Cinnamon Apple Bread with Crumble Topping
Oh My Apples! This is a good one friends. Run to your kitchen, grab a tart fresh apple and whip up this apple bread asap!
When September comes around I get giddy with excitement. Not only is fall approaching and with it everything that entails: cooler temps, colored leaves, and decorations, but it’s also apple season! Growing up in the PNW, apples were a big deal. And still, when I see apples in Tennessee, often times that have the grown in Washington table on them. And I smile. A little piece of home 2,000 miles away.
But I digress.
This Cinnamon Apple Bread Is Special Because . . .
Each year, along with canning and preserving all the apple goodness, it’s fun to play around and experiment with new recipes. Sure, I have my go-to’s and staples, but playing in the kitchen is something I enjoy. Yesterday, I thought I’d experiment with an apple bread recipe. After doing some research, most recipes I saw had issues with the middle not cooking through, being too sweet, or too bland, and we don’t want any of those problems.
So I sat down, messed with ingredients and measurements a bit, and came up with what I feel is the best of the best. Dense, but not heavy. Sweet, but not sickeningly so. Just enough spices to complement and bring out the apple goodness, without going over the top. And being thick enough to cook through completely. No runny gooey middle.
How to cut the apple for the bread
I like to use an apple peeler anytime I’m working with apples. It’s my go-to for not only being quick, (An apple can be peeled and cut in under 10 seconds) but it’s efficient. Taking off the littlest meat as possible when removing the skin. It’s an investment I highly recommend.
If you don’t have one, no worries, just make sure to slice the apple very thin, and mince well. We want small pieces, so they cook though and incorporate into the bread well. Huge chunks mess with the breads ability to evenly bake.
I used a honeycrisp in this recipe. But most any apple on the tart side would do. I used one large apple, and left out about 1/4 cup to sprinkle over the crumb topping.
Apple Bread Recipe
Double the recipe and give the others to a neighbor or friend. Anyone will feel loved when receiving this made from scratch loaf!
Apple Bread With Crumb Topping
This bread is the perfect way to usher in the fall season. Filled with the taste and smell of autumn, this apple bread is great alongside coffee in the morning, or as a yummy warm dessert fresh out of the oven after dinner. Serve along side vanilla ice cream!
Ingredients
- 1 minced apple (save 1/4 cup for sprinkling over top)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup room temp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- nuts (optional)
- CRUMB TOPPING
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp room temp butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- dash cinnamon
Instructions
1. Preheat the Oven:Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Prepare the Batter:In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Cream them together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs and pure vanilla extract, stirring until just combined. Incorporate the applesauce into the mixture, ensuring it's well mixed.
3. Sift and Combine Dry Ingredients:Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt into the wet mixture. Gradually whisk in the dry ingredients until they are fully incorporated.
4. Incorporate Apples:Gently fold in the diced apples, ensuring an even distribution.
5. Prepare the Baking Dish:Prepare your bread dish by greasing and flouring it or, alternatively, lining it with parchment paper. This will make it easier to remove the bread later.
6. Fill the Dish:Transfer the batter into the prepared bread dish. Use a spoon to smooth the batter evenly and tap the dish on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
7. Crumb Topping and Additional Apples:Prepare a crumb topping and sprinkle it evenly over the batter. Distribute the remaining diced apples evenly on top as well.
8. Bake:Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Monitor the bread during the last few minutes, checking for doneness. To test for readiness, gently shake the pan; the middle should hold firm and not appear jello-like. If needed, continue baking and check every 5 minutes.
9. Cooling:Allow the Apple Spice Bread to cool in the dish for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The longer it cools, the better it will hold together when sliced. Slicing it too quickly may cause it to crumble, although it is delicious when served warm, even if it's a bit more delicate.
Enjoy your homemade Apple Spice Bread!
Make sure to follow along with all my baking and homesteading in real time on Instagram. Stories is my favorite place to be! And for more apple content, including recipes and how to plant an apple tree, find it here!
What temperature do you bake the bread?
Oh I’ll fix that. It’s suppose to be 350.
What oven temperature?
I’m ready to make this but it seems to be missing the oven temperature!
I’m sorry! I’ll fix that. It’s suppose to be 375. 🙂
I baked 2 smaller loaves at 350 for 50 min and they were great. The other thing I missed was something about the drizzle. It was very good without it, though.
I’m so glad it was yummy! And the drizzle was just some powdered sugar mixed with whole milk and a dash of vanilla!