Warm cinnamon apples, a soft and buttery crumb, and a sparkly cinnamon-sugar crust that crackles when you slice into it. This Apple Bread is loaded with tender apples in every bite and stays moist for days. Enjoy a warm slice with a cup of coffee, and you’ll be reaching for a second.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Apple Bread Video
Apple Bread Recipe
Readers have been asking whether my apple muffins could be baked as a loaf, and the answer is yes. It’s based on my Cinnamon Apple Muffins, with that same tender sour-cream batter. I tested this loaf with a crumb topping and a glaze, and I kept the cinnamon-sugar topping because it’s so simple.
Like my Cranberry Bread, this is a sweet bread I love to gift to friends and family around the holidays.
Ingredients for Apple Bread
A few notes before you start, then you’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card.
- Apples: Dice them small, about 1/4 inch. Granny Smith is my favorite because it stays tart and holds its shape. Honeycrisp and Pink Lady are good substitutes.
- Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream keeps the loaf moist, and it gives the baking soda something to react with. Plain Greek yogurt works as a substitute.
- Butter: Soften it at room temperature so you can press a dent into it with your finger. It shouldn’t be shiny or melted.
- Cinnamon: You’ll use it three ways – tossed with the apples, in the batter, and in the topping.
- Baking powder: I use aluminum-free. If it’s been in the pantry a while, test it: stir 1/2 teaspoon into 2 tablespoons of warm water. If it fizzes, you’re good. If it just sits there, start with a new can, or the loaf can bake up shorter and denser.
- Vanilla: homemade vanilla extract adds a lot of warmth here.
How to Make Apple Bread
- Prep the pan and topping: Heat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides so you can lift the loaf after it cools. Stir together the cinnamon-sugar topping and set it aside.
- Prepare the apples: Peel, core, and dice the apples (an apple peeler makes the peeling and coring go quickly), then toss them with cinnamon so the flavor goes through the loaf.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining cinnamon in a separate bowl.
- Cream and add the wet ingredients: Cream the softened butter and sugars with a hand mixer or stand mixer until lighter and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and milk. The mixture may look slightly curdled; that’s normal.
- Add the dry ingredients: Mix in the dry ingredients on low just until no dry flour remains, then stop. Overmixing can make the loaf tough, with tunnels running through it.
- Add the apples: Gently fold in the apples just until incorporated. The batter will be thick. Spread the batter in the pan and sprinkle all of the cinnamon sugar over the top.
Pro Tip: How to Keep the Apples from Sinking
Dice the apples small, about 1/4 inch. I know that’s small, but those small, even pieces stay spread through the batter instead of sinking, so every slice gets apples. Toss them with cinnamon and fold them into that thick batter just until they’re mixed in.
- Bake: Bake at 350˚F for 55-65 minutes, until a skewer comes out without wet batter or an instant-read thermometer reads 200-205˚F (avoid apple pieces). Tent with foil if the topping browns too quickly. Cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing so the crumb can finish setting.
How to Serve Apple Bread
I like a slightly warm slice with a little butter, especially on a cold morning. Honey Butter is wonderful on a warm slice too. It’s just as good at room temperature later in the day. If you want it for dessert, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of homemade Whipped Cream, or a drizzle of Homemade Caramel.
Make-Ahead and Storage
This loaf keeps really well in the fridge and the freezer. At room temperature, it’s at its best within a day or two. Let it cool completely, then cover it. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 5 days, or freeze slices up to 3 months. See the recipe card for thawing and reheating notes.
Apple Bread
Ingredients
For the Apple Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, aluminum-free
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 Tbsp for the topping
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (soft enough to dent, not melted)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt*, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 cups peeled apples, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
Instructions
- Prep the pan and topping: Preheat the oven to 350˚F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides to use as handles for lifting the loaf out. In a small bowl, stir together 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and set aside.
- Prepare the apples: Peel, core, and dice the apples into 1/4-inch pieces (an apple peeler makes this go quickly). Measure 2 cups (220g), then toss with 1/2 tsp cinnamon until evenly coated.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and the remaining 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Set aside.
- Cream and add the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until lighter and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk, and beat on medium speed until combined. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which is normal.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed just until no dry flour remains, then stop. Do not overmix or you'll end up with a dense loaf.
- Add the apples: Gently fold in the cinnamon-coated apples with a spatula just until incorporated. The batter will be thick. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle all of the cinnamon sugar over the top.
- Bake: Bake at 350˚F for 55-65 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out without wet batter, or until it reaches 200-205˚F on an instant-read thermometer, avoiding apple pieces. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then lift it onto a wire rack. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.*
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
More Fall Baking
Banana Bread Recipe (VIDEO)
The BEST Apple Pie Recipe
Easy Apple Turnovers (VIDEO)
