Apple Streusel Bread
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Caitlin Greene
One of my weaknesses as a kid was coffee cake. There is just something so satisfying about the crumble texture and the streusel. I distinctly remember my dad and me buying an Entenmann’s coffeecake on a Sunday morning and usually finishing it between the two of us by the end of the day. Well, nowadays I don’t eat gluten and I haven’t had one of those Entenmann’s treats in years. So, I decided to make my own version. This bread is gluten-free, paleo and a lot lower in sugar than your typical coffee cake type desserts. However, don’t let the ingredients fool you. It is absolutely delicious and tastes just as decadent.
I used a mixture of cassava flour and coconut flour in this recipe, and the addition of coconut flour gives it the density of a coffee cake as well as the crumbly texture. The secret ingredient to add moisture without adding a ton of oil or butter is Plantain! Plantains are in the same family as bananas. When they are super ripe, they have the sweetness that a banana has, but it doesn’t have a banana flavor. It is a bit more neutral. You will want to make sure that the Plantain you use is literally black. This means that the plantain will be at its peak sweetness. I love baking with plantains in recipes that you want a density. They also make pancakes nice and chewy and moist.
You will need a high-speed blender for this recipe because a key step is blending the Plantain with the other wet ingredients. You want the Plantain to be puréed with the wet ingredients so you don’t end up with chunks like you would in banana bread. The chopped apple along with the apple sauce adds the apple taste to the bread, which is the perfect complement to a streusel. Once you blend together the wet ingredients, you can then easily fold the wet and dry together. I used dairy-free Greek yogurt to keep the recipe paleo, but feel free to sub with dairy yogurt if you prefer. You definitely do want a thick yogurt.
The crumble I made for this recipe uses less fat and sugar than your typical crumble, but the addition of applesauce helps to keep the crumble moist and sweet. I also used a mix of almond flour, cassava flour, and coconut flour for the crumble. The addition of the almond flour adds a buttery flavor without adding butter. I used ghee in the crumble to keep it paleo, but if you prefer then butter works just as well.
Apple Streusel Bread
Ingredients
Apple Streusel Bread:
- 1 cup cassava flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 1/2 Tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 Tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 Tsp salt
- 1 large very ripe plantain (about 175 grams, basically black)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup Greek Style unsweetened yogurt
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 Tsp vanilla
- 1 Apple, chopped into small pieces
Crumble
- 4 teaspoon melted ghee
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup cassava flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 Tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp applesauce
- 1/8 Tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup for drizzle
- Cinnamon to sprinkle
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease two small loaf pans, or cut parchment paper to fit the pans.
- Add flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk dry ingredients. Make the crumble by combining all ingredients together in a small bowl. Using a fork, mix together until it becomes a ball. Set aside.
- Add Plantain, eggs, yogurt, applesauce, sugar and vanilla to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold the blended wet ingredients into the dry until well combined. Add apple and gold again.
- Divide batter equally between the two loaf pans.
- Divide the ball of crumble into two equal sized portions. Crumble the mixture on top of each loaf.
- Drizzle one teaspoon of maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon over each of the loaves.
Bake for 35 minutes on 350.
