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Cinnamon Apple Bread

written by Ashley Fehr

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5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12 slices

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Last updated on April 8, 2024

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This Apple Bread is made with warm cinnamon, tender chunks of apple, applesauce, greek yogurt and whole wheat flour for a healthier twist that tastes indulgent!

apple bread in glass loaf pan with cinnamon sugar on top

Table of Contents

September is here, along with apples and cinnamon, changing leaves and fall baking!

It is one of my favorite times of year.

As much as I love summer — and we had a great time this summer camping and exploring! — it is always nice when the weather cools slightly and we turn back to comfort food.

This Cinnamon Apple Bread is one of our favorite quick snacks or breakfasts — especially with a smear of this Cinnamon Butter!

It is a healthier take on this Praline Glazed Apple Bread, with whole wheat flour, unsweetened applesauce and no glaze, which makes it perfect for any time of day (and with some Cinnamon Butter it still feels totally indulgent!).

And if you like your baked goods in muffin form, you’ll love these Cinnamon Apple Muffins!

What types of apples are best for baking?

Baking apples are generally apples that are a little firm and a little tart.

This way, they don’t break down when they’re cooked and turn to mush, so you have a beautiful apple bread with chunks of apples instead of mush.

apple bread on marble background with two slices cut

My favourites are Granny Smith, because they are firm, not too sweet, easy to find year round and not too expensive.

Honeycrisp and Pink Lady are my two back ups, but they are generally harder to find and more expensive.

In a pinch, you can use almost any apple, but they may affect the taste and texture of this bread.

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How to make Apple Bread:

You’ll find the detailed recipe in the recipe box below, but here are a few extra tips and tricks!

  1. Prep your apples — if you are peeling your apples, you’ll want to do this first, although it’s not entirely necessary and I often don’t. Chop them up and set them aside!
  2. Stir together the wet ingredients until combined — because we don’t want to overmix once the flour is added, and I want to keep this recipe to one bowl, our best bet is to mix those wet ingredients well first.
  3. Add the baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda and mix completely — this prevents our batter from being overmixed once we add the flour.
  4. Add the flour and mix just until combined. Overmixing can lead to a dry, dense loaf. Stir just until most of the flour is incorporated.
  5. Stir in the apples, and spread into a loaf pan. I usually use an 8×4″ glass loaf pan, and occasionally a 9×5″ non stick loaf pan. The recipe instructions are based off of an 8×4″ loaf pan, so if you are using a larger pan you’ll have a slightly shorter loaf and may need to reduce the bake time.
  6. Bake, checking at 30-40 minutes. Because quick bread bakes for so long (and we don’t want to rush it!), it’s a good idea to check the loaf about half way through and cover with foil if it has browned to a golden color already. This will prevent the top from burning while allowing the interior to bake completely.
three slices cut from apple bread laying on parchment paper

How to store Apple Bread:

You can store freshly baked Apple Bread on the counter at room temperature for one day.

After one day, I like to either refrigerate or freeze the bread to make it last. Because the apples make the bread very moist, I find that it spoils more quickly than other breads.

This Apple Bread can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 4-5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Before freezing, you can also slice and wrap each piece individually for a quick breakfast on the go!

Variations on this Cinnamon Apple Bread:

  • To reduce the sugar further, you can omit the sprinkling of cinnamon sugar on top of the bread before baking.
  • Swap the apples for blueberries or another chopped fruit — peaches, nectarines or strawberries would be delicious!
  • You can use all whole wheat flour instead of using some all purpose.
  • You can use all all purpose flour if that is what you have
  • Swap a couple tablespoons of the whole wheat flour with ground flax for a boost of fiber and Omega 3s!
  • Add in a sprinkling of butterscotch chips or toffee bits for a fun fall treat
overhead image of three slices of apple bread on parchment paper

More apple recipes you’ll love!

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Apple Bread

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 8 votes
This Apple Bread is made with warm cinnamon, tender chunks of apple, applesauce, greek yogurt and whole wheat flour for a healthier twist that tastes indulgent!
apple bread on marble background with two slices cut
Review
Print
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Cuisine American
Course Bread and Baked Goods
Servings 12 slices
Calories 182cal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped apples peeled or not, about 2 small or 1 large
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (1 cup for less sweet bread)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups flour (I use 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup all purpose)

Cinnamon Sugar

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • If you are peeling your apples, peel them first, then finely chop and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease an 8×4" loaf pan (see notes above for different sizes)
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, applesauce, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
  • Add the baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda and whisk until combined.
  • Stir in the flour until there are little to no streaks of flour remaining — don't overmix.
  • Stir in apples and spread into prepared loaf pan.
  • Combine ingredients for Cinnamon Sugar and sprinkle over bread.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes before checking to see if the top is golden. If the top is golden brown, cover with foil and continue baking for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. If the top is pale, leave uncovered and continue baking 20-30 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 182cal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
Keywords apple bread, apple cinnamon bread

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Deb Ford says

    Absolutely amazing with everyone begging for the recipe. I made a few modifications:

    substituted 1 cup apple butter for 1/2 cup yogurt & 1 cup applesauce
    substituted brown sugar for white sugar
    added chopped pecans
    added 1 tsp ground ginger
    added 1 tb molasses
    baked it in a 9×13 pan to prevent the center from collapsing

    Reply

  8. Jhow says

    YUM! Made it this past weekend. I used all freshly ground wheat flour, allulose sugar substitute, and some toasted pecans. This was delicious. I was worried about the sugar substitute, but I am trying to be sugar free as much as possible. No oil, no sugar and all whole wheat and it was a real treat to eat slices of the moist bread. Can’t wait to make it again this upcoming weekend. THANK YOU for this recipe!

    Reply

  14. Diana Johnson says

    I love that there is both apple sauce and chunky apples in the bread. Plus the whole wheat flour really adds a gentle nuttiness of whole wheat along with the nutritional benefits. Great recipe!

    Reply

  16. Susan says

    I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup, used 2 eggs, followed your suggestion to substitute half whole wheat flour for white flour. I also added half cup each of raisins and chopped pecans. It is plenty sweet for us and I will definitely make it again.

    Reply

  17. Yaminah says

    Hi! I see that you are baking in a class loaf pan. I was wondering how you manage to have the bread still standing and not falling apart fo deflating once it gets out of the oven- I have this problem and it seriously bothers me- to the point where I don’t even bake bread at all.

    I just use the same recipe for muffins or do it in a circular cake pan.
    I would love some tips on what I should do about this deflating, since it seems the problem is the pan.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Yaminah! I tend to have that problem when the loaf is too moist or not quite baked long enough. Have you tried making the same recipes in another pan? I have had my loaves deflate in a non stick loaf pan as well if they are very moist. I just add a couple tablespoons extra flour and that helps them to keep their shape a little.

      Reply

  18. Pamela Estepp says

    Not sure how you got your nutritional information but just the baking powder and baking soda alone come to 139 mg of sodium per serving based on a 12 recipe.

    Reply

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