Fluffy and moist easy vegan apple loaf. Delicious topped with yoghurt and caramelised apples! Gluten-free and refined sugar free variations.
This loaf is:
- simple and easy
- very moist and melts in your mouth
- FLUFFY
- customisable
- delicious on its own (without any toppings) but amazing topped with yoghurt and caramelised apples!
It’s perfect for lunch boxes, for work afternoon teas or for bringing to gatherings :).
Ingredients you need to make this vegan apple loaf
I didn’t use any weird ingredients for this loaf. You probably already have everything in your pantry! All you need is:
- all-purpose or plain flour
- granulated sugar of choice (I used coconut sugar)
- one apple
- plant-based milk
- oil
- apple cider vinegar which reacts with the milk to create buttermilk and makes the loaf more tender (optional)
- cinnamon, baking powder and salt
What do I need to with the ingredients?
Like most of my recipes, all you need to do is mix the DRY ingredients with the WET ingredients then BAM! There’s no beating of aquafaba or egg whites. There’s no separating of certain ingredients.
I’m always up for simplicity, especially with wholesome loaves like these! Mixing the dry and wet ingredients this way will still create a fluffy and moist loaf :). 
Decorating the vegan apple loaf
Even though the loaf is substantial by itself, you can top it with:
- coconut yoghurt
- vegan buttercream
- simple sugar glaze
- or your choice of frosting
Making caramelised apples for the topping
Caramelised apple pieces adds a lovely crunch and depth of flavour to the loaf. It’s optional but definitely makes the loaf pretty!
To caramelise the apples, all you need to do is chop one apple into cubes. Add the chopped apple to a frypan with 1-2 tablespoons of coconut sugar over medium heat. When the sugar starts to stick to the pan, add a dash of water.
Cook the apple pieces until they are golden brown or your desired softness. Add more water if you would like the apple to soften more! The longer you cook it, the softer and more caramelised the apple pieces will be!
Don’t walk away from the stove while you’re doing this… because sugar burns easily! The first picture in this blog post features apple pieces which look like sweet potato because I neglected the hot pan and burnt the sugar – whoops!
Customising the apple loaf
I’ve tested this recipe with varying substitutions. You can make the loaf:
- Gluten free
- Refined sugar free
- Round (less baking time)
To make the loaf gluten free, substitute the plain flour for a blend of almond meal and rice flour. The almond meal helps keep the loaf moist but is denser than regular flour so makes the loaf a little more dense. The below loaf was gluten free and, as you can see, it’s still pretty fluffy!
To make the loaf refined sugar free, simply use coconut sugar instead of regular cane sugar. I used coconut sugar for all the loaves in this blog post. Liquid sweeteners will NOT work well for this recipe as they tend to weigh down baked goods and make them very dense.
You can also bake this loaf in a round cake tin. My apple tea cake recipe uses the same ratios and is delicious!
Troubleshooting the vegan apple cake
- My loaf is not baking in the middle
This loaf is very moist and can be affected by the amount of water in your apples, the brand of your ingredients, humidity of your country etc. The fruit makes it more dense than a regular cake.
If your loaf is not baked in the middle by the 50 minute mark or it’s browning too quickly on top, simply cover it with an oven proof bowl or aluminium foil and reduce the heat to 160°C (320°F). Bake it UNTIL it’s fully cooked through. This is a universal tip that you can use for any recipe!
2. My loaf is pale
I used coconut sugar for the loaves in the pictures so mine will be darker than yours. However, if your loaf is unusally pale, check the temperature your oven as it’s likely not hot enough.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Easy vegan apple loaf
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups (290g) plain or all-purpose flour*
- 1/2 cup (100g) organic cane sugar, or coconut sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of any good-quality salt
Wet ingredients
- 1 (~180g) medium-sized apple, core-removed and grated roughly**
- 1 cup (250mL) plant-based milk, such as almond, soy or coconut,
- 1/3 cup (85mL) light-tasting vegetable oil, such as sunflower or rapeseed
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, optional
Topping (optional)
- 1 (~180g) medium-sized apple, core-removed and chopped into cubes
- 1-2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 cup coconut yoghurt or frosting of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 20 cm (8 inch) or longer loaf tin with baking paper. The longer your loaf tin, the shorter amount of time it'll take to bake the loaf.
- To make the loaf: Add all the dry ingredients to a medium-size mixing bowl. Mix until there are no lumps. Add all of the wet ingredients to the bowl and mix until combined. Pour the cake batter into the cake tin.
- Bake the loaf in the oven for 50-70 minutes OR until a skewer can be inserted into the middle and there is no wet batter on it.*** If the cake is still uncooked inside, cover the loaf with an oven safe bowl or aluminium foil, turn down the heat and bake for as long as needed. The cake is very moist and there might be some crumbs on the skewer which is fine.
- Allow the loaf to rest in the tin for at least 5 minutes. Remove it from the tin and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
- To caramelise the apples (optional): Add the apples and coconut sugar to a fry pan over medium heat. If the sugar sticks to the pan, add a dash of water. Fry until the apples are golden or your desired softness.
- To decorate (optional): Dollop the coconut yoghurt and apples on top of the cake. Serve as desired.
- The loaf can be stored in an airtight container without the topping at room temperature for 1 day. Alternatively, store the loaf with the topping in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Notes
This post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated several times since.
This was truly amazing – the bread is absolutely delicious and the right texture. I was a bit hesitant to use just coconut yogurt for the frosting, so I added icing sugar and lemon juice, and it was great!
Aw, I’m so glad to hear Christine! And glad that icing sugar and lemon juice for the top worked for you. Thanks for your lovely feedback!
