Apple Carrot Bread — This apple carrot bread tastes like carrot cake that’s been infused with apples. It’s a no mixer recipe that goes from bowl to oven in minutes!
Apple Carrot Bread Recipe
This is carrot cake that’s been infused with apples and baked as a loaf. So it’s not cake anymore. It’s bread. Therefore you can have more and definitely can have it for breakfast.
Baking with both carrots and apples not only adds chewy texture and natural sweetness, but they also add so much moisture that it’s impossible to have a dry loaf. I adapted the basic ratios from my Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread, a personal and fan favorite, to make way for grated carrots and apples.
I grated the carrot and apple by hand using the coarsest blade on a box grater. It literally takes two minutes and I’d spend much more time washing food processor parts than quickly doing it the old-fashioned way.
It’s an easy, no mixer recipe that goes from bowl to oven in minutes. The batter is very thick and that’s by design. The carrots and apples release juices while baking and if you start with a thin batter, it’ll turn too soupy during baking.
It’s soft, tender, uber-moist, dense enough to be satisfying, but still light. The cinnamon and nutmeg really shine and add so much wonderful, rich, depth of flavor to the carrots and apples. The carrots dominate and the bread has a more pronounced ‘carrot cake’ taste than apple.
It was so flavorful and moist that I didn’t even need butter. Although a browned butter glaze can do no wrong if you’re so inclined.
What’s in Apple Carrot Bread?
For this carrot apple bread recipe, you’ll need:
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Coconut oil
- Granulated sugar
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Gound nutmeg
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Salt
- Grated apples
- Grated carrots
Can I Substitute the Coconut Oil?
I used melted coconut oil so there’s no butter to cream and no mixer to dirty. Oil keeps bread softer and springier than butter, and I prefer the taste.
Coconut oil adds a nearly imperceptible undertone that’s sweeter and more fragrant than canola or vegetable oil, but substitute with them if you’d like.
What Are the Best Apples for Apple Bread?
Any apple will work for this carrot apple bread recipe! I used a large Fuji apple, but Gala and Honeycrisp would work as well.
How to Make Carrot Apple Bread
This carrot apple cinnamon bread couldn’t be easier to make! Simply whisk together the egg, sugars, melted coconut oil, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then fold in the remaining ingredients.
Turn the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once the bread is out of the oven, let it rest in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing it to finish cooling on a wire rack.
Can I Make This in a Smaller Loaf Pan?
I baked the bread in a 9×5-inch pan because I was concerned that the moisture-heavy ingredients crammed into an 8×4-inch pan would take forever to cook through and a larger pan felt safer. In retrospect, an 8×4-inch would probably have been fine. The shorter height of the bread didn’t effect our inhaling of it in one day.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, simply double the ingredients and bake in two loaf pans. I’ve also had readers report success doubling the recipe and baking it in a metal 9×13-inch pan or a metal bundt pan.
Can I Freeze Carrot Quick Bread?
Absolutely! This apple carrot bread recipe is great for freezing. Wrap in a few layers of plastic wrap and a layer of foil, then freeze for up to three months.
Tips for Making Carrot Loaf Bread
When mixing together the batter, make sure the sour cream and egg are at room temperature. If they’re both still cold, the melted coconut oil will partially resolidify and you’ll wind up with chunks of oil running through the batter.
When baking the bread, you may need to tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped loosely over it at the 35-minute mark if you feel the tops and sides will become too browned before center cooks through.
Baking times will vary based on moisture content of carrots, apples, climate, and oven variances. You need to bake the carrot bread until done; watch your bread, not the clock and don’t worry if it takes longer to bake than the baking estimates provided.
When serving this apple cinnamon bread, I highly recommend slathering it with Homemade Honey Butter or Cinnamon-Sugar Butter, or drizzling it with a Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze. It’s delicious as is, of course, but these extra toppings really take it up a notch.
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Carrot Apple Bread
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup liquid-state coconut oil, canola or vegetable may be substituted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cup sour cream, lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ¾ cup grated carrots, about 1 large peeled and trimmed carrot
- ¾ cup grated apples, I used 1 medium unpeeled Fuji; try Gala, Honeycrisp or similar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside. (I haven’t tried the recipe in an 8×4-inch pan and cannot comment on how long it will take to bake, but use an 8×4 pan if you prefer a taller loaf.)
- In a large bowl, add the the first eight ingredients, through nutmeg, and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional salt, and fold with spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Add the carrots, apples, and fold gently to combine.
- Turn batter (it’s very thick, this is what you want) out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 45 to 52 minutes (I baked 50 minutes) or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.*
- Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.**
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Quick Bread Recipes:
Cinnamon Spice Applesauce Bread with Honey Butter — Applesauce keeps this bread so soft & moist! It’s like apple spice cake, disguised as ‘bread’ so you can have extra!
Cinnamon and Spice Sweet Potato Bread — Eating your vegetables via soft, moist bread is the best way! My favorite way to eat sweet potatoes!
Apple Fritter Bread — The bread tastes as decadent as the apple fritters of my childhood, no deep frying required and it’s more like cake disguised as bread.
The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread — This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is truly the best homemade pumpkin bread you’ll ever make. It’s moist, packed with chocolate chips, and tastes like fall!
Blueberry Zucchini Bread — This blueberry zucchini bread is a quick, no-mixer recipe that’s sweet, but not too sweet. Each bite is bursting with fresh blueberries!
Pumpkin Banana Bread — Soft, moist, fluffy and so much better than another loaf of plain banana bread.
