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Apple Cinnamon Bread

Apple cinnamon bread with tender crumb and apple pieces baked in a cinnamon-sugar swirl for a golden, lightly crisp top. This loaf is made with a quick stir-together batter and baked until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
Wet ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Apple pieces
  • 2 cup apples, peeled and finely diced
Cinnamon swirl
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and heat
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan, so it releases cleanly. Set the pan on a sheet pan for easier handling.
Mix dry and wet batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined. Look for no visible streaks of spice.
  2. Whisk eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. The mixture should look glossy and uniform.
  3. Fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. Stop once no dry flour remains to keep the loaf tender.
Add apples and assemble swirl
  1. Fold in apples, peeled and finely diced until evenly distributed through the batter. You should see apple pieces throughout, not just at the edges.
  2. Pour half the batter into the greased pan, then mix sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon swirl. Sprinkle half the swirl over the batter for a visible cinnamon layer.
  3. Pour the remaining batter over the first layer, then top with the remaining cinnamon sugar and swirl with a knife. Drag the knife through in a few gentle passes to create marbled streaks.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350F for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. The top should be set and lightly browned.
  2. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before slicing. This rest helps the crumb firm up so slices hold their shape.

Notes

For a strong cinnamon-sugar swirl, keep the knife strokes gentle and spaced—overmixing can blur the pattern. Store the loaf wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze for up to 2 months (slice first for easier thawing). To make it dairy-free, use a dairy-free sour cream substitute in the same amount.