Wow! This is by far one of the easiest and fast to assemble apple cake I’ve ever made. I put some walnuts and pecans into the dough and only had to bake it for 35 minutes and it came out perfectly! Thank you for this recipe – my home really smells like a mixture of cozy autumn and Christmas! Have a nice day & I’ll excuse myself because I want to eat another piece of this deliciousness 🧡
So delicious! I actually ended up using white sugar and vegan butter instead of oil, and after 60 minutes it came out perfect. Not too sweet and a nice crunch on the end pieces, which I love. This is so easy to make and I’ll definitely be doing it again soon!
Soo glad to hear Rebecca and great minor substitutions! I love the end pieces too. Thanks for the kind comment 🙂
I tried this recipe and it just didn’t want to cook through, it was totally raw inside. I think the mixture is too wet to cook properly bc I am usually good at baking.
Hi Emma, I’m sorry yours didnt cook through! I’ve tried this recipe over 5 times and found that if you grate the apple too finely, if you substitute any of the ingredients or if your oven isn’t hot enough, the cake will not bake through. Even still, baking the cake until it cooks through always did the trick for me. Also, every oven is different so I’d always recommend getting an oven thermometer for any oven, new or old.
Same here, Emma. Mine turned out really moist. Followed recipe to the T. Didn’t substitute any of the ingredients, and my oven is always good for baking. So wondering where did it or I go wrong.
Hi Rae. I figured out the issue. The recipe says to bake it for X min *or* until it’s cooked. I’ve just updated the recipe to emphasise that if it’s not cooked inside, continue baking it until it does. This might mean you have to cover the loaf and lower the temperature of your oven. It can take up to 80 min to bake depending on your oven, brand of ingredients, humidity etc. Also, I added the tip that if you use a 20cm round cake tin, it’ll take a shorter time to cook. I have a ‘vegan apple crumble tea cake‘ with exactly the same ratios and more people have reported back with successful cakes. Hope this helps.
tried it absolutely delicious! Reminded me of Christmas! Although ive made some changes it turned out great and my house smells amazing !thank you for the recipe xo
Oh I’m so glad to hear! And glad it worked despite your changes. Enjoy the rest of your loaf xo
Hello! I’m wondering if I did something wrong? Mine came out very pale and super super moist, but not undone. I cooked it as long as the recipe called for. Thank you!
Hey! Oh that’s odd – did you substitute any of the ingredients? Or sometimes our ovens are a lot cooler (or hotter) than we set it so it could be that your oven wasn’t hot enough!
I’m just making sure the mix is supposed to be more like a dough instead of too runny, it smells amazing! I’m just hoping I didn’t mess up hahah!
It’s meant to be thick batter (like a very thick pancake batter). I hope yours worked?
Hi Anthea! Thanks for sharing the recipe! Question for the gluten free option; if i use almond meal, will it be the same measurement as the plain flour written in the recipe?
Thanks xoxo
My pleasure! I’ve listed the exact amounts of gf flour you’d need to use in the notes at the bottom (1 1/2 cups or 150g almond meal and 1 cup or 160g of white rice flour). Thank you!
Huge thanks Anthea , I “adapted ” your recipe to make this into Apple and Walnut muffins for isolation Easter 2020 . Who needs that much chocolate ? Such an esy to follow recipe and reheated slightly they made a great grab and go breakfast option with a dollop of coconut yoghurt on the side. I did the one cup GF flour and 1 1/3 cup almond meal but used only half the coconut sugar as I have trained my taste buds to accept less sweetness. I added a cup of chopped walnuts to the original recipe too. Made a double batch and got 24 muffins cooking time in my oven was 25-30 mins at 175C. I topped the muffins with the apple caramel while still slightly warm and half got toasted coconut flakes on top. They were a big hit at home and where I work. These are my toughest critics . I will be using this recipe again switching out the fruit and nuts for other flavour combinations. Will tag you on Instagram when i do
Hi Sandra! Oh that’s amazing! I agree – I get over chocolate over easter and crave wholesome bakes like these! Glad you liked it with half the amount of coconut sugar and that gf flour worked too! It’s always super nice when a recipe gets the tick of approval from your toughest critics – the same for me too! Looking forward to seeing your other adaptations and thanks for leaving such a kind comment 🙂
This was a very easy cake to make and I loved the moist texture. My whole family enjoyed it with frosting. I used coconut cream instead of coconut yogurt with the caramelised apples and it was delicious. Will definitely make this more often! Thank you for this recipe
So glad to hear! I love that you used coconut cream instead of yoghurt to top it. Thanks so much for the kind comment 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe and so does my family. “Mum can you make that Apple bread again?” Is a common request at my house. It’s moist and delicious.
Oh that’s so sweet and makes my heart melt! Thanks so much Kym! 🙂
I just made this with gluten-free flour. I didn’t have yogurt so I made frosting from cashew nuts. I made the apple topping as well. It was delicious! Thank you for posting the recipe 🙂
Glad the loaf worked for you with gluten free flour and love the idea of your cashew frosting! Thanks for leaving such a lovely comment 🙂
Anthea I could only get self raising flour from the supermarket. Can I use this instead?
Stay safe. Angela X
Yes absolutely! With self-raising flour, you don’t need to use any baking powder. I hope you stay safe too xo
Looks delish! My housemate is both gluten-free and nut-free though – do you think I’d be able to substitute the almond meal for a gf-flour blend?
Thanks Veronica! Yes that substitution would work! I’ve tried the gf blend/rice flour combo with other similar recipes and it’s good :).
Just to say it’s not nut free if there’s almond meal used in it! Looks delicious though 😉
Yes of course! The ‘can be’ applies to the gluten-free, refined sugar free and nut-free options. The notes provides the nut-free option :). Have a lovely weekend!