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Cinnamon, spice, and all the fall feels are baked up together in this moist, healthy Apple Bread made with fresh apples and applesauce.

Moist and healthy apple bread with fresh apples and walnuts cut into slices on parchment paper

Why You’ll Love This Apple Cinnamon Bread Recipe

  • A Tried-and-True Recipe. This apple bread recipe was originally from my friend Elisabeth’s mom, and I’ve been baking it every fall for the last 10+ years. It’s one of my favorite ways to put my annual apple picking bounty to use!
  • Loaded With Mix-Ins. This loaf is stuffed nearly to the point of falling apart with BIG tender, juicy apples and toasted walnuts. The apple situation here is loud and proud. (This Apple Cake is similar!)
  • Truly Apple-y. We double down on the apple flavor thanks to the addition of applesauce. Call me a purist, but I’m not a fan of recipes that fail to deliver on the flavor promise their name implies. When something is called APPLE bread, I expect there to be the lovely flavor of apple in every bite. This recipe fits the bill!
a slice of moist apple bread with fresh apple chunks on a parchment paper

5 Star Review

“I have probably made this recipe 10+ times during this fall for family, friends, neighbors, small get togethers, etc. It is always such a hit!”

— Catherine —

How to Make Apple Bread

The Ingredients

  • Apples. The star of the show! This bread contains a full TWO CUPS of apples, which is a lot more than you find in most standard apple bread recipes.
  • Applesauce. This moist apple bread uses applesauce to replace nearly all of the oil. (If you’re feeling ambitious, try this recipe with some homemade Crockpot Applesauce or Instant Pot Applesauce.)
  • White Whole Wheat Flour. Higher in fiber and protein than white flour, with a taste so mild, you’ll never suspect the swap. Readers have reported success swapping this for whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, or a 50/50 blend of regular whole wheat and all-purpose flour.
  • Walnuts. Be sure to toast them first. It’s an extra step but SO worth it. You’ll notice a much richer flavor and crisper texture. (You can also swap the walnuts for pecans or omit them entirely if you’d like the apple bread nut-free.)
  • Cinnamon. Apples and cinnamon are life partners, and I have no intention of separating the two, so apple cinnamon bread we shall bake.
  • Sugar. The original recipe called for nearly a full cup, which I found to be a bit too sweet. I’ve pared it down here significantly. As the recipe reviews report, it’s perfectly scrumptious with the lesser amount.

Dietary Note

Looking for gluten-free apple bread? While I have not tried the recipe with gluten-free flour, you could experiment by swapping the white whole wheat flour for your favorite gluten-free 1-to-1 baking blend.

If you try this, I would love to know your results in the comments below.

The Directions

toasted walnuts on a sheet pan
  1. Toast the Walnuts. STAY NEARBY! Nuts can burn easily.
flour, spices, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl
  1. Whisk the Dry Ingredients. Combine them in a mixing bowl.
eggs, milk, applesauce, and oil in a mixing bowl
  1. Mix the Wet Ingredients. Using a separate bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients until smooth.
a mixing bowl with apple bread batter
  1. Combine Wet and Dry. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix them until just combined.
fresh apple chucks folded into apple bread batter
  1. Add the Mix-Ins. Fold the apples and walnuts into the batter.
apple bread batter with fresh apples and walnuts spread in a loaf pan
  1. Bake. Spread the batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling over the batter like fairy dust. Bake apple bread at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, tent the bread with aluminum foil, and then bake for 20 additional minutes.
a pan of freshly baked cinnamon apple bread from scratch
  1. Finish. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then set it out on a wire rack to cool completely. Finally, grab a big slice (or four) and ENJOY!

