Apple Crisp Bread with Fresh Milled Flour

This apple crisp bread is a moist, cinnamon-spiced loaf made with fresh milled flour. Its moisture and sweetness come from applesauce and maple syrup with an apple crisp layer on top and through the middle of the bread. All the vibes of apple crisp but in a quick bread form.

Why You'll Love This Apple Crisp Bread with Fresh Milled Flour

• Nourishing. All the fun of a classic fall bake with all the nutrition that comes from fresh milled flour.
• Two layers of apple crisp. A cinnamon brown sugar crumble runs through the center and sits on top of the quick bread.
• Naturally moist. Applesauce keeps the crumb tender without needing extra oil.
• Lightly sweetened. The bread itself uses only maple syrup as sweetener and there's a little bit of brown sugar that's in the crisp that runs through the middle and top of the loaf.
• Tastes like fall. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and baked apple make the whole house smell like fall.

One of our favorite fall traditions is going apple picking as a family. We eat plenty of plain apples, but I also love turning them into fun bakes, and apple crisp is one of our favorites.

This bread gives you that classic apple crisp taste with the versatility of a quick bread. Quick bread is easy to serve for breakfast or as a snack, so it doesn't feel confined to dessert the way apple crisp does. It's also something I like to have on hand when I'm hosting, a warm way to make guests feel welcome.

If you have a lot of apples on hand, check out my puffed apple pancake. And if you're in the mood for more fall baking, this loaf fits right in with my other autumn quick breads. My fresh milled flour pumpkin bread uses the same one-bowl method, and my pumpkin muffins with maple pecan crunch topping are great for grab-and-go mornings.

Ingredients

Apple Bread

• Soft white wheat berries — My wheat berry of choice for quick breads because their low protein makes the bread bake up light.
• Unsweetened applesauce — Adds moisture and gentle apple flavor.
• Eggs — Give the bread structure and help it rise.
• Maple syrup — The only sweetener in the bread, with a warm flavor that pairs well with apple.
• Vanilla — Rounds out the spices.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg — Classic warm spices that let the apple come through.
• Salt — Balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor.
• Baking soda and baking powder — Work together for a good rise and a soft crumb.
• Melted butter — Added last for moisture, richness and a tender texture.

Apple Topping

• Apple — Diced small so the pieces soften as it bakes.
• Soft white wheat berries and cinnamon — A light coating of flour and cinnamon keeps the apples sitting on top of the loaf instead of sinking in.

Crisp Topping

• Soft white wheat berries — Binds the crisp together.
• Rolled oats — Give the crisp its classic texture.
• Brown sugar — Melts and caramelizes for that classic crisp flavor.
• Cinnamon — The main flavor in both the middle layer and the top.
• Salt — A pinch keeps the crisp from tasting flat.
• Cold butter — Rubbed in to create clumps that bake up crisp.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1: Prep

Mill the wheat berries for both the bread and the topping at the same time. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.

Step 3: Add the Dry Ingredients and Butter

Add the fresh milled flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt right on top of the wet ingredients, and gently whisk until no flour is showing. Pour in the melted butter and stir until just incorporated.

Stirring the butter in last coats the batter and gives the loaf a moist crumb.

Step 4: Prep the Apples

Set the batter aside to rest while you prepare the topping. Dice the apple small and toss it with a little of the topping flour and some of the cinnamon so the pieces stay on top of the loaf instead of sinking into the batter.

Resting the batter while you prepare the apples and crisp gives the fresh milled flour time to absorb the liquid.

Step 5: Make the Crisp

In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the topping flour with the remaining cinnamon, brown sugar, and oats. Add the cold diced butter and work it in with your fingers until no chunks of butter remain.

Step 6: Assemble the Loaf

Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle about a third of the crumb mixture over it. Spread the rest of the batter evenly on top, being careful not to mix the crumb layer into it. Scatter the diced apples over the top in one thin layer that barely covers the batter, then sprinkle on the rest of the crumb mixture.

Step 7: Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour.

