Apple Cinnamon Bread is a sweet quick bread packed with 2 cups of diced Granny Smith Apples, kept moist and tender with full-fat sour cream and melted butter in the batter. Cinnamon sugar on top of this apple bread recipe adds wonderful texture and keeps the flavor of the bread itself very apple-forward.
I Packed In As Much Apple As Possible
In creating this recipe, I had one main goal, and that was to add as many apples as possible into the loaf without losing the tender quick bread structure. I started with 2½ cups, but that was just a little bit too much, so 2 cups of apples is the right amount. I also tested the recipe with larger apple chunks, but noticed that the bigger apple pieces didn’t soften enough and left large pockets in the bread. The ideal dice size turned out to be 1 cm or ½ inch. These apples softened nicely but didn’t totally disappear after baking.
The cinnamon sugar topping on this quick bread is the same one that I use on my cinnamon swirl banana bread, and you should not skip it! It adds a wonderful sweetness that goes perfectly with my morning coffee.
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Granny Smith Apples: Use about two Granny Smith apples, diced into small pieces. I like Granny Smith because they’re a very flavorful apple, and they hold their shape when baked. The best alternative is Honeycrisp. Apple sizes can vary, so you’ll need 2 cups of apples, measured after peeling, coring, and dicing.
Butter and Full Fat Sour Cream: Both add moisture to the apple bread. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly so that it doesn’t scramble the eggs in the batter.
Cinnamon: Just add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter, so as not to overpower the apple flavor. Another ½ teaspoon is mixed with sugar to create a delicious cinnamon sugar topping.
Brown Sugar plus Granulated Sugar: Use both to create depth of flavor. This loaf is not overly sweet, but I think it’s just sweet enough.
How To Make It
1. Mix the Dry Ingredients: Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda with a whisk.
2. Mix the Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, combine the sugars, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Then whisk in the melted butter.
3. Mix the Wet and Dry using a spatula until just combined. The batter will be thick.
4. Fold in the Apples, gently until they’re evenly distributed. It will look like you’ve added too much apple, but you haven’t. It’s supposed to look like this.
5. Transfer the Batter into a loaf pan that has been greased and lined with parchment.
6. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar.
7. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until the center reads 200 to 205°F (93 to 96°C). If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with foil.
8. Cool the apple bread in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Slicing the loaf while it’s still warm can cause it to be gummy.
How To Tell When It Is Done
The most accurate and reliable way to tell if a loaf of quick bread is finished baking is to use an instant read thermometer to ensure that the center of the loaf is between 200 to 205°F (93 to 96°C). Test after baking for 55 minutes, and add more time if needed.
Without a thermometer, you can insert a toothpick or a wooden skewer into the center. This method is not as accurate as the thermometer, and there are a few tricky things to know about toothpick testing this loaf in particular:
- Since there are apple pieces in the loaf, your toothpick might hit one of them. In that case, you’ll see clear moisture on the toothpick, maybe with a bit of cooked apple attached. You should try again to find a non-apple spot in the center of the loaf.
- If you’re sure you didn’t pass through an apple, a toothpick that comes out clean or with a few crumbs generally means that the loaf is ready to come out of the oven.
- If the toothpick comes out with opaque, creamy wet batter on it, the loaf needs more time. Add 5 minutes to the bake time, and then check again.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Cool the loaf completely at room temperature before slicing or wrapping it up. Wrapping the loaf while it’s warm will trap condensation and make the cinnamon sugar topping soggy, wet, and sticky.
- Once it’s cooled, keep the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Individual slices can be frozen for up to three months. I like to wrap each slice in parchment paper and then place them in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature or toast from frozen.
- I keep various slices of quick breads like pumpkin zucchini bread and brown butter banana bread on hand in the freezer. They toast so easily and make for a cozy snack.
Serving Ideas
For me, slices of this apple cinnamon bread make a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack, along with a cup of coffee or tea.
Leftover slices can be used to make an apple bread pudding.
FAQ
Can I Use Grated Apples for Apple Bread?
Yes, you can grate the Granny Smith Apples using the largest holes on a box grater. The apples will soften quickly and disappear more into the bread this way.
Can I Use a Different Apple?
I’ve only tested this recipe with Granny Smith apples and Honeycrisp apples. If you have other apples to use, try a different apple recipe, like old fashioned apple crisp or baked apples with oats.
Why is My Loaf Gummy?
This can happen for a few different reasons. One, you may have overmixed the batter before baking. Two, gumminess or sinking can happen if the bread isn’t baked fully. And three, the loaf will get gummy if it is sliced before it’s had a chance to cool down completely.
Can I Make Apple Muffins?
I haven’t tested this loaf recipe as muffins, but try my Apple Oat Muffins. They are also packed with diced Granny Smith apples and have a cinnamon oat crumb topping.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Apple Bread
Equipment
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (120 g) full fat sour cream
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
- 2 cups (250 g) peeled, cored, and diced Granny Smith apples about 2 medium apples, cut into about ½ inch (1 cm) pieces
For the cinnamon sugar topping
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease a 9 x 5 inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for lifting out the loaf.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
- Whisk in the melted butter until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a silicone spatula, gently mix just until combined and no dry streaks remain; the batter will be thick.
- Gently fold in the diced apples until evenly distributed into the thick batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the topping, then sprinkle evenly over the batter.
- Bake for about 55 minutes, until the center reads 200 to 205°F (93 to 96°C) on an instant read thermometer, or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with foil for the remaining baking time.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift the loaf onto a wire rack.
- Cool completely before slicing.
Notes:
- Apples: Measure or weigh the apples after peeling, coring, and dicing. Apple sizes vary, so use the prepared quantity as your guide. Honeycrisp apples can be used in place of Granny Smith.
- Doneness: Check the center of the loaf, avoiding a piece of apple. If the toothpick hits an apple, test another spot nearby. A little clear moisture from the apple is fine, but opaque, sticky batter means the loaf needs more time.
- Sugar: Keep the sugar amounts as written for the intended texture and sweetness. The cinnamon sugar topping adds a lightly crisp finish.
- Slicing: Let the loaf cool completely so the crumb has time to set and the slices hold together.
- Storage: Once completely cool, keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Wrapping the loaf while warm traps condensation, which can make the topping wet and sticky.
- Freezing: Wrap individual slices in parchment paper, place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or toast from frozen.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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