This vegan Apple Pie Pull-Apart Bread is a fun dessert to bake and eat! Apples are baked inside a fluffy pull-apart bread with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. A soy-free, nut-free recipe.
The other day, Jay told me he had brought up my blog to his fourth-grader friends.
"What did you say?" I asked, curious because to my surprise he said that they were actually interested and had questions.
"I told them you make lots and lots of desserts," he said.
Ah.
Unfortunately, that was not very truthful. With a kid in the house, and a husband who has a very sweet tooth, I can't escape making desserts every now and then. I try and make them as healthy as possible without ruining them -- like these sugar-free almond flour cookies that all of us love and that come together in minutes.
But lots and lots? Not by a stretch.
Still, what was very obvious to me was that Jay was dropping a huge hint. Make more desserts, mom, is what I read between the lines.
This vegan Apple Pie Pull-Apart Bread was a result of that mommy guilt.
This is really not sweet enough to be a dessert, but I am not telling Jay that. He loves it anyway. It is more of a breakfast loaf, and if you bake this up the previous night and warm it up the next morning, you'll have something to look forward to upon waking up.
I love making pull apart breads because they are so much fun, and they bake up so pretty. My vegan garlic and herb pull-apart loaf is always a hit, and I wanted to try out a sweet version using apples. To go with the apples I used apple pie spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg. It's really a very simple filling, and it tastes awesome.
Here's the recipe now.
More yummy vegan dessert recipes
- Vegan Apple Cake
- Orange Almond Breakfast Loaf
- Applesauce Sandwich Bread
- Vegan Skillet Apple Pie
- Vegan Pecan Pie Bars
Vegan Apple Pie Pull Apart Bread Recipe:
Vegan Apple Pie Pull-Apart Bread
Equipment
- Loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup nondairy milk (lukewarm. I used almond milk but any non dairy milk is fine)
- ½ cup water (lukewarm)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 cups bread flour (you might not need all of it)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar (or maple syrup)
For "apple pie" filling:
- 1 to 2 apples (cored and sliced thinly into 24 slices)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
Make the bread dough:
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the yeast with the warm water. Let stand five minutes until yeast is frothy.
- Add the nondairy milk, sugar or maple syrup, salt, and apple cider vinegar and mix.
- Add ½ cup of bread flour and all of the whole wheat flour and mix well. Gradually add the remaining bread flour, a little at a time, until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes.
- Form the dough into a smooth ball, place in a large bowl sprayed with oil, cover, and set in a warm place to rise for an hour or until doubled.
- While the dough is rising, mix together the apple filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Once the dough has risen, knead it to deflate, and divide into 12 portions.
- Roll each portion into a ball, then roll into an oval, about four inches across on the wider side.
- Place 2 apple slices in the center of the oval, and brush on some of the juice that the apples have expressed along with any sugar and spices. Fold the oval in half. Continue doing this for the rest of the balls of dough, and then stack them side by side, open side up, inside an oiled loaf pan.
- Cover with a loose kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place, about two hours. The dough will mushroom over the top of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Once the loaf is risen, brush any remaining apple juice over the top of the loaf gently, then place in the oven. Bake 10 minutes, lower heat to 350 degrees, and continue baking 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Cool on a rack, then unmold and dig in.
Dor
This was a great fall treat for the kids. I’d suggest lining the loaf pan with parchment since all the sugar from the apple filling makes for really sticky edges.
I think next time I’m going to slide an extra slice in between the layers of balls as well so that there are more apple slices that stay at the bottom. The second rise forces the apples upwards, which does make it pretty but I definitely wanted more of those yummy apple bites.
Also for anyone who prefers to measure dough, I used 210g bread flour (1-3/4 cups) and 60g whole wheat (1/2 cup).
Thanks for a great recipe!
Carina
This was lovely! Fun to assemble, plus you get a pretty rustic and wholesome result. I was confused by the apple filling at first, because I didn't realize it takes time for the liquid to appear. I particularly loved the "crust" of caramelization at the bottom. Best eaten fresh.
Namrata shastri
Your recipe reads 1-2 cups bread flour . Please let me know how much exactly I shud add . Thanks!
