This apple cinnamon bread is buttery moist and cake-like with plenty of apples dotted in each slice. Tossing the juicy apples in brown sugar and cinnamon before layering and swirling in the loaf pan is an important step. Assembling the loaf this way adds pockets of sweet cinnamon swirl and keeps the batter light. There’s so much flavor from swirling in the brown sugared apples that you really don’t need icing or a crumb topping. Still, if you want to try either, I recommend the crumb topping from peach bread and the brown sugar icing from these pumpkin donuts or even a salted caramel drizzle.
1 loaf disappears FAST!
Let me teach you how to make your next favorite recipe. I’ll walk you through what to expect before explaining my recipe testing trials and tribulations. (All very worth it!)
One reader, Edie, commented: “Forget those other fall flavored quick breads, this is the one you need to make! Sally, I followed your recipe exactly and this is SO SCRUMPTIOUS! The bread is light and somewhat fluffy, not dense like many other quick breads. The delicious layer of cinnamon apples takes this recipe to the next level. It’s like apple pie hugged by cinnamon bread. This is definitely the family’s new fall favorite. Thanks, Sally! ★★★★★“
Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread Details
- Flavor: The notable stars of this quick bread recipe are, you guessed it, cinnamon and apples. The bread’s crumb tastes like buttery cinnamon nutmeg spice cake, so you get a flavor punch even without the apples. Toss the apples in brown sugar and more cinnamon before layering into the loaf pan. These brown sugared apples add sweet, spiced, and moist swirls throughout the loaf as if we were indulging in apple cinnamon babka. (If you have the time and are up for a challenge, that recipe is a must make!)
- Texture: Have you ever tried this blueberry muffin bread? The texture of today’s apple cinnamon bread is similar—soft and moist, yet sturdy enough to hold a slice with your hand when you take a bite. And thanks to the liquid from the brown sugared apples seeping to the sides, the bread’s edges crisp up beautifully in the oven. (The top of the loaf stays pretty soft.)
- Ease: This apple bread recipe comes together with basic baking ingredients like butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. Applesauce is likely the only “special” ingredient, but if you don’t have any, sour cream makes a fine substitution. Just like banana bread, creamed butter + sugar is the base, so an electric mixer is certainly helpful. Overall, this is an easy fall baking recipe that bakers of any skill level can manage.
See my entire collection of Fall Baking Recipes including my must-make apple cake and apple cupcakes.
Why This Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe Works
When I first visualized this recipe, I pictured an apple cider bread—sounds good right—almost like apple cider donuts baked in a loaf pan. I reduced the apple cider and added shredded apples to the batter. The loaf was good, but it ended up tasting exactly like harvest spice bread. I added more spices, used more apple cider, but I closed the book on my efforts because the apple and apple cider flavors were slight. Feeling determined, I tried again with creamed butter + sugar as the base of the bread. Chocolate chip loaf cake was my starting point and I swapped chocolate chips for cinnamon-tossed apples. Sadly, the loaf was squat, pale, and wet.
About to throw in the towel—are you even still reading this?—I tried 1 more time. Forget determination, I was just plain stubborn at this point but we can call it strong-willed. I reduced the butter, added some baking soda for color and lift, added more apples, tossed them in brown sugar, closed the oven and crossed my fingers.
IT WORKED! So about 14 loaves and 200 words later, here we are. The recipe ended up being a cross between the chocolate chip loaf cake mentioned above and blueberry muffin bread. It’s tested and tight with flavorful and delicious results. And it certainly speaks volumes that I’m willing to make this bread on repeat after quite the journey getting here!
Overview: How to Make Apple Cinnamon Bread
Let me show you how to make this apple cinnamon bread. Despite the saga above, it truly is an easy recipe. First, chop 1-2 peeled apples into 1/2 inch chunks and then toss them in brown sugar and cinnamon. Do this step first so the apples have time to absorb some of the brown sugar and cinnamon flavors. We’ll layer and swirl them into the loaf pan soon.
I really want to show you the next two photos so you don’t get nervous when it’s your turn to bake the bread. On the left, you can see that the batter looks curdled. This is normal and expected. At this point, you’re trying to combine creamed butter and sugar with eggs, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Even though they are all brought to room temperature, these wet ingredients have different textures. Once you add the dry ingredients and begin mixing in the milk, the batter comes together. Have no fear!
Why Layer & Swirl the Apples? Instead of folding the fruit right into the batter, layer and swirl them in the loaf pan. We do this same step in peach bread and there’s a few reasons why. (1) By doing this, you get pockets of sweet cinnamon and apple swirl inside a cinnamon spiced bread. (2) You also have the chance to introduce brown sugar into the loaf. When using brown sugar as the base of the bread (creaming with butter), the loaf had a heavier texture. And (3) the test loaf made with apples directly folded into the batter was quite wet (not just moist).
It’s almost like we’re making cinnamon swirl banana bread or cinnamon swirl quick bread, but today’s recipe has a lovely buttery base! If you’d rather make muffins, use my apple cinnamon muffins recipe instead because it’s quite similar. (Would be hard to swirl apples into such a tight space!) Or try these healthy apple muffins for a wholesome option using whole wheat flour and no refined sugar. Want to add some zucchini? Try this apple zucchini bread next!
