This healthy carrot apple bread is a moist and wholesome dessert loaf that combines the natural sweetness of carrots and apples with warming spices. Made with wholesome and nutritious ingredients, this recipe is perfect for a healthy breakfast, snack, or satisfying dessert. This apple carrot cake loaf is great way to enjoy a sweet and satisfying treat that nourishes your body while satisfying your taste buds!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Easy
This apple carrot bread is technically a quick bread, meaning it does not require stretching and folding or kneading like many bread recipes. All you have to do is combine the ingredients, let it rest, then throw it in the oven! While it can be made quickly in a pinch, I do recommend allowing it to rest for a few hours to allow the yogurt to help break down the flour, making it healthier and easier to digest.
Healthy
Like all of my healthy recipes, this apple carrot loaf does not use white sugar or vegetable oil. Instead, this recipe is made with coconut sugar and coconut oil or butter!
This carrot apple bread is made with ancient grain whole wheat flour (whole grain einkorn flour) instead of all purpose flour. Yogurt is used in this recipe instead of sourdough starter to help break down the flour, making it easier to digest and more nutritious.
Delicious
This irresistibly moist bread has the perfect balance of natural sweetness and warming spices, with tender chunks of apple adding a delightful texture. The moisture content of carrots and apples make this dessert loaf much like a yummy pumpkin bread or banana bread!
When to Serve this Apple Carrot Cake Bread
This dessert bread is a great treat for any time of the year, and especially during apple season when the fruit is at its peak taste. It’s perfect to bring along to a chilly picnic, a morning coffee meet-up, or even a birthday or holiday celebration. And of course, it makes a perfect sweet snack or a satisfying addition to a hearty breakfast—enjoy it any time of day!
How to Serve This Carrot Apple Bread
My favorite way to enjoy this moist carrot bread is with a generous spread of butter or cream cheese. This dessert bread pairs wonderfully with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee or tea. For a sweeter and more dessert-like option, feel free to serve this carrot cake bread with a cream cheese frosting or cream cheese glaze! You could even turn this carrot apple cake loaf recipe into muffins by baking it in muffin tin, and then topping the muffins with cream cheese frosting. Keep in mind that you will need to reduce the cooking time by about half or so, depending on the size of the muffins.
Ingredients That Make This Apple Carrot Cake Loaf Amazing
Whole grain einkorn flour: einkorn wheat is an ancient grain that can be easier to digest for many people. I opt for ancient grains in my baked goods, but if you prefer to use regular wheat feel free!
Yogurt: yogurt helps to break down the einkorn wheat for easier digestion, and also aids in creating an amazing taste. Keep in mind that if you are using Greek yogurt you will want to add a little water or milk to the batter, since Greek yogurt has less moisture content.
Coconut oil or butter: a healthy fat in this recipe helps to create a moist bread with a lovely texture.
Coconut sugar: this delicious natural sweetener has a flavor comparable to brown sugar, and adds a sweet and caramelized flavor to this bread.
Apples: diced apples add a sweet and fruity flavor and a delicious texture to this dessert bread. This recipe is best with a sweet apple, rather than sour or mild.
Carrot: shredded carrots add a sweet and earthy flavor, and also help to create a bread that it deliciously moist. Make sure to peel the carrots first, as the peels can be quite bitter.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: this spice mixture adds the perfect flavor notes, complimenting both carrots and apples.
How to Store This Carrot Apple Cake Loaf
Once fully cooled, store in a zip-lock bag at room temperature and enjoy within 24-48 hours.
Alternatively, cut into individual slices and store in a zip-lock bag in the freezer.
How to Make This Apple Carrot Cake Bread
Add flour, salt, and baking soda to a large bowl and combine.
Add eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil or butter, pumpkin pie spice, and yogurt to a medium bowl and combine with a hand mixer until smooth.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and combine with a stirring utensil.
Cover bowl and let rest at room temperature for about 6 hours.
After 6 hours, fold diced apples and shredded carrots into batter.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Turn batter into prepared loaf pan, and evenly spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake on the center rack for about 1 hour. The loaf is ready when it is slightly golden brown on top, and when a knife or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. This will ensure the center cooks through.
It’s best to remove from the loaf pan using the parchment paper when cooling, and setting on a wire rack to cool. Otherwise too much moisture may collect on the bottom and may be a bit soggy.
Let cool for 45 minutes before serving.
Enjoy slightly warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Apple Carrot Cake Loaf: Healthy Dessert Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 hand mixer
- 1 standard 9 x 5 loaf pan
- 1 rubber spatula
- 1 plate or plastic wrap to cover large bowl
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole grain einkorn flour (or about 2 1/2 cups regular whole wheat flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 2/3 cup yogurt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
- 3/4 cup peeled and diced sweet apples
- 3/4 cup peeled and grated carrots
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Add flour, salt, and baking soda to a large bowl and combine.
- Add eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil or butter, and yogurt to a medium bowl and combine with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and combine with a stirring utensil.
- Cover bowl and let rest at room temperature for about 6 hours.
- After 6 hours, fold diced apples and shredded carrots into batter.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Turn batter into prepared loaf pan, and evenly spread batter into prepared pan.
- Bake on the center rack for about 1 hour. The loaf is ready when it is slightly golden brown on top, and when a knife or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. This will ensure the center cooks through.
- It’s best to remove from the loaf pan using the parchment paper when cooling, and setting on a wire rack to cool. Otherwise too much moisture may collect on the bottom and may be a bit soggy.
- Let cool for 45 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy slightly warm or at room temperature.
- Enjoy!
