Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread

This apple cinnamon quick bread tastes like fall in a loaf pan! It’s tender, moist, and full of apple taste. It comes together with a simple batter, sweet apples, and a brown sugar cinnamon mixture. This easy apple bread recipe is quick and easy to make, and there’s no mixer required!

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Got a mountain of fresh apples and worried they’ll spoil? This favorite apple cinnamon quick bread recipe is your perfect solution! If you prefer something other than quick bread, check the recipe card note below for how to easily turn this into muffins or mini loaves, plus recommendation for the perfect icing.

This Apple Cinnamon Bread is:

• Not much spices, so the apple taste shines!
• Batter comes together quickly—no mixer needed.
• Freezes beautifully & stays moist for days (Best eaten within 3 days)
• You can also turn it into muffins and mini loaves
• tender & soft
• Excellent plain, but you can add nuts or chocolate chips!  

Grab These Ingredients

In addition to the apples, the remaining ingredients are all standard baking staples you likely already have in your kitchen. Let me point out 3 imperatives, though:

• Sour Cream: I use European style sour cream as it is high in fat (30% or more), which adds a lot of moisture to the batter without thinning it out too much, resulting in a very tender and soft crumb.
• Vegetable Oil: Oil is known for its ability to keep baked goods moist and have a neutral flavor that allows the bread to have a pure apples and cinnamon taste. Butter simply won’t provide the same level of moisture, and the bread tastes richer and more buttery, which masks the cinnamon and apple taste. I use a blend of corn, soybean, and sunflower oil, but you can use your favorite.
• Spices: Apple bread isn’t apple bread without warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. I use cinnamon with an extra nutmeg and ginger in this recipe. But you can add or omit any to suit your taste.  

You also need some extra cinnamon and brown sugar to make the cinnamon sugar mixture.

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread

The steps to make apple cinnamon quick bread and put all the ingredients together after preparing your cinnamon mixture are as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. Whisk together the wet ingredients.
3. Combine the dry and the wet, and gently layer the batter, apples, and cinnamon sugar.
   

I recommend baking this apple quick bread in a 1-pound (8×4-inch) loaf pan. If all you have is a 9×5-inch loaf pan or a 10×5-inch loaf pan, which is what we use for date nut bread and orange bread, you can use it, but expect the bread to be a little shorter.

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices) in one bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients (sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract) in another bowl. Combine together.

The most important step of this easy apple cinnamon bread recipe is properly layering and swirling the ingredients.  As noted in the recipe card below, begin by spreading one-third of your quick bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, then top it with half of the diced apples and sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture. Repeat this layering process with the next third of the batter, the remaining apples, and the remaining cinnamon mixture, setting aside just 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon mixture for the top. Pour the last of the butter, sprinkle with the reserved tablespoon of cinnamon mixture, and use a knife to gently swirl everything together to cream that beautiful cinnamon swirl finish.  

Feel free to top your bread after it has completely cooled with your favorite icing ( see the recipe card note for the best icing options).  

Pro Tips for Making Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread

• Use firm, fresh apples with a good sweet-tart balance—like Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith apples—and avoid soft, mushy, and mealy apples. I used a combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties in this recipe, which offers natural sweetness and tartness flavors that don’t overpower the spices. Peel, core, and chop apples into 1/2 inch (1cm) chunks.  
• Use room temperature ingredients in any type of quick bread, including this apple cinnamon bread recipe. Make sure the sour cream and eggs are at room temperature before starting mixing ( this allows them to blend smoothly with other ingredients and results in a tender, even crumb). Using cold ingredients in the dough can cause the ingredients to clump together, resulting in a dense or lumpy texture.
• Use a kitchen scale and a liquid measuring cup to weigh ingredients, especially those with large portions. If you use measuring cups, it’s easy to overmeasure flour, oil, or sour cream. These ingredients can vary widely in density (some brands are thicker or lighter than others). So a scale is the best tool to measure by eight, and liquid measuring cup are fine for liquids to ensure the perfect ingredients ratio.

Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread Recipe

Hafedh Garfa

This cake-like apple cinnamon quick bread tastes like fall in a loaf pan—tender, moist, and full of apple taste. It comes together with a simple batter, sweet apples, and a brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Feel free to turn this recipe into apple cinnamon muffins or mini loaves. See recipe notes below for icing options.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Bake Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Quick Bread

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

  

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

• ½ cup (100grams) light or dark brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Batter

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 and ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅓ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅓ teaspoon ginger
• ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup (160 grams) sour cream (or Plain yogurt / Greek yogurt), at room temperature
• ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
• 2 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or vanilla paste / vanilla sugar
• 1 and ¾ cups (200 grams) peeled & chopped apples (½ inch chunks), about 1 and ½ large apples or 2 medium apples

Instructions

 

• Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray an 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
• Prepare the Cinnamon Mixture: In a small mixing bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.
• Make the Batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger) together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and sour cream with a balloon or metal whisk until smooth and creamy. Whisk in oil. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and continue whisking until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk until the flour is fully incorporated. Avoid over-mixing. The batter should be smooth, thick, and creamy.
• Pour and spread about one-third of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Next, evenly distribute about ½ of the chopped apples and sprinkle them with half of the cinnamon mixture. Carefully pour and spread the second third of batter, top with the remaining apples, and then sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon mixture (reserve only 1 tablespoon cinnamon mixture aside for the top). Scrape the bowl. Pour and spread the remaining batter over the top. Sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon cinnamon mixture evenly over the top. Using a knife, swirl the batter down the center of the loaf pan.
• Bake the bread for 45-55 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil halfway through if you notice the top browning too quickly. Bread baked in a 9×5-inch pan takes closer to 60 minutes. Bake times will vary between ovens; my quick breads usually take 55 minutes. Poke the center of the bread with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan on a cooking rack for about 45-60 minutes.
• Slice and serve. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 7 days.

Notes

Icing options: Top your cinnamon apple bread with a simple vanilla icing for a light sweetness, a maple glaze for cozy fall-friendly flavor, a brown butter glaze for rich, nutty depth, or a cream cheese icing for a tangy touch.

Sour Cream or Yogurt: Either plain yogurt and Greek yogurt will work in this apple bread recipe with an equal amount of sour cream.

Butter: I don’t recommend substituting butter for oil in this recipe. Butter will make the bread slightly denser and drier quickly after one or two days. Oil provides a neutral base, letting the apple-spice flavor shine.

Special Tools (affiliate links): 8×4-inch Loaf Pan or 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Kitchen Scale & liquid measurement cup or Measuring cup & spoons | Balloon or Metal Whisk | Glass Mixing Bowl | Cooking Rack.

Freezing instruction: Freeze cooled & baked loaf, sliced, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, and placed inside a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw desired slices overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.  

Muffins: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray, or line it with cupcake liners. Prepare the cinnamon mixture and stir it into the apples, then set aside. Make the batter as written above (steps 3 & 4). Fold the apples into the butter (if your apples are very juicy, pat them dry on a paper towel before folding) . Use a scoop or large spoon, fill each cupcake cup about 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C), reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for an additional 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You can also enjoy this pistachio bread recipe in a muffin.

Mini Loaves: You can also use this batter to make mini apple cinnamon loaves. Prepare the recipe as directed and divide the butter and cinnamon mixture evenly among the mini loaf pans. Gently swirl the apples into the batter as the main recipe directs. Baking time and yield will vary depending on the size of the pan. Keep an eye on the loaves and use a toothpick inserted in the center to check for doneness.