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Cinnamon Swirl Apple Bread

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This lovely apple bread has a generous cinnamon swirl and crisp sugared top.

Slices of cinnamon swirl apple bread.

This cinnamon swirl apple bread will give you all the fall feels. Chock-full of tart apples, it has a generous cinnamon swirl running through the center and a crisp sugared top. Similar to other fall quick breads, like pumpkin bread or cranberry nut bread, it’s easy to throw together – and it’s really just a cake baked in a loaf pan.

My kids claim I ruin everything with nuts, so I’ve intentionally left this apple bread nut-free, but I think a handful of walnuts or pecans would be delicious mixed into the batter. Be sure to wait until the bread is completely cool before slicing; you can even let it cool overnight, as it keeps moist for days. Thank you to Caitlyn over at Erhardts Eat for the recipe inspiration!

What You’ll Need To Make Cinnamon Swirl Apple Bread

apple bread ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.

Cinnamon and brown sugar mixture in a small bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the eggs and granulated sugar.

eggs and sugar in mixing bowl

Beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.

eggs and sugar after beating

With the mixer on low, gradually add the melted butter followed by the milk and vanilla, and mix just until evenly combined.

eggs, sugar, butter, and milk mixture

Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the batter.

adding dry ingredients to batter

Mix on low speed until evenly combined.

apple bread batter

Add the apples to the batter.

adding apples to apple bread batter

Fold with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.

apple bread batter

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.

half of apple bread batter in pan

Sprinkle about 2/3 of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture on top of the batter.

adding brown sugar cinnamon swirl mixture

Spoon the remaining batter over top.

topping with the remaining batter

Sprinkle the batter with the remaining brown sugar-cinnamon mixture.

adding 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!)

swirling the bread

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.

apple bread cooling on rack

Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan and onto the rack.

apple bread cooling on rack

Let cool completely before slicing, a few hours or overnight. Store loosely covered with aluminum foil on the countertop.

Slices of cinnamon swirl apple bread.

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Cinnamon Swirl Apple Bread

This lovely apple bread has a generous cinnamon swirl and crisp sugared top.

Servings: One 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf (8 - 12 slices)
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 55 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray an 8.5 x 4.5-inch 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.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. With the mixer on low, gradually add the melted butter followed by the milk and vanilla, and mix just until evenly combined.
  5. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the batter and mix on low speed until evenly combined.
  6. Add the apples to the batter and fold with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.
  7. 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!).
  8. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (12 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 205
  • Fat: 9 g
  • Saturated fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 28 g
  • Sugar: 16 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 3 g
  • Sodium: 160 mg
  • Cholesterol: 52 mg

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.

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Comments

  • I made this bread yesterday and my husband loves it. I added about 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts to the brown sugar mixture. It’s definitely a winner. Thanks Jenn.

    • — Suzie DeAngelis
    • Reply
  • Hello,
    A silly question please:
    You instruct to create a sling of parchment paper for the
    long sided of the pan and to lightly spray it with a cooking spray.
    Does that mean the short sides of the loaf pan get sprayed
    to?

    • Not a silly question! Yes, the whole pan gets sprayed lightly before you put in the parchment sling. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!

  • Made it today! Came out delicious, and full of flavor!

  • First, my home smelled AMAZING as the loaf baked. The taste did not disappoint, I added 0.5tsp more cinnamon and did add a handful of walnuts and the taste was delicious. I would definitely bake this again. Thank you for this recipe.

  • Delicious and easy to make!

  • Is there a link anywhere to find more of your recipes?

    • Hi Rosa, you can browse through all my recipe categories here. 🙂

  • Delicious and so easy to make!

  • I made a loaf yesterday and my family ate it all in an hour and a half! It is delicious and I will definitely make it again.

  • This was delicious and so easy to make! Could you share the brand of loaf pan you use? Thank you 🙂

    • Glad you liked it! It’s a USA loaf pan. 🙂

      • Thanks, do you use that same brand for all of your baking?
        Also, I forgot to mention in my review that I added about 1/2 cup of pecans to my swirl mixture and it was so good 🙂

        • For the most part, yes (although I’ve accumulated a lot of baking dishes over the years)! 🙂

      • One more question – do you think I could make this in a bundt pan? Would I have to double recipe, or maybe increase by 1.5? Thanks again!

        • I haven’t tried it but do think you could make it in a bundt pan. (I’d double the recipe.) Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!

  • I made this this morning. I found it very disappointing. The flavor is nice but it didn’t really rise and was fairly dense. That said, it was moist and the swirl was pretty. I will not make it again though.

  • Delicious. Easy to make and didn’t crumble. The bread didn’t rise much but I’m thinking my loaf pan being old may be a little larger than normal.

  • Easy and delicious. I substituted plain oat milk and it worked great. Next time I may add a touch more cinnamon because I found the swirl to be overly sweet but overall another winner!!

    • This recipe is the best quick bread I have made so far. Cuddos to you ! Its moist , flavorful and delicious ! The best part is add on any flavors that you want.

