Apple Walnut Bread

Adapted from this apple cinnamon quick bread, this apple walnut bread is soft and moist, loaded with chunks of apple and walnut, and finished with a classic New York-style buttery crumb on top. Since there’s no need for a mixer, the batter goes straight from the mixing bowl to the oven in just minutes.

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I’m always on the hunt for those quick and easy recipes that can easily double as both a cozy breakfast and a satisfying snack. Date nut bread, classic apple bread, and banana bread are my go-to defaults when the fall season hits. But this year, in an exciting effort to mix things up and introduce a new fruit-nut bread to the rotation, this apple and walnut bread has officially made its way into the line-up.

Why You’ll Love this Apple Walnut Bread

• Pure apple and walnut flavor
• Warmly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
• No mixer needed
• A sweet, buttery crumb delivers a delightful crunch
• Make-ahead and freezer-friendly

Ingredients You Need:

Like my apple cinnamon bread recipe, this is an oil and sour cream-based batter, and here’s what you need to make it:

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
• Baking powder & soda: Baking powder and baking soda help the bread rise.
• Salt & Vanilla Extract: Use both to balance all the other flavors.
• Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger—the same mix you’ll find in apple cinnamon quick bread.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the bread. You need more with brown sugar for the crumb topping.
• Sour cream or yogurt: Plain, low-fat, or full-fat yogurt sour cream adds exceptional moisture, as well as the necessary acid for the baking soda.
• Oil: Vegetable oil keeps the bread moist and offers a neutral flavor, allowing the pure taste of fresh apples and walnuts to shine.
• Egg: 2 eggs add richness and bind the ingredients together.
• Apple & Walnut: The star of this apple and walnut loaf, of course.

Overview: How to Make Apple Walnut Bread

I like to prepare the crumb topping first so it’s ready as soon as the batter comes together. The crumb topping is optional, so you can make or omit it in this apple walnut bread recipe. It comes together with simple ingredients that you surely already have. Once prepared, place the crumb topping in the refrigerator. The colder the crumbs, the better they will perfectly hold their shape.

After that, you need to peel and chop your apples into ½ inch chunks. You need about 1 and ½ cups (about 180-200 grams), which is about 2-3 medium apples. Set aside with the other prepared ingredients.

Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream white sugar and sour cream. Whisk in oil and then in eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Gently mix the wet and dry ingredients together—the batter should be smooth, creamy, and thick. Add the prepared chopped apples and walnuts to the mixture. Mix just until evenly distributed—avoid overmix.

Spread the thick batter into a 9×5-inch pan. This size is perfect for the amount of batter, but you can also use an 8.5×4.5-inch pan. I used this baking pan for the photos. Scatter the crumb topping evenly over the batter and press the crumbs down firmly so they stick.

Bake until golden.

Apple Walnut Bread Recipe

Hafedh Garfa

This homemade apple nut bread is wonderfully moist and tender, featuring fresh apple pieces and walnut-studded throughout every slice, and topped with an irresistible, optional New York-style crumb.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Bake Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Quick Bread, Sweet Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

  

Crumb Topping

• ¼ cup (50 grams) light or dark brown sugar
• 25 g granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour

Batter

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1and 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
• 1and ¾ cups (200 grams) peeled & chopped apples (½ inch chunks), about 1 and ½ large apples or 2 medium apples
• ⅔ cups (100grams) chopped walnuts

Instructions

 

• Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Spray an 8.5×4.5-inch or 9×5-inch baking pan with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Make the crumb: Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt together in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Lightly mix in the flour with a fork until coarse crumbles form. Don’t over-mix. Set crumb topping aside.
• Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar into the sour cream until uniform. Whisk in oil. Add egg and vanilla, and continue to whisk just until everything is combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then whisk to completely combine. Avoid over-mixing: a few small lumps are OK. Add the chopped apples and walnuts to the mixture. Mix until evenly distributed.
• Spread/pour the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter. Using a silicone spatula or the back of a large spoon, press the crumb topping tightly down into the bread so it sticks.
• Bake: Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My quick bread usually takes 55 minutes. If you find the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• Remove the bread from the oven and set on a colling rack. Allow it to slightly cool in the baking pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let it completely cool for at least 30 minutes on the colling rack before slicing and serving.
• Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

Freezing instructions: Freeze baked & cooled bread for up to 3 months. Bring bread to room temperature before serving.

Special Tools (affiliate links):  9×5-inch Loaf Pan or 8×4-inch Loaf Pan | Measuring cup & spoons or Kitchen Scale & Liquid Measurement Cup  | Balloon or Metal Whisk | Spatula | Steel or Glass Mixing bowls | Cooking Rack.

Apples: Apples that are firmer, such as Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith, are the ideal choice for baking. For this bread, I usually use two medium Golden Delicious apples.  

Yogurt or Sour Cream: You can use either regular or Greek plain yogurt in this recipe.

Why is everything at room temperature? Room temperature ingredients make the butter mix together easily and evenly.