Cinnamon Apple Bread [VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

Last updated on September 9, 2020

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This Apple Bread is made with warm cinnamon, tender chunks of apple, applesauce, greek yogurt and whole wheat flour for a healthier twist that tastes indulgent!

September is here, along with apples and cinnamon, changing leaves and fall baking!

It is one of my favorite times of year.

As much as I love summer — and we had a great time this summer camping and exploring! — it is always nice when the weather cools slightly and we turn back to comfort food.

This Cinnamon Apple Bread is one of our favorite quick snacks or breakfasts — especially with a smear of this Cinnamon Butter!

It is a healthier take on this Praline Glazed Apple Bread, with whole wheat flour, unsweetened applesauce and no glaze, which makes it perfect for any time of day (and with some Cinnamon Butter it still feels totally indulgent!).

And if you like your baked goods in muffin form, you’ll love these Cinnamon Apple Muffins!

What types of apples are best for baking?

Baking apples are generally apples that are a little firm and a little tart.

This way, they don’t break down when they’re cooked and turn to mush, so you have a beautiful apple bread with chunks of apples instead of mush.

My favourites are Granny Smith, because they are firm, not too sweet, easy to find year round and not too expensive.

Honeycrisp and Pink Lady are my two back ups, but they are generally harder to find and more expensive.

In a pinch, you can use almost any apple, but they may affect the taste and texture of this bread.

How to make Apple Bread:

You’ll find the detailed recipe in the recipe box below, but here are a few extra tips and tricks!

1. Prep your apples — if you are peeling your apples, you’ll want to do this first, although it’s not entirely necessary and I often don’t. Chop them up and set them aside!
2. Stir together the wet ingredients until combined — because we don’t want to overmix once the flour is added, and I want to keep this recipe to one bowl, our best bet is to mix those wet ingredients well first.
3. Add the baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda and mix completely — this prevents our batter from being overmixed once we add the flour.
4. Add the flour and mix just until combined. Overmixing can lead to a dry, dense loaf. Stir just until most of the flour is incorporated.
5. Stir in the apples, and spread into a loaf pan. I usually use an 8×4″ glass loaf pan, and occasionally a 9×5″ non stick loaf pan. The recipe instructions are based off of an 8×4″ loaf pan, so if you are using a larger pan you’ll have a slightly shorter loaf and may need to reduce the bake time.
6. Bake, checking at 30-40 minutes. Because quick bread bakes for so long (and we don’t want to rush it!), it’s a good idea to check the loaf about half way through and cover with foil if it has browned to a golden color already. This will prevent the top from burning while allowing the interior to bake completely.

How to store Apple Bread:

You can store freshly baked Apple Bread on the counter at room temperature for one day.

After one day, I like to either refrigerate or freeze the bread to make it last. Because the apples make the bread very moist, I find that it spoils more quickly than other breads.

This Apple Bread can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 4-5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Before freezing, you can also slice and wrap each piece individually for a quick breakfast on the go!

Variations on this Cinnamon Apple Bread:

• To reduce the sugar further, you can omit the sprinkling of cinnamon sugar on top of the bread before baking.
• Swap the apples for blueberries or another chopped fruit — peaches, nectarines or strawberries would be delicious!
• You can use all whole wheat flour instead of using some all purpose.
• You can use all all purpose flour if that is what you have
• Swap a couple tablespoons of the whole wheat flour with ground flax for a boost of fiber and Omega 3s!
• Add in a sprinkling of butterscotch chips or toffee bits for a fun fall treat

More apple recipes you’ll love!

• Apple Crisp Blondies — a fun way to make apple crisp in bar form!
• Apple Upside Down Cake — an elegant and delicious apple cake
• Apple Crumble Pie — a mash up of apple pie and apple crisp!
• Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal — a healthy, make ahead breakfast.