  • Delicious, delicious! My friend a Cindy brought a loaf of this bread over yesterday & both my husband & I have enjoyed it so much! He asked me to request the recipe. Jen, you have another winner! Many thanks for sharing!🌺

  • I made this recipe twice all ready. My family loves it.

  • Definitely another winner in my book. I doubled the recipe and it worked out well. I never hesitate to double your recipes because they are always perfect! I don’t think I’ve ever had a problem with any of them. I prefer Granny Smith apples, but had some honeycrisp and they were good as well. They did only take 40 minutes to bake.

  • Is it possible to add more apples to this recipe because I love apples? How much more?

    • I don’t recommend it, Dushyanthi, as it will make the bread too moist (and it could also cause it to fall apart). Sorry!

  • I made this recipe twice this afternoon (back to back), one loaf with 1:1 gf flour and one with regular flour.
    I’m supposed to be gluten free so I only tried that loaf and it is SO good! Very nice texture and so much fall flavor! I made the gf loaf first and it ended up a little flatter than the “normal” loaf. I’m not sure if this was because my eggs were colder in this one, or if something about the way I made it was slightly different or if it was just because of the gf flour. Regardless, it’s SO delicious. Definitely will be making this again soon!

  • Hello Jen, do you have any recommendations if using a sugar substitute?

    • Hi Judy, I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it with one!

      • Made it today! Used 3 Tbls Stevia (Great Value brand) to replace the 1/2 cup white sugar and it turned out wonderful! I did add a handful of chopped pecans and used 2 small loaf pans instead of the larger single pan and baked 30 minutes at 350 degrees. I must tell you this was the first time I tried this recipe so I also made a another batch with regular sugar just to know if there were any differences, this was also fantastic! The only differences I noted, the real sugar loafs were a little bit sweeter and a slightly smother texture but had I not made them both at the same time, I would not have noticed the difference. Going to get the brown sugar Stevia and try next time to replace all the sugars. May try a double batch and use a Bundt pan for a larger cake like presentation. Overall this is excellent! Thanks for another great recipe!

        • — Judy Pokladnik
        • Reply
    • I would use Lakanto golden sugar for the brown sugar and either regular Lakanto or allulose for the white sugar. It should turn out very well with those substitutes. Lakanto is an erythritol monk fruit blend that works great in baking and allulose is the closest thing to real sugar I’ve found for a keto or sugar free substitute.

  • Jenn, between the cookbook and the website I use your recipes all the time. As always, this one is delish. I used almond milk which came out fine. The hardest part about making this was waiting for the bread to cool in order to eat it!

    • 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!

      • PUT THIS ON REPEAT!

        This is easy to make, great presentation, wonderful aroma, delicious flavor, and I went with your comment Jenn to add some chopped walnuts – our family loved it with that addition.

        I love apple recipes. I’ve collected them for decades – and have all different “favorites” (apple pie, apple spice cake, German Apple cake, regular apple cakes, etc) – but how is it that I never had a loaf cake??

        I think this is the PERFECT accompaniment to a brunch, potluck, open house, etc. I dropped it off to someone who is mourning right now and lost her mom….the cinnamon aroma was of comfort to the family, and the right kind of snack during a tough time.

  • Hello Jen! My son is allergic to eggs. What can I use instead as a substitute? Thank you so much!

    • Hi Sarah, Two of the best 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. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for more information about both. I would assume many baking recipes would also work with some kind of store-bought egg substitute. Hope that helps!

  • We really liked the taste but it was a touch dry. Suggestions?
    Thanks very much.

    • Hi Ellyn, Dryness is usually caused by measuring the flour incorrectly. Did you use the spoon and level method to measure the flour? Even a few extra ounces can make a big difference. This article/video explains it nicely.

      • ok, thank you.
        love your recipes!

  • Would it be possible to use almond milk?

    • Sure, Michele, that should work. Enjoy!

  • I make this once or twice a week everyone loves it so delicious .. thank you another great recipe 👏

    • — Margaret ( Australia )
    • Reply
  • Jenn, this turned out fantastically for me using 3 non-stick mini loaf pans (3×5 3/4″), also using the parchment paper you recommended. I lowered the temperature by 25 degrees and baked for about 35 minutes, but I started checking after 30. A dry cake or bread is such a downer, so I may have taken it out a little early. It probably could have baked another minute or two. But it doesn’t feel raw or anything — just super moist. Oh, and instead of cinnamon I used a chai spice mix that I had put together last week. It is delish! These babies are going to be our dessert for the next few nights.

  • This looks delicious ! Can I use a glass pyrex instead of a nonstick pan with parchment paper? It is all I have.

    • — Therese Fischer
    • Reply
    • Hi Therese, are you referring to a glass loaf pan? If so I think it should work. Hope you enjoy!

      • Yes I am! Should I butter and flour the glass loaf pan before pouring in the batter?

        • — Therese Fischer
        • Reply
        • I’d actually still use the parchment paper sling.

          • I have 2 questions:

            Could I use buttermilk?

            Does this freeze well?

            Thanks!