Recipe Variations

  • Dutch Apple Bread. Start with this apple bread recipe, then add a cinnamon streusel topping and glaze! For the streusel topping, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Mix with a fork. Next, add in 2 tablespoons of softened, cubed butter and use your fingers or a fork to blend with the sugar mixture until small clumps form. Spread the topping evenly over the apple bread batter and bake as directed. While the bread is baking, whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons milk or cream. When the bread is finished baking and has cooled completely, drizzle the glaze mixture over the top.
  • Snickerdoodle Apple Bread. Swap the walnuts for 3/4 cups of cinnamon baking chips (inspired by this classic Snickerdoodle Bread).
  • Amish Apple Bread. This recipe is VERY similar to Amish apple bread recipes I found online (just made with healthier ingredients). Be sure to add the cinnamon sugar topping. Most Amish apple bread recipes yield two loaves, so I recommend doubling this recipe, then giving the second loaf to a friend. 
  • Caramel Apple Bread. Simply add a drizzle of this Apple Cider Caramel Sauce over a slice (or two) of the apple bread.
a sliced loaf of fresh apple bread with raw sugar and fresh apple pieces

What to Serve with Apple Bread

  • Apple Butter. I love a slice warmed up and smeared with apple butter (especially this Slow Cooker Apple Butter),
  • Nut Butter. A nut butter like almond butter or peanut butter is also fabulous on apple bread.
  • Yogurt. Apple bread is also delicious alongside or even topped with Greek yogurt, either plain or vanilla (sometimes I sprinkle the yogurt with more cinnamon for good measure).

Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Use the BEST Apples. As with these Baked Apple Slices, you can use any variety of crisp baking apples for this recipe. A few excellent options are Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Cortland, and Granny Smith. I do not recommend Red Delicious, Fuji, or Gala; while great for snacking, they fall apart in baking.
  • Don’t Overmix. Don’t overdo the mixing or you’ll end up with tough bread. As soon as the flour disappears, it’s good to go.
  • Know When It’s Done. You know apple bread is done baking when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, without any moist crumbs. Better yet: take its temperature. When an instant-read thermometer registers 195-200 degrees F, it’s done.
a thick slice of cinnamon apple bread with fresh apples on a plate with walnuts

Apple Bread

4.91 From 92 reviews . Help us out! Review HERE.Help out & review HERE

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour

Servings: 10 slices (one 4×8 inch loaf)
A moist, healthy apple bread with fresh apples, walnuts, applesauce, and warm spices. Easy and the perfect fall treat for breakfast!

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup walnut halves raw
  • 2 cups tart apples cored, peeled, and ¼-inch diced, such as Cortland or Granny Smith (about 2 medium)
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat white flour or whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil or light olive oil or melted, cooled coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons milk any kind you like (I used skim)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Topping (Optional)

  • 1 tablespoon sparkling sugar or turbinado (coarse, raw) sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lightly coat an 8×4-inch loaf pan with baking spray. Set aside.
  • Spread the walnuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until toasted and fragrant, about 8 to 12 minutes, stirring once throughout. DO NOT WALK AWAY during the last few minutes and set a timer. Nuts love to burn the very moment you stop watching. Transfer to a cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the white whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, canola oil, milk, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredient all at once. Mix in by hand just until combined. The batter will look very thick and stiff.
  • Fold in the apples and walnuts. It will be hard to do because the batter is so thick. Use a rubber spatula and smush and push it around gently but firmly as needed. Distribute the apples and walnuts as evenly as you can.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. With the back of a rubber spatula, press and smooth the top so it is mostly flat. For the cinnamon sugar topping, stir the cinnamon and coarse sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, loosely tent with foil, then bake for 20 additional minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean without any wet batter clinging to it.* Place on a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Video

Notes

  • *Quick bread can be hard to judge; the best way is to take its temperature with an instant-read thermometer. When the bread hits 195 to 200 degrees F, it’s done.
  • TO STORE: Leftover apple bread can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for four days.
  • TO FREEZE: Apple bread can be frozen for up to two months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
  • TO REHEAT: Place your apple bread on a baking sheet or wrap in aluminum foil, and warm in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until warmed through. (Or if you are in a big hurry, the microwave works well too.)

