Apple Walnut Bread Recipe
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.
Servings 1 loaf
Calories 4498kcal
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 8.5x4.5-inch or 9x5-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.
