I used to buy a delicious bread at my local grocery store called Breakfast Bread, but it was full of white flour and sugar.
Fast forward to now when I don’t eat gluten or sugar. Does that mean I can’t have my beloved Breakfast Bread? No! I can make my own that tastes even better!
~This whole grain, energy-dense bread makes a great addition to lazy weekend brunches or for busy, on-the-go weekday breakfasts. Full of healthy fats, fiber, and complex carbohydrates to keep you energized through the morning. Whole grain, yeast-free, dairy-free, vegan, and, of course, sugar-free!
Ingredients
- 1 cup spelt flour*
- 1 cup oat flour (simply blend oats in blender until smooth)
- 1 cup chopped nuts (I used a mix of pecans, walnuts, and almonds. Any kind will do)
- 1 cup chopped dried fruit (I happened to have apricots and dates in my pantry, but use whatever you like. I'm sure dried tart cherries, prunes, and blueberries would make a wonderful addition!)
- 1 large apple, chopped
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 cup ground flax, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup rolled oats, to top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375*.
- First, place the chopped apple in a small saucepan with a splash of water. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for five minutes or until the apples are tender. Once tender, smash with a fork until it resembles a chunky applesauce.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and flax, if using. Then add the water and mix until smooth. Fold in the chopped nuts and fruit until well-combined.
- Pour the batter in a greased bread pan and top with rolled oats. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for five minutes before removing from pan. Slice and serve warm.
Notes
*Spelt flour is not gluten-free. Some with gluten intolerances may be able to handle it, though. It is a whole grain, non-hybrid ancient wheat that dates back 9,000 years. It has a nutty flavor and can be substituted in most recipes calling for wheat flour, and vise versa.
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Don’t be afraid of the long ingredient list because it is extremely easy to make. It is basically just flour, nuts, fruit, and spices.
Isn’t it gorgeous? Do you see those beautiful specks of fruit and nuts? It would make a great gift. Then again, it tastes too good, so I might just keep it for myself!
It makes a great afternoon snack, too. It can stay out of the fridge for a couple days, but I recommend keeping it refrigerated if you don’t eat it right away. Simply throw a slice in the toaster or eat it cold. The bread is dense, so it stays together in the toaster. Use a sharp knife when slicing to make a clean cut.
Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:
What kinds of nuts and fruit would you throw in this bread?
Next time, I would love to buy some tart cherries and pair it with hazelnuts.
This looks great! I don’t eat gluten anymore either, and I’m not sure if I could tolerate spelt flour but it might be worth a try.
Looks amazing, I think I will be giving this a go real soon :0)
ohhh this looks so good! what a great idea~
yum yum…. might need to restock on nuts and fruits for this one
I would include blueberries!
i love cold bread
apple is always a winner, i like to use in season fruits.. maybe pear and walnuts with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg . orrr how about tropical with pineapple or mango and coconut!
topped with coconut butter!! okay now im hungry and i just ate dinner
wow! that’s like a whole meal in a slice of bread! i bet that fills you up forever!
Suggestion for replacing the spelt?
Hi Joelle, if you are not gluten-free, then I would use whole wheat flour. If you are gluten-free, I would try brown rice flour and see how that works out.
I have to say I love your blog and have made many dishes you have posted…but this looks like fruit cake to me!! I still recall having to make that with my mom when I was little and having to eat it at others homes not one of those things you want to bring back
…..what does it taste like…could you add fresh fruits?
Hi Carol!
Thanks for the sweet comment. Whatever you call it-it tastes amazing! It is a dense bread full of nuts and fruit with a nice aroma of cinnamon. Not like fruit cake, but more of an energy-dense slice of whole grains with fruit and nuts. Kind of like granola with the fruit, nut, and spices…only in a bread. I have never tried adding fresh fruit, but I am sure it would work fine.
LOOKS SO DELICIOUS! omg I love the dried fruit pieces in there!
Yum! Everything you’ve got in there looks great!
nuts/fruit I would add – Macadamia & Blueberries
I am making this asap! I have all the ingredients and this looks so dense and fantastic! Love!!!!
This is the most photogenic bread ive ever seen! Toasted with a bit of butter, or almond butter… yummmm! It looks so delicious, alex!
Awww, Thanks Katie! That really means a lot to me coming from you because your photography is fantastic!
No way! You used Apricots, Dates, AND Walnuts?! I can’t believe that that is what I guessed! What a wonderful recipe Alex! It is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!
Haha! Yeah! good guessing!
Mannnnn my guess was totally off! Haha
I’ve always been better at eating food rather than guessing it
I am totally making this today! It looks like a perfect breakfast bread! I love how you added dried fruit and all those amazing and healthy ingredients
Let me know how it turn out for you!
It was absolutely delicious!! My whole family enjoyed it for Sunday breakfast, even my mom who normally doesn´t eat sweet stuff
Oh yay! I am so glad you made it and liked it! Thanks for letting me know!
holy moly.
deliciousness times 2 billion.
Oh yum! This looks delicious, Alex! I love adding currants to my homemade breads. They’re so delicious. Mm that and unsweetened carob chips, and maybe a bit of coconut and pecans. Goodness me. I sense some bread making in my near future.
Beautiful, as you said. I like that it is mostly fruit and nuts. The bread just sticks it all together!
YUUUUUUUUUUUMY
This will probably now be made in additon to my oat cake mornings!
THANKS!
spelt flour huh? Need to find some of that.
That looks beyondddd amazing!! The perfect breakfast
awesome looking bread, and love the name!!
I like you idea of cherries and hazelnuts, and maybe some chocolate chips too, YUM!
HOLY COW! Can I come over??? This my friend is my type of bread!! Safe on the allergies, no harsh sugars and sweetness for the morning. You are a genius!
I will try this!
xxoo
Thanks Kris. And yes, you are welcome anytime
I am going to try making this bread with whole wheat flour, shredded carrots, and raisins.
Wow, good job on this. I wish I had the time to make this. Awesome!
Have a lovely week.
I have most of these ingredients! I love how you don’t use sugar and am assuming the dried fruit and apples provide just the perfect amount of natural sweetness. I must try this
Would it work if I used all oat flour? Or maybe subbed spelt flour with almond flour?
Hi Jessy!
I honestly have no idea how it would turn out. I know oat flour tends to be more moist when baked then spelt? And I have never worked with almond flour before. Maybe you can mix the two to give it more variety and see how it goes? Worth a shot!
I made this bread two days ago. It was so tasty. I used dried fruits that I had on hand. I used dried apricots, dried cranberries, raisins, dates and prunes. I sprinkled shredded coconut instead of oatmeal but I will try the oatmeal next time. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it, Marcia!
I made this today, I had some troubles, but in the end it turned out okay. When I followed the recipe, the dough was too dry (I couldn’t even mix it), so I added fromage frais and a mashed banana. I used different nuts and dried apricots and cranbarries, topped with sliced almonds.
I made this, it was awesome! Thank you! I used all organic ingredients: Golden Berries, Golden Flax Seeds, Apricots, Dates, Pecans, and Walnuts. The recipe is a great base and I will swap out these fillings for lots of others. Definitely Make This!
SO glad you liked it
It is one of my favorites, too. And yes, very customizable! I’ll be excited to see what flavor combos you come up with.
[...] I should have handed in the first draft of my Ibsen-Shaw comparison paper on Monday, but I haven’t even started writing it yet, so I ditched class. I stayed home doing other homework, then went to the IKEA to buy a bread baking tin and made sugarless fruit bread. [...]