Cinnamon Streusel Apple Bread

I made a loaf yesterday and my family ate it all in an hour and a half! It is delicious and I will definitely make it again.

— Donna

It’s no secret, my family is obsessed with quick bread recipes — from this banana bread to this lemon zucchini bread, quick breads are the best! This cinnamon streusel apple bread recipe is no exception. It kind of reminds me of coffee cake with a twist. You’ve got the amazing cinnamon streusel topping, the moist and tender cake and to really take this quick bread to the next level, we’ve added finely diced pieces of apple. So good!

Two of my kids actually almost had a knock down, drag out fight over who got the last slice. Yes, it’s that good! If you love coffee cake and apple treats as much as I do, you definitely need to give this apple bread recipe a try.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• So moist & tasty. Feast your sweet tooth on a generous slice of this incredibly moist, flavorful bread! It’s buttery, loaded with tender apples, sweet cinnamon flavor, and then finished off with the most delicious cinnamon streusel!
• Easy to make. Like other “quick” breads, this recipe is very simple to make, once you get all your ingredients together.
• Versatile. Add nuts or make it into muffins, this recipe is super easy to customize. Then, serve it up at breakfast for an indulgent start to the day, for a quick snack or after dinner for dessert!
• Uses up apples. I’m always looking for ways to use up all the apples we pick from our local orchard in the fall!

Ingredients needed

This flavorful apple loaf is made with basic ingredients that I bet you already have in your pantry. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Flour. This apple bread recipe uses all-purpose flour, and for the perfect soft, tender crumb, I don’t recommend experimenting with other flour varieties.
• Baking powder + salt. Ensures this bread bakes up properly.
• Sugar. Regular granulated white sugar is used for the cake and for the topping.
• Butter. Cold butter is grated into the cake for the perfect texture.
• Apple. We’ll talk more apple details below. Personally, honeycrisp apples are my favorite for any recipe.
• Milk. You can use any preferred milk. Even almond or cashew milk will work just fine.
• Egg. You’ll need just one egg in this recipe. I have not tested this bread with a flax egg, but let me know if you do!
• Cinnamon. Adds the perfect amount of warmth!

Best apple for baking

I personally like to use honeycrisp apples for any apple recipe. The bite of the tart apples pair really well with the sweet cake and streusel topping and makes for a great flavor. They are also firm enough to hold up to baking. They’ll bake up nice and tender, but not get overly mushy.

Other great apple options for this apple bread recipe would be granny smith, fuji, braeburn and/or pink lady. You could also use a mix of a couple different types of apples to give the bread even more depth of flavor.

How to make this recipe

This apple bread recipe is seriously SO simple to make! The most time consuming part is dicing the apple. Here’s the simple method:

Find the full, printable recipe in the recipe card below.

• Prep. First things first, preheat your oven to 350ºF. Then, prepare a 9-inch by 3-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper and set aside.
• Dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup sugar). Cut in butter until it forms to coarse crumbs. I grated my stick of butter using a cheese grater. Remove 1/2 cup of this mixture to use for the topping and set aside.
• Apples. Stir in apple chunks and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the remaining flour mixture.
• Wet ingredients. In a small bowl, mix egg and milk well. Pour into the apple/flour mixture and stir until just combined.
• Streusel. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. To make the streusel, add remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the reserved flour mixture. Stir together until blended, then sprinkle this cinnamon mixture over top of the batter in the loaf pan. Press down lightly.
• Bake. Bake the apple loaf for 55-60 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. My bread was done in 55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack prior to cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Tips for recipe success

• Peeling apples. You don’t have to worry about peeling the apples before adding them to the batter. I didn’t peel mine and no one even noticed.
• Mixing batter. As with any bread recipe, be sure not to over mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Over mixing can cause the bread to be too dense and heavy.
• Bake time. Be sure not to under bake the bread. Every oven can vary in temperature, so test the center of the bread with a toothpick. If it comes out clean then it’s ready, if not place it back in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.
• Loaf pan. If you are using a smaller 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, your loaf will turn out thicker and therefore the bread needs to cook a bit longer (probably 5-10 minutes more).

Recipe variations

I LOVE this apple cinnamon bread as is, but if you’d like to change it up or add a bit of extra pizzaz, here are several suggestions.

• Glaze. Add a glaze for real decadence! Make a glaze by mixing 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar with 1 to 2 teaspoons milk. Mix until smooth and drizzle over the cooled bread.
• Nuts. If you love nuts in your quick breads, add some finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the bread batter.
• Spice. Want more spice? Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice or extra ground cinnamon to the bread batter mixture.
• Muffins. Follow the recipe, adding batter instead to a muffin tin and cooking for 18-25 minutes.
• Dessert. Make this apple bread into more of a dessert by serving it alongside vanilla bean ice cream.

Frequently asked questions

Can you use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar?

You can, but it may slightly change the flavor and texture of the recipe. It will still be incredibly delicious!

How to make this gluten free?

I have not tried using a gluten free flour for this recipe, but I’m pretty sure a 1-to-1 gluten free all purpose flour would work well. I have also received a comment from a reader that it worked out great.

Can you use whole wheat flour?

Yes, you can. I would recommend only substituting up to one cup of whole wheat flour and still using all-purpose flour for the other cup. If the entire recipe used whole wheat flour the texture of the cake would not be as soft and tender.

Storage recommendations

Wrap any leftover apple bread in plastic wrap and store on the counter for a day or two. Any longer than that and I would refrigerate it, wrapped tightly and placed in an airtight container. It should keep fresh in the fridge for up to about 5 days. To serve warm, simply pop a slice or two in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Freezing tips

Like most quick bread recipes, this apple bread freezes beautifully. To freeze, let the bread cool completely. Slice the loaf and then wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap. Place the individually wrapped slices into a large freezer-safe ziplock bag, remove any air, and store in the freezer. Bread will keep well in the freezer for up to two months.

To reheat bread from frozen, thaw slices overnight in the refrigerator or for an hour or so at room temperature. Place your apple bread slices on a baking sheet, and warm in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 3 minutes or until warmed through. Or reheat in the microwave.

If you try this easy apple bread recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.