Apple Cinnamon Bread is quick and easy to make from scratch and makes your house smell amazing! Swirled with delicious spiced apples and topped with cinnamon sugar, this quick bread recipe is sure to be a fall favorite.
This apple cinnamon quick bread has a nice crumb and is not overly sweet – a perfect fall breakfast, snack or dessert! The chopped apple inside that’s mixed with brown sugar and fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg makes this bread super moist without it being doughy and keeps it fresh for days.
This cinnamon apple loaf cake tastes great warm out of the oven but I love it even more after a day or two! The flavor of the cinnamon apples come through even more when the bread has rested. Perfect for busy days when you don’t have time to bake on the same day!
What I also love about baking this cake is that the house smells amazing afterward! No need for fall candles, this easy recipe comes with your favorite fall scents included!
How to make Apple Cinnamon Bread
- I always make this bread in a 9×5 heavy-gauge steel loaf pan that has a non-stick coating. If you are using a glass pan or a dark metal pan baking time can vary so check the bread after 30 minutes and from then every 5-10 minutes until a skewer comes out clean with only a few crumbs attached.
- I like to line my pans with parchment paper. A parchment paper sling makes it super easy to lift the cake out of the pan and makes cleaning easier!
- You can use any apple you like. I have used Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, and Gala apples and the bread tastes great each time.
I’m on an apple kick lately! Ever since September started and the temperature has finally dropped I have been busy in the kitchen baking and most of my latest recipes are apple recipes. I love apple recipes all year round but somehow many people think apples are like pumpkins and baking with them is a seasonal thing. What about you? Luckily it’s technically autumn so making this apple cinnamon bread is totally ok!
To assemble this quick bread spread half of the batter into the pan and top it with half of the brown sugar apple mixture. The batter will be thick so the apple chunks won’t think to the bottom.
Top with the remaining batter and the other half of the apples. Try to distribute them evenly then use a knife to swirl them into the dough a little bit. Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top and bake for about 50 minutes.
When the bread is done take the pan out of the oven and let it cool down for a few minutes in the pan before transferring it to a cooling rack.
How to make this apple quick bread healthier
To make this bread a bit healthier you can switch out half of the butter and replace it with unsweetened applesauce instead. This gives the bread an extra apple kick and lowers the calories. The crumb might be not as light but still tasty.
I wouldn’t recommend replacing all the butter with applesauce because the butter adds flavor and richness. Using only applesauce might result in a rubbery texture.
You can also make this apple loaf cake healthier by reducing the brown sugar in the apple mixture. Especially if you use really sweet apples you probably won’t notice a difference. I would not recommend reducing the granulated sugar that’s needed for the cake batter because creaming the sugar and butter together gives this bread it’s volume and texture. Reducing the sugar will result in a drier more dense texture.
How to store apple bread
This bread keeps fresh covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. I think it tastes even better on the next day but most of the time it is already gone on the first.
Can I freeze apple bread?
Yes, you can! Bake it, cool it, wrap it up in aluminum foil and freeze the bread as a whole. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before slicing and serving. Freezes well for up to 3 months.
Looking for more easy apple recipes to make this fall?
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
- Apple Cake Recipe with Cinnamon Butter
- Covered German Apple Cake Recipe
- German Apple Streusel Sheet Cake
- Puff Pastry Walnut Apple Strudel
I hope you love this apple bread recipe as much as we do! Please, let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Watch how easy it is to make this recipe!
Tools used for making this cinnamon apple bread:
Loaf Pan: I really like this loaf pan because it has a non-stick coating that really works and it is easy to clean.
Stand Mixer: My most used kitchen appliance and it’s so pretty it can sit on the counter as decoration!
Cinnamon: I go through so much cinnamon this time of the year so I bought this one to always have it on hand!
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Apple Cinnamon Bread
Ingredients
For the Bread:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (190g)
- 1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (115g)
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar, (100g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk, (120ml)
For the Apple Mixture:
- 1 large apple, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, (50g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- 1 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- In a small bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Then add vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- With the mixer running on low, add about one-third of the flour mixture and mix until almost combined, then add half the milk and mix until just combined. Repeat with another third of flour mixture and then the last half of the milk, ending with the last third of the flour. Beat until just incorporated. Don't overmix!
- In a bowl combine chopped apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Spread half of the batter into the loaf pan, top with half of the apple mixture, followed by the remaining batter and the remaining apple mixture. Use a knife to swirl through the batter then combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it on top.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached. Baking times vary so keep an eye on yours.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
- Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
G Spencer says
Love this….has anyone added walnuts?. I am thinking of making again and adding
Katie says
I did. Worked great!
Jackie says
Absolutely delicious! Followed recipe exact, buy may have used more apple, (I used two medium sized ones), and it was easy. Baked for 55 minutes. Will be making again! Thanks for such a yummy recipe. :)
Katherine Borton-Johnson says
How many mini loaves would this make?
Julia Foerster says
I’m not sure, it depends on how big your mini loaves are.
Florentina says
Super delicious!
Kathy says
This is absolutely delicious
Kathy says
Have you ever used cider instead of milk?
Julia Foerster says
No, I haven’t but I don’t think replacing all the milk with cider would work well.
Alisa F Gerald says
Excellent!! Made this with a honey crisp apple. Wish I’d had a little more apple. I diced half and then grated half. Squeezed the juice out of the grated apple so it wouldn’t be too wet. The first time I made this, I failed to whip the butter and sugar in a separate bowl. oops. Everything got mixed together instead of in the steps indicated in the recipe. Let me tell you…it makes a difference. Much better and lighter bread if you whip the butter and sugar first. Baked it using parchment paper for 50 minutes but probably could have gone another 5 mins. for a little more browning. It was absolutely delicious. I’d post a picture if I could.
Julia Foerster says
Thank you for your comment, Alisa! It definitely makes a difference. You can always send me pictures to my email address (julia@platedcravings.com), I love seeing what my readers make!
Kris says
Looks amazing. Can I use applesauce in place of some (definitely not all!) of the sugar?
Rainie Smith says
Amazingly easy and delicious recipe, full of flavor and the combination of cinnamon and nutmeg wow felt like Christmas in spring. thanks so much for this awesome recipe.