Apple Bread with Cinnamon Swirl
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If you love apple-cinnamon treats, this apple bread is for you. It’s soft and tender, packed with apples, and swirled with sweet cinnamon—basically fall baked into a loaf pan.
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
- Sugar & Spice: A mix of light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon sweetens the bread and gives it that classic warm, aromatic flavor.
- Wet Ingredients: Butter, milk, vanilla, and eggs add richness, moisture, and structure, creating a soft, tender crumb.
- Dry Ingredients: All-purpose flour forms the base of the batter, while baking powder helps the bread rise and stay fluffy. (For best results, spoon and level the flour rather than scooping.)
- Apples: Tart baking apples, like Granny Smith, provide a bright contrast to the sweetness and add juicy texture throughout the loaf.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the cinnamon-sugar. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon, then set the mixture aside.
Step 2: Beat the eggs and sugar. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the eggs and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add remaining wet ingredients. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the melted butter, then add the milk and vanilla. Mix just until everything’s evenly combined.
Step 4: Mix in the dry ingredients. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the bowl and mix on low speed until everything is evenly combined and no dry spots remain.
Step 5: Mix in the apples. Add the chopped apples to the batter and fold with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.
Step 6: Layer the batter and cinnamon sugar. 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, then sprinkle about 2/3 of the brown sugar–cinnamon mixture on top.
Step 7: Add the final layer and swirl. Spoon the remaining batter over top and sprinkle with the rest of the brown sugar–cinnamon mixture. Using a butter knife, make a gentle zigzag motion through the batter once in each direction to create a swirl—don’t overdo it!
Step 8: Bake and cool. Bake the apple bread 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 it cool on a rack for about 30 minutes, then use the parchment sling to lift the bread onto the rack. Let cool completely before slicing, a few hours or overnight. Store the bread loosely covered with aluminum foil on the countertop.
More Apple Recipes You May Like
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.
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I just made this and it smells amazing!!!! It says to wait at least 6 hours before cutting! I can’t… I have no will power! What will happen if I cut after and hour??? 😬 I’m really fighting my urge to devour it right now 🤪
Hi Kristi, You can slice it after just a few hours. 🙂
Just made this this morning was SUPERB!! Only had skim milk so used 1/2 & 1/2 and it seemed to work just fine! Family said one of the best things I’ve made! Thank you!
OMG! My new happiness food in a loaf! I added half a cup of raisins to the loaf ‘cause I adore raisins. My husband and I both declared this absolutely awesome.
Oh Jenn! I had just made your absolutely amazing Late Summer Plum Cake (even though it’s February) and we LOVE it!! First time. Then decided that since the oven was on, make the Apple Cinnamon Swirl Loaf. And I royally messed it up. Probably too excited about the Plum One, I didn’t make the sugar/cinnamon mixture for the middle and top of the cake. Instead, just incorporated that sugar and cinnamon into the cake mixture and ignored the second sugar measurement on the list. It wasn’t until I came to pouring the batter into the pan that I realized my mistake. I’m writing to tell you, that despite all that, it’s still a lovely cake/bread! Probably doesn’t taste the way it’s supposed to, but it will next time.
Hi Joy, glad to hear you enjoyed the plum cake and, despite a few missteps, this one turned out nicely as well! 🙂
From the reviews, this bread disappears very quickly, can this recipe be doubled?
Sure!
This recipe is delicious!! I didn’t add vanilla because I used vanilla macadamia nut milk, but that was the only modification I made the first time. Everyone in my family loved it! So tender and a perfect balance of sweetness. Lovely. I have a second loaf in the oven now where I swapped the apples for peaches.
Bread was excellent! I shredded the apples instead of chunks because my kids don’t like chunks of apples in their bread. I also used dark drown sugar and didn’t add nuts. The bread was great and my kids devoured it! Will make again.
Made this last night…it’s gone! I was hoping to come home after work for a slice and the husband, daughter and very picky eater son had wiped it out. Guess I’ll be making another one. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’ve made this twice already because of how good it is! My husband, who is not really fond of desserts, ate it! I am so happy that he ate what I baked. Everything was perfect. My baking time was 60 minutes though. I am finally very confident of bringing something I baked myself to our family’s get-together. I am staying here at your site; will look around for more to try baking and/or cooking. With this recipe, I am very sure that your recipes are the best. I also love the very detailed step-by-step instructions, too! Thank you so much for making me feel like a real baker! 🙂
I have been a fan of yours for some time now and everything I mean EVERYTHING has come out delicious. I recently made your Cinnamon Swirl Apple Bread and doubled the recipe following the recipe exactly. I froze the 2nd one and it was just as delicious as the one I did not freeze and actually the top was still crunchy. It’s really important to let it cool completely after baking though and the longer it sits, the more moist it becomes. Another winner Jenn. Thank you.