This apple bread recipe is moist, warmly spiced with cinnamon, and packed with juicy apples and walnuts for crunch. It's an easy, delicious fall treat!
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This apple cinnamon bread is exactly what I want to bake (and eat) on a crisp fall day. It’s moist, tender, and full of fall goodness—juicy apples, crunchy walnuts, and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. I add applesauce to the batter in addition to the fresh apple pieces, which makes it extra-moist and rounds out the sweet apple flavor. It’s so good that I’ve made it 3 times in September already (we went apple picking, what can I say?). I hope you love it as much as I do!
Why You’ll Love This Apple Bread Recipe
- It tastes like fall. Pumpkin bread isn’t the only quick bread that belongs in your autumn rotation! The cozy combination of fresh apples, vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon makes this apple bread perfect for the season.
- It’s easy to make with basic equipment. No mixer required—you can make this loaf with just a couple of mixing bowls, a whisk, spatula, and loaf pan.
- It freezes well. I love to freeze individual slices so I can thaw one at a time for a quick breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Apple Bread Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this apple bread recipe:
- Apples, of course! 2 small to medium apples will do the trick. I’ve made this recipe with both peeled and unpeeled apples and love it both ways, so it’s up to you if you’d like to peel them.
- All-purpose flour – It makes up the base of the batter. Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
- Baking powder, baking soda, and eggs – They help the loaf puff up in the oven. The eggs bind it together too.
- Brown sugar – For sweetness. I love the combination of the molasses-y brown sugar and cinnamon in this loaf, but if you don’t have brown sugar on hand, you can use white sugar instead. I’ve tested it and enjoyed the results. It gives the loaf a brighter apple flavor.
- Applesauce – It adds moisture and deepens the apple flavor.
- Vegetable oil – For moisture and richness. Another neutral oil, like avocado oil or canola oil, would work well too.
- Milk – Use any kind you keep on hand! I’ve had great results with almond milk, 2%, and whole milk.
- Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla – For warm, cozy depth of flavor. If you have apple pie spice handy, feel free to use 1 tablespoon of it in place of the individual spices.
- Walnuts – For crunch! Chopped pecans would also be delicious. For a nut-free loaf, replace the nuts with a little more diced apple.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
What are the best apples for apple bread?
The best apples for apple bread are firm apples that will hold their shape when cooked.
I often use crisp, sweet varieties like Gala, Honeycrisp, or Fuji. If you prefer tart apples, Granny Smith apples are a great choice.
Avoid soft apples like McIntosh and Red Delicious, which will become mushy in the bread.
How to Make Apple Bread
This apple bread recipe comes together in 3 easy steps:
- Start by making the batter. Whisk together the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in two separate mixing bowls. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the apples and walnuts.
- Transfer the batter to a greased loaf pan and spread it in an even layer.
- Bake at 350°F until the top springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. If the loaf cracks open, make sure to test it in the center of the crack. That’s the part that will finish baking last.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix. If you’ve made other quick breads like banana bread and zucchini bread, you’ve heard this tip before! Overmixing the batter will start to develop the gluten in the flour, causing the loaf to become chewy and dense instead of moist and tender. For the best results, mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined.
- Line your pan with parchment paper for easy removal. I like to line the bottom and two long sides of my pan, leaving an inch of overhang on the sides. That way, I can easily lift the loaf out of the pan after baking.
- Tent the top with foil if it’s getting too dark. This apple cinnamon bread has a fairly long bake time, 55 to 65 minutes. I like to keep an eye on the top throughout the cooking process so that it doesn’t get too dark before the middle cooks through. I check at around 45 minutes. If the top is golden brown, I tent it with foil for the rest of the bake time to prevent further browning.
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover apple bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, wrap it tightly or seal it in a container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw for a couple hours at room temperature, or quickly defrost slices in the microwave in about 30 seconds.
More Apple Recipes to Try
If you love this apple cinnamon bread, try one of these delicious apple recipes next:
- Apple Crisp
- Apple Cake
- Apple Pie
- Or any of these 20 Easy Apple Recipes!
Apple Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar or cane sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup vegetable oil or other neutral oil
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups peeled and diced apple, about 2 small to medium apples
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan. If desired, line the bottom and two long sides with a sheet of parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil, milk, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, then fold the apples and walnuts into the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the top springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. I like to check the loaf after 45 minutes. If the top is golden brown, I cover it with foil for the remaining bake time to prevent further browning.
- Let cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
Adding applesauce alongside fresh apple pieces sounds like such a smart way to keep this bread tender while boosting the apple flavor. The cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and crunchy walnuts make it feel like the perfect cozy fall bake.
This apple bread recipe is chef’s kiss. The apple and spice levels are so perfect. I want to lick my plate after every time I eat it.
I’m so glad you loved it, Kristen!
So delicious and easy to make. Amazing fall treat. I made this exactly as the recipe describes and it came out perfectly. My wife and I loved it. I thought it was the perfect sweetness for snacking. For anyone who thinks it’s not sweet enough, you should try the Love & Lemons apple cake recipe instead.
I’m so glad you loved it, Alex!
Adding applesauce alongside the fresh apple pieces sounds like a great way to keep this bread extra-moist, while the walnuts add the perfect bit of crunch. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger combination makes it especially tempting for fall baking.
Turned out pretty well – followed the recipe except for walnuts.
I like so many of your recipes, both baked & other types. Some people ask about making some of them GF. I notice you mentioned having generally good results with KA 1:1 GF flour blend. Would you say this applies to most all of your baked/quick bread/muffin/cookie etc.. recipes ?
If YES, then may I suggest you add to your regular “notes” section something to this effect. Or perhaps indicate OK to sub GF 1:1 flour adjacent (parentheses) next to where you indicate the flour quantity. Then you wouldn’t have to answer so many people individually who are interested in this. IMHO
I was so looking forward to eating this recipe. However, I was totally disappointed. Not sweet enough and the three spices made it taste like sawdust to me. I even tried slicing it and toasting a piece, then slathering with butter. Did not improve the taste. I gave the entire loaf (minus three pieces) to my neighbors. I hope they like it better than we did.
Hi Victoria, I’m so sorry to hear you were disappointed with the bread! Just so I can help troubleshoot, did you change anything about the recipe?
I agree. I was excited but it came out dry and flavorless. I didn’t change anything except to not add walnuts because of an allergy.
My daughter made this recipe as mini muffins and they were better – more moist and more flavorful.
think I could just double the apple sauce in place of the oil, or use yogurt?
looks amazing, making today. thanks
Hi Diana, I’m sorry I’m getting to this late! I don’t think the bread would be exactly the same with either substitute, so I recommend sticking with the oil for the best results. If you’re ok with a slightly denser loaf, I think the applesauce sub might work.
Can you give weight measurements for this recipe please?
Can flax eggs be used in place of eggs?
Hi Alene, I haven’t tried that, but I think it could work! I would double the baking powder as well. The bake time may be a bit longer too.
Can I cook the apples before adding them to the bread mix?
Hi Emely, I haven’t tried that, but I think it could work! I would leave any excess juices behind and just add the apple pieces. Keep in mind that they will soften more as they bake in the bread, so I would just cook them lightly.
Can this be made with whole wheat flower?
Hi Maria, I think half whole wheat flour and half AP flour would work well!
Any possibility of making this gluten free?
Hi Eliza, I haven’t tried it, but I generally have great results with the King Arthur 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend!