Looking for a new healthy-ish afternoon treat? This easy Carrot Apple Bread recipe is your answer! It’s moist, delicious, and packed with hazelnuts, grated apple, and carrot, then topped with cinnamon, sugar, and toasted pecans. Pair it with a cup of coffee or tea, and you’ve got the perfect snack.

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A piece of nutty apple bread with butter on it next to a cappuccino

It is especially delicious warm straight out of the oven, or toasted with butter. That’s my call to you. What else could I possibly say that would be more enticing to make this carrot apple bread recipe?

Okay, these whole wheat banana chocolate chip waffles and pumpkin seed muffins would also be brilliant toasted with butter so, to be more specific, this carrot apple bread has what those other (albeit delicious) recipes don’t—nuts. Lots and lots of nuts.

There’s hazelnuts (freshly ground into flour) and pecans both in the batter and on top. What do nuts do in baked goods? They not only add divine texture but aromatic toasty notes that make this bread taste richer than your average quick bread. The best way to make apple cinnamon bread in my opinion.

Let’s see how we make it, shall we?

Helpful Tools

Nothing fancy here, you’ll need the same things we use to make many quick bread recipes:

Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Dry and wet measuring cups + measuring spoons
Box grater
Vegetable peeler
9 x 5-inch loaf pan
2 medium mixing bowls + 1 small bowl
Whisk
Silicone spatula
Parchment paper
Wire cooling rack

A loaf of carrot bread with two slices cut out of it.

How To Make This Carrot Apple Bread Recipe

Step one: Grease a 9 x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper so the paper is hanging off the sides by at least an inch.

Step two: Grind the hazelnuts into flour. If you have hazelnut flour, then skip this step. You’ll need 3/4 cup.

Hazelnuts that have been ground into a fine flour in a food processor

Step three: Grate the apples and the carrots. This isn’t as carrot-heavy as carrot cake but has a nice amount of both apples and carrots. Peel the carrots but you don’t have to peel the apples (unless you want to).

Step four: In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. The all purpose flour, brown sugar, etc.

Step five: Whisk together the wet ingredients (vegetable oil, vanilla extract, etc) in a separate medium bowl. Hopefully the eggs will be at room temperature, this will make them easier to mix in.

All the wet ingredients being whisked together in a glass bowl.

Step six: Mix the dry into the wet and stir in the grated apples, carrots, and half of the pecans. Fold together gently with a silicone spatula.

The batter for the apple carrot bread in a glass bowl.

Step seven: Mix together the remaining pecans, coarse sugar, and cinnamon for the topping.

The apple bread covered with the topping before going in the oven.

Step eight: Pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle topping over the top. Bake until dark golden brown. If the top is getting too dark but bread is not done, cover the top with a sheet of foil while the center cooks.

Step nine: Let the apple carrot bread cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes in the pan. Remove from pan and let cool at least another 15 minutes for best results.

The bread in the baking pan after coming out of the oven.

Step ten: Wrap any leftovers tightly with plastic wrap

Variations:

Skip the topping and spread cream cheese frosting over the top of the carrot loaf
Add 1 cup chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, or shredded coconut
Not apple season? Use zucchini or all carrots

nutty carrot bread sliced on the cutting board.

More Baking Inspiration

Carrot Apple Bread Recipe

Author: Kate

Easy carrot apple bread recipe, a new go-to healthyish afternoon treat. Moist, delicious hazelnut-filled bread with grated apple and carrot and topped with cinnamon, sugar, and toasted pecans. So good with a cup of coffee or tea.

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 30

Servings: loaf

Equipment

Ingredients

3/4 cup hazelnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup plant-based milk, or regular milk
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil, or other neutral oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup grated apples (about 2 small apples)
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, divided
2 tablespoons Coarse sugar

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper so the two long sides have at least an inch hanging over that you can use as handles to pull the loaf out of the pan once it is baked.
Place the 3/4 cup hazelnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are finely ground into a flour, but not so much that they become a paste.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground hazelnuts, the 1 cup flour, the 3/4 cup brown sugar, the 2 teaspoons baking powder, the 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and the 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the 2/3 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon vinegar, 1/3 cup oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 eggs until smooth. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet with a silicone spatula just until combined. Then and add the 1 cup grated apples, 1 cup grated carrots and half of the chopped pecans. Fold to mix thoroughly.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Combine remaining half of the pecans, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons coarse sugar. Sprinkle on top of the bread using all of the topping.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Bread will form a crisp crust but be moist in the middle. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then pull the bread out by the overhanging parchment paper onto a cooling rack to cool at least 15 minutes longer before slicing.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Bread freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave (if desired) before enjoying.
Variations: Add 1 cup of chocolate chips, raisins, shredded coconut or dried cranberries for extra sweetness.
Serving Suggestions: Enjoy warm with a pat of butter or a drizzle of honey. Pair with a cup of coffee or tea for the perfect afternoon treat
Milk options: Use almond, oat, or soy milk for a dairy-free option, or regular milk if preferred. I’ve even made this with full-fat canned coconut milk and it was quite good.