            • — Sarah
          • Hi Sarah, I wouldn’t recommend buttermilk here, and, yes, you can freeze this but the top may not be crispy once you defrost it. Hope that helps

            • — Jenn
  • The BEST! Not too sweet. Made it in an 8×8; done in 40 minutes.

  • Another winner from OUAC. Delicious, easy, gone in a flash. Perfect if your having friends in for coffee – a tea cake more than a bread. Scrumptious!

    • Would you please send me a recipe for cream chipped dried beef on toast

      • — Mary Kowalewski
      • Reply
      • Hi Mary, Unfortunately, I don’t have a recipe for that — I’m sorry!

  • I went apple picking yesterday and first thing I did when I got home was to make this bread. I used a Stayman apple and it turned out so good! Can’t wait to make it again with some nuts mixed in.

  • This is the best apple bread ever!! It’s so buttery and melts in my mouth. Thanks for a great recipe! You are the best!

  • Hi Jenn, We made this recipe and it was so delicious. I had another apple bread recipe that I have been making for years and this one is so much better! It pays to try a new recipe now and then. Thanks so much. I will be sharing it with family and friends.

    • — Donna Brietchaft
    • Reply
  • Another excellent recipe after I baked the French Apple cake for the third time this week. Delicious and easy to make.

  • Can this bread be made ahead and frozen?

    • Hi Jill, Yes but keep in mind that you may lose the lovely crisp top.

  • I made this yesterday. It was so easy and turned out fantastic! I will make it again and again I’m sure. Can hardly wait to share this tasty treat with my friends. If you like apples and cinnamon you will love this bread. Happy fall!

  • Easy to follow recipe. Delicious!

  • I made this today, and it was fabulous. This is one of the best bread recipes I have ever made. My husband and I have eaten half of it, and the only reason there is half left is that we have tried to practice a little restraint. Jennifer, thanks for another amazing recipe.

  • Hi Jenn, do you ever have a failure?? This was a very good, straight forward recipe that is delicious. I even got the swirl. My only advice is to use a large GS apple rather than medium. Thank you for sharing this.

  • Delicious and fairly simple to make. Thank you Jenn for another great recipe!

  • What is the parchment paper for? Wondering if I can make it without or should run to the store and make this over the weekend 🙂

    • Hi SY, I may be weighing in too late to help (sorry!) but the parchment just makes the bread easier to remove from the pan. For future reference, if you don’t have parchment on hand, you can treat the pan with baking spray with flour. Hope that helps!

  • I made this last week during the height of apple season. It was delicious. My sister asked if she could take the remains home. The layer of cinnamon swirl is yummy. This recipe is easy to make and a winner. Thank you!

  • Excellent. Not hard or time-consuming to make. Very moist. Used only one apple, but great apple flavor. Highly recommend.

  • Great! Made the house smell amazing too!

  • Wow! Delicious! Made exactly to recipe. Thank you. I’ll definitely make again.

    • — Janet Schultze
    • Reply
  • Absolutely perfect! All my family loved it. Thank you!

  • This bread is wonderful! Moist, tender and not too sweet. Use a Granny Smith Apple as suggested to balance out the flavors. I made a loaf with my 3year old grandson and we all had a slice while still warm and it was to die for. I then went home and made another loaf for my husband and I. This recipe is a keeper!

  • this is very nice caky bread. It is not very “apple” as the apples kind of meld into the cake and disappear.

  • I’m not sure if it was just me, but the center of my loaf was quite soggy from the apples? I used honey crisp—my favorite. The rest of it was fine; I used a slightly smaller pan that was suggested in the recipe. Maybe that has something to do with it. It tastes delicious; I just don’t know what I should modify for next time.

    • If you kept everything else the same, it’s likely the pan size that caused the problem. If it was smaller, the bread would’ve been thicker/deeper and probably kept the center from being fully baked. Hope that helps!

  • Outstanding. I baked in two smaller pans so I could send one with my husband this morning for early morning coffee. A hit for all tasters! I baked about 41 minutes in the smaller pans.

  • Can I use canola oil instead of butter? If so… how much??

    • Hi Annie, this will definitely taste better with butter, but it should work with canola oil. Here are some tips for converting. Please LMK how it turns out!

    • Hi Jenn can’t wait to make this it sounds like Fall perfection! Any thoughts on using buttermilk and adding 1t of baking soda? Thx!

      • — Diane Andoscia Urso
      • Reply
      • Hi Diane, for the most predictable results, I’d stick with the recipe as is. Hope you enjoy!

      • I’ve used buttermilk both times that I’ve made the recipe and it turned out wonderfully.

  • I saw this beautiful recipe and realized I had everything I needed to make it for a friend’s birthday. I made it without any changes and it came out perfect! And smelled so great. She loved it and I plan on making one for a morning bible class. I really like quick bread warm even though they have to sit til they are cooled, so I might take mine still in the pan so it won’t break apart. Thank you for a very delicious fall bread recipe!.

  • Delicious! Thank you Jenn, another great recipe. I love your site, and your recipes! I am never disappointed.

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