Apple Fritter Bread

This extra-moist apple fritter bread is packed with tender chunks of apples, mixed with a sweet, warm spice blend, and topped with the most incredibly flavorful maple syrup icing. If you’re looking to spotlight everything you love about an apple fritter in loaf form, this is the recipe you’ve been looking for.

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There’s something magical about old-fashioned breads—the ones that make you tuck your legs up, sip a warm drink, and lose yourself in a favorite movie, like homemade date-nut bread, Chelsea buns, lemon loaf, and even that teeth-rotting sweet chocolate fudge bread. Yumm.

This recipe brings that same coziness. It’s a warm, sweet, cinnamon-spiced hug baked into a loaf.

Here’s Why You’ll Love This Apple Fritter Bread

• Super moist and tender bread filled with juicy cinnamon apples
• Made with sour cream
• Topped with maple syrup icing
• Perfect way to showcase fresh apples during peak apple season (aside from apple nut bread and apple swirl bread, of course!)
• Easily turn into muffins or mini loaves.

Ingredients You Need & Why

• Let me explain the ingredients you need and why:
  Apples: You need about 1 and ¾ cups peeled and chopped fresh apples. See the FAQs below for more information on the best type of apples to use.
• Sugar: We’re using granulated sugar for the batter and either light or dark brown sugar or cane sugar for the apple cinnamon mixture.
• Spices: You’ll want to toss those chopped apples in a mix of sugar and spices first! My go-to blend is cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, but don’t hesitate to use any spices you love (or leave some out!).
• Flour: All-purpose flour for the base of this bread’s structure.
• Baking powder & soda: Helps the bread rise.
• Salt: Flavor.
  Sour cream: Sour cream makes this quick bread incredibly moist and prevents the crumb from becoming dense.
• Oil: Instead of butter, we use oil to add extra moisture. It creates a bread that’s lighter in texture, not quite as dense or heavy, and stays fresh for days. We use vegetable oil here; canola or melted coconut oil works too.
• Eggs: Eggs provide structure, stability, and richness.
• Vanilla: Flavor enhancer. You also need it for the maple icing.

Here’s How You Make the BEST Apple Fritter Bread

While the end result might look similar to homemade apple cinnamon bread, this recipe is different because the apples, cane sugar, and spices are mixed directly into the batter, rather than being layered with cinnamon batter and brown sugar.

Here’s an overview of how to make this apple fritter bread:

1. Prepare the apple-cinnamon mixture. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the apples to keep them from browning as you prepare the rest of the batter.
2. Make the batter by whisking the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Combine them, mixing gently until just combined. Then, mix the prepared apples into the batter.
3. Bake the bread for 55–60 minutes. Baking time may vary, so use a toothpick to check for doneness.

The following step-by-step photographs illustrate the process:

The apple-cinnamon mixture once combined:

On the left, you can see the thick, homogenous batter before adding dry ingredients. While the image on the right shows the final consistency of the batter after mixing in the dry ingredients, followed by the apple-cinnamon mixture:

This is a look at the apple fritter bread batter versus the beautifully baked bread:

Icing Options

A drizzle of maple syrup icing makes a lovely, flavorful fall finishing touch. You only need 3 ingredients: confectioners’ sugar, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk them until smooth, and drizzle over the warm loaf. Feel free to omit the icing, or swap the maple syrup for milk to make a standard vanilla glaze.

You can also use this icing as a finishing touch for date nut bread, apple cinnamon bread, or drizzled over the crumb topping of apple walnut bread.

Success Tips

1. Use fresh apples with good firmness. These varieties hold up best during baking and are the same ones recommended for my most apple recipes. Since sliced apples tend to brown quickly, be sure to squeeze a little lemon juice on them immediately after cutting to prevent discoloration.
2. Ensure your ingredients are at room temperature to create a smooth, homogeneous batter. This step is key to yielding a bread that is tender, evenly textured, and rises beautifully in the oven!
3. The bread will fall apart if sliced warm because the apples impart a delicate structure to the crumb. Ensure the bread loaf is cooled completely before slicing and serving.

Apple Fritter Bread Recipe

Hafedh Garfa

This Amish apple fritter bread combines a moist, tender crumb with generous pieces of cinnamon-sugar-dusted apple, all beneath a layer of extraordinarily flavorful maple syrup icing.

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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, Sweet Bread

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

  

Apple Cinnamon Mixture

• 1 and ¾ cups (200 grams) peeled & chopped apples (½ inch chunks), about 1 and ½ large apples or 2 medium apples
• 1 cup (100 grams) cane sugar,(or light or dark brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ⅓ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅓ teaspoon gloves

Batter

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 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
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or vanilla paste / vanilla sugar)

Maple syrup icing

• 1 cup (115 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Adjust your oven rack to the lower-third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
• Prepare the apple–cinnamon mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the peeled and chopped apples, cane sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set the mixture aside. Tip: Squeeze half a lemon over the apples to prevent browning.
• Make the batter: In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and sour cream together until completely smooth and creamy. Whisk in the vegetable oil until fully blended. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until the batter is thick and homogenous. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk just until fully combined—do not overmix. Fold the prepared apple mixture into the batter using a silicone spatula, mixing just until combined.
• Pour the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Tap the pan firmly on the counter once or twice to release any air bubbles.
• Bake: Bake the bread for 55–60 minutes. After about 40 minutes, loosely tent the top with aluminum foil or parchment to prevent over-browning. Check doneness with a toothpick—if it comes out clean, the bread is done. Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
• Make the glaze (optional): In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Add more maple syrup, depending on how thick you want the icing. Drizzle the icing over the cooled bread.
• Slice and serve. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Freezing instructions: After the loaf cools, slice it and wrap the slices snugly in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw the slices overnight in the refrigerator and let them warm to room temperature.

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

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 apple cinnamon mixture, set aside. Make the batter as described above (Steps 3 and 4). Using a scoop or large spoon, fill each muffin cup about ¾ full. Bake the muffins at 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven 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.

Mini Loaves: You can easily turn this recipe into adorable mini apple fritter loaves. Just make the batter as written, then divide it among your mini loaf pans. Because mini pans all bake differently, start checking early and test the centers with a toothpick.