Cinnamon Apple Bread

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This cinnamon apple bread is rich and moist with a cinnamon crumb topping & lots of warm fall spices. It’s a delicious quick bread to make and serve for breakfast or dessert!

a loaf of Cinnamon Apple Bread with 5 slices cut out of it


If you’re looking for a cozy fall quick bread, then you are in the right place! This cinnamon apple bread embodies all that is warm and delicious about fall.

This apple bread recipe is easy to make (no mixer required) with a handful of simple ingredients.

It’s topped with an irrestitible buttery crumb toping and loaded with fresh fall apples so there are some in every bite.

a loaf of Cinnamon Apple Bread with two slices cut out of it

Apple Bread: Ingredients & Substitutions

overhead photo of the ingredients in this Cinnamon Apple Bread recipe
  • All-purpose flour. Bread flour or cake flour are great substitutes.
  • Salted Butter. Unsalted butter and ghee can be used in place of butter.
  • Light Brown Sugar.  For a bolder molasses taste, use dark brown sugar.
  • Granulated sugar. use white granulated sugar or organic cane sugar.
  • Applesauce. Use unsweetened store-bought or make your own homemade applesauce.
  • Whole milk. half and half is a good substitute for whole milk.
  •  Apples. Choose your favorite apple variety! I recommend pink lady, honey crisp, gala, jazz, granny smith, McIntosh, etc. An apple that is a good blend of sweet and tart is my favorite.
a loaf of cinnamon apple bread with 5 slices cut out of it

How to Make Cinnamon Apple Bread

Let’s walk through this apple bread recipe step-by-step. You can also watch the video for additional support.

Make the crumb topping:

Begin by combining the flour brown sugar, cinnamon and sea salt in a small bowl.

crumb topping ingredients in a small bowl

Then, cut in butter with a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside to use later in the recipe.

a pastry cutter cutting in the butter to make a crumb topping

Make the Apple Bread

Now we’ll make the batter for the apple bread. Begin by combining the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl, then set it aside.

How to Make Cinnamon Apple Bread - combining dry ingredients

Next, melt the butter in a large glass bowl.

Then, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, milk, eggs and vanilla into the melted butter until smooth (make sure all ingredients are room temperature).

two photos showing How to Make Cinnamon Apple Bread - combining wet ingredients

Once the mixture is smooth, stir in the dry ingredients.

two photos showing How to Make Cinnamon Apple Bread - combining wet and dry ingredients

Then gently fold in the finely diced apples.

two photos showing How to Make Cinnamon Apple Bread - stirring in apples.

Assemble the apple cinnamon bread

Spread batter evenly into the bottom of a prepared loaf pan.

cinnamon apple bread in a baking pan before baking

Then, sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the bread, then gently press it down with your hands or a spatula.

two photos showing spreading the crumb topping over cinnamon apple bread

Bake & Cool

Bake the apple bread for 55-60 minutes, or until the bread is set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

cinnamon apple bread in a baking pan after baking

Let the apple bread cool in the loaf pan completely (about 3 hours) before removing and transferring to a serving plate.

Cinnamon Apple Bread in a baking pan cooling on a wire rack

Serve

Serve the apple bread with a healthy spread of this cinnamon honey butter. It is a delicious breakfast, snack or dessert!

a loaf of Cinnamon Apple Bread with 5 slices cut out of it

Store

Store leftovers in an an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freeze

Freeze either an entire loaf or individual slices by letting the cinnamon apple bread cool completely. Then, wrap the loaf/slices in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

a stack of 2 slices of Cinnamon Apple Bread, the top one has a bite taken out of it

Recipe FAQs

What apples are best for bread?

I prefer using a sweet/tart apple variety like pink ladies. Here are some of my top suggestions:
Honeycrisp
Gala
Jazz
Jonagold 
Braeburn
Golden Delicious
Granny Smith

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, you can double it and bake it in two, 9×5″ loaf pans.

Can I omit the crumb topping?

Yes, this apple bread tastes amazing with or without the topping.

a loaf of Cinnamon Apple Bread with two slices cut out of it

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Cinnamon Apple Bread Recipe

Laura
This cinnamon apple bread is rich and moist with a cinnamon crumb topping & lots of warm fall spices. It’s a delicious quick bread to make and serve for breakfast or dessert!
5 from 4 votes
Course bread, Breakfast, cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 14 Servings
Calories 254
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Cooling3 hours
Total Time4 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Cinnamon Crumble Topping

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Line a 9×5” loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease, set aside.

Make the crumb topping:

  • In a small bowl, combine flour brown sugar, cinnamon and sea salt.
  • Cut in butter with a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Make the Apple Bread

  • In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, set aside.
  • In a large glass bowl, melt the butter.
  • Whisk in brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, milk, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
  • Add dry ingredients and stir until combine.
  • Gently fold in the finely diced apples.

Assemble

  • Spread batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan.
  • Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the bread, then gently press it down with your hands or a spatula.

Bake

  • Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the bread is set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool & Serve

  • Let the apple bread cool in the loaf pan completely (about 3 hours) before removing and transferring to a serving plate.
  • Slice with a sharp knife and serve.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
  • All-purpose flour. Bread flour or cake flour are great substitutes.
  • Salted Butter. Unsalted butter and ghee can be used in place of butter.
  • Light Brown Sugar.  For a bolder molasses taste, use dark brown sugar.
  • Granulated sugar. use white granulated sugar or organic cane sugar.
  • Applesauce. Use unsweetened store-bought or make your own homemade applesauce.
  • Whole milk. half and half is a good substitute for whole milk.
  •  Apples. Choose your favorite apple variety! I recommend pink lady, honey crisp, gala, jazz, granny smith, McIntosh, etc. An apple that is a good blend of sweet and tart is my favorite.
Store
Store leftovers in an an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze
Freeze either an entire loaf or individual slices by letting the cinnamon apple bread cool completely. Then, wrap the loaf/slices in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 356IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe Rating




3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This bread was so good! My grandkids and I had so much fun making it, it came together so quickly in one bowl! Thank you. We made the applesauce using your recipe, love not peeling the apples, and we picked from the apple tree in the yard.