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Easy Cinnamon Apple Bread: freshly baked cinnamon apple bread loaf sliced into thick pieces on a simple white ceramic…

Easy Cinnamon Apple Bread

Easy Cinnamon Apple Bread is a soft, gently sweet quick bread filled with tender apple pieces and warm cinnamon. It comes together in one bowl and works for breakfast or dessert.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled for 5 minutes
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups apples peeled or unpeeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons coarse sugar optional
Optional glaze
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • cinnamon a pinch

Method
 

  1. Prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 50 to 60 minutes, and the recipe makes 1 loaf, about 10 slices. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, then line the long sides with parchment paper so the bread lifts out easily.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Breaking up the brown sugar before adding it helps the batter mix evenly.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and yogurt until the mixture looks glossy and even.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick. Don't keep mixing once the flour disappears, or the loaf can turn chewy.
  5. Fold in the chopped apples with three or four gentle turns. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if you like a lightly crunchy crust.
  6. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the top darkens before the center is done, lay a piece of foil loosely over the loaf for the last 15 minutes.
  7. Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment to lift it onto a wire rack and cool for at least 30 more minutes before slicing. The center needs that time to finish setting.
Optional glaze
  1. For an optional glaze, whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon milk and a pinch of cinnamon. Drizzle it over the fully cooled loaf and let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Notes

Use firm apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady, and cut them into small, even pieces. Measure flour by spooning it into a dry measuring cup and leveling it. Let melted butter cool before adding the eggs, avoid overmixing, and use a parchment sling for easier removal. Cool the loaf completely before storing it; keep it airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze individual slices for up to 3 months.