Apple Walnut Flax Seed Bread

March 25, 2010

Apple Walnut Flax Seed Bread

I made y’all some bread.

Apple Walnut Flax Seed Bread

Some big, fat, in your face, whole wheat apple bread.  It’s the kind of bread that will kick your morning coffee in the face… with love and respect.

Apple Walnut Flax Seed Bread

I like to do things with love and respect… even if it’s yelling at the Los Angeles traffic gods… or channeling my snarky side while on the phone with the IRS.  If I say it’s done with love and respect… totally ok, right?

I love when sweet treats are also filled with things like whole wheat, and walnuts and flax seeds.  It’s full of health, despite the butter and sugar.  This bread is tastes like home… if your home were in, say… rural Oregon.

I like the combination of grated and coarsely chopped apples in this recipe.  You get all the flavor and moisture of the apples combined with big ol’ chunks too.  Delightful.  Walnuts are great in this recipe and flax seeds add all kinds of health.  If you don’t happen to have flax seeds on hand.  No worries.  You can leave them out.

Make this bread.  It has cinnamon and apples in it.  Really… that’s all you need to know, right?

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Quick note:  I only needed two apples for this loaf.  The third apple I ate with my face.

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Ingredients.  Essential.

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Apples.  Walnuts.  Flax Seeds.

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Sugar topping gets crusty and extra yummy when baked.  For serious.

Apple Walnut Flax Seed Bread

This is the part that includes your face.  Insert bread into face.

Oh!  One more thing… if you like crazy healthy breakfast treats, you might also enjoy these Gnarley Muffins.  I posted this waaaay back in the day when I had only been at this whole blogging thing for a month.  The pictures?  Pretty bad.

Apple Walnut Flax Seed Bread

makes one 9×5-inch loaf

Print this Recipe!

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

generous pinch freshly ground nutmeg

2/3 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, try these substitutions)

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup grated apples

1/2 cup coarsely chopped apples

1 tablespoon flax seeds

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, divided

cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Add the grated apples, chopped apples flax seeds and half of the chopped walnuts.  Fold to incorporate thoroughly.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with granulated sugar, cinnamon and the rest of the walnuts.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool before wrapping.

Serve slightly toasted with butter. Yumtastic.

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{ 110 comments… read them below or add one }

Brianne March 26, 2010 at 5:14 pm

Only you would inspire me to come home and bake on a Friday..when all I usually want to do is veg out. :) But I only have one apple and the store is SO far away (ok, like 3 blocks)..so I’m gonna add cranberries too…we’ll see how it turns out.

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Laken March 26, 2010 at 7:14 pm

My face is excited already.

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Laura March 26, 2010 at 7:32 pm

Wow! Can’t wait to make this!

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Samantha March 26, 2010 at 8:16 pm

AWWW Thanks for the bread!! I licked the screen and it tasted delicious haha!

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Ashley March 27, 2010 at 3:15 pm

Seriously yum!

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Susan March 28, 2010 at 11:59 am

I made this bread last night, WOW!!!!! A home run. I did not have flax seeds, but used flax meal instead.

Waited so patiently for it to cool a bit so I have a piece before I went to bed.

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Sarah March 27, 2010 at 4:46 pm

This is in my oven as we speak. I am so excited. The batter was EXTREMELY delicious (somehow I was able to tear myself away and bake it instead of eating it all), so surely the finished product will be amazing. Thank you!!

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Nasira March 27, 2010 at 6:07 pm

I made this bread today…it is soooooo good! You’ve succesfully made flax seeds taste like something that should be eaten.

Also I want to thank you for making my math class so much more interesting. My professor has an uncanny resemblance to you and thats the only thing that makes sitting in class a little more interesting.

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Michelle L March 27, 2010 at 6:28 pm

I making this tomorrow!!! Can’t wait.

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Deanna March 27, 2010 at 10:55 pm

I will have to try this! And being from Oregon, well I am sure it will fit right in with our morning routine :)

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Jasmine March 28, 2010 at 1:00 am

I made this bread yesterday and served it to some friends today. It went down really, really well and no one would have guessed that it had whole wheat flour in it. I used green apples cos that’s what I had and also white whole wheat flour.Thanks for posting this great recipe!

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Melissa March 28, 2010 at 3:32 am

Your blog and this recipe cheered me up so much while lying low with flu that, in spite of the aching body, I just had to make this bread. The smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, apples & pecan nuts (all I had in the house) cheered me up no end. And it’s so easy to make. Thank you for sharing it!

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Annika March 28, 2010 at 5:21 am

This is so good!
Thank you so much! I am in love with it and consider not to share with anybody else!