Janet Wagner
Use King Arther gluten free flour, replaces cup - to - cup for flour
Connie Moultroup
Flavor is outstanding but I really wish you had been forthright about how much time was involved. It would have been very helpful
Vaishali
I've added the rise times.
Debbie
Oh my, I am so happy to have found your website. I miss making the things we love. Finally, your bread recipes will make it easier for me to have bread that we can eat, deserts to make my husband happy, and recipes for normal looking dinner foods. You have another fan! Thanks!!
CJ
Any suggestions to make this gluten-free? It looks absolutely yummy!
Janet Wagner
Use King Arther gluten free flour, replaces cup - to - cup for flour
Brooke
This was my first time using yeast to make bread. Followed the directions exactly and it came out perfectly and so delicious! Looking back over the recipe after the fact, I realized I never used the 1 tbsp olive oil (I don't think it was actually in the directions)..... still came out great. Going to try folding the apples and spice/sugar sauce into the large ball of dough next time and making a whole loaf (not "pull-apart"). Should be tasty 🙂 Thanks!
Natalia M
Made this today - AMAZING!! So so good. I replaced the oil with applesauce, and stuffed in extra apples because why not!
I’d love to make this ahead the night before, so I could have it ready to bake in the morning for breakfast. Do you think a slow rise in the fridge overnight would work? And maybe another hour outside the fridge before baking?
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Natalia, a slow rise would work, I think -- certainly worth trying out! So happy you liked it.
Lourdes S Townsend
I've been experimenting with your recipe, using a mix of sourdough starter and yeast. My vegan hubby loves the flavors! Question: Your ingredient lists 1 Tbsp EVOO--is that added into the mix with the vinegar/sugar (which is what I did) or somewhere else (e.g. to brush each oval before putting into pan? Thank you for your lovely site!
Jack @ BBQ Recipez
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious! I’m definitely making this! thanks for sharing!
Heidi Vosbein
Just so you know, for someone with nut allergies, something made with almond milk is NOT nut free. Almonds are nuts.
However, the recipe sounds yummy and I plan to try it using rice milk instead of almond milk.
Vaishali
Hi Heidi, That's why I said any nondairy milk -- almond was my preference. Hemp or rice or soy are all fine to use.
Melissa
My husband just ate half of it.....took him about 3 minutes....so very good!
elissa schoening
this looks delish! curious if youve made this gluten free. I might attempt later today. looking for any tips you might have.
Anonymous
Just made this! So good!
corbypunk
another beautiful recipe! one i will definately bring out at our christmas get together, thank you!
Tessa
Is the oven really set at 450 degrees? Am making right now and that seems hot for bread.
Thank you!
Vaishali
Tessa, you lower the oven temp to 350 after 10 minutes.
Indhu
Hi Vaishali
Will be trying this soon (and the garlic pull apart bread). I had taken a hiatus from bread baking (my first yeast bread recipes were from your site several years ago!) and have been baking more this past month and headed to your site for your bread recipes and found this new bread post! It is cute of Jay to talk about your blog with his class mates 🙂 Well, I will take his side and say you do have quite a few sweet dishes healthy but nevertheless sweet so to a child it seems lots :). I have a 4th grader and he exaggerates too and it makes me laugh..never a dull moment :).
Anonymous
I'd love to see more pics of Step 8... having trouble visualising quite what you mean.
& Hello from Scotland. Your blog is an absolute treat. All the best to you & yours :o)
IslandChica
I agree! I can't quite picture that step either, but would love to understand. 😉
Liz J
Also hoping you have pictures because those instructions for the ovals and adding the apples were hard to picture.
Thanks!
Julie
Vaishali - I absolutely adore your recipes and save almost all of them to my recipe box. I love seeing your spice combinations for your vegan versions of you family recipes, and have slowly added more Indian spices to my cooking. Your yeast bread recipes look amazing - this Apple Pie Pull Apart bread is lovely. I bet your dessert loving family loves it. I know mine will. I’m in a new home and have been dying to get in my new kitchen and bake. I can just smell the Apple Pie Spice and yeast bread. Aaahhhhh! Home.