Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread (No-Yeast Vegan)
This Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread is a delicious no-yeast pull apart bread packed with gingerbread spices and chunks of apple. This dough is naturally vegan and easily gluten-free and is ready in 40 minutes.
I love a good no-yeast dough and for this festive creation, I have used lots of apple to enhance the dough as well as to pair beautifully with all the gingerbread spices. This is a great bread to share and tear with friends and family this Christmastime as it comes apart so well when you pull apart the loaf plus it smells amazing when it bakes.
How delicious is this Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread?
Like most recipes, I think this one is extremely delicious as it is:
- Packed with gingerbread spices
- Studded with juicy chunks of apple
- Easy to make and bake in 40 minutes
- So light and fluffy
- Doughy and pillowy soft
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free
- Impressive to make for friends and family for brunch, dessert or afternoon tea
- Surprisingly easy to make
If you already love the sound of this Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread then skip ahead to the recipe card below and away you go. Firstly, let’s discuss the ingredients and method.
What goes into this pull apart bread?
The dough is based on my favourite magic dough which relies on thick dairy-free yoghurt and self-raising flour for the pillowy soft texture and rise.
- Apple puree: this replaces some of the yoghurt that I’d usually use and adds a lovely tender texture and mellow apple flavour. You can either make your own (instructions below) or use a shop-bought one, just make sure it is 100% apple.
- Thick dairy-free yoghurt: it is really important that the yoghurt is thick and creamy otherwise the dough will not hold together. My favourite is thick coconut yoghurt or other dairy-free Greek-style yoghurts.
- Light brown sugar: this adds a lot of gingerbread flavour although other sugar like white or golden caster sugar or coconut sugar will also work.
- Self-raising flour: the magic ingredient that turns apple ad yoghurt into fluffy dough. You can use a gluten-free self-raising flour, too, you may need slightly more flour as the dough is wetter. Read this post for more information.
- Cinnamon and ginger: for the gingerbread flavours.
- Salt: to enhance all the flavours.
The filling is equally as simply but really delicious:
- Bramley or other apples: I first used Bramley apples as they turn really tender in the oven but other apples will work, too.
- Vegan butter: this adds a lovely buttery taste to the filling. You could try this with coconut oil if you like the taste or vegan margarine spread, too.
- Light brown sugar: as above this has the best flavour but other sugars will work.
- Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg: for the best gingerbread flavour.
How do I make a perfect Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread?
The method for this pull apart bread is different to my Vegan Espresso Cinnamon Roll Tear and Share although thee premise is the same when you eat it.
I have shared a recipe video online to help visually, watch the video here.
There are a few steps:
- Make the dough: stir together all the ingredients and bring together to a smooth ball of dough.
- Roll out the dough: to a large rectangle.
- Cover with the apple filling: evenly spread out the filling over the dough.
- Slice the dough into 5 strips: along the long edge.
- Stack the strips: one on top of the other. Don’t worry about being too neat and add in any apple pieces that fall out.
- Slice the stack into 3: roughly the same width as your loaf tin.
- Pile the pieces into the loaf tin: they will fit snugly inside the tin. Add in any apple that has fallen out.
- Bake until golden brown: either eat straight away or allow to cool and then…
- Cover with frosting: a simple icing sugar glaze works perfectly.
That is all there is to this Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread, but it works so well and is so impressive for friends and family.
Can I make this into other flavours?
I love this pull apart bread recipe, but you can easily make this into a few other flavours. Keep the apple in the dough but pass on the cinnamon and ginger and then:
- Chocolate Hazelnut: spread the dough with chocolate spread and cover with chopped hazelnuts.
- Pumpkin Spice: use the same filling as for my Pumpkin Spice Buns.
- Berry Jam: spread the dough with your favourite jam.
- Nutty-licious: spread the dough with your favourite nut butter.
Is this Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread gluten-free and nut-free?
If you use a gluten-free flour, read this post, as you may need slightly more flour but it will still be delicious. This recipe is naturally nut-free, just check your yoghurt in case you use a nut-based one.
How long will this last?
Store this Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread at room temperature in a sealed container for 1-2 days although it is always best eaten on the same day as that is when it is the fluffiest and most moist. You can also freeze un-iced loaves for up to 1 month in the freezer when wrapped up well.
