Apple Cinnamon Bread

Once upon a time, a beautiful, sweet apple met and fell in love with a spicy stick of cinnamon and they lived happily ever after in this Apple Cinnamon Bread. The end. If you’d like the juicy details, read on!

So many delicious fall recipes begin with those simple ingredients, and this incredibly tasty Apple Cinnamon Bread is one of my favorite things to bake when fall arrives. It makes use of the abundant apple harvest, smells amazing as it bakes in the oven, and produces a delicious moist bread spiked with sweet apples and cinnamon brown sugar.

this recipe!

About this Cinnamon Apple Bread Recipe

First, a little about this tasty recipe. This apple cinnamon bread recipe is a quick bread recipe, similar to my banana bread recipe. Secondly, I use a gluten free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour. One of my children has an anaphylactic allergy to wheat, so we keep a wheat-free kitchen. You may absolutely use all-purpose or whole wheat flour in this recipe without needing to make any additional substitutions. You will likely have all the other ingredients on hand.

Ingredients Needed

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend *I King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure flour in this recipe as it has a nice blend of rice and sorghum flours and adequate Xanthan Gum.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large apples, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• *parchment paper

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Bread

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. First, mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the baking powder in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Then use a stand mixer or handheld mixer and large mixing bowl to cream the softened butter and granulated sugar. You can use a pastry cutter, two butter knives or some muscle and a large wooden spoon if you don’t have a mixer.
3. Next, slowly add the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
4. Then add the yogurt and eggs, one at a time, and beat into the mixture on medium speed until all the ingredients are just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then pour the vanilla into the milk and add to the mixture. Beat another 30 seconds.
5. Place the chopped apples, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, nuts and cinnamon in the now empty large bowl used for the dry ingredients. Toss to combine.
6. Finally, gently fold 2/3 of the nuts and apple mixture into the bread mixture. Do not over mix. You want the brown sugar and cinnamon to cling to the nuts and apples rather than spread throughout the bread.
7. Line a loaf pan with parchment and or grease and flour the bottom and the sides; both methods work great for this recipe. *ProTip: use the wrapper from the butter to grease the pan. There is usually just the right amount of butter clinging to it to do the job.
8. Then pour the apple cinnamon bread mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 of the apple mixture and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes in a 350° F preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

After Baking

1. Transfer the apple cinnamon bread to a wire rack to cool completely. Resist the urge to cut it before it cools as it may fall apart. I highly recommend taking the dog for a walk or running an errand because the temptation will be great:) The smell of cinnamon spiced bread and fresh baked apples is pretty compelling.
2. Slice the apple cinnamon bread into thick slices. I recommend wiping the knife between slices to get beautiful clean slices. Enjoy the bread alone, with a little butter, or clotted cream It is also wonderful toasted with a cup of Earl Grey tea!
3. Store the bread wrapped in parchment, waxed paper, foil, or an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What are the best apples to use for this recipe?

My grammy would definitely say to use Granny Smith apples, but I love trying all the new varieties like Honeycrisp, Envy, Jazz, and Pink Lady. All have the desired balance of tart and sweet apple flavor with a firm enough texture to withstand the cooking. The only apple I’d avoid is Red Delicious because their their flavor is too mild and their texture tends toward mealy.

Which type of sugar should I use?

If you have the option, nothing beats the deep, rich flavor of dark brown sugar with sweet, tart apples. They complement each other so well. The bright, sweet apples play the high notes while the dark brown sugar brings the bass. Light brown sugar will taste great, too, but the flavor and color will not contrast quite as richly.

Can I omit the nuts in this recipe?

Yes, of course. You can omit them or substitute another nut like chopped walnuts.

What can I substitute for the Greek yogurt in this recipe?

You can substitute plain yogurt, vanilla yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraiche for the plain Greek yogurt. All will add the necessary acidity and moisture.

What can I substitute to make this apple cinnamon bread dairy free?

You can use coconut oil in place of the butter and almond milk or coconut milk in place of the yogurt or sour cream. Omit the 1/4 cup of milk as the almond milk and coconut milk have additional moisture.

How can I make this recipe more heart healthy?

You can reduce the butter to 1/4 cup and add 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce to the mixture to reduce the amount of butter.

How to store apple cinnamon bread?

Wrap the bread in aluminum foil, parchment paper, or waxed paper and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. This keeps the chopped apples in the bread at their best.

We hope you love this recipe! We’ve already baked two loaves this week to share with family and it’s been devoured!