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Andi March 28, 2010 at 5:35 am

This looks great. I’m going to make a few loaves and freeze them. I always eat my breakfast in the car :( and this is a perfect and healthy on the go breakfast. Thanks!

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Michelle L March 28, 2010 at 5:18 pm

I made this tonight, and it’s a new favorite from your site!

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Jennifer March 29, 2010 at 9:54 am

This was so good!!! A nice change of pace from the usual banana bread in our household.

Question: because of the apples, is it still OK to keep the bread just wrapped up tightly on the counter, or do I need to refrigerate it?

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Food Hunter March 30, 2010 at 4:17 pm

Looks yummy and sounds healthy…I’ll try it!

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Megan March 31, 2010 at 6:36 am

1. This looks like a snack I could feel good about.
2. You are one darn good bread slicer! All the same size and everything.
3. You’re just the best, Joy. Thanks for being that!

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Nancy March 31, 2010 at 11:19 am

Hi Joy,

I made this bread over the weekend. Yum! Next time I tink I will add shredded carrots as well.

Thanks for the great recipes and fun blog.

Nancy

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Andrea March 31, 2010 at 6:47 pm

I’ve been dying to make this recipe since you posted it, so I went and picked up everything today to do just that! Sadly for me, I didn’t have quite enough cinnamon and was completely out of nutmeg (guess I should work on that shopping list skill). So I substituted a dash of allspice for the nutmeg. It tastes amazing all the same! My roommate is seriously looking forward to having it toasted for breakfast.

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Neha April 1, 2010 at 7:08 am

Hi Joy,

Thanks for the recipe!

One question, though. Isn’t it supposed to be well nigh useless to use whole flax seed?

Thanks!

Neha

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Lyndsey April 1, 2010 at 1:55 pm

SO Yummy!

Ever since I found your website I have been cooking up a storm!!

Thanks so much!

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Gloria Kim April 1, 2010 at 5:31 pm

Hi joy!
I was a little confused because under your picture of the apples you said you used two for the bread, but in the ingredients you put “1/2 cup apples” so I wasn’t sure how much to add! Also, my loaf came out a bit crumbly, do you have any advice on how to make it less crumbly? :)

Thanks for sharing~!

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Linda T. from NJ April 6, 2010 at 1:21 pm

I made this bread for dessert on Easter and it did not disappoint! It was delcious and a nice change from too sweet too sugary desserts. It was perfect with a cup of coffee. Better too the next day! I didn’t have flax seeds but had flax seed meal and switched it out with perfect results. Loved the walnut topping with sugar and cinnamon … it was just enough. Thanks for sharing!

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joythebaker April 6, 2010 at 6:46 pm

sounds superb!

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Julia April 11, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Wow, that apple pie looks amazing

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Tracey April 14, 2010 at 7:36 pm

I have made this recipe 3 times since it was posted and LOVE it! I have made it with flax seed and flax meal and both ways are great. I even made it for an Easter brunch and it was a great addition. I like that my whole family enjoys this and it is a satisfying breakfast on a busy school morning. Thanks so much for the recipe.

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Beth April 18, 2010 at 9:00 pm

Oh yum, I made this today! http://tinyurl.com/y6nuzls
It’s so moist and yummy…I might have to make another loaf soon. Except I’m out of walnuts, darn. And pecans.
You know what I changed? I ground up the apple peel and tossed it into the batter! I hate wasting it, and think of all those nutrients in the skin!

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betty April 21, 2010 at 9:27 pm

this looks great i am making it this weekend :O)

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The great 16 year old "baker" April 27, 2010 at 4:33 am

OMG! THIS BREAD WAS TO DIE FOR!!
MY WHOLE FAMILY DEVOURED IT, 5 MINUTES AFTER IT WAS OUT OF THE OVEN.
i dont think you get to call this cake healthy though,
because stuffing your face with the entire thing may be not dietetic!

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Denise May 9, 2010 at 4:29 pm

I made this bread tonight and it so yummy! Thanks for the great recipe and pictures too!

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Tricia July 4, 2010 at 11:06 am

SO so good!! After a short mishap with the downtime on the site I made this beautiful loaf and impressed everyone I know by making them like flax seeds! Thanks for the consistently outstanding recipes!

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VaMom August 24, 2010 at 8:57 pm

Made this today and it was awesome! Made a couple changes to make it as healthy as possible….used 1 c. whole wheat flour and 3/4 c. all purpose flour (instead of the other way around), used sugar free “brown sugar” (Ideal Brown), used Egg Beaters (1/2 c.) in place of eggs, used unsweetened Almond Breeze w/lemon juice in place of buttermilk, and a heaping tbsp of ground flax ….made a gorgeous loaf, didn’t sink in the middle, made the house smell amazing, and tasted great! Can’t wait for breakfast!! Thanks for this recipe!

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Joy November 20, 2010 at 3:20 pm

Whoa. Whoaaa. This bread is seriously delicious!! Thanks for the recipe, Joy. I made a version on my blog with no flax seed because I’m a rebel, check it out!

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Marcie January 31, 2011 at 7:26 am

Made this yesterday. DAMN it’s super tasty. Loved it. Thanks

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Alice January 31, 2011 at 8:04 am

Hi Joy,
This recipe looks amazing! I have one question:
I live in a small town and the only whole wheat flours at the store are ww pastry flour and stone ground ww flour. Which one should I use? Or should I us a mix of both? Or…?
Thanks!!!

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Martha February 13, 2011 at 8:28 pm

I’ve just found your site and am so enjoying it!! I haven’t yet tried this recipe (looks yummy!) but wanted to suggest that, instead of flax seed, use flax meal (can grind your own from seed). The seeds will just go right through your system, whereas the meal will let your body reap its benefits. You may have to adjust the liquid content….or not…because flax meal has a good oil and will help keep the bread moist.
Thanks for a cool blog!

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Philip Geneman February 15, 2011 at 6:32 pm

This apple walnut flax seed bread :) looks great too! I love this site so many great recipes. off to the next recipe! see ya

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Hannah March 28, 2011 at 10:01 pm

This bread was delicious! I subbed the buttermilk with applesauce which worked out fantastic given that this bread is apple bread. I also added a dash of cardamom and added more ground flax seeds. Mmmmm. Thank you Joy!

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KT March 30, 2011 at 6:03 am

Thank you so very much for being hilarious while giving me a “coffee face kicking” breakfast bread recipe. My morning just got 100x better.

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Kelsey @ Clean Teen Kelsey April 4, 2011 at 11:46 am

Wow, wow, wow.

That’s all.

Well actually, that isn’t all. I hope I can make a vegan version of this!!

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beth April 5, 2011 at 12:19 am

A+ recipe
I am a wretched baker (baking is too scientific for me). My breads usually end up tasting like Bisquick. But this apple walnut flaxseed bread was different – it was really delicious! Full of flavor, very satisfying, and even fun to make. Thank you, Joy!

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Sheree April 17, 2011 at 12:30 am

I made this bread for my Sunday cooking fest, and it was so easy to make, delicious, and even a bit healthy! Found it hard to wait for the bread to cool before taste-testing, so I caved and sliced off the ends to sample with a cup of Earl Grey. Mmm mmm.

I didn’t have flaxseeds (or as Martha suggested, flaxseed meal, since the seeds do go straight through you without reaping any benefits) so I substituted with chia seeds… And it worked perfectly!

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cassia April 17, 2011 at 2:48 pm

I live in rural Oregon. I saw this and knew it was ment for my taste buds. On my way to the kitchen to bake it this very moment.

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Rebecca May 1, 2011 at 5:59 pm

You are an amazing cook!!! I LOVED this bread…fantastic & made the house smell SO good, tasted even better!

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Cha cha July 3, 2011 at 5:30 pm

I just made this today and plan to have for breakfast this coming week (if I can resist going back for more slices tonight). It is delicious. I really like that it’s not too sweet and has the added flax seeds and wheat flour and not too much butter (relative to your other recipes :) so I get to say I’m eating healthy when I’m really just eating deliciousness.

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Lucy August 31, 2011 at 3:47 am

delicious and semi healthy. Moist apply walnutty goodness

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Linda September 4, 2011 at 5:30 pm

This was absolutely delicious. A great healthy treat my kids loved. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.

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Deborah October 14, 2011 at 4:09 am

Joy,
So nice to have found your blog. I love to bake, and saw your blog listed on the Shape magazine eblast. Not only will I be voting for you as the best blog, I’ll also be making your apple cinnamon coffee cake posted yesterday (that looks absolutely fab!). Thanks for providing such wonderful recipes. I’m looking forward to also making this apple walnut flax bread. Thanks again, and I’m happy to be a new follower.
Best,
Deborah

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Isabella January 4, 2012 at 3:20 am

This sound too good to be missed, I am making it at the weekend.However, american cup is different to english cup please advise in gramms, it will make it easer. My first time here and I am loving it. Go girl !!!! Isy

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Mary Sims January 15, 2012 at 12:22 pm

Is there a break down of calorie and nutrition value of this bread somewhere? I love it so much!

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