Cinnamon Apple Bread

by Kellie September 7, 2024

This Cinnamon Apple Bread is full of cozy fall flavor, with apple butter, tender baked apples, and warm spices in every bite. (It’s also super moist, even if we hate that word.)

Slices of moist cinnamon apple bread on plate

Pumpkin bread is everywhere in the fall, and I get it—it’s delicious, it’s full of fall spices, and even the color screams fall. But this cinnamon apple bread might just become your go-to quick bread recipe when there’s a chill in the air and the leaves start to change.

Yes my friends, there’s a new fall quick bread in town, and I know you’re going to love it as soon as you give it a try. This cinnamon apple bread is exceptionally (yes, I said exceptionally!) moist thanks to the addition of apple butter, Greek yogurt, and fresh apples. We’re talking super tender crumb here.

A combination of warm Apple Pie Spice and apples gives this bread lots of autumn vibes, and since the apples are tossed in flour before being folded into the batter, they won’t all sink to the bottom of the loaf as it bakes. You can serve this cinnamon apple bread for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon pick-me-up, or even for dessert—especially if you dress it up with some pumpkin caramel sauce.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Apple Bread

Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this recipe. For the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.

Granulated Sugar – For a sweet, muffin-like bread.
Butter – I recommend unsalted butter.
Apple Butter – You can use store-bought or make your own Crock Pot apple butter.
Milk – Whole milk will give you the best results (the extra fat means more tender bread!), but whatever you have on hand is fine.
Fat-Free Greek Yogurt – Be sure to buy plain yogurt, not flavored.
Eggs – Let these come to room temperature; they’ll hold more air that way, which means a fluffier texture.
All Purpose Flour – Lightly spoon this into the measuring cups.
Spices – Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, or substitute an equal amount of apple pie spice.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda – The leaveners that make quick bread rise.
Kosher Salt – Just a bit to enhance the overall flavor.
Turbinado Sugar – Demerara or sanding sugar will also work, or try coarse coconut sugar or maple sugar.
Cinnamon Apples – Apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.

Overhead view of cinnamon apple bread in pan

How to Make Cinnamon Apple Bread

Mix the wet ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar, then mix in the apple butter, milk, Greek yogurt and eggs.
Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
Combine wet and dry. On low speed, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Add the apples. Toss together the cinnamon apple ingredients, then fold these into the batter.
Bake. Pour the batter into a loaf pan and sprinkle the sugar on top. Bake at 350ºF for an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and set directly on the rack to finish cooling.

Loaf of cinnamon apple bread on cutting board

Tips for Making Cinnamon Apple Bread

Soften the butter. Let the butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using so it mixes easily and evenly into the batter.
Use good apples. If your apples are soft, bland, or mealy, they won’t give you good results in this cinnamon apple bread. Use the best apples you can find!
Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until all the ingredients are combined to avoid tough, dense bread.
Let the bread cool completely before serving. This helps the bread to set and makes it easier to slice without crumbling.
Store the bread properly. Keep leftover cinnamon apple bread covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.