This Apple Fritter Bread captures the magic of crunchy and sweet vegan apple fritters in one easy quick bread. It’s packed with fresh apples, cinnamon, and all kinds of fall goodness!
Who can resist the soft, fluffy, and apple-filled magic of an apple fritter donut? They’re one of the best treats to indulge in during fall (or year-round) and are easy to make, too. This Apple Fritter Bread, however, is just as magical!
It’s the perfect solution for those who want to feed a crowd without having to deep fry a batch of donuts. Every fluffy and sweet bite is packed with fresh apples and cinnamon sugar, then topped with a simple powdered sugar glaze. It’s possibly the best vegan quick bread you’ll try!
Why is this apple fritter bread a must for fall?
- Three words: Cinnamon. Apple. Filling: Just like how real apple fritters are stuffed with fresh chopped apples, you’ll find cinnamon sugar-coated apples in the middle and on top of this quick bread.
- Delightfully soft, warm, and comforting: The classic flavors of fall, like cinnamon, brown sugar, fresh apples, and vanilla, are found in every bite. Pair each slice with a cup of tea or a pumpkin spice latte for an extra dreamy treat.
- A layered bread that’s easy to make: It may look like it came straight from the bakery, but any level of home baker can have success here. Vegan apple fritter bread just as easy to make as my banana bread – all you need are baking staples, a few mixing bowls, and an oven!
How to make apple fritter bread
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
First, stir the soy milk and ground flaxseeds together in a large bowl to make the flax egg. Let the mixture sit while it thickens. After about 2 minutes, add the sugar, melted vegan butter, and vanilla to the same bowl. Whisk to combine.
Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, and salt on top of the wet mixture. Gently stir until the batter has just come together. Pour half into your prepared loaf pan.
Whisk the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. In a separate medium bowl, stir the chopped apples, sugar, and cinnamon together.
Scoop half of the apple filling on top of the batter in the pan. Pour the rest of the batter on top, then top with the remaining apples. You can press them down slightly with your hands to make sure they stick.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top of the apples, then bake the bread until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
While you wait, stir the powdered sugar and milk together to make the glaze.
Once the apple fritter bread is completely cool, drizzle the glaze on top, then slice and serve. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
- Can it be made gluten free? I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, but replacing the all purpose flour with a gluten free flour blend should work well.
- Can I use a different size pan? Yes, you can bake the apple bread in one 8-inch cake pan instead. Alternatively, double the recipe and bake it in two cake pans.
- Can I make muffins instead? Sure! Make the recipe as normal but layer the batter, apples, and cinnamon sugar in a standard lined muffin pan instead. Bake at 400ºF for 20 to 24 minutes.
- How long does it last? The apple fritter bread is best eaten the day it’s made, otherwise, it will become soggy. However, you can keep any leftovers (preferably without the glaze) wrapped well and in the fridge for about 5 days.
Want more fall recipes with apples?
Apple Fritter Bread
Ingredients
The bread
- 3/4 cup soy milk
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup melted vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Apple filling
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Optional glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a standard loaf pan (9×5 inches). I also like to line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal after baking.
- In a large bowl, combine the soy milk and ground flaxseeds. Stir, then let sit for 2 minutes to thicken a bit. Now add the sugar, melted vegan butter and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour on top of the wet ingredients, then the baking powder and salt. Use a wooden spoon or spatula and mix until just combined. Do not over mix or the bread will be dense.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, reserving the other half in the bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the apple filling ingredients. Spoon half of the apples on top of the batter in the pan.
- Pour the rest of the batter on top of the apples, then top with the remaining apples. Push the apples down into the batter a bit with your hands.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon on top of the apples.
- Place the bread in the oven with a pan in the rack below in case any apple juices drip. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or a little longer, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- In a small bowl (optional), stir the powdered sugar and milk together to form the glaze. Drizzle over the top of the bread. Slice, serve immediately and enjoy!
Any idea the measure the two medium apples chopped should be? I’m guessing maybe 2 cups? The apples I have are very small.
About 2 1/2 cups, but a little more or less won’t hurt anything.
I made this recipe for a work potluck with no other vegans and it was the biggest hit there! So delicious and so many people asked me to share the recipe 🙂
Fantastic! I changed the topping slightly and added a crumble with cinnamon, butter, flour, and sugar, which gave it a bit more of an apple pie feel.
Looks so good! Would this work with whole wheat flour and/or almond flour?
Thank you!
It would work okay with whole wheat flour (I’d prefer whole wheat pastry or white whole wheat for a lighter flavor), but it will be more dense, dry and taste like whole wheat. It won’t work with almond flour unfortunately. Hope you enjoy the bread!
Nora, whenever I need a vegan recipe (which is all the time, as a devoted vegan), I add the search terms “Nora cooks” to my keywords. If you have a recipe for anything, I trust that it will be straightforward to make, tasty, and really successful. Always my go-to for anything I need. THANK YOU for all the work you do to make things easy for the rest of us!
Thank you, Adriene, for your wonderful words of encouragement! I’m so excited to know you are loving my recipes, and I truly appreciate you using them! I do put in lots of work creating my recipes, and knowing they work for you and are delicious is so great to read! Thanks for your wonderful review, and I wish you lots of happy cooking!
Can you substitute the butter for something else?
A neutral flavored oil would work quite well, like canola or avocado oil.
Flippin’ delicious! I don’t have access to vegan apple fritters within 400 miles, but this tastes like a fritter! Yummy caramelized topping. Not too sweet base.
I baked it for exactly the recommended time, and it’s awesome!!! You still have a 100% recipe record!!!
It’s a tiny bit dangerous for me to have this in my baking pocket!
Could I reduce the amount of sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/4 cup without changing the consistency of the batter?
I’ve never tried it, but I think it will be okay.
I’ve never baked anything without cutting the sugar in half… and I’m 51, been baking since childhood. It’s never affected how anything turns out from bread, to cake and pie, or even ice cream.
I have very sensitive tastebuds and do the same with salt. I can’t stand anything too salty or too sweet.
I made this today after work! I love apple anything and this looked delicious! Very easy recipe to follow which I greatly appreciate! I love all of the recipes I’ve made of yours!
Could I use vegetable oil instead of vegan butter and use almond milk instead of soy milk?
Yes, that should be just fine.
Hello Nora, Is there any particular apple that works best for this recipe? Thanks!
H Sheila. Honey crisp is my favorite apple type to use. Enjoy!
It was lighter and fluffier than I expected, but so moist and delicious. I will be making this again. Sooooooo good!
How wonderful that you loved it! Thanks for your terrific review and feedback! Happy baking!
Do you think this could be frozen without the glaze?
Yes, it freezes well, with or without the glaze actually.
I love this recipe!!! It’s currently in the oven and smells divine. I make this every fall, thank you!
When I say this recipe SLAPS <3 <3 <3 I followed the recipe as is, though i probably should’ve been more careful about halving the apple mixture and batter as my apples were more clumped together than scattered. User error 🙂 Delicious and excited to share it with friends tomorrow!
Hi Nora! You mentioned it’s best eaten the same day. I’m making it for my co-workers this week. I usually make things at night and bring them in the next day. If I don’t use the glaze, would it still end up soggy the next day? Would keeping in the fridge help? I’d hate to bring in soggy bread. 😁 Thanks!
Hi Molly. The bread might be a little soft or soggy but it should be fine if you bake it the night before! And yes, don’t add the glaze until the morning of or right before serving.
thank you!