Add this apple cinnamon bread to the top of your fall baking list! You'll love combination of a tender crumb, the satisfying burst of juicy apples with every bite, and the wonderful swirls of cinnamon apple pie spice and brown sugar.
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Better Than The Rest - Here's Why:
✅ Many other recipes call for only one or two apples...mine uses more. This means more fresh apple texture and flavor in every single bite!
✅ My recipe swirls a brown sugar and apple-pie spice layer right into the batter, creating sweet, spiced pockets throughout every bite — something most recipes just don’t do. Using this technique is a game changer taste and flavor wise!
✅ I use buttermilk because it gives the bread a tender, slightly tangy crumb and the dicing of the apples makes the loaf hold together.
These details make this apple cinnamon bread stand out — more flavor, better texture, and just all-around better than most others. We're talking bakery-level amazing at home!
Apple Cinnamon Bread: What To Know & Recipe Highlights
- Types Of Apples You Should Use: Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Pink Lady work best because they hold their shape when baked. Don't use soft apples like Red Delicious, McIntosh or Gala. They get way too mushy in this bread recipe.
- Dice the apples finely, but don't mince them. Dicing helps keep the loaf structure and ensures each slice is loaded with juicy apple pieces without collapsing.
- Cool completely before removing the bread from the pan. You can even put it on a cooling rack to ensure it's cool enough before slicing. Making sure it's completely cool helps the loaf finish setting and prevents it from being too crumbly.
- Here's How To Store It: After it’s fully cooled, store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days. You can also wrap it well or place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Yes — this loaf freezes beautifully! Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (after fully cooled), then place in an airtight bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready, let thaw in refrigerator and warm slightly if desired before serving.
- Re-warming Tip: To enjoy it like it's fresh-baked a day or two later, loosely wrap a slice in a paper towel and microwave for 5-10 seconds until just warm.
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- Flour: use all-purpose flour.
- Sugar: use white granulated sugar.
- Brown Sugar: adds the perfect caramelized sweetness to the cinnamon swirl.
- Baking Soda: helps the bread rise.
- Baking Powder: gives the bread extra rise when paired with the baking soda.
- Salt: tenderizes the gluten in the bread and also helps balance out the sweetness.
- Buttermilk: adds a slight tangy flavor and helps make the crumb extra tender. You will never have dry, dense quick-bread when you use buttermilk ☺️
- Butter: unsalted butter works best to help ensure the bread doesn't taste too salty.
- Eggs: used as a binding agent for the dough and to help add a lighter texture to the bread.
- Apples: a slightly tart and sweet apple works best. Dice them small so you have sweet, flavorful, and juicy pieces in each slice.
- Apple Pie Spice: adds extra apple flavor in each bite!
- Vanilla Extract: a flavor enhancer that provides a light vanilla flavor.
👩🏼🍳 Scroll down to the recipe card below for all the details you’ll need to make this recipe!
🥣 Here's Exactly How To Make It
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the loaf pan with cooking spray or butter, set aside, then peel, core, and finely chop the apples.
Step 2: In a small bowl, combine the dark brown sugar and one tablespoon of the apple pie spice mix. Set aside.
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Step 3: Add the eggs and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix on low speed for 1 minute.
Step 4: Next, add the melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until well combined.
Step 5: Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining ½ teaspoon apple pie spice, and salt. Mix on low speed for 1 minute.
Step 6: Gently fold the chopped apples into the batter. Avoid over mixing. By the way... If you're planning on adding nuts to the batter, this is the step to do it!
Step 7: Add half of the batter to the loaf pan, then a layer of the brown sugar and spice mixture and spread evenly.
Step 8: Add the remaining bread batter on top of the brown sugar layer, then top with the remaining brown sugar and spice mixture.
Step 9: Using a spoon, level the brown sugar and spice mixture while slightly swirling it into the top layer of the bread batter.
Step 10: Bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the bread to completely cool before slicing and serving.
Enjoy your perfectly tender, flavor-packed apple cinnamon bread, preferably with a hot cup of coffee on a cool autumn day!
🙋🏼 Top Questions I Get Asked About This Recipe
Use apples that are a good combination on sweet and tart. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Fuji are some of the best apples for baking as they hold their shape and flavor as they bake.
Store freshly baked bread that's been cooled completely in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, you can wrap it in an airtight bag or container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes! To freeze, wait for it to completely cool. Then, wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap. Place it in an airtight bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator and warm slightly (if desired) before serving.
🍞 More Homemade Breads To Bake And Love!
If you tried this Apple Cinnamon Bread or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!
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Apple Cinnamon Bread
Equipment
- 9x5 bread loaf pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon + ½ teaspoon apple pie spice, divided
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup butter, salted
- ½ cup sugar, granulated
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease the loaf pan with cooking spray or butter. Set aside.
- Peel, core, and finely chop the 3 apples. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add ½ cup dark brown sugar and 1 Tablespoon of apple pie spice mix. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 2 eggs and ½ cup granulated sugar and mix on low speed for 1 minute.
- Next, add in the ½ cup of melted butter, ½ cup buttermilk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 1 minute until well combined.
- Add in 1 ¾ cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, remaining ½ teaspoon apple pie spice, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Mix on low speed for 1 minute.
- Gently fold in the chopped apples into the batter.
- Add half of the batter to the loaf pan. From there, add a layer of the brown sugar and spice mixture and spread evenly.
- Add the remaining bread batter on top of the brown sugar layer, then top with the remaining brown sugar and spice mixture.
- Using a spoon, level the brown sugar and spice mixture while slightly swirling it into the top layer of the bread batter.
- Bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to completely cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
- When dicing the apples, try to dice them as small as you can without mincing them, if left too big, the bread may have a difficult time staying together when you slice it.
- Here's How To Store It: After it’s fully cooled, store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days. You can also wrap it well or place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- To enjoy the "fresh baked" warmth, even after a day or two, just loosely wrap a slice of bread in a paper towel and microwave for 5-10 seconds before eating.
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