” for mixing everything together. This will help you ensure that all ingredients are evenly distributed which makes for the best final product.
- Mix the dry ingredients with a whisk to make sure everything is fully blended
- Mix the wet ingredients. I like using a whisk for this step too, because sometimes it takes a bit of muscle to mix the oil, applesauce and maple syrup.
- Add the dry to the wet and use a spatula or wooden spoon to fully incorporate.
- Fold in the shredded apples, taking care not to over-mix (which can lead to a gummy, dense bread).
- Pour into a lined loaf pan, dust with chai sugar and bake for one hour at 350° F.
Apple Bread FAQs & Substitutions
I haven’t tried it, but I would recommend substituting flax eggs for the real thing.
Any liquid oil should work just fine here (olive, melted coconut, avocado). I often use vegetable oil in baking because of its neutral flavor profile and cost.
You can find it in the recipe card at the very bottom.
My favorite way to serve this is with some scrambled eggs, fresh seasonal fruit and a latte. I think it also makes for a great holiday host/hostess gift or a nice brunch contribution too. It’s just so lovely.
Don’t forget to come back and leave a star rating and review if you give this one a try!
PrintChai Spiced Apple Bread
The fall baked good of your dreams! This chai spiced apple bread is perfectly cozy and loaded with the seasonal flavors you look forward to all year long. It has a double dose of apples: shredded honeycrisp and a full cup of applesauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 75 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
- Category: Sweets, Snacks
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large honeycrisp apple, core removed and grated
For the Chai Sugar Topping:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
- To a separate large mixing bowl, add eggs, maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla and oil and whisk well to combine. Fold in the grated apples.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. Pour into loaf pan and top with as much of the chai sugar as it takes to fully coat the top.
- Bake for one hour, or until a paring knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave in pan for at least 15 minutes and then carefully remove to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Equipment disclaimer
- Storage: This bread is best served within 1-2 days for optimal freshness. Once completely cooled, you can also freeze it for up to one month (wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a zip top gallon size freezer bag).
- Source: the chai sugar topping was slightly adapted from Half Baked Harvest (the one found in this snickerdoodle recipe). Be sure to check those out for another seasonal treat!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1″ slice
- Calories: 240 calories
- Fat: 9 grams
- Carbohydrates: 37 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 4 grams
Keywords: fall baking, healthy baking, apple recipes, chai, quick bread
In the Baking Mood? Try These Next:
Want More Plant-Forward Recipes?
Join my VIP list and I'll send you five reader favorites! Healthy, flavor-packed recipes. What's not to love about that?
Jackie says
This bread was so easy and quick to make. The whole house smelled amazing while it was baking. It has the perfect amount of sweetness! Will definitely be making this one again.
★★★★★
Becky says
Delicious Bread! I have an abundance of apples so using applesauce AND a grated apple was a plus. I made two small loaves and only used half as much chai topping. I will make this again!
★★★★★
Leanne says
Wonderful to hear! I love the double apple flavor too. Thanks so much for popping in to share Becky!
Julie says
Doubled this recipe today and made 2 small and 1 large pan of this bread. The small ones I plan to give to my kids Sunday School teachers. I made this recipe because it is a twist on my usual fall baking line up. Thanks!
★★★★★
Leanne says
What a fun little treat for them! Thanks so much Julie!