This deliciously moist sourdough discard apple bread is easy to make, packed with apple + spice flavor and made a little healthier using olive oil (no butter). This recipe is also egg-free, vegan and dairy-free, but no one will be able to tell!
Imagine you can make a sourdough apple bread that's entirely vegan, egg-free and dairy-free without even noticing it! This bread will fit many diets, but everyone will love it, it is so delicious!
This bread is ultra moist, super tender and studded with pieces of sweet apple. It also has just the perfect amount of cinnamon. The combination of tangy flavor from the sourdough discard with the brown sugar, sweet fruit and warm spices is absolutely addictive.
You can make this loaf using either unfed sourdough discard or active sourdough starter, they both work and will give you about the same result. Just as seen in this sourdough blueberry bread, adding sourdough starter to sweet loaves helps keep them moist for longer and adds a bonus flavor that's very unique and lovely.
This plant-based sourdough bread is packed with chunks of apple and is flavored with cinnamon, making it such a perfect sweet treat for the fall or to serve during the holiday season, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.
And just as a side note, if you are looking for a vegan fall dessert made without sourdough, then check out these pumpkin banana muffins, eggless cinnamon muffins or this amazing vegan apple galette!
Hope you give it a try and let me know how you liked it down below in the comments! ❤️
Jump to:
❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Easy one-bowl recipe
- Amazing treat for the fall
- Healthier recipe made using olive oil instead of butter
- Great flavor combining sourdough discard, apples, cinnamon and brown sugar
- Can use sourdough discard OR sourdough starter to make it
- 100% egg-free, dairy-free and vegan
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
- Sourdough starter: active starter vs discard both work, just make sure your starter is 100% hydration for best results.
- Flour: all-purpose flour is recommended and avoid bread flour for this sweet loaf or the bread could be too tough or dense.
- Olive oil: this bread is a healthier alternative to loaf recipes made using butter. I didn't find the olive oil flavor to be noticeable, but if you prefer, you can also use a vegetable oil that's more neutral in flavor.
- Sugar: brown sugar adds lots of caramel-like flavor and works great with cinnamon and apple, but cane sugar or regular granulated white sugar works too.
- Oat milk (full-fat): my number one choice for baking as it has a naturally mild sweet flavor (even without any added sugar) and a thicker consistency. You can use other types of plant-based milk if you prefer, such as almond milk or soy milk.
- Apple cider vinegar: when combined with the milk, it creates a thicker mixture that's nicely tangy and acidic. This recreates a buttermilk-like mixture that helps add flavor to the loaf and rise the bread (by acting with the baking soda). In a pinch, you can also use lemon juice.
- Apple: I used a Honeycrisp apple, although Cortland, Fuji and Gala also make great choices for baking.
⭐️ See the recipe card down below for the full list of ingredients and quantities!
📝 Variations
- Play around with the spices as needed. In this case, the cinnamon flavor is rather mild, so feel free to add some more. You can also include nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cardamom and even pumpkin spice mix.
- For an oil-free healthier recipe, then swap the olive oil for apple sauce (or do half oil-half apple sauce). This will make for a loaf that's potentially more dense, but still will be delicious and completely added fat-free.
- You can include some nuts, especially chopped walnuts, into the batter to add a nice crunch and more healthy omega-3.
- To add a delicious sweet crust, then you can sprinkle some coarse sugar over the loaf before baking.
🍴 How to make sourdough apple bread
➡️ Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Make the vegan buttermilk
In a large bowl, combine the oat milk with the apple cider vinegar. Stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Make the batter
To the bowl with the buttermilk, add the sourdough starter, brown sugar, olive oil and vanilla extract.
Whisk until combined. You can manually whisk or use electric beaters.
Then, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Keep whisking until the batter is smooth and comes together. You want to break up all the clumps, but avoid overmixing.
Add the apple
Chop the apple into small chunks (no need to peel it first!), then fold them in the batter.
Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, then bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
⭐️ Full detailed recipe below in the recipe card!
💡 Baking tips
- The older the sourdough starter is, the tangiest will be your loaf, just something to keep in mind.
- Avoid overmixing the batter! If you do, you will risk overworking the gluten from the flour, which can toughen up the loaf texture.
- Small pieces of apple work better for this recipe so they are well distributed within the loaf and they will be cooked through.
- Wait for the loaf to be completely cooled down before slicing or it might fall apart more easily.
🍽 Serving suggestions
This bread is amazing served warm. You can pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds or so, we love to use a mini toaster oven as well.
Spread some vegan butter over the slice for a treat. Or, to make it a filling breakfast or snack that's a little higher in protein, then spread some almond butter and sprinkle extra cinnamon and brown sugar when serving.
Our kids love enjoying this bread with a cold glass of oat milk, but it also makes for an amazing loaf recipe to serve with a cup of coffee or tea!
❗️Storage tips
This bread keeps well at room temperature for 24 hours. Once completely cooled down, then transfer to an airtight container to prevent the loaf from drying out.
For longer storage (2-4 days), then transfer to the fridge so it stays fresh for longer (especially since there are fruit in the loaf).
You can also pre-slice the entire loaf, then freeze for up to 3 months. That way, you can grab one slice at a time for a quick snack or to add to lunch boxes in a pinch. Let the slice thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours before enjoying or speed up the process by using the microwave or a toaster oven.
🍞 More vegan loaf recipes to try
🍂 More sourdough fall recipes to try
I hope you like this sourdough apple bread recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Discard Apple Bread (Vegan)
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 150 g sourdough discard (or active starter) 100% hydration
- 75 g olive oil or use a flavor neutral vegetable oil
- 200 g brown sugar cane sugar works too
- 180 g oat milk soy milk or almond works too
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar you an swap for lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large apple diced in small cubes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the oat milk and apple cider vinegar and stir to combine. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Then, add the olive oil, sourdough starter, brown sugar and vanilla extract right in the bowl with the milk-vinegar mixture. Use a large whisk to combine the wet ingredients until smooth and uniform.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt over the bowl with the wet ingredients. Keep whisking until the batter comes together and there are no clumps anymore (but do not overmix).
- Dice the apple into small cubes, then fold them in the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Video
Notes
- You can use unfed sourdough discard or active sourdough starter. Just keep in mind that the older your starter is, the more sour and tangy the loaf will be.
- This loaf has a mild cinnamon flavor, so feel free to add more cinnamon for a stronger spice flavor or add also some ground ginger, ground cardamom or grated nutmeg.
- Storage: keep the loaf at room temperature for up to 24 hours, then transfer in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. You can also freeze it!
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Anonymous says
Amazing bread, will make again!
jessica says
Happy to hear it worked out! 😊
Dave F says
Thanks for this recipe. I replaced the oil with applesauce and used half the sugar. It was delicious.
jessica says
Hi Dave, glad you liked it! Thanks for your feedback! 😊