Apple Bread with Cinnamon Swirl
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This delicious apple bread has a generous cinnamon swirl and a crisp, sugared top. It’s easy to make and the perfect cozy fall treat.
This cinnamon swirl apple bread will give you all the cozy fall feels. Packed with tart apples, it has a generous cinnamon swirl running through the center and a crisp, sugared top. Like other fall quick breads—pumpkin bread, cranberry orange bread, and banana bread—this apple bread recipe is easy to whip up and perfect any time of day.
My kids insist I ruin everything with nuts, so I’ve intentionally kept this recipe nut-free, but I think a handful of walnuts or pecans would be a delicious addition to the batter. Just be sure to let the bread cool completely before slicing—or even let it sit overnight. It stays moist for days! A special thanks to Caitlyn over at Erhardts Eat for the recipe inspiration!
“I made this recipe, and entered it in my local Apple Bake Contest in Pennsylvania that me and my sisters always enter and it won best of show!!! It’s so good! 🍁♥️”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Bread With Cinnamon Swirl
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness and depth to the cinnamon swirl. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
- Cinnamon: Provides a warm, aromatic spice that infuses the bread with classic cinnamon flavor.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and contribute to the bread’s structure and moisture.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the bread and helps with browning.
- Butter: Adds richness and a tender crumb to the bread.
- Milk: Moistens the batter and helps achieve a soft, tender texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the bread with its aromatic richness.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the foundational structure for the bread. To ensure accuracy, always measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off—it makes a difference!
- Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the bread rise and become fluffy.
- Tart Baking Apples: Contribute a tart contrast to the sweetness and add texture to the bread. Granny Smith apples are ideal.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a small bowl, stir the brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the eggs and granulated sugar.
Beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the melted butter followed by the milk and vanilla, and whisk just until evenly combined.
Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the batter.
Mix on low speed until evenly combined.
Add the apples to the batter and fold with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.
Line the long side of the pan with a parchment paper “sling” and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray again. Spoon about 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle about 2/3 of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture on top of the batter.
Spoon the remaining batter over top.
Sprinkle the batter with the remaining brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Using a butter knife, swirl the layers by making a zig-zag motion through the batter once in each direction (don’t overdo it!)
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool on a rack for about 30 minutes.
Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan and onto the rack. Let cool completely before slicing, a few hours or overnight. Store loosely covered with aluminum foil on the countertop.
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Apple Bread with Cinnamon Swirl
Ingredients
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup peeled cored, and finely diced tart baking apples, from 1 apple (preferably Granny Smith)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray an 8½ x 4½-inch (22 x 11-cm) loaf pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Line the long side of the pan with a parchment paper “sling” and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray again.
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the eggs and granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the melted butter followed by the milk and vanilla, and mix just until evenly combined.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the batter and mix on low speed until evenly combined.
- Add the apples to the batter and fold with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.
- Spoon about ⅔ of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle about ⅔ of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture on top of the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over top, followed by the remaining brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Using a butter knife, swirl the layers by making a zig-zag motion through the batter once in each direction (don't overdo it!).
- Bake for about 50 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool on a rack for about 30 minutes, then use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan and onto the rack. Let cool completely before slicing, a few hours or overnight. Store loosely covered with aluminum foil on the countertop for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
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I just completed this recipe with my niece, whom is 10 years old and wanted to do it for a summer camp potluck. I’m at 7 900 FT elevation and I wanted to mention that because somebody else said they had problems at 5,000 ft.
My niece wanted more apples so we added two cups but I didn’t adjust any of the other ingredients. What I did was add about a tablespoon of water and a tiny bit of lemon juice because we didn’t have tart apples.
This bread is delicious and amazing it rose so high!
My only complaint is that I didn’t grease the loaf pan well enough because in my silly head I thought the parchment would be enough so when I pulled it out the ends tore off. But we were all more than delighted they did because we got to taste this cake that wasn’t made or intended for us.
I guarantee we’ll be making another one tomorrow just for us. And since we’ll probably add 2 cups of apples again, I’ll be making very slight adjustments to increase the milk and butter…. Very slight.
I was really looking forward to this apple bread, but it did not work for me at 5,300 ft altitude. I am used to adjusting recipes of cakes and some muffins, but didn’t do so for this one and it was a disaster: it didn’t rise so was very dense as well as being greasy from the butter. If I try it again I will cut back on the amount of fat as well as sugar and add more milk and flour. I might cut baking powder to 1 1/4.
I make this regularly. It’s always moist and delicious, and just the right amount of sweet.
Not sure what we’re doing wrong. Watched my daughter make this bread yesterday and for some reason it just doesn’t rise well. It’s happened two times now when she has tried to make this recipe. The flavor is great, moist, not too sweet but just is flat. Your pics don’t look anything like her finished product. Please help?
Hi Mary, sorry there’s been a problem with the bread coming out flat! Is your daughter using an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2″ loaf pan? If so, is there a chance that her baking powder is very old or expired?
Thank you for your response! I will check with my daughter. I LOVE your recipes. You’re my go-to inspiration for baking and cooking!
I made this Apple Bread with Cinnamon Swirl a few days ago. I like how it uses ingredients that are pantry staples and only uses one apple – just a ‘hint’ of apple. It turned out well . . . moist, yummy cake with crunchy cinnamon topping. It stayed moist and looked fabulous in my cake saver. Next time I make it, I’ll freeze some for another time, too. Let me know how to send a photo!
Hi Sally, happy to hear you enjoyed the bread! Unfortunately, the blog isn’t set up to receive pictures but you can email them to me at jennifer@onceuponachef.com, or if you’re on Instagram, you can share it there; be sure to tag me @onceuponachef!
This is an excellent apple recipe. I enjoyed every bite and don’t skip that cinnamon swirl!
Will be making some this again soon! It does keep very well. .. but it did not last long.. !
I’ve never commented on the website recipe but oh joy! this turned out such a delicious apple bread!!! My family loved it so much now I regretted that I didn’t bake two loaves at once. I’ll bake more in a couple of weeks. Thank you for sharing this tasty recipe.
I love this recipe so much! Can this be made vegan? What can I substitute the egg and butter with? I was thinking flax seed for eggs? oil or applesauce for butter? Thoughts?
So glad you like it! Yes, you should be able to make it vegan with a few tweaks. You need something solid to cream with the sugar, so instead of oil or applesauce, I’d suggest a non-dairy (stick) butter or solidified coconut oil. I’ve never worked with flax eggs, but I beleive they should work. Two other substitutes I’ve heard about (I haven’t personally tried either of them) are a combination of water, oil, and baking powder, and carbonated water. The Kitchn website has a great article that details a variety of substitutes they tried. For more information about their favorites, take a peek at that. Once you’re on The Kitchn site, search for “The Best Egg Substitutes for Any Recipe.” I would assume the brread would also work with some kind of store-bought egg substitute. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
I just bought a bag of Empire apples (they were on sale) and thought I would use them in this recipe. Do you think they would work?
Thanks.
Sure, Linda, they should work. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn. This is one of the best Apple breads I’ve made. I was wondering if this recipe freezes well.
Thanks
Theresa
So glad you like it! You can freeze it but the top may not be crispy once you defrost it.
I never leave reviews, but I have to for this one. This is so fantastic! I even lessened the white sugar to 1 cup and it was still great. Highly recommended. ❤️
It only calls for 1/2 cup white sugar. How did you reduce it to 1 cup?
Even the brown sugar is only 1/2 cup.