And one more piece of advice before you start:
What Are the Best Apples to Use for Baking?
Firmer apples are ideal for baking so avoid soft, mealy, and mushy apples. If you’re baking a recipe that calls for many apples such as apple crisp, apple cobbler, or apple crumble pie, use a mix of tart apples and sweet apples. This apple cinnamon bread only needs 1 or 2 apples, so it’s fine to use tart OR sweet. I use Granny Smith because overall, its flavor and texture are the best for baking. I also love sweet apples in this bread like Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Pink Lady. For a more detailed list, I have a full post explaining the best apples for baking.
Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes (includes cooling)
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This apple cinnamon bread is buttery moist and cake-like with plenty of apples dotted in each slice. You can use tart or sweet apples in this loaf, but avoid soft and mushy apples. Feel free to turn this recipe into muffins or mini loaves. See recipe notes below.
Ingredients
Apples
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) peeled & chopped apples (1/2 inch chunks; you need about 2 medium apples)
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Batter
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80g) unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position (just below center) and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
- Apples: Stir the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Batter: Whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the eggs and then beat on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the applesauce and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. Mixture will look chunky and curdled—this is normal and expected. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, turn the mixer on low speed and with the mixer running, slowly pour in the milk. Beat just until combined and do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be sticky and slightly thick. You’ll have about 3 cups of batter.
- Pour and spread about 1/2 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Spoon apples and any cinnamon/brown sugar juices leftover in the bowl evenly on top. Pour and spread remaining batter on top, making sure to scrape out every last drop of batter. Using a knife, swirl the batter down the center of the loaf pan.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes, loosely covering the bread with aluminum foil at the 30 minute mark to help prevent the top and sides from getting too brown. This is a large heavy loaf, so if your bread is taking longer, that’s completely fine. A toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf will come out clean when the bread is done. Begin checking at 60 minutes. Mine takes 70 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Once cooled or nearly cooled, cut into slices and serve. (Bread falls apart if you try to slice it when it’s warm.)
- Cover and store bread at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked & cooled loaf for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If desired, bring to room temperature before serving. To learn more details about how to freeze quick breads, see my post called Make-Ahead Baking.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Apple Peeler | 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Apples: This apple cinnamon bread only needs 1 or 2 apples, so it’s fine to use tart OR sweet. Avoid soft, mushy apples. I use Granny Smith because overall, its flavor and texture are the best for baking. I also love sweet apples in this bread like Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Pink Lady.
- Applesauce: If you don’t have unsweetened applesauce, use the same amount of plain yogurt or sour cream.
- Muffins: Use my apple cinnamon muffins recipe. The recipe is very similar to this one. Feel free to substitute the yogurt in that recipe with applesauce. If you love nutmeg, add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to that batter when you add the cinnamon.
- Mini Loaves: You can use this batter to make mini apple breads. Follow the recipe above as written, dividing the batter/brown sugared apples between your mini loaf pans. Swirl batter and apples together as instructed above. Bake time and yield depends on the size of your mini loaf pan. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This looks delicious and perfect for my brunch . I’m going to make this but I don’t have any applesauce. Can I substitute apple cider?
Hi Michelle, we don’t recommend cider as a replacement, but if you don’t have unsweetened applesauce, you can use the same amount of plain yogurt or sour cream.
Hi Sally, May dried cranberries be added into the apple cinnamon bread recipe? Thanks, Lesley
Hi Lesley, Definitely! We recommend adding between 3/4 and 1 cup. Fold into the batter before layering with apples in the loaf pan.
This is my first comment but I have been using your recipes for a long time, so I need to thank you for my family gaining extra kilos eating delicious deserts!!
For this recipe I had to use sour cream since I didn’t have applesauce. The bread turned out well, but I am aching for more apples and that brown sugar syrup!! For everyone who feels the same way, I suggest making quick caramelized apples and topping the bread with them. I’ll probably double the amount of apples next time I’m making this!
I made the apples first. And had to wait a while for eggs to get to room temperature. By the time I made the recipe the apples had released their moisture and there was liquid in the bottom of the bowl. Should I pour the liquid in or drain it off?
Hi Linda! You can leave the extra liquid out.
I have this in the oven, and can’t wait to try it later! But confused as to your reply here, because in the recipe you say “Spoon apples and any cinnamon/brown sugar juices leftover in the bowl evenly on top.”
So I did pour the sugary syrup at the bottom of bowl in with the apples. Which is correct?
Hi Diane! If the apples sit for a long time, they will release a lot of moisture that would prevent the bread from cooking correctly (as the Linda described above). Under normal circumstances, yes, you want to use all the brown sugar mixture at the bottom of the bowl.
I made this for the first time to take to my office along with a couple of “tried and true” quick breads and this apple cinnamon bread stole the show! I used a gluten free flour blend but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I just took a loaf out of the oven and can confirm that with gluten free flour it bakes in 50 minutes (covering loosely with foil at 30).
Great recipe, thanks!
