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Apple Cinnamon Bread

Apple cinnamon bread made with a tender, apple-studded crumb and a cinnamon sugar swirl. Baked until golden and set, then sliced after a short cool for clean pieces.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
Wet ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Fruit
  • 2 cup apples, peeled and finely diced
Cinnamon swirl
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and prep the pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. Place the loaf pan on the middle rack so it heats evenly.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl until evenly combined.
Mix the wet ingredients and combine
  1. Whisk eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  2. Fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture just until combined—stop when you no longer see dry streaks.
Add the apples
  1. Fold in the diced apples until they are evenly distributed through the batter.
Fill and swirl
  1. Pour half the batter into the greased loaf pan.
  2. Mix the cinnamon swirl (2 tablespoons sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon), then sprinkle half over the batter.
  3. Spoon in the remaining batter and top with the remaining cinnamon sugar.
  4. Swirl the surface by running a knife through the batter in a few gentle passes.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350F for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  2. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes in the pan before slicing for clean cuts and a set crumb.

Notes

Pro tip: don’t overmix once the flour is added—overmixing can make quick breads tough. Store tightly wrapped in the fridge up to 5 days; reheat slices briefly to soften the crumb. Freezing: yes, freeze wrapped slices or the whole loaf up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lower-fat option, use low-fat sour cream and reduce vegetable oil by 2–4 tbsp while keeping the batter consistency similar.