The Best Paleo Friendly Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe

This Gluten-Free Apple Bread Recipe is the perfect, cozy recipe to bake & celebrate the fall season! You can bake this simple loaf with or without fresh apples which makes it a great way to use up anything you've picked at the apple orchard. Made with simple, wholesome ingredients it's a recipe the whole family will love for breakfast, as a snack or even dessert.

Apple season is my favorite part of fall & I love baking all the treats with whatever I've picked. When it comes to baking with apples, there are a few varieties that I like for different reasons. I love mixing granny smith apples with honeycrisp apples in Apple Pie or Apple Crisp recipes.

This cinnamon apple bread is one that lends itself well to adding chopped apples, but you can also choose to omit them if you haven't stopped by the apple orchard recently & it's still just as delicious. 

If you like baking fall treats, you might also enjoy these 4 ingredient Pumpkin Pancake Mix Donuts or this cozy Skillet Cornbread.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It is delicious. Gluten-free apple cinnamon bread is bursting with fall flavors & is delicious fresh from the oven or toasted with a pat of butter the next day.
• It is better for you. Made with grain free flours and unrefined sugars, this recipe uses wholesome ingredients you'll feel good about eating.
• It's a great way to use up apples. If you've gone apple picking and have too many apples, this recipe is a great way to use some up!

Apple Cinnamon Bread Ingredients & Tested Substitutions

​Apple Juice. Look for juice that is organic & has no added sugar if possible. Alternatively, you can use apple cider if you're not worried about the added sugars.

Cinnamon Sticks. You need whole cinnamon sticks for infusing the apple juice. You may use ground cinnamon if you do not have cinnamon sticks on hand, but I personally preferred the flavor the whole cinnamon sticks gave.

Almond Flour & Coconut Flour. You could also use a gluten-free flour blend instead if you don't have both of these flours on hand. My favorite is Bob's Red Mill Paleo Flour. 

Spices. I used cinnamon, cardamom, allspice & nutmeg to give the bread warm & cozy fall flavors. If you don't have these on hand, apple pie spice would work nicely.

Egg. You will need 3 large eggs that are room temperature. A quick hack for bringing your eggs up to room temp fast is to place them in a bowl of water that is just warm to the touch for 2-3 minutes. If you're looking to use egg substitutes I find that flax eggs work best.

​Coconut Sugar. I use coconut sugar because it is an unrefined sugar substitute for brown sugar. It adds a beautiful caramel flavor to the bread.

​Baking Powder & Baking Soda. I use both leavening agents because we're baking with gluten free flour & it helps add more structure to the bread.

Vanilla Extract. Opt for a high quality vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla if you can.

Butter. I personally use unsalted grass fed butter, but you may also use vegan butter if you prefer.

Salt. I like using pink himalayan salt, but you may also use kosher salt. 

​Optional Ingredients:

Protein Powder. I love adding protein powder to my baked goods. This gluten free apple bread would be delicious with a little vanilla protein powder added.

Apple Slices. You can add chunks of apple mixed in to the batter or you can add slices of fresh apple to the top of the bread before baking.

Apple Cinnamon Bread Step by Step Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan with neutral oil or butter & then line it with parchment paper.

2. Reduce the apple juice. On the stovetop over medium-high heat, pour 1 cup of apple juice into a pot, adding the whole cinnamon sticks, and allow to come to a boil. Once apple juice is boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and reduce apple juice down to ⅔ cup and set aside to cool.

3. Prepare the apples if using. If you're adding apple chunks to the batter, peek & dice up ½ of a medium apple into small chunks. Toss the apple chunks in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon & 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar & set aside.
4. Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder (if using), spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

5. Mix the wet ingredients. Add coconut sugar & softened butter to a large mixing bowl & cream together with an electric hand mixer for about 30 seconds. Add in eggs, vanilla and apple juice, continuing to mix until fully combined.

6. Make the batter. Next, slowly begin to add dry ingredients little by little, mixing on medium low speed until fully incorporated. Gently fold in the apple chunks with a spatula. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan & smooth over the top with the back of a spatula.

7. Make the crumble topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cinnamon and coconut sugar. Add softened butter & gently mix with your hands or a fork until topping becomes crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter. 

8. Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Expert Tips & Tricks

• Spoon batter into a lined muffin tin to make apple cinnamon muffins

• Add walnuts or pecans for a little extra crunch

• Serve toasted with a pat of butter or a smear of peanut butter

• The batter will be a bit thick so do not be alarmed, this is okay!

How To Store Apple Cinnamon Bread

Store your loaf in the fridge tightly wrapped in parchment or in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Did you have a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave me a 5 star rating and review below. I always love and appreciate hearing from you!