Apple Bread with Cinnamon Swirl
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This delicious apple bread has a generous cinnamon swirl and a crisp, sugared top. It’s easy to make and the perfect cozy fall treat.
This cinnamon swirl apple bread will give you all the cozy fall feels. Packed with tart apples, it has a generous cinnamon swirl running through the center and a crisp, sugared top. Like other fall quick breads—pumpkin bread, cranberry orange bread, and banana bread—this apple bread recipe is easy to whip up and perfect any time of day.
My kids insist I ruin everything with nuts, so I’ve intentionally kept this recipe nut-free, but I think a handful of walnuts or pecans would be a delicious addition to the batter. Just be sure to let the bread cool completely before slicing—or even let it sit overnight. It stays moist for days! A special thanks to Caitlyn over at Erhardts Eat for the recipe inspiration!
“I made this recipe, and entered it in my local Apple Bake Contest in Pennsylvania that me and my sisters always enter and it won best of show!!! It’s so good! 🍁♥️”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Bread With Cinnamon Swirl
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness and depth to the cinnamon swirl. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
- Cinnamon: Provides a warm, aromatic spice that infuses the bread with classic cinnamon flavor.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and contribute to the bread’s structure and moisture.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the bread and helps with browning.
- Butter: Adds richness and a tender crumb to the bread.
- Milk: Moistens the batter and helps achieve a soft, tender texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the bread with its aromatic richness.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the foundational structure for the bread. To ensure accuracy, always measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off—it makes a difference!
- Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the bread rise and become fluffy.
- Tart Baking Apples: Contribute a tart contrast to the sweetness and add texture to the bread. Granny Smith apples are ideal.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a small bowl, stir the brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the eggs and granulated sugar.
Beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the melted butter followed by the milk and vanilla, and whisk just until evenly combined.
Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the batter.
Mix on low speed until evenly combined.
Add the apples to the batter.
Fold with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.
Line the long side of the pan with a parchment paper “sling” and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray again. Spoon about 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle about 2/3 of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture on top of the batter.
Spoon the remaining batter over top.
Sprinkle the batter with the remaining brown sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Using a butter knife, swirl the layers by making a zig-zag motion through the batter once in each direction (don’t overdo it!)
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool on a rack for about 30 minutes.
Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan and onto the rack.
Let cool completely before slicing, a few hours or overnight. Store loosely covered with aluminum foil on the countertop.
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Apple Bread with Cinnamon Swirl
Ingredients
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup peeled cored, and finely diced tart baking apples, from 1 apple (preferably Granny Smith)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray an 8½ x 4½-inch (22 x 11-cm) loaf pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Line the long side of the pan with a parchment paper “sling” and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray again.
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the eggs and granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the melted butter followed by the milk and vanilla, and mix just until evenly combined.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the batter and mix on low speed until evenly combined.
- Add the apples to the batter and fold with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.
- Spoon about ⅔ of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle about ⅔ of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture on top of the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over top, followed by the remaining brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Using a butter knife, swirl the layers by making a zig-zag motion through the batter once in each direction (don't overdo it!).
- Bake for about 50 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool on a rack for about 30 minutes, then use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan and onto the rack. Let cool completely before slicing, a few hours or overnight. Store loosely covered with aluminum foil on the countertop for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
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LOVE this recipe. The simplicity only makes the taste that much better. YUM and thank you!
Would I be able to half the amount of sugar? Will it affect the texture at all?
Hi Alana, I wouldn’t cut it in half, but you could reduce both sugars by 2 tablespoons. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Made this again today, it’s simply the best ever accompaniment to a strong cup of coffee. Delicious.
Beware, this is too good. You will go back for one more slice. Then another. Then another. Somehow the loaf will magically disappear. You will only wear pants with elasticised waistbands. And you won’t care. Because this loaf is worth it.
🤣
😂😂😂
TRIED LOOKING THROUGH THE MANY COMMENTS, looking to see if anyone had baked this with a specific GF flour blend. Not successful. Perhaps you have a response?
I dislike investing the cost of ingredients to then just have a mediocre result (which I then would just trash).
Hi Iris, I haven’t made this with gluten-free flour, but a number of readers have commented that they have good luck (in general, with my baked goods) using King Arthur gluten-free flour and Cup4Cup gluten-free flour.
This bread looks delicious! I bake frequently for our church coffee hour and would like to include this cake. I like to use 9×9 baking pans. Would this recipe work in a pan that shape and size, or should I use something smaller?
Hi Margaret, If you want to make it in a 9 x 9-inch pan, I’d make 1.5 times the recipe. If you have an 8 x 8-inch pan, you could keep the quantities as is. Either way, the bake time may be a bit different so keep a close eye on it. Hope everyone enjoys!
All what I taste is sugar no taste of apple.
I love your recipes! Each one I have tried (desserts so far), is delicious. All received rave reviews from my guests! The French Apple cake was fabulous and people were eating the leftover crumbs! Thank you! I want to try this bread and ask if a Fuji Apple would work? If not, happy to buy Granny Smith apples (my store was out of them recently).
So glad you like the recipes, Carmen! I like the tartness that Granny Smith’s have, but Fuji will definitely work. Plase LMK how it turns out!
Could you make muffins out of these?
Yep 🙂
Jenn,
Can I use buttermilk instead of milk?
I don’t recommend it, Vicki – sorry!
To kick off 2023, I am hosting Brunch for some favourite friends this weekend. Doing a Breakfast Board which will include this recipe, your Chai Spiced Banana Bread and your Egg Bites with Bacon and Gruyére. Even though I am making them all for the first time, any of your recipes I have made in the past have always been big winners so I am confident these will be too!
My question is what type of salt do you use in your recipes? I typically use Diamond Krystal
and want to be sure to use the right amount.
Here’s to another fantastic year baking along with all your recipes, Jenn.
With thanks,
Hi Sally, Thanks for your nice words about the recipes — so glad you like them! When a recipe of mine says salt in the ingredient list, I am referring to regular/table salt. If it calls for something else like kosher salt, I’ll specify that in the recipe. And while it doesn’t make a huge difference, different salts have different-sized grains and so you may end up using a bit more or a bit less if you use a different type of salt than the recipe calls for. Hope that clarifies!
Jenn,
Big thanks for not only answering my “which salt do you use” question but explaining about different salt types too! The bigger thanks, however, goes to you as all the recipes I mentioned I was making in my Jan 18th note, were absolutely delicious — big raves from all at my Brunch! ❤️
💗