This cozy recipe for Apple Pie Bread is the perfect way to bring in the season!
What better way to celebrate fall than with steaming mugs of cider, pumpkin spice lattes, and of course, a thick slice of this delicious bread. Apple bread is tender and moist with lots of sweet cinnamon flavor just like a piece of apple pie!
A Fall Bread You Need to Try
- Warm and spicy, sweet and simple to make, this recipe is a winner all the way around!
- Apple pie bread is like the bread version of an apple fritter with lots of cinnamon apple flavor, but it is quicker to prep with no deep fryer required!
- A slice of apple pie bread makes a perfect snack for a lunchbox surprise, a breakfast or even a special Sunday morning french toast.
- It can be made into a dessert with a dollop of whipped cream and a simple drizzle of Easy Caramel Sauce.
What’s in Apple Pie Bread?
APPLES The best apples for baking are tart and firm, crispy and crunchy. Granny Smith always fits the bill, but this recipe works well with a sweeter apple, too, like Honeycrisp or Fuji. Applesauce can be replaced with 1/2 cup butter for an even richer quickbread.
CINNAMON SUGAR Brown sugar and cinnamon are layered into the cake with apples, and also used for the tasty streusel topping. For something more complex tasting, try using Apple Pie Spice instead of plain cinnamon.
DAIRY Butter, eggs, and milk add rich flavor to the bread that makes it taste almost like a brioche, but much more crumbly with a cake-like texture.
ADD-INS In place of the applesauce, try adding leftover Cranberry Sauce or make an apple raisin bread. Mix in pumpkin puree in place of applesauce, either from a can or homemade. Try a mashed banana for a new take on an old fave. Shredded zucchini will taste great as well.
TOPPING Simple brown sugar and cinnamon make a delicious topping, especially when brushed with butter during baking. Add some chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel for extra crunch, if desired. If you have leftover cinnamon sugar, you can use that too.
How to Make Apple Bread
The only machine needed for this quick bread recipe is a hand mixer. Just chop, mix, and bake:
- Peel & chop apples, prepare the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Cream butter & sugar, add other wet ingredients.
- Mix, then add dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
- Layer batter, apples, & topping in a bread pan.
- Bake as per recipe below.
Best Quick Bread Tips
- One of the best tips for fluffy quick bread is to be sure not to overmix the batter. It might seem wrong to not mix thoroughly—but for quickbread, it really works!
- When adding mix-ins, be sure that the substituted ingredient has the same basic texture/dryness/wetness as the original ingredient. Then add it in the same amount as the recipe calls for. Nobody likes bread to turn out tasting like pudding. (Unless making a delicious Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce, of course!)
Serve this bread with apple butter, cinnamon butter, pumpkin butter, or honey butter.
How to Store
Apple pie bread stores well. Wrap it carefully, or cover it in an airtight container and it will keep on the counter for two days. If it’s not all gone by then, move it to the refrigerator so the apples stay tasting fresh.
Apple bread can be frozen, simply seal the entire loaf in a zippered freezer bag, or wrap and freeze individual slices for a quick grab-and-go snack.
Delicious Apple Dessert Recipes
- Classic Apple Pie – easy to make
- Easy Apple Cake Recipe – perfect for the holidays
- Apple Crisp – freezer friendly
- Apple Cheesecake Pie – sweet & creamy
- Apple Hand Pies – ready in under 30 minutes
Did you make this Warm Apple Bread? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- ⅔ cup brown sugar divided
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce note: you can use ½ cup butter and skip the applesauce if you prefer
- 2 eggs well beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 large apple (or 2 small), peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8×4 loaf pan
- Combine cinnamon with ⅓ cup of the brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
- With mixer on medium, cream white sugar, remaining brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Mix in applesauce (if using), beaten eggs and vanilla.
- Stir together flour and baking powder. Add flour to egg mixture along with milk and stir just until combined. Do not overmix!
- Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Sprinkle with ½ of the apples and ½ of the cinnamon mixture.
- Stir the remaining apples into the remaining batter and pour into the pan. Top with remaining cinnamon mixture.
- Bake approximately 40 minutes. Brush topping with melted butter. Continue baking an additional 5-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Originally published August, 2013
Adapted from Allrecipes
More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love
- Zucchini Bread
- Pecan Coconut Banana Bread
- Easy Banana Bread
- Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
- Chocolate Banana Bread
…in the oven as I write! I am salivating!
This bread is so good! Do you think it would work out to double the recipe and put it in a fluted pan?
I haven’t tried it but I do think it would work. The cooking time would have to be adjusted.
Thanks. I appreciate your feedback. I’m going to have to think about how to adjust the cooking time though.
I have not made this, but it looks so yummy. I will be making soon, trust me.
Can’t wait to try, it looks yummy!
I had just bought some apples yesterday and plan on trying this tonight. Sounds so yummy and easy to make, thanks for sharing.
Enjoy Susan!
I made this bread today & it was so good. To make the middle super moist – I added apple sauce with the apple pieces in the middle. Wonderful fall recipe.
Yummy addition!
The apple bread looks good. I am going to make it tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe, Donna
This looks Yummy I can’t wait to try it.
OK, just made the Apple Pie Bread….it’s delicious. A couple of thoughts. It’s VERY sweet. I think if I made it again, I’d cut the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture with some oats to hopefully cut the sweetness a little. I’d also pre-cook the diced apples a little. This cooks very quickly for a bread (40 minutes) and the apples were still crunchy.
I am wondering about doubling the recipe and what amount of time would I need to cook it for?
You would need to use two loaf pans and the cook time would remain the same.
I have made the Coconut Pecan Banana Bread about 5 times now and this recipe has never failed to come out bad. I get many raves on the flavor and texture. I will continue to use this recipe. I have marked it with a star for best recipe in my cookbooks. Thank you!
I am so glad your family loved this recipe!
I made this bread and it was delicious. I will be making again soon. Thanks for sharing
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Sue!
This bread came out so beautifully, just like the picture. It went very quickly in our house and I am going to definitely make it again
THE FIRST TIME I SAW THIS I HAD TO TRY IT I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPEN THAKS SO MUFH FOR THIS SPECIAL ITEM
I am making this bread now, my house smells so nice.
Thanks I really enjoyed the recipes.
This is amazing! I just made it! I changed a little bit, instead of 1 1/2 cups of white flour, I did 1 cup of white and 1/2 of whole wheat. I also only used 1/4 cup of white sugar. I followed the 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of applesauce. Just little things that made it slightly more healthy! lol but it is delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I FOUND YOUR LINK ON FACEBOOK. THE BREAD IS DELICIOUS AND MOIST. I USED 1/4 CUP BUTTER AND 1/4 CUP UNSWEETENED APPLESAUCE. I WONDER IF IT WOULD WORK IF I ONLY USED THE APPLESAUCE AND ELIMINATED THE BUTTER? I BAKED IT IN A LOAF PAN THAT WAS SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE 8 X 10 AND I CALCULATED THE CALORIES AS 2429 TOTAL OR 202 PER SLICE FOR 12 SLICES. I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE IT AGAIN AND ALSO TRY SOME OF THE OTHER RECIPES AS WELL.
I just love your great things to make. Now if I make all of them I will be over 1000 pounds Keep up the great work.
Thank you! :)
Hi Holly,
The recipe is too good not to try! Im on my way baking one now but…..eer In replacement of the applesauce for butter, do i add another 1/2 cup of butter (which makes up to 1 cup in total)?
You will need either ½ cup of butter
OR
¼ cup butter and ¼ cup applesauce
Enjoy!