Easy Applesauce Nut Bread

Easy applesauce nut bread that earns its name. The dry ingredients sift together onto waxed paper (an old technique that saves washing a bowl), the wet ingredients get one quick beat, and the two combine with a few stirs. Total active time is under 15 minutes.

A full cup of coarsely chopped walnuts is what elevates this from snack cake to legitimate nut bread. Tossing them with the dry ingredients before adding liquid coats them in flour and keeps them suspended throughout the loaf instead of sinking to the bottom.

The overnight cool is the most important step that gets ignored. Slicing warm quickbread tears the crumb and releases all the steam still trapped inside, leaving you with a flat, gummy loaf. Twenty four hours wrapped on the counter and the bread firms into something that slices cleanly and tastes deeper than the day-of version.

Pro Tips

• Toast the walnuts at 350°F (175°C) for 6 to 8 minutes before chopping. Raw walnut flavor disappears under the applesauce; toasted walnut adds visible character.
• Stir just until the flour streaks vanish. Overmixing develops gluten and produces a tough, rubbery loaf.
• Test for doneness with a toothpick at 55 minutes. Quickbread continues to set as it cools, so slightly underdone in the center beats overbaked.
• Wrap tightly in plastic before the overnight rest; air exposure dries the crust faster than the crumb.

Variations

• Swap walnuts for pecans or chopped hazelnuts; pecans pair especially well with the cinnamon.
• Add ½ cup raisins or chopped dried cranberries along with the nuts for chewy fruit pockets.
• Replace 1⁄2 cup of the flour with whole wheat for a heartier crumb with deeper flavor.