Moist, fluffy Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread with cinnamon sugar swirled inside and irresistibly sprinkled on top. Vegan, gluten-free, an easy fall favorite!
Never have I NOT missed pumpkin more than when I took the first bite of this Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread. A fluffy oat slice filled with the kickass combo of fruity sweet applesauce and rich cashew butter to keep things moist, plus a heaping spoonful of cinnamon in the batter and even more in the swirl…oh the cinnamon sugar swirl ♡
If the entirety of fall could be crammed into one loaf pan, this would be it. All the flavors and smells and spices and coziness are present and deliciously accounted for. Pumpkin…what is pumpkin?
I’m not sure you fully understand just how irresistible this stuff is. I didn’t either during all the photoshoot nibbles. It wasn’t until I was 1.5 slices in at 9 p.m. at night that it hit me that I want this bread to be my every snack and dessert (and maybe a few breakfasts too) for the rest of fall.
See usually I struggle with loaf breads. Cake I can do. Muffins, easy. But the thickness of a loaf pan poses a special kind of challenge when trying to create a bread that is moist, but not so moist that the center doesn’t cook through, without eggs or oil or gluten. I cannot even count the number of quick breads I’ve scrapped because either the center sinks or the texture is dry as a crumbly desert.
But this time was different – no sad post-oven sinking or post-slicing pile of crumbs. And that is thanks to the combined powers of a few key ingredients:
- Applesauce. For moisture and natural sweetness, although on it’s own it can make for a mushy/gummy texture which is why we also need…
- Cashew butter. The natural fat content here adds non-mushy moisture. And yes, you can use other nut butters (um peanut butter anyone?)
- Tapioca starch. Think of this as anti overly-crumbly fairy dust.
And a quick shoutout to coconut sugar and molasses too, because both add moisture while doing their yummy sweetening stuff.
This was a big and unexpected win in the world of vegan gluten-free loaf bread baking for me, I’m still kinda riding the high of it to be honest. And by “riding the high” I mean eating the leftovers straight from the pan with my hands.
Hello post-pumpkin fall baking season, I am very happy you are here.
Go forth, bake Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread, and join in my joy.
Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
- Category: bread
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
Moist, fluffy Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread with with cinnamon sugar swirled inside and irresistibly sprinkled on top. Vegan, gluten-free, an easy fall favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup (125g) cashew butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
- 2/3 cup (100g) coconut sugar
- 1 cup (240g) non-dairy milk
- 2 tbsp molasses*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240g) oat flour
- 1/3 cup (45g) tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp cinnamon (or apple pie spice for a more complex flavor)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon (or apple pie spice)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Mix together the swirl ingredients. Set aside.
- Whisk together the applesauce, cashew butter, coconut sugar, milk, molasses, and vanilla until no clumps remain.
- Add the oat flour, tapioca starch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir to combine.
- Pour half the batter into a loaf pan that has been well oiled or lined with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle on half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Top with the rest of the batter and then the rest of the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350F, or until the center is firm and bounces back when lightly pressed. If it feels squishy at all, bake for an additional 5 minutes or so.
- Remove from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. If you slice it when it’s too warm it may be gummy inside.
- Enjoy!
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
*You can substitute with other liquid sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, etc.), but it will make the flavor and texture slightly less rich/moist.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 277
- Sugar: 24g
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
Keywords: vegan, gluten-free, applesauce, oat, fall, easy, one bowl, baking, cake
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Okay Natalie this looks INCREDIBLE and it’s safe to say my Friday could do with a slice or two of this cinnamon swirl deliciousness!
★★★★★
Mmmm it’s so delicious, I have been very much enjoying these leftovers😋 Especially perfect alongside a latte…the perfect weekend snack!
What could you use as a substitute for the tapioca starch?
Arrowroot or cornstarch would both work too!
This looks so delicious, and the passion in your writing has inspired me to go for it!
YAY! Happy to inspire and I hope you love it too🤗
yummy. making today. can’t wait to taste it. 🙂
you didn’t say how much vanilla to use. I am assuming 1 tsp from your video. thats what it looked like anyways. 😉
YAY!! And oops, typo🙈 But yes 1 tsp! I can’t wait to hear what you think🤗
I made this today with 1 tsp vanilla. It is delicious.
Yep sorry, I forgot that ingredient in the written recipe–fixed now! But i am SO happy you liked it🤗🤗 Thanks for the feedback and happy weekend!
Looks divine! Would this work with tahini to make it nut free or would the taste overpower it?
Hmm that might be quite a strong flavor. You could try sunflower seed butter, although it will turn it green🙈 Or maybe coconut butter would work!
It was a big hit! Thank you! Xo
Wahoooo!! I am so happy to hear it Mara🤗
Would it work to replace molasses with maple syrup?
That will work, just different flavor and slightly less moist/rich 🙂
Eating leftovers straight from the pan is so liberating, especially when it’s sweet cinnamon-y goodness! The ways you transform oat flour are so impressive – I have had some epic fails with it 😉 It’s awesome to have a solid non-pumpkin Fall baked good in my back pocket to change things up! Super pumped for more of your Fall/Holiday recipes in the coming days!!!
Hahaha probably my favorite way to eat just about any baked good tbh…perks of living alone😂 Oh trust me, I’ve had my fair share of oat-y fails too, but I do find the nut butter or some higher fat ingredients to make all the different with it! Happy fall baking to you my dear😊
Wow this looks so good! I can’t wait to make it. Do you think it would turn out okay if I subbed the coconut sugar with white sugar?