2nd time trying this recipe and it’s so beautiful I am obsessed. My new favourite quick bread. Planning on making a few more to gift to friends. Thank you so much Sally.
Can someone give me the dimensions for the loaf pan this recipe needs? I have several that are just slightly different (like by 1 or 2 inches) and I want to make sure I use the right one for this
Hi MK! See step 1 – you need a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
I seem to be in the minority here, but this recipe was a bit of a disappointment. I guess I wanted more apples! Question: If I increased apples to 2 1/4 cups, would the loaf end up being too “wet” or could I give it a go? I will also add walnuts next time which will vary the texture a bit.
Hi Oriana, Thank you for trying this recipe. You could likely add up to 2 cups of apples with no other changes.
Why does this call for unsweetened applesauce?
I enjoyed making this bread. I did some fun alterations and it turned out amazing! I added walnuts and some dried oats. I also mixed in a little brandy with the milk. I typically substitute nutmeg with allspice too in recipes, which I did with this one. I think it adds a better flavor. But, kudos to the nutmeg lovers. Anyways, definitely an easy/keeper recipe for an apple cinnamon bread that is easy to alter.
Lovely recipe, added some powdered cloves to the cinnamon, gave it a nice twist.
DELICIOUS! Made your recipe exactly as written and it is wonderful! And – bonus – didn’t use one measuring cup. I love weighing ingredients – takes all the guess work out and so so so easy. I am making at least 4 loaves for Christmas presents. Any thoughts on doubling the recipe? I know sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Thank you!
Hi Mary Ann, it’s best to make two separate batches rather than doubling in order to prevent over mixing.
Thank you!
My bread turned out so good, and it made the house smell amazing! Perfect thing to eat on a cold morning!
Hi, wondering if it would be ok to use salted butter. I’m lactose intolerant. i can find regular salted lactose free butter, but not unsalted. Could I just cut down or out the table salt?
Hi Sharon, absolutely. Feel free to reduce the salt to 1/8 teaspoon. Hope you enjoy the bread!
Looks amaaaaazing, would give it a try asap. I am just wondering whether brown sugar can be used here? 🙂
Hi Bobbi, Nutmeg is listed as the third ingredient in the batter. Hope you enjoyed the bread!
Hi
Will oat milk work in place of whole milk?
It should work in a pinch, yes!
Just baked this and it’s sooooo good. Wondering how much sugar I can cut without affecting the recipe?
Hi JY, We haven’t tested this recipe with any less sugar but we expect you could reduce down to 1/2 cup in the batter. However, keep in mind that when you reduce sugar, it could slightly dry out the bread (sugar = moisture!). If you are looking for an apple recipe that’s a bit more wholesome you may enjoy baked apple cinnamon oatmeal cups.
This is a delicious quick bread! I substituted sour cream and used a 50/50 ratio of AP and spelt flour for a little bit of nuttiness. It’s so warmly spiced and lovely for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Will be making this again!
Can I use almond milk in place of whole milk? I have allergies to milk and milk products.
Hi Jean, that will work — enjoy!
The apple bread was awesome! I used 1 cup of white flour and 3/4 cup of wheat flour. I added pecans too.This was delicious. My bread was done in 70 minutes.
Have yet to eat but looks and smells delish. Added toasted pecans and caramel pieces for a rich fall treat. Baked 60 minutes with foil second half. Wish I could upload a photo!
Hi Sally! I made this once and absolutely loved it! Great recipe and a keeper for sure. Do you think will be ok if I add Pecans?
Hi Irina, definitely! We recommend 3/4 cup (98g) or 1 cup (130g) of chopped pecans. Fold into the batter before layering with apples in the loaf pan.
I just made this bread and it is absolutely WONDERFUL. This is a real keeper.
Can I use buttermilk instead of regular milk or will that be gross?
Hi Lorena, yes, you could use buttermilk to replace the milk.
Could I substitute Splenda for the granulated sugar ?
Hi Debbie! We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
Thank you. I made this for myself and it was delicious. I wanted to make it for my diabetic neighbor and thought I could get some of the sugar out of it. I may try it anyway and let you know.
I bake with Splenda and have used it in this recipe. But you’ll need to use self-rising flour because sugar is a leavening , and with reg flour it won’t rise as well.
Just took mine out of the oven. Looks and smells delicious, but the baking time was only 55 minutes. I covered it after 30 minutes, and when I could smell it baking, I checked again and it was done. Can’t wait to have some with some coffee or tea.
This was a HUGE hit with my family! It was delicious and moist. I used vanilla yogurt instead of applesauce, and they baked for 60 minutes.
Excellent! I even made my own applesauce. Mine baked for 60 minutes.
Love this bread! It is so moist and delicious. It has the perfect amount of cinnamon and apples. I left out the nutmeg, because I’m not a fan. The loaf baked in 60 minutes, in my oven, in a 9×5 nonstick loaf pan. I did cover it halfway through. This is a keeper. I will certainly be making this recipe again! Thanks for the great fall recipe.
I made this last week. My only criticism is that it has too much cinnamon for my taste. I use an organic Saigon cinnamon which is stronger.