5-Seed Applesauce Bread

This recipe from Bake at 350 caught my eye because we have a plethora of applesauce, and it's a relatively healthy quick bread recipe. The juxtaposition of seeds with sweet applesauce creates an interesting texture and flavor.

Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list. It's an easy recipe to pull together.

I pre-sliced the bread and flash froze the loaves, so we just grab a slice or two when we need it for a lunch or snack.

5-Seed Applesauce Bread
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp. flax seeds
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/3 cup pecans, roughly chopped
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 eggs
1 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Grease two 8" loaf pans, and set aside. Roughly chop the sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds. (You can also use a coffee grinder to pulse the flax to crack the seeds.)  Place in a large bowl.

Add the chopped pecans, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves.  Stir together, and set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk the oil and applesauce together until combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, whisking each well.  Whisk in the honey and vanilla.  Finally, whisk in the buttermilk.

Stir the dry mixture into the wet, stirring just until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.  Divide evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Makes 2 loaves.