Apple Cinnamon Bread

This apple cinnamon bread is deliciously spiced, moist, and topped with a delicious cinnamon sugar crust. Perfect served hot with butter on a chilly afternoon!

One of my favorite treats to make is quick breads. They’re simple and only take a few minutes to throw together, delicious enough to serve as a dessert, but wholesome enough to also serve as breakfast or a snack.

In the fall, we all flock to chocolate chip pumpkin bread, and with good reason, but apples are so underrated for winter desserts!

What kind of apples should I use?

I’m going to go with an answer that’s never popular: it’s not that important.

It’s not that there aren’t more or less ideal varieties, but I don’t like to get hung up on making sure we use the best, or top recommended, and end up wasting what you already have, or paying extra just because that’s the variety somebody said to use.

I will always believe in using up what you have, and staying in budget, even if it means making an apple dessert with red delicious apples.

So with the thought in mind that you don’t have to have the perfect apple to make a delicious loaf of apple bread, let’s take a look at Bon Appetit’s top rated apples for baking:

• Jonagold
• Honey Crisp
• Braeburn
• Mutsu
• Winesap
• Pink Lady

I really like Mutsu, and Jonagold when I can get them, but often end up using a blend of Granny smith – which has great texture and tartness for baking, but not a lot of flavor – and Fuji or McIntosh, which are decent for baking and have more flavor.

Ingredients for Apple Cinnamon Bread

The ingredients for this recipe are likely things you already have in  your pantry or refrigerator, which helps make this a simple weekday treat!

• Butter
• Sugar
• Brown sugar
• Milk
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• All Purpose Flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Apples

Can this apple bread recipe be made Gluten Free?

Yes and no. I’ve been making dual purpose recipe for the better part of 15 years now, so that they whole family can enjoy baked goods that serve their dietary requirements.

And if I were going to make this recipe with gluten-free flour, I would replace the milk with sour cream to help preserve the moisture in the loaf. I would also use a gluten free flour blend with xanthan or guar gum, or add a teaspoon to homemade flour mix.

Can I use other fruits or spices in this recipe?

This is apple cinnamon bread, but you can absolutely change the spices from cinnamon to whatever you prefer (or add whatever you prefer to the cinnamon). For instance, cloves or nutmeg would be an addition.

In terms of using a different fruit, be aware of the moisture content of your fruit. Using something like peaches or pears will add moisture to your batter, and change the texture of your baked good. Some ways to mitigate that would be to pat the fruit dry before adding it, then be careful not to mash the fruit, and release more water as you mix it.

Berries, such as strawberries or blueberries might be a good swap, but with soft berries like blackberries or raspberries, again, you need to be careful not to mash them as you mix.

Can I make this apple cinnamon bread dairy-free?

It’s actually very easy to make this recipe dairy-free; just use a vegan butter substitute.

You can try coconut oil, or use something like Country Crock, Smart Balance, or Melt.

In addition to vegan butter, you can use almond milk in place of the dairy milk.

How to make Apple Cinnamon Bread

Here are the easy-to-follow instructions for making apple cinnamon bread. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card to see the full list of ingredients and measurements.

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until smooth.

Whisk in eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until incorporated, then add the milk, and beat until smooth.

Repeat, adding the remaining flour mixture.

Finally, add the peeled, and cored apple chunks to the mixture and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour batter into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper instead.

Combine 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, and sprinkle over loaf.

Bake loaf in the center of a 325º oven for 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.

Loosen edges with a butterknife or icing spatula, and remove loaf from pan.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Slice and serve.

How to store apple cinnamon bread

If you’re making this bread for later, store unsliced in a ziplock bag at room temperature for 1-2 days.

If the bread is already sliced, I prefer to store them in a Tupperware type of container to avoid breaking slices. However, the same rules apply: airtight container, stored at room temperature for a day or two.

Can I freeze apple cinnamon bread?

Yes! Be sure to remove as much air as possible from your bag/container, and freeze.

To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight, and then in on the countertop for an hour or so until ready to serve. Be store not to remove from its packaging until thawed in order to avoid condensation, and a soggy loaf.

More Apple Desserts to Try

• Apple Scones with Maple Glaze
• Fried Apple Recipe
• Gluten Free Dutch Apple pie
• Apple Butter Pie

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