Apple Bread

Lyuba’s Recipe Highlights

It’s that time of year again! Time to welcome all of the warm spiced apple and pumpkin recipes. This easy to make apple bread is a recipe that I always whip up right at the beginning of the fall season, simply because nothing sets the cozy mood more. So what makes this sweet bread so good?

• Besides the fresh apple flavor itself, there are other ingredients that help to enhance that warm and cozy feeling. Primarily, the simple yet delicious cinnamon swirl on top of the bread will make your mouth water as well as make you feel all the fall feelings!
• Cinnamon and apples are always a perfect match.
• The best part is, this is a quick bread recipe, so you won’t even have to put in too much work for this cozy experience.

Ingredient Notes for Apple Bread

• Eggs – make sure to pull the eggs from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking to warm up.
• Buttermilk – I’ve been baking with buttermilk for many, many years and after testing many, I highly recommend using low fat buttermilk. It give the best batter texture.
• Apples – Honeycrisp, Gala, or Granny Smith apples will all work! Just pick your favorite, and dice them up.
• Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will both work, so you can use whichever you prefer.

What Apples are Best in Apple Bread?

My go-to apples are usually Honeycrisp or Gala apples. They provide a bright and sweet flavor palate and actually keep their shape while baking. If you want a little tart and sour flavor, use Granny Smith apples.

Other apples that are good for baking include Jonagold (little tart and honey like sweetness), Braeburn (sweet and crispy and stands up great to baking without becoming mushy), Mutsu (sweet and juicy, similar to golden delicious in flavor), and Pink Lady (this apple had a milder flavor than other, it’s mildly sweet and slightly tart).

How to Make Apple Bread: Step-By Step Photos

First, you’ll need to start off by peeling and dicing your apples, preheating the oven, and preparing the baking dish.

Now you can begin baking! Beat the eggs and white granulated sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer. You’ll need to do this for a few minutes, until light and fluffed.

Lower the speed of the mixer and add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Then, still on low speed, mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt until everything is just incorporated. (Don’t make a mistake of not lowering the mixer speed of there will be a lot of cleanup!)

Pour in the buttermilk and mix in until it’s also just incorporated, don’t overmix.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold in the diced apples.

Spread about 1/3 of the batter in the prepared baking dish. Then, sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.

Spread another 1/3 of the batter atop of that first layer, then top it off with another sprinkle of cinnamon sugar before repeating the process one final time. You should end up with a layered cinnamon sugar masterpiece!

Bake the bread for approximately 55-60 minutes.

How To Tell If Quick Bread Is Done?

I get this question a lot, especially when a person follows the baking time exactly rather than temperature on baked bread. Since each oven is different, it affects the bake time differently. Also, location and altitude do affect bake time as well.

• So when you see bake times and cook times in recipes, remember that those are suggested times but you still have to watch the food to see if it’s done.
• Some easy tests include to touch and gently press the middle of the bread to see how firm it is, or you can use toothpick test to see if the middle of the bread is done.
• Using an instant read digital meat thermometer is the best way to test if the bread is done. Measure at the center of the bread to see if it reached 200°F internal temperature.

Storing Suggestions

You can keep baked apple bread at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or freeze it! The best part is that you can store the bread as a whole or slice it into individual slices.

• If you know you will eat it within a couple of days, you can easily store it at room temperature for 2-3 days. Just make sure to cover it airtight so it doesn’t dry out.
• In the refrigerator, this bread will last much longer. Make sure to cover the bread airtight and store it for 5-7 days.

Freezing Recommendation

A slice of apple bread make a great afternoon snack of breakfast on the go:

• Cool the apple bread completely before freezing (or refrigerating). Slice the bread into even slices.
• Quick sweet breads are more moist, so I like to place a slice of parchment paper in between each slice to keep them from sticking together. Wrap the whole loaf of bread in aluminum foil first and then place it in a large zip-lock freezer bags and let the air out. (You can also wrap each slice in foil and place them into the freezer bag if you want to pull out one slice at a time.)
• Label the bag and place it in a freezer. Freeze for up to 2 months.
• Defrost the bread on the counter top. Slices of bread will take minutes to defrost.

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More Quick Bread Recipes To Enjoy:

Classic Banana Bread -it’s a classic bread that takes only a few minutes to prepare and tastes amazing every time.

Pumpkin Bread – a moist quick bread with real pumpkin puree and warm spices.

Zucchini Bread – a super moist, sweet, and tender bread with a pleasant combination of textures.

Coconut Banana Bread – this quick bread is soft, moist, and has a delightful hint of tropical coconut flavor.