Snickerdoodle Bread — Between the cinnamon-sugar on top, cinnamon in the batter, and the cinnamon chips, the bread is full of wonderful and prominent cinnamon flavor without being overpowering.
Originally published November 9, 2014 and republished on Friday, March 13, 2020 with updated text.
Love your recipe. I made some minor high altitude adjustments (a bit more flour, more baking soda and powder, a bit less white sugar). Will definitely make again and recommend.
Incredibly good quick bread and so cheap to make! No complicated ingredients.
Incredibly good quick bread and so cheap to make! No complicated ingredients.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you appreciate the speed of the bread and the easy ingredients – that’s one of my goals always!
This is the best carrot bread I’ve ever made! I didn’t have sour cream, or yogurt, so I subbed same amount mashed bananas and omitted the white sugar. Turned out very tender and fluffy. It’s a keeper!
This is the best carrot bread I’ve ever made! I didn’t have sour cream, or yogurt, so I subbed same amount mashed bananas and omitted the white sugar. Turned out very tender and fluffy. It’s a keeper!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s the best carrot bread you’ve ever made!
Thanks for leaving the tip about subbing the sour cream with banana, I’m going to try that! I made the recipe yesterday exactly as the directions described and it was SO GOOD, it didn’t last long in our house :p . I’m going to try making it again today using the banana to see how it comes out :) .
Decided to make this late at night on a weekday. Prep time was a bit longer than noted but it could be because it was my first attempt. I only use the recommended amount of brown sugar and left out the granulated sugar and it was still quite sweet (which is good or bad depending on who you ask!). I’m going to attempt it again using a deeper pan, doubling the recipe and maybe adding some nuts and more fruits. Thank you for a simple and easy to follow recipe and all the little details (like bringing your egg and yogurt to temperature, etc.) that help amateur bakers perfect their skills. :)
Decided to make this late at night on a weekday. Prep time was a bit longer than noted but it could be because it was my first attempt. I only use the recommended amount of brown sugar and left out the granulated sugar and it was still quite sweet (which is good or bad depending on who you ask!). I’m going to attempt it again using a deeper pan, doubling the recipe and maybe adding some nuts and more fruits. Thank you for a simple and easy to follow recipe and all the little details (like bringing your egg and yogurt to temperature, etc.) that help amateur bakers perfect their skills. :)
Yes prep times vary based on experience. I am sure you will get faster with practice. Glad you will make it again!
Do you have the nutritional information?
Coming in the next few weeks. I am updating all 3000 of my recipes to include stats. Big job :)
Beautiful recipe! Made a double batch today (first time making this recipe) and baked in 3 slightly smaller loaf tins (I believe 8×3.5). So delicious! I subbed buttermilk in because I didn’t have sour cream or yoghurt, still turned out super fluffy, moist and flavour packed! 2 loads in the freezer and 1 on the go. Thanks so much!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you were able to make a double batch of this today and have a freezer stash waiting for you now!
Great to heart that buttermilk worked just fine rather than sour cream or yogurt!
OMG!! This apple carrots bread is so yummy. I made several and each time the next is better than the last. It is so moist and easy to make.
Great for the holidays and or anytime. 5 stars for sure.
OMG!! This apple carrots bread is so yummy. I made several and each time the next is better than the last. It is so moist and easy to make.
Great for the holidays and or anytime. 5 stars for sure.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love the bread!
Can I double the recipe and bake in a bundt pan?
Can I double the recipe and bake in a bundt pan?
I am not 100% sure since I have only done it as a loaf but I think that would be fine.
Jessica — Did it work out ok in a bundt pan?
I doubled and put it in a bud to pan for two hours it came out beautiful but a little dry for my liking. Maybe an hour and a half would’ve been fine.
Yes I am thinking 2 hours was too long. In a Bundt, it really shouldn’t take ‘that’ much longer than baking it in a loaf pan. I would say 50-ish minutes for most Bundts, sometimes much less.
I doubled the recipe and omitted the granulated sugar entirely. Baked it for 40mins and it came out moist and fluffy. It wasn’t very sweet though which was great for the kids but if I make it again just for the adults, I’ll add some granulated sugar.
This is one of my very favourite bread recipes — it always hits the spot with the tender, moist texture and delicious spices. I sometimes like to turn it into muffins and add sultanas. Thanks for such a delicious and easy recipe!
This is one of my very favourite bread recipes — it always hits the spot with the tender, moist texture and delicious spices. I sometimes like to turn it into muffins and add sultanas. Thanks for such a delicious and easy recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s one of your fave bread recipes and that you’ve been able to make it into muffins as well!
delicious. It is light but very moist. I sawed it to cut it so as not to compress it. Didn’t have oil so I used butter.
I always have carrots on hand…. the small snack size.. I am trying not to eat it all myself. I just can’t say enough” how good this is”. thanks.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out delicious for you! Glad to know butter worked just fine in place of oil.
This bread is really good. It’s fairly easy to make and the ingredients are ones that I almost always have on hand. Made a bunch of loaves for our churches welcome bags and came home and made a loaf for myself
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you enjoyed it!
My 2 year old grandson will not eat anything, except Cheese.😢 So we are trying to disguise vegetables and fruits into his food. This is a definite WINNER! He will eat this with a big grin and say “yummy”! He also loves the Banana with cream cheese bread. My 9 month old granddaughter loves them too, but she eats everything😄 I want to Thank You for your Bread Recipes. They are easy to make and really delicious! Which leaves me more time to play with my grandchildren😊
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is something your grandson will eat and that you are enjoying my recipes!