I love applesauce pumpkin bread on a crisp fall morning! There is something spectacular about the tender moist bread, with warm spices in every bite. When paired with a cup of coffee it is my dream of a perfect morning!
My original pumpkin bread recipe had an entire cup of oil. That is a lot! So I replaced half of the oil with applesauce. Making that substitution, we cut out almost half of the fat and a lot of unnecessary calories. The result is incredible! My kids say that this applesauce pumpkin bread tastes just like Starbucks pumpkin bread. What high praise!
My Secret for the Perfect Texture
The very first thing that I do when making applesauce pumpkin bread, or any quick bread or muffin for that matter, is beating the eggs. I beat them until they are really fluffy and are pale yellow in color. This creates an airiness to the batter that results in soft and tender bread.
If you have a stand mixer, you can have your eggs beating while you combine your dry ingredients. As with all baking, it is important to spoon your flour into the measuring cup rather than scooping the flour out with the cup. Spooning the flour will help ensure that you get the right measurement and not too much. Here is a great tutorial if you want some additional guidance on how to properly measure your flour.
Pumpkin Muffins with Applesauce
I have been making pumpkin spice mini muffins ever since my kids were eating solid foods. I am not a morning person, so this was my hack for having an easy breakfast ready to go! Make a batch of mini muffins and freeze them! When it is time for breakfast just take a few out of the freezer and put them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Back then I was just focused on easy. But I want to cut back on fat and calories where it is possible, especially when they won’t know the difference. So now I make pumpkin muffins with applesauce. It is healthier, and they actually prefer these to my original recipe!
How Much Does This Recipe Make?
Isn’t it an incredible feeling when you can do something once and get multiple uses out of it? That is one of the many reasons why I love this recipe! It makes two loaves of applesauce pumpkin bread. If you are not serving a crowd then eat at one and freeze one, or eat one and give the other as a gift! Or better yet, make one loaf and dozen full-sized muffins. Or a loaf and 36 mini muffins! There are so many options!
Frequently Asked Questions
Cover your pumpkin bread tightly and store at room temperature for 3-4 days. The bread will stay freshest if you wait to cut it until you are ready to serve.
In the refrigerator, it will keep for up to a week.
For a whole loaf of bread, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap it in aluminum foil. Remove from freezer and let thaw at room temperature the day before you plan to serve.
You can also freeze slices individually, so that they can be pulled out one at a time. Follow the same instructions as above, wrapping in plastic wrap. Then wrap all slices together in aluminum foil or place in a freezer-safe ziptop bag.
For mini muffins, place in a single layer on a parchment-lined plate. Freeze for several hours. Once hard, put in a ziptop bag and place back into the freezer.
Muffins and bread will be at their peak of freshness for 3 months in the freezer, though I have kept them much longer and they are still good!
Other than a cup of coffee? We enjoy applesauce pumpkin bread with eggs and sausage. If you are serving this to company it would be a delicious accompaniment to a sausage and egg breakfast casserole! Though sometimes I love to keep it simple and serve it by itself, warmed, and topped with some butter or cream cheese.
If you love muffins with warm fall spices, check out these Buttermilk Spice Muffins as well! They are delicious!
Applesauce Pumpkin Bread (Or Applesauce Pumpkin Muffins)
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon clove
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2/3 cup water
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two loaf pans with nonstick spray.
- Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat eggs on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes, until light-colored and fluffy.
- Add sugar and beat on high an additional minute.
- Add oil, applesauce, water, and pumpkin to the egg mixture and stir on low speed until combined.
- Stir in dry ingredients on low speed until just combined and no flour is visible.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Allow bread to cool completely before removing and slicing.
Notes
For mini-muffins, bake for 12-15 minutes. Yield: 60 mini-muffins
I love the pumpkin spices and the applesauce makes it so moist.
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for letting me know!
This was an easy recipe to follow and I loved the option for applesauce instead of some of the oil. My family is gobbling the muffins up.
Yay! I am really happy that you found this recipe easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
This looks like a great fall recipe!
It is so delicious! I hope you enjoy it too.
This was exactly what I was looking for. This recipe is AMAZING! I made regular sized muffins and added chocolate chips. I had to freeze half of the muffins and they freeze very well. Going to make this again – mini muffins next time!
Chocolate chips are a wonderful addition! YUM!!! I am so glad that you love this recipe. Thank you for sharing!