Applesauce Pumpkin Bread Recipe (2024)

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Pumpkin bread made a little healthier with applesauce instead of oil! The perfect fall treat to satisfy a pumpkin craving and great for sharing.

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Update: Many of you have asked about the bread pan in the picture. I received as a gift, but the closest I can find are here and here.

One of the things I love most about fall is comfort food. (Mostly the weather, but comfort food is still high on the list.)

What better comfort food is there than warm bread fresh out of the oven?

My goal was to make a pumpkin bread that was slightly more healthy than some recipes I had seen (using applesauce instead of oil), so I could eat more of it myself without feeling guilty. 🙂

I say slightly more healthy because I know it still has a lot of sugar. But it DOES make 3 loaves so keep that in mind.

So many pumpkin breads do have a lot of sugar, and I try to make healthy ingredient swaps when I can. Hence the applesauce.

So while I say healthier, I don’t mean healthy. I’m counting this more in the comfort food category.

Though some readers have reported that they cut the sugar down to as low as 1 cup for the whole recipe, and that it still tasted good!

And it technically does count as a low-fat pumpkin bread recipe, coming in at just 1 gram of fat for 1/6 of a loaf.

Since this makes enough for 3 loaves thatmeans you can still have a loaf all to yourself even after giving two away!

That is, if you can find two people you love enough to share this with.

It’s great to make for gifts, potlucks, or big family dinners.

I used 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice.

Don’t have it? You can make your own pumpkin pie spice blend by mixing cinnamon (1 and 1/2 teaspoons), nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon), ginger (1/4 teaspoon), and cloves (1/8 teaspoon).

This is the time of year that pumpkin spice is in everything and everywhere.

It’s the time of year I most look forward to!

If you’re thinking, “bread with applesauce?” I’m sure you’re not alone!

Using applesauce in place of oil is one of my tricks for instantly lightening up certain baked goods – like in this zucchini bread, these strawberry muffins, even these brownies.

Just note the applesauce DOES change the consistency of the bread, so if you find it too “spongy” then maybe try using half oil and half applesauce.

Applesauce pumpkin bread

Pumpkin bread made a little healthier with applesauce instead of oil! The perfect fall treat to satisfy a pumpkin craving and great for sharing.

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time50 minutes

Total Time1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
3 cups sugar, *see notes
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup water
4 large eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, sugar, applesauce, water, and eggs.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until blended.
Pour into bread or cupcake pans (will make 3 medium loafs or 36 cupcakes). Bake at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes for bread, 25 to 35 minutes for muffins, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Notes

*This can seem like a lot of sugar, I know! Keep in mind this recipe makes 3 loaves, but if it still feels like too much sugar for you, some readers have reported that they cut the amount of sugar in half (or even as low as 1 cup) for the whole recipe. I have not tried it this way but some people have preferred it with less sugar.

*Note that the applesauce DOES change the consistently of the bread, so if you find it too “spongy” then maybe try replacing 1/2 cup of the applesauce with 1/2 cup of vegetable oil.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/6 loaf
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 252Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 335mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is calculated automatically by an online tool at Nutritionix. It is not always accurate. Please use your own tools to check if you rely on this information.