Moist Apple Bread with Cinnamon Glaze Recipe
This moist apple bread recipe is simple to make. It’s filled with juicy apple pieces and warming spices and topped with a cinnamon glaze. The loaf batter is really quick to whip together (extra quick if you leave the apples unpeeled!) A perfect afternoon treat.
This quick bread can be whisked together in 15 minutes! It’s bursting with delicious apple flavor, plenty of spice, all wrapped up in a moist, buttery cake.
I add both butter and oil to the batter, the addition of oil is what makes this a moist apple bread. It stays so for days! A little yogurt brings a little acidity for an extra tender crumb. Then there are the usual apple spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger. If you want a cake with less spice, but celebrates the apple, check out this Dutch apple cake.
Apple Varieties
You can use many varieties of apples for this loaf. For sweet apples, try Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Braeburn. If you like a tarter bite, try Granny Smith apples. Honestly you can use any baking apple variety you’ve got, each apple just brings something a little bit different. I like to leave them unpeeled. If you’ve only got cooking apples, they tend to break down faster when baked, so leave the chunks of apple a bit bigger so they don’t break down into mush once baked. Here’s a chart to show some of the different elements each apple type can bring.
| Variety | Profile (sweetness + texture) |
|---|---|
| Granny Smith | Tart · keeps clear chunks, adds bright flavour |
| Braeburn | Balanced · holds shape with light juiciness |
| Pink Lady | Sweet-tart · crisp bite, stays firm |
| Honeycrisp | Sweet-tart · juicy yet holds structure |
| Fuji | Sweet · bakes softer, adds moisture |
| Jazz | Mildly sweet · gentle bite, keeps shape |
How to make apple bread
- Line an 8.5 × 4.5 inch loaf pan with baking paper. A 9 × 5 inch tin also works but the loaf will be a little lower.
- Core and chop the apples into half-inch chunks, leaving the skin on if you like. Mix with cinnamon and a little sugar. Set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, oil, brown and white sugar, eggs, vanilla, yogurt and milk until smooth.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, then gently fold through the spiced apple pieces. The batter will be thick.
- Spoon into the tin and smooth the top. Bake at 180 °C (350 °F) for 60-70 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then move to a rack.
- Stir icing sugar, cinnamon, and enough milk to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cooled loaf.
Baker’s tips
- Weigh your ingredients for a consistent crumb.
- Mix only until you no longer see dry flour to avoid a dense loaf.
- If the top browns too early, cover it with foil after about 45 minutes.
Cinnamon glaze for apple bread
- Stir icing sugar, cinnamon, and enough milk to make a pourable glaze.
- Drizzle this over the bread.
Serving and storing
This easy apple bread is delicious on the day it is made, but it lasts well in the following days, too! Leftover apple bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Apple Bread FAQs
Moist Apple Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Apples
- 280 g apples cored
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Batter
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 85 g butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g soft brown sugar
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 125 g greek yogurt
- 45 g milk
Cinnamon Glaze
- 120 g powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C)
- Line an 8.5 x .4.5inch loaf pan with parchment paper. You can also use a 9×5 inch pan for slighter less high loaf.
- Chop the apples into chunks, around 1/2 an inch in size. You can peel them, but I like them unpeeled. Add the apples to a bowl with cinnamon and sugar. Toss to coat and set aside. 280 g apples, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar , 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Whisk the spices, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour in a small bowl. Set aside. 250 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Mix the melted butter, oil, sugars, yogurt, milk, vanilla, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. 85 g butter, melted , 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 large eggs , 100 g soft brown sugar, 50 g granulated sugar , 1 teaspoon vanilla , 125 g greek yogurt, 45 g milk
- Fold through the dry ingredients, followed by the chopped apple pieces.
- Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for around 60-70 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Let the apple bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing it and allowing it to cool further on a wire rack.
- When the apple bread has cooled to room temperature. mix together powdered sugar, cinnamon, and just enough milk to create a smooth and pourable paste. Drizzle this over the bread. 120 g powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1-2 Tablespoons milk
