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Apple Cinnamon Bread is easy to make from scratch and makes your house smell amazing! A fall favorite swirled with apples and cinnamon sugar.
This apple cinnamon quick bread has a light 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.
It tastes great warm out of the oven, but I love it even more after a day or two! The flavor of the cinnamon apples comes through even more when the bread has rested. Looking for a muffin recipe? Check out our Apple Cinnamon Muffins.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Tender crumb, light texture, and lots of sweet apple bits in every slice!
- Keeps fresh for days and freezes really well!
- Baking this quick bread will make your house smell amazing! No need for fall candles, this easy recipe comes with your favorite fall scents included!
Ingredient notes
Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour in this recipe. Make sure to measure it correctly, using too much flour makes the bread dry.
- Baking powder – This is the main leavening agent in the bread.
- Cinnamon – We use ground cinnamon in the batter and apple topping for extra fall flavor. I prefer Ceylon cinnamon.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter for baking. The butter should have room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about 45 minutes before you want to bake.
- Sugar – This recipe uses white granulated sugar in the batter and brown sugar in the apple mixture.
- Eggs – Use large eggs. It’s best if the eggs are also at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – You can also use vanilla sugar in this recipe.
- Apple – You can use any apple you like. I have used Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, and Gala apples and the bread tastes great each time.
- Cinnamon sugar mixture – Cinnamon sugar is a great topping for pancakes and waffles. It adds a bit of crunch to the bread and a lot of flavor.
How to make this recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
This apple bread recipe is super easy to make from scratch! After making the batter by combining the dry mixture with the wet ingredients.
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.
Expert Tips
- Baking pan: 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.
- Oven: Every oven bakes differently, so make sure to check the bread regularly.
- Preparing the pan: 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!
- Apple: You can use any apple you like. I have used Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Gala, and Granny Smith apples and the bread tastes great every time.
- Serve it: This cinnamon apple bread tastes great with homemade whipped cream.
Recipe FAQs
To make this bread a bit healthier, you replace half the butter with unsweetened applesauce. This gives the bread an extra apple kick and lowers the calories. The crumb might be not as light but still tasty.
You can also reduce the brown sugar in the apple mixture. Especially if you use a really sweet apple, you probably won’t notice a difference. I wouldn’t recommend reducing the white sugar that’s needed for the cake batter because creaming the sugar and butter together gives this bread its volume and texture.
Another easy way to lighten it up is to skip the cinnamon sugar topping.
I love using apples that are not too sweet in this recipe. Granny Smith apples are my favorite because of their tartness. But you can use any apple you have on hand. For example, Fuji, Braeburn, Jonagold, Gala, or Honey Crisp would also work well.
Variations
Nuts – Adding a handful of nuts is an easy way to add some crunch. Walnuts or pecans work well.
Glaze – Adding a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and apple juice or water will make this apple cinnamon bread recipe even more delicious! Just drizzle it over the cooled bread and let it dry before serving.
Lighten it up – You can easily lighten up this quick bread by using apple sauce and reducing the sugar. Check out the recipe FAQs for more detailed instructions.
Storage and Freezing
This bread keeps fresh, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 4 days. I think it tastes even better the next day, but most of the time it is already gone on the first.
To freeze it, let it cool completely then wrap it up in foil, put it in a freezer bag, 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.
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Apple Cinnamon Bread
Ingredients
For the Bread:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
For the Apple Mixture:
- 1 large apple, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 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 9×5 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 the 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 the 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 the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it on top.
- Bake for 45–55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Let it cool before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Baking pan: 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.
- Oven: Every oven bakes differently, so make sure to check the bread regularly.
- Preparing the pan: 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!
- Apple: You can use any apple you like. I have used Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Gala, and Granny Smith apples and the bread tastes great every time.
- Serve it: This cinnamon apple bread tastes great with homemade whipped cream.
- Storing: Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 4 days.
I love this bread, made it several times. Today I used two large apples, which yieled 1 and 1/2 heaping cups of finely diced apples, that seemed about right. If you’re making this bread for the first time, I would aim for that measured amount. One apple isn’t enough. And it really depends on its size and how you cut it. Hope this helps someone.
I just took my first out of the oven. Can’t wait to taste. From the way it looks this’ll be the first of many.
Can you do it in Zoji bread making machine? It would make life easier and less of a mess.
Very good recipe but I would combine apples into batter before putting into pan, not layer and swirl! Lots of messing around. End result would be the same and no having to clean up sides of pan!
Excellent idea! 😁 I add a few blueberries. Yum!
I made the bread this am ..( Tenn. ) I substituted a banana since I had no eggs.. my bad 🙊 overall it turn out beautiful & oh so tasty.. will be makn it again & again can’t wait for my love to try it 🩷❤️🙌
I made the bread this am (TENN.) I replaced eggs with a banana .. a great substitution when u are out of eggs .. oops my bad !! We’ll it was delish an can’t tell it’s made with a banana 😂 I’m stoked ❤️🩷😂🎉🙌