Carrot Apple Bread with Walnut Streusel

This carrot apple bread with walnut streusel is going to be your new fall favorite quick bread!

It's made with shredded carrots, apples, banana and whole grain flour with a nutty oat topping.

It's so wholesome, hearty and absolutely delicious.

How to make carrot apple bread

Featured Ingredients

For the carrot apple bread:

• Flours: A mix of any all-purpose flour and almond flour gives this bread the perfect texture.
• Flax: For heartiness and a boost of nutrition.
• Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg for those warm flavors.
• Leavening agents: Baking powder, baking soda and eggs.
• Banana: Smashed ripe banana for moistness.
• Brown sugar: My favorite sweetener for fall flavors.
• Oil: Whatever neutral kind you have on hand.
• Vanilla extract: Flavor!
• Carrots and apples: Shredded or finely diced, by hand or using a food processor.

For the walnut streusel:

• Butter: Melted, to bring the streusel together.
• Oats: Act as the body of the streusel.
• Walnuts: Chopped up and mixed in with the oats.
• Brown sugar: For a little sweetness with molasses flavor.
• Cinnamon: More warm spice!

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together oat flour, almond flour, flax seed, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In another medium bowl, use a hand mixer to whisk together bananas, brown sugar and oil until fluffy.
4. Whisk in egg, then vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
5. Slowly add dry ingredients to the banana mixture while whisking on medium speed, just until combined.
6. Fold in shredded carrot and apple.
7. Pour mixture into the loaf pan.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together streusel ingredients.
9. Evenly coat top of bread batter with the streusel mixture. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool, then slice and serve.

Recipe Substitutions and Alterations

• For the flour: You can use all-purpose, whole wheat pastry, whole wheat white, whole wheat, oat or gluten free all-purpose flour.
• For the almond flour: You can swap in any all-purpose flour if needed.
• For the flax: You can grind your own or skip it.
• For the brown sugar: Use dark or light brown or granulated sugar or a baking alternative like Swerve or stevia.
• For the oil: Swap in unsweetened applesauce for all or some of the oil.
• For the oats: Use any flour instead of oats for the topping.
• For the walnuts: Try it with pecans instead.

Storage Tips

• To eat right away: Once it's cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 7 days.
• To freeze: Once it's cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 months.
  • Let thaw at room temperature.

Nutrition Considerations

• To make it gluten free: Use gluten free all-purpose or gluten free oat flour.
  • Be sure all other ingredients are gluten free.
• To make it dairy free: This recipe does not contain dairy.
• To make it vegan: Try with an egg replacer such as Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer or make a flax 'egg' (although I haven't tested this).
  • Swap in coconut oil instead of butter for the streusel.
• To make it nut free: Skip the almond flour (use any all-purpose instead) and skip the walnuts in the streusel topping.
  • Be sure all other ingredients are nut free.
• To make it egg free: Try with an egg replacer such as Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer or make a flax 'egg' (although I haven't tested this).

Fall-inspired recipes:

• Apple Date Donuts
• Instant Pot Chunky Applesauce with Pears
• Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
• The Ultimate Autumn Salad
• Country Apple Fritter Bread

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