What other no-yeast and festive recipes can I make?
I hope you will really love this Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread and if you are looking for more festive recipes, how about my:
- Gingerbread Caramel French Toast
- Vegan Mini Panettone
- Vegan Christmas Rocky Road
- Eggnog Cupcakes with Homemade Eggnog and Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread (No Yeast Gluten-Free Option)
This Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread is a delicious no-yeast pull apart bread packed with gingerbread spices and chunks of apple. This dough is naturally vegan and easily gluten-free and is ready in 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the pull apart bread:
- 100g apple puree*
- 150g thick dairy-free yoghurt
- 40g light brown sugar
- 250g self-raising or GF self-raising flour, plus extra
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- A pinch of salt For the filling:
- 2 Bramley or other apples
- 2 tbsp melted vegan butter
- 4 tbsp light brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- A pinch of nutmeg For the glaze:
- 100g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- Extra ginger
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and grease and/or line a loaf tin with parchment paper.
- Make the filling: peel, core and dice the apples. Add to a bowl and stir in the butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Leave to one side.
- Make the dough: stir together the apple puree, yoghurt and sugar. Now add in the flour, cinnamon, ginger and salt and stir to a shaggy dough.
- Tip onto a floured surface (I use silicon baking mat) and bring to a smooth dough with your hands. Shape into a rectangle. Add more flour as needed and roll out the dough to 35cm x 22cm or similar.
- Cover the dough with the apple mix and evenly spread out.
- Along the long edge, slice the dough into 5 strips (about 7cm each). Carefully pick up one slice and stack on top of another slice. Continue to stack all 5 strips, popping back any pieces of apple that fall out.
- Now slice this stack into 3 (the same size as the width of your loaf tin) and place them into the tin, one stack at a time so they are pressed against one another, cut-side up. Press in any apple pieces that have fallen out.
- Bake for 35 minutes, covering the bread for the final 10 minutes, if it is crisping or browning too much, or until it is cooked through.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes then lift out the tin to cool fully (or you can enjoy warm now).
- Once cool, stir together the icing sugar and water unit thick and spread over the bread. Add on some extra ginger, if you like.
- Enjoy straight away or store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature for 1-2 days although best eaten fresh. *Peel, core and cube 3 Bramley (or other) apples and add to a saucepan. Add 1 tbsp water and bring to a boil then simmer with a lid on for 10-20 minutes until really soft. Mash or blend to a puree. Allow to cool fully before using.
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Gingerbread Apple Pull Apart Bread so please leet me know in the comments below. If you do make this bread, I would love to see so please tag me in your bakes, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With gingerbread pull apart love x
The original recipes was created with great British Apples but this post is not sponsored.
Your bakes always look so delicious!
Thank you hope you’ll love the pull apart bread
Hey Amy. Another fabulous bake and love bramley apples 🍎 especially when baking and cinnamon just does it. Gingerbread is like my all time favourite 😍 flavour to have at Xmas and hope I can bake your festive recipes soon. Saved to my WordPress saved collection and splendid photography as always
YAY! Enjoy the pull apart bread it’s a really fun one to make
This was so rewarding to lake and the taste and texture was lovely! It was simpler and quicker to make than I thought it would be (we had ready made apple purée too). The apple purée made the dough a bit wet, so I added quite a bit more flour. Amy’s tip to roll it out on a silicone sheet is good advice as it sticks a lot, but next time I will use greased proof paper to roll it out on. My baking tin was large than suggested so there was too much space left in the tin. In only about 5 or 6 minutes I made another batch of dough as there was plenty of apple mix left over. As I had no apple purée left for the second batch of dough I just added in total 100g of sugar and the mixture was the perfect consistency for rolling it out. Next time I won’t use apple purée as I barely noticed a difference in taste and the texture for me was better and the apple filling tastes so nice anyway.
Hi Kari, thank you so much for the feedback and I am so glad you loved the pull apart bread. Without seeing your dough, I can imagine that the yoghurt you used was runnier than a thick coconut yoghurt (as suggested and I always use and the fact all brands vary) but glad you fixed it with more flour! So happy you loved it and found the recipe easy and quick to make!! Happy baking 🙂