Sweet and cinnamony, this apple bread will rise and bake to a golden brown, leaving the kitchen with a wonderful aroma. It has a moist, soft crumb and delectable crunchy streusel topping with pecans. It keeps well and can be frozen.
Any recipe containing juicy apple pieces and cinnamon is a must in this house.
Add a crunchy crumble with pecans on top, and this cinnamon apple bread turns into a must-bake-regularly type of thing.
It competes head-to-head with our other favorites: apple walnut cake and apple coffee cake. Choosing has never been so hard, that's all I will say.
Why make this recipe
- Great crumb: it's moist and tender, with soft apple pieces in each slice.
- Flavor: apples and cinnamon are a fantastic pair, and this sweet recipe highlights both.
- Make ahead: it keeps well in the fridge for several days, and you can freeze it for a month.
- Crowd-pleaser: it appeals to everyone and is a great idea for brunch, holiday dessert table, picnics, barbecues, and tea time with a cup of your favorite beverage.
Ingredient list
- Apples: I use granny smith apples exclusively (the green ones, my absolute favorites for baking due to their tartness). They bring some acid to the mix that complements the overall sweetness of the cake. And they hold their shape and don't turn mushy in the oven. If you have another favorite that you usually bake with (pink lady, fuji, gala apples, Honeycrisp apples), by all means, use it.
- Cinnamon: any ground cinnamon you normally use works fine. I like Frontier Vietnamese cinnamon and Simply Organic Ceylon cinnamon.
- Brown sugar: light or dark.
- White sugar.
- Vegetable oil: sunflower oil is my go-to. Canola oil, coconut oil, or light olive oil can be used.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper.
- All-purpose flour or cake flour.
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
- Baking powder and baking soda: make sure they aren't expired.
- Milk: I use whole milk because of its richness, but reduced in fat, lactose-free, and almond milk also work.
- Unsalted butter.
- Pecans or walnuts.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for quantities.
How to make apple quick bread
It has two components.
Streusel topping
It can be made in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.
Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add flour and cinnamon and mix thoroughly with a fork.
Add the chopped pecans and stir to combine. Reserve while making the bread batter.
Apple bread batter
Start mixing it after you have the crumb topping (streusel) ready.
Mix oil and eggs in a large bowl until frothy. You can use a whisk or an electric mixer for a minute.
Add the cinnamon and milk, sugars, and vanilla. Integrate well and add the sifted flour mixture. Combine well but don't beat much.
Add the diced apple pieces and stir to combine. You can use a whisk or a spatula.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the streusel.
Bake as instructed in the recipe card and let cool on a wire rack before removing it from the pan.
Vintage Kitchen tip: the key to moist quick bread (besides using a good recipe) is not over to bake it. When a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, remove the pan from the oven.
Storage
- Room temperature: you can cover it in plastic wrap or store it under a dome for 2 days.
- Refrigerator: it keeps for several days, up to a week, always well covered in plastic wrap or an airtight container.
- Freezer: it keeps for a month. Wrap it in plastic and aluminum foil, or use an airtight freezer bag or container.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Streusel or crumb topping: it can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for 1-2 weeks or frozen for a month. Always well covered or in an airtight container.
- Serving: plain and at room temperature, with your favorite beverage.
- Glaze: you can drizzle a simple powdered sugar glaze on top after the bread is completely cool.
- Variations: use pear instead of apple. Add more spices or use an apple pie spice mix. Add some orange zest to the batter, about ½ teaspoon. Use a different nut in the topping, like walnuts or hazelnuts.
Related recipes you might like:
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Dutch Apple Bread (with cinnamon streusel)
Ingredients
For the apple bread:
- ½ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup peeled, diced apple (about 1 large)
For the streusel topping:
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Butter or use baking spray in a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Line with a strip of parchment paper, covering the pan's bottom and two short sides. The two long sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help you remove the bread from the pan after it’s baked. The lining is optional but recommended.
For the streusel topping:
- Combine the cold butter with sugar in a small bowl using a fork.
- Add the ground cinnamon and flour, and mix until you get a crumbly texture.
- Add the chopped pecans and combine. Reserve in the refrigerator while you prepare the bread batter.
For the apple bread:
- Beat the eggs and oil, milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well integrated. I do it by hand, but you can use an electric mixer. A stand mixer I think is too much as it does not require a lot of beating, but you can (with the paddle attachment).
- Add white and brown sugars, and mix for 1 minute.
- Sift the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) into a medium bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and combine well. Don't overmix and use the lowest speed if using an electric mixer. I use a hand whisk.
- Fold in the diced apples and stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top.
- Sprinkle the crumble on top, covering the batter.
- Bake for about 60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack and carefully run a smooth-bladed knife around the sides to ensure no batter is stuck. Cool completely and then lift the whole bread with the help of the parchment paper.
- Store leftovers at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for a week. Always well covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container to prevent dryness.
Raisa says
Gracias por la receta
David Scott Allen says
I love apple cakes. My Naba’s recipe was completely messed up — when I made it all we ended up with was an inedible, oily mess! I’m definitely trying yours!
Paula Montenegro says
That happens so many times! I have books from my grandmother and things I wrote down decades ago and sometimes are so hard to decipher. It's a hard job we have haha.