This whole wheat, naturally sweetened pumpkin applesauce bread has a crunchy streusel crust and is perfect for a fun fall breakfast or snack!
This pumpkin applesauce bread is super light but feels so decadent, thanks to the streusel topping.
It’s like dressing up a casual outfit with some killer shoes - just sends the whole thing over the top!
I have some killer shoes.
They are gathering dust in my closet.
Some of them are even stuffed under our bed, hidden and ashamed that they aren’t hitting the town anytime soon.
I have kids ages 4 and 2. I have a full-time work-at-home job and preschool pick-up at lunchtime. Between work and snacks, we color and curl up and read books and build towers and play tag. Then it’s time to clean up and get dinner ready.
I have no need for killer shoes at this point in my life. But I can’t possibly get rid of them.
They are my fun shoes, my young shoes, my I-have-to-keep-the-hope-alive-that-I-will-someday-wear-these-again shoes.
It could happen. Maybe, someday...
Back to this healthy pumpkin applesauce bread though.
It's all good things - whole wheat, naturally sweetened with honey, and no butter or oil.
OK, the streusel topping has butter and sugar, but not much, and it really makes this bread special.
(Another fall favorite you might want to check out is these apple cider muffins! Or my healthy pumpkin bread that is so light and springy.)
OK, let's get baking.
I've got a few notes and tips coming up below on how to make pumpkin applesauce bread. Just tryin' to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Flour: White wheat flour is lighter in texture and flavor than whole wheat. However, you can substitute whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour or use a mix of flours if you prefer.
- Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have any, you can use this combination of spices instead: 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon plus 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg and ⅛ teaspoon cloves.
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure you are using pure pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
- Applesauce: This is what helps lighten up the bread. If you'd rather, you can swap in some or all canola oil for the applesauce.
- Honey: You could probably substitute maple syrup or agave syrup for the honey as a sweetener if you prefer, but I haven't tested it that way.
One more thing, what to do with any leftovers.
Leftover pumpkin applesauce bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. I wrap mine in plastic wrap and leave it on the counter.
You can also put it in the refrigerator if you want to keep it for a few extra days.
And feel free to enjoy it no matter the time of day!
It's great for breakfast, snacking or dessert. All times I’m probably wearing slippers. Sigh… those fun shoes will have a second lease on life at some point.
Right? A girl can dream…
In the meantime, I’ll enjoy sharing some of this pumpkin bread with those little munchkins and be happy to have comfy shoes so I can keep up with them. Hope you give it a try, too.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Healthy Pumpkin Applesauce Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour, see notes
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 heaping cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the streusel topping:
- ¼ cup oats, I use old-fashioned
- ¼ cup brown sugar, not packed
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9x5 bread pan with cooking spray.
- For the bread: Mix the dry ingredients (flour through salt) together in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (eggs through vanilla) and combine well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Pour into prepared bread pan and run a spoon over the top to smooth it out.
- Make the streusel: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir until everything is well combined.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the bread in the pan.
- Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Dhani
I tried this recipe and it was fluffy and delicious. What is the best way to store left overs?
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! I store this at room temperature, usually just covered in plastic wrap. After 3-4 days, you can move it to the fridge and continue to store it there or freeze the remaining leftovers, if there are any. 😊 I hope that helps!
Eileen Salazar
Hi, your bread looks yummy. I can't wait to try. However, I have regular whole wheat flour, not the white whole wheat flour. Will it make that much of a difference?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Eileen, the whole wheat flour should work fine. It's a tad more dense so just be sure to measure correctly so the bread stays light and fluffy. Hope you enjoy it!
Polly
This looks delicious! Can I make regular and/or mini muffins with this recipe? I know they would not need to cook as long. Thanks!
Kathryn Doherty
Sure, I think you could make this into regular muffins! (You could do mini muffins but maybe not with the streusel topping.) I'd suggest baking a 12-muffin cup pan at 350 for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy them!
Toni
I’m seeing this October, 2020. I’m always looking for healthy desserts and this is great. To make it even better, I used Cassava flour instead of regular flours. This is flour from a root plant. I omit the topping and add walnuts to the bread. It’s delicious!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! And that's great to know about those substitutions; thanks for sharing!
Lisa
How much cassava flour did you use?
Judith MacDonald
10/31/20 Unfortunately this applesauce bread did not come out well at all for me. I did make one change; I used a half of a cup of pure maple syrup as I did not have the honey needed. The bread does not seem to want to cook. I left it in one hour took it out and it still is doughy. Was it the maple syrup instead of the honey? Help; I would appreciate an answer back. I also went over recipe after; step by step at least 3 times. Thank you.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm sorry this didn't work out for you Judith; I know that's disappointing. Using maple syrup in place of the honey shouldn't have been a problem. I can't imagine what went wrong that the bread was still doughy after an hour in the oven. It could possibly be a variety of factors if you did follow the recipe and measurements otherwise, such as consistency of the pumpkin puree, the elevation or humidity, the exact oven temperature. It's hard to say, but I've made it lots of times without a problem and I know others have too, so I don't think it's the recipe as written. Sorry I can't be of more help in pinpointing the exact issue!
Catherine
I weigh my ingredients, have you ever considered showing both measurements?
Kathryn Doherty
No, as I don't weigh ingredients myself. I bet there's a conversion chart out there somewhere though that could be helpful.
Kris D.
Would it work if I added a cup of mini cinnamon chips to the batter ?
Kathryn Doherty
That sounds delicious and yes, I think it would work just fine! Would love to hear if you try it!
ladyfarmer1
My husband is pre-diabetic and I am searching for sugar free and lower sugar recipes. Can I increase the applesauce and decrease the honey? Thanks
Kathryn Doherty
You can certainly try it! It will affect the flavor and sweetness, but if he's used to that, it might work. Would love to hear how it goes!
Kara
Can’t wait to try this! I will probably make two loaves (double the recipe) - one for me and one for a friend who is diabetic but loves pumpkin (the oven she has at home doesn’t work!).
Do you have any suggestions for diabetics? I feel like the applesauce/whole wheat flour combination will keep the sugar under control.
Thanks so much!
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Kara! You are such a thoughtful friend! My daughter actually has type 1 diabetes, so I am familiar. The whole grains and little bit of fiber in this bread is certainly helpful, and pairing it with some fat or protein (such as butter or peanut butter) may help as well with not spiking then crashing blood sugar. Hope you enjoy it and your friend too! 🙂