Ovens and loaf pans can vary greatly in heat and size which could make your quick bread bake longer or shorter than 1 hour. If the top of your loaf is browning but the middle still isn't set, tent a piece of foil over it for the last few minutes of baking — it keeps the inside cooking through without the crust getting too dark. I usually like to do this just before the hour mark.

Substitutions

• Maple syrup → honey: 1:1 swap, but it could impact the flavor a bit and you'll want to watch for browning quicker when baking. Honey tends to bake faster than maple syrup.
• Butter → melted coconut oil: 1:1 swap for dairy-free, but it could impact the flavor a bit.
• Soft white wheat → other fresh milled flour varieties: Quick breads are very forgiving so feel free to swap out the white wheat 1:1 for another wheat berry of choice. Although other wheat berries will work, they could impact the texture and density a bit.
• Unsweetened applesauce → sweetened applesauce: If you're wanting a sweeter loaf, this will be a great 1:1 sub.
• Skip the apples and crisp: If you're just wanting an applesauce loaf, you could skip the diced apples and crisp topping altogether. You'll just want to adjust the bake time down slightly.

Variations

• Muffins: Make this as 12 muffins instead of a loaf. Divide the batter between a lined muffin tin, then spoon the diced apples and the crisp evenly over the tops (no middle layer needed). Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes.
• Nutty crisp: Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the crisp.
• Maple icing: Add a maple icing drizzle over top of the crisp on top of the loaf. Just mix 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a dash of salt together. Drizzle over the loaf once cooled. You can also find this recipe in my Fresh Milled Flour Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping.
• Pear instead of apple: Swap diced pear for the apple on top. It bakes up a little softer and more delicate.

Equipment

• Grain mill (I have a Wondermill)
• 9x5 loaf pan
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk

Storage

• Room temperature: Cover loosely and keep for up to 2 days. The crisp softens the longer it sits.
• Fridge: Store airtight for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Wrap slices individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

FAQ

Apple Crisp Bread with Fresh Milled Flour

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A moist, cinnamon-spiced apple quick bread made with fresh milled flour, with a brown sugar oat crisp baked through the middle and piled on top with tender diced apples.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 10 slices

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

Apple Bread

•  
  250 g soft white wheat berries milled into fresh flour
•  
  1 cup unsweetened applesauce
•  
  2 eggs
•  
  ½ cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  
  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  
  ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
•  
  1 teaspoon baking soda
•  
  ½ teaspoon baking powder
•  
  ¼ cup butter melted

Apple Topping

•  
  1 small apple diced small, about ¼ inch
•  
  10 g soft white wheat berries milled into fresh flour (about 1 tablespoon)
•  
  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crisp Topping

•  
  30 g soft white wheat berries milled into fresh flour
•  
  ¼ cup rolled oats
•  
  ⅓ cup brown sugar
•  
  2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
•  
  2 tablespoon cold butter diced

Equipment

• grain mill
• 9x5 loaf pan
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk

Method

 

1. Mill the wheat berries for both the bread and the topping at the same time. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
   250 g soft white wheat berries, 10 g soft white wheat berries, 30 g soft white wheat berries
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
   1 cup unsweetened applesauce, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract
3. Add the fresh milled flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt right on top of the wet ingredients, and gently whisk until no flour is showing. Pour in the melted butter and stir until just incorporated.
   1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ cup butter, 250 g soft white wheat berries
4. Set the batter aside to rest while you prepare the topping. Dice the apple small and toss it with a little of the topping flour and some of the cinnamon so the pieces stay on top of the loaf instead of sinking into the batter.
   1 small apple, 10 g soft white wheat berries, ½ tsp ground cinnamon
5. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the topping flour with the remaining cinnamon, brown sugar, and oats. Add the cold diced butter and work it in with your fingers until no chunks of butter remain.
   ¼ cup rolled oats, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 pinch salt, 2 tbsp cold butter, 30 g soft white wheat berries
6. Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle about a third of the crumb mixture over it. Spread the rest of the batter evenly on top, being careful not to mix the crumb layer into it. Scatter the diced apples over the top in one thin layer that barely covers the batter, then sprinkle on the rest of the crumb mixture.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour. If the top is getting too dark, loosely tent the loaf with foil just before the hour mark.

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