It will be a little more dry since white sugar doesn’t have as much moisture in it as coconut sugar, but still works!
Hi Natalie! If I use gf flour blend (Bob’s 1for1) how much do I reduce the wet ingredients so it won’t be gummy? I don’t eat oats.
Thanks
It’s hard for me to say for sure without testing it, but I’d try the same amount as the oat flour!
Omg, Let me wipe the drool off of my face please!! Cinnamon is my all-time favorite flavor and I love quick breads and you nailed it girl!! I totally hear you too, I think loaf breads are the hardest to get right for all the reasons you listed…I’ve had SO many gummy fails, ugh, lol. Or dry as dirt. But you did it right on this one, I can smell it from here and definitely want to try it, since it has all my fave ingredients!! Such a perfect and simple recipe too and I know Olivia would go nuts. I cannot wait to try it girl!! The pictures of the texture are killing me softly over here, hahaha. Great recipe Natalie!
The loaf pan struggle, right?! Although I do love how much easier and faster they are to just dump it all in one pan as opposed to muffins. I still think bundt pans are my fave, but this has renewed my faith in the loaf😂 Never too much cinnamon-heavy baking!
Can I use 1% milk in place of non-dairy milk?
Sure that will work too!
Thank you!
OMG this looks so good, can I use almond flour instead of oat flour? Can’t wait to try it.
Not for this one, they aren’t 1-for-1 subs, but I have some other muffins and loaf breads that use almond flour if you prefer! Like this one maybe: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/chocolate-chip-banana-bread/
Hi! Will the recipe work well if I blend up oats in my Vitamix vs buying oat flour?
Yep absolutely! That’s what I do, as long as you have a high speed blender it will work just the same 🙂
Um… i made this yesterday and it really didn’t turn out. The texture was all gummy & it didn’t rise very much. Maybe this was because of the baking time?? I had it in the oven for far longer than the recipe called for because it wasn’t baking in the middle. What did I do wrong?
Hm what size pan did you use? It sounds like the batter was just too thick so the center couldn’t cook through completely which can easily happen with vegan baking especially in loaf pans. Try using a bigger loaf pan or even a cake pan, should turn out much better!
Okay – will do. Hoping it’ll turn out next time!
Hello Nathalie, do you think it can be baked as muffins? Thanks so much 🙂
Yes absolutely! Just reduce the bake time to 25-30 minutes 🙂
Thanks a lot, can’t wait 😀
Well Natalie, Thanks for another great recipe! This week I baked something from your blog once a day, trying a healthy baking habit, and you didn’t disappoint. I made it in a bread form after all, for friends of mine who don’t like cinnamon (whaaaat?) so I remove the spices, change the cashew butter for almond butter (white kind), add lemon zest, leave out the molasses for golden syrup, and cornstarch instead of tapioca starch. I was kind of scared because people are not used to that kind of REALLY healthy baking, and they were THRILLED 😀 I couldn’t believe it. The texture was perfect for that kind of bread, so thanks!
★★★★★
Omg what a delicious week!! I am so happy you are enjoying the recipes and I LOVE the sound of your version of this bread😋 Ginger/molasses bread with lemon is one of my favorite combinations, it sounds similar and I am so happy everyone loved it. Thank you for the wonderful feedback Eva, and have the best weekend❤️
Actually, I also love leaving feedback to your blog. I read some of your personal articles, and I can tell you this: I related so much…I already sait it in other posts some time ago, but I don’t come to you blog often (oh wait, except every day of the week this week 🙂 ) but it never disappoints when I do. And today you’ve become my go-to blog for inspiration as I look for healthier recipes, that are really healthy, and really don’t seem too. I watch videos of baking (to consistently learn something, while I’m working from home as a translator, I am kind of hyperactive but you know, exhausted by life as I really think hyperactive is more in the mind but nevermind that!) and I was looking for yours even if there are very short but just to enjoy them, and I came across one of your videos like 3 years ago, in which you talk about a recipe and even if I didn’t watch all the video, I could just see how much you’ve evolved and how amazing it is. Anyway, I don’t know if I can ask you this, but as you might (really just might) have understood I have a blog (so small but it’s more to take pictures and speak English (I’m French, and don’t like it but xD) ) and if you’d like to take a look/ or like me on facebook (bitesbaking)/ or follow me on Instagram (bitesofbaking) or anything, it would be an honor 🙂 My take is on small servings and less sugary/buttery bakes so you might like it a little bit. Thank you for all the beautiful answers and recipes; it’s really appreciated!
Hi…any chance I can replace the applesauce? Very difficult to find here. Thank you
Pumpkin puree or mashed banana would work!
Just made this and the flavour was amazing. But I was thinking how even better this would be with pieces of apple in there 😁. Do you think the batter would hold a chopped apple or two? Would it affect the baking time? Thanks again for this one!
Oooh I love that idea for flavor! But I do worry the apples will release quite a bit of moisture while baking and may affect the texture of the bread (mushy/not fluffy). You could try it with dried apples perhaps. Or if you do want to give it a try, bake lower and a bit longer and maybe decrease the almond milk by 1/3 cup or so. Good luck, keep me updated if you try it!
Hi, just fyi when I click on ‘print’ it takes me to the home page and chai cupcakes. I can’t wait to try this bread, as I love cinnamon!
Oh thats not good. I will look into it asap, thanks for the heads up Deana! And I hope you love the bread, happy baking 🙂