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 10) slicesCalories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 3gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 49IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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  1. Loved it!! I will definitely be making this again. I was having a craving for something apple and this hit the spot! Not too sweet. Not over powering. Just absolutely delicious!5 stars

  2. Excellent recipe!! I used the recommendation of using a thermometer to check the doneness of the bread, and it worked perfectly! It was super moist, but not stodgy at all. The apples were the perfect texture as well, and the nuts were a super nice crunchy addition. I did do a few small changes to the recipe, but the changes wouldn’t have worked if the base recipe wasn’t amazing, so this definitely earned its 5-stars! For my changes, I wanted an “apple cider spiced” bread, so I added an additional 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp of a mixture of equal parts ginger, clove, and cardamon. I also substituted the walnuts for pecans, and used a raw brown sugar on top. I also used homemade unsweetened applesauce, which I very much recommend! I will definitely be making this again, it is a delicious bread. If someone was trying to cut down on sugar, you could probably even use a little less sugar as the bread did still have a (delicious) bit of sweetness, but I’m not sure how that would effect the texture of the bread. Absolutely phenomenal recipe!!5 stars

  3. I made an apple syrup and warmed it up a bit before serving it over the sliced bread at a church function. It is the chunky apples that really brought every thing together! Thanks for the recipe, oh, the smells of autumn!🍂🍁5 stars

    1. Hi Sarah, this recipe actually has both in it. You could not be able to substitute the fresh apples for applesauce. You might enjoyed these applesauce muffins: https://www.wellplated.com/applesauce-muffins/

  4. I love this recipe! It’s my go-to apple bread recipe. Question for you – could you please tell me how I can convert this into a dozen muffins? Thank you!!5 stars

    1. Hi Abby, while I have not made this recipe into muffins, other readers have reported success with it. Make sure to check your muffins much earlier, as they will cook much faster than the loaf of bread would. When a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, they’re done. I hope you love the recipe!

  5. This looks amazing!! I was wondering if there is a substitution for the sugar–either maple syrup or honey? Thank you and can’t wait to try!!

    1. Hi Rachel, while I haven’t tried either myself, other readers have tried both with success. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!

  6. This bread came out sooo good. I was a bit skeptical when I mixed the batter and saw how small it was. Then when I added a larger amount of apples I wondered at how it would turn into bread ! It came together like magic in the oven though and resulted in a very tasty bread.
    I did use Fuji apples since I had a bunch I wanted to use and honestly they were delicious in this, just a buttery melt in your mouth texture, which I loved. I used regular whole wheat flour and in the future I will try white whole wheat since I imagine it will yield a lighter crumb. I didn’t have applesauce so used a mashed banana and definitely would use applesauce next time. I also added more spices to make it spicier with double the cinnamon, half a tsp nutmeg, a pinch of cloves, and a teaspoon of ginger, sooo good. I used pecans as well because I had some on hand and could even add more next time since they were soooo good, especially toasted !
    Great recipe! I will make this again and bring it to share with people next time. Thanks for sharing ❤️5 stars

    1. Hi Patty, while I haven’t tried either myself, other readers have tried it with maple syrup with success. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!

  7. We love! My only issue is that it only makes one loaf! Made as mini muffins today- baked abt 20 mins. Was able to reduce sugar to 1/3 cup without complait from my family :)5 stars

  8. Hi Erin,
    Looking forward to making your recipe. I’m really curious though, what is the gm of trans fat from?
    Thank you.

    1. Hi Nancy, hope you enjoy it! I’m not a nutritionist so I’m not able to tell you the break down of the nutritional labeling information, that is something calculated automatically when the ingredients are inputted into the recipe card. The USDA has a fooddata central website that might be able to help you, or speak to a registered dietitian or nutritionist. Hope this helps!

  9. Once again, Erin knocks it out of the park! Light, moist, and packed with flavor. My house smelled like Fall while it was baking. The worst part is waiting for it to cool so I could eat it! It smelled delicious. I tried some this morning and it’s wonderful! Thank you so much!5 stars

  10. WOW is all i can say!! Sooo good and moist! I subbed walnuts for pecans, didnt toast them and once done i added a slab of almond butter on top of a slice😋 Will make again!5 stars

  11. I just finished baking this apple bread, and I have to say, it’s one of the best recipes I’ve tried in a while! The texture is spot-on, soft but not too dense. I appreciated how it wasn’t overly sweet. The apple, almonds and cinnamon in the bread was a freaking nice combination!5 stars

  12. I tried this apple bread for the first time today, and I can’t get enough of it! It’s so moist and flavorful. I love how the apples stayed tender without getting mushy, and the cinnamon brought everything together.5 stars

  13. Made this the other night and it was so easy and delish! Came out perfect! I didn’t have applesauce so I swapped it for plain Greek yogurt and it worked!5 stars

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