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There’s something magical about baking a loaf that fills your kitchen with warmth, comfort, and the smell of something homemade. Today, I’m sharing one of my absolute favorites — Apricot Carrot Bread. It’s moist, tender, and perfectly sweet with a lovely balance of sweet earthy carrots and chewy bits of dried apricot.
I recently made this bread on my YouTube channel, and it turned out so good! If you’re a visual learner (or just love watching beautiful baking shots), you can watch my full step-by-step video tutorial below. You’ll see exactly how I mix the batter, fold in the apricots, and get that perfect golden crust.
This recipe came from one of those spontaneous “use what I have” baking moments. I had a few carrots left in the crisper and a small bag of dried apricots sitting in my pantry. Instead of my usual carrot muffins or banana bread, I decided to experiment — and this Apricot Carrot Bread was the result.
The first bite surprised me: moist and bursting with little pockets of sweet, tangy apricot. It instantly became a family favorite, and now I bake it every few months or so — especially when I want something cozy that isn’t too rich. This is actually a recipe that would transcribe very well into a vegan recipe.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Tips
These are most of the ingredients you will need to make apricot carrot bread. You can find the full list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
Apricots- Dried apricots are the highlight of this recipe and one of my favorite snacks. I always have them in my pantry for baking and healthy snacking. They have a nice sweet flavor and are a great sources of fiber, potassium, and vitamins A and E. However, it is important to know that the sweetness can vary depending on the drying process and variety of apricot. So I would suggest tasting your apricots and adjusting the sugar to your taste.
Carrots- Shredded carrots is another featured ingredient of this recipe. Carrots add sweetness, moisture, and flavor. Carrot is usually used in spiced cakes like carrot cake, so it was important to me to see what it could add to this recipe. I thoroughly enjoyed the results.
Oil- This is a oil based bread. I chose vegetable oil as it is a great neutral oil that makes this quick bread moist and adds richness. Since the vegetable oil is liquid at room temperature, it keeps the bread soft and moist even when the bread cools. You can also use canola oil for a similar result. Coconut oil is another great oil to use if you want to elevate the flavor.
Sugar- This recipe uses basic granulated sugar as the apricots alone does not add enough sweetness. Sugar adds moisture also, and it is important for the texture of the quick bread.
Honey- Honey is truly the star of the glaze for this recipe. Honey has a funny way of thickening and yet providing a certain waxiness, in a good way, to the Honey Bun Glaze I chose for this recipe. I know that description sounds a bit weird, but it is the best description I can think of. This is not an ingredient that can be substituted as it provides the proper texture for the glaze as it sets up.
Variations
Since this bread is so simple, it opens the door to a lot of creativity with the additives and toppings.
- Add other dried fruits: Dried cranberries or dates would be great fruits to add along side the apricots. cranberries provide a bit of tartness while dates aid more sweetness and texture complexity.
- Add nuts: Walnuts or pecans are always good in sweet quick breads. They add very distinct flavors and add to overall texture. My favorite is the walnut, which I use in a lot of my baked good.
- Add cream cheese frosting: I have yet to find any cake or bread that was not improved with a good cream cheese frosting. I am a big fan of cream cheese, and because this bread is subtly sweet, some people may appreciate the extra sweetness and tang a cream frosting would add.
- Add pound cake icing: Sometime less is more, and my pound cake icing adds a bit of sugary crunch, while staying light so as not to muddle taste of the actual cake or bread. I think many of the cake and bread purest would appreciate this.
- Add streusel topping: A streusel topping add many of the familiar quick bread flavor that one expects from the pumpkin bread or carrot cake such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Add different flavorings: I chose not to add any outside flavorings to this bread so as not to take aways from the apricot. However, vanilla, almond, lemon, and/or rum would be excellent choices so experiment with. Rum, in particular, would be nice to pair with the apricot flavor. Feel free to be creative as you like.
How to make Apricot Carrot Bread
I have written out the most important parts of this recipe in a step-by-step sequence of images along with the instructions for the Apricot Carrot Bread. You can find the full sequence of instruction in the recipe card below.
1. In large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar, carrot, apple sauce, egg, and oil. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Mix just until combines. DO NOT over mix.
4. Fold in apricots until just combined.
5. Pour into prepared loaf pan, and spread evenly with spoon. Batter will be thick.
6. Bake on 350 F for 45-50 or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
7. Allow to cool completely before adding topping.
Why You’ll Love This Apricot Carrot Bread
- Soft and moist: Carrots keep the crumb tender and rich.
- Naturally sweet: You don’t need tons of sugar — the apricots do the magic.
- No mixer required: It’s a quick, one-bowl recipe anyone can make.
- Perfect any time of day: Enjoy it for breakfast, brunch, or a light dessert.
Pro Tip: This bread tastes even better the next day — the flavors deepen and the texture gets even softer.
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Apricot Carrot Bread
Video
Equipment
- 1 standard 9×5" Loaf Pan
- Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer *optional*
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil any neutral oil
- ½ cup chopped dried apricots
- 2 tbsps Butter, softened for lining loaf pan
Honeybun Glaze Topping
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp apple juice
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350 F. Prepare loaf pan by spreading it liberally with softened butter. Set aside.
- In large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, carrot, apple sauce, egg, and oil. Mix thoroughly.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Mix just until combines. DO NOT over mix.
- Fold in apricots until just combined.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan, and spread evenly with spoon. Batter will be thick.
- Bake on 350 F for 45-50 or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
- Allow to cool completely before adding topping.
Topping
- Combine all topping ingredients. Consistency should be a drizzle. Add more or less apple juice as needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Add the topping onto bread in your favorite design or simply spread the topping on to the bread.Enjoy!
Nutrition
How to Serve It
This Apricot Carrot Bread is delicious any way you slice it — but here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
- Warm with butter for a comforting breakfast.
- With cream cheese or honey for an afternoon snack.
- Toasted and topped with Greek yogurt and chopped nuts for a wholesome start to your day.
- Spread with honey butter for a nice lite dessert.
It’s the kind of recipe that feels special but doesn’t demand much effort — exactly the kind of baking I love most. I love this bread with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
This is one of the best make-ahead recipes because this bread keeps so well. On those occasion where you have extra guests and need something light to give them, this is perfect. I usually keep one or two loaves prebaked in my freezer.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days.
- Refrigerate for up to a week for longer freshness.
- To freeze: slice and wrap individually for quick grab-and-go snack. It will last for months.
Just reheat for a few minutes in the oven or microwave, and it’ll taste like it was baked that morning.
