Can you guys feel it? The nights are getting a little longer, the kids are back at school and there’s a slight chill in the morning air. Okay, so maybe it’s still hot where you live, but fall is almost officially here and I for one couldn’t be more excited.
Having grown up in Virginia, fall means only one thing: apples. Between the weekly orchard festivals and the back-to-school bake sales that start cropping up this time of year, I have certainly taste-tested my fair share of apple recipes. But of all the different ways there are to eat them, my favorite is in the form of an apple quick bread.
Vegan Spiced Apple Bread
If you’re not familiar with quick bread, it’s essentially any bread or baked good leavened without the use of yeast or eggs. Since they rely on baking soda or baking powder rather than yeast, quick breads typically have to be baked immediately after being mixed, thus giving them the name “quick”.
Not only are they known for being easy to throw together but they’re also incredibly versatile. You can easily swap ingredients if you don’t have something on hand or mix up the flavor entirely by adding in nuts, dried fruit or even chocolate chips.
This particular apple quick bread is like a warm, spicy version of banana bread, loaded with cinnamon and clove and perfect for slathering in whipped coconut butter and topping with nuts. And as if that’s not enough, we made it vegan by cutting out butter and eggs and substituting Silk Almond Milk in place of regular milk. We also eliminated all refined sugars and instead opted for pure maple syrup, so it can even pass for breakfast if the mood strikes.
Vegan Spiced Apple Bread
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups peeled and coarsely grated Granny Smith apples about 7 small apples
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 ½ cups white bread flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons Five Spice powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup Silk Almond Milk
- ½ cup organic canola oil
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup raisins optional
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
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Place the grated apples inside a clean dish towel and wring it until you have removed as much liquid as you can.
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Place the apples in a bowl and use your hands to break them apart. Toss the apples with the lemon juice to keep them from browning.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt and spices. Then add in the apples and raisins and toss to combine.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk, oil and maple syrup.
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Slowly mix the wet mixture into the dry mixture until everything is combined. Be sure not to overmix. If the batter seems too thick, add a tablespoon at a time of extra almond milk until you get a pourable consistency.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the bottom rack for approximately 45 minutes. Then move to the top rack and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.
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Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and continue cooling on a rack for an additional 20 minutes.
