Cinnamon Apple Bread with Walnuts

This recipe is: dairy free

Make the most of apple season with the simple quick bread recipe. This fluffy cinnamon apple bread is filled with grated apples, crunchy walnuts and lots of spicy cinnamon, topped with a sweet apple cider glaze. Not a fan of walnuts? Feel free to leave them out.

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A close up of a loaf of apple bread on a cooling rack covered with cinnamon glaze dripping down the side and an apple in the background.

One quick bread recipe, endless possibilities.

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you today. It comes from Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book, written by my wonderful friend Kristin “Baker Bettie” Hoffman. Kristin is a trained chef and baking educator, and she focuses on teaching the why and how behind baking.

I’ve learned so much from her over the years, and I’m really excited to get my hands on her new book. I got a little sneak preview and it’s filled with step-by-step methods and customizable master recipes to teach you the fundamentals of baking.

Baker Bettie's Better Baking Book Cover.
Available for pre-order now: Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book

Once you understand the science and technique behind baking, you can use those fundamentals to adapt recipes to suit your needs. This book would be a great resource for any home baker – even in a dairy free household.

This cinnamon apple bread is based on the book’s Fruit or Veg Quick Bread Master Recipe. I added some chopped walnuts for crunch and topped it an apple cider glaze, and it turned out so fluffy and delicious.

It’s the perfect fall treat, and a great way to make the most of apple season this year.

P.S. My friend Lindsay made these carrot muffins from the same master recipe and they’re dairy free, too!

A loaf of apple cinnamon bread covered in a cinnamon glaze with apples around in the background.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

Slices of apple bread on white plates with apples on the side.

How to make cinnamon apple bread

Measure your ingredients. Start by getting all of your ingredients measured out. Kristin recommend’s using a kitchen scale to measure by weight for the most accurate measurements. I tried it for the first time when making this recipe and it’s a total game changer.

Don’t forget to also preheat your oven and grease your loaf pan.

Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and whisk them together to distribute everything evenly.

Whisk the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Then, stir in the shredded apples and walnuts (if you’re using them).

Combine everything. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry bowl and gently stir to mix everything together. Make sure you don’t over mix or the gluten will start to develop and your bread won’t be as fluffy.

Bake the bread. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and bake for 60 – 70 minutes. Check on your bread halfway through to make sure it’s cooking evenly, and turn the pan if needed.

Continue baking until the bread is set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pan and let the apple bread cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.

Make the glaze. While the bread cools, whisk the powdered sugar, cinnamon, apple cider and salt together until smooth. Cover and set aside. Let the bread cool completely before glazing and wait to glaze the bread until just before serving.

A whisk with cinnamon glazed drizzling from it into a bowl.
Cinnamon bread with one slice cut.

FAQs and tips for making this apple bread recipe

What kind of apples are good for bread?

MacIntosh, Honey Crisp, and Courtland apple are my favorite to bake with. Granny smith apples will also work well!

How do you cut apples for baking?

Normally you would peel and core the apple before slicing for baking. In this recipe we get to leave the skins on a grate them, making the prep work simple!

Does apple bread need to be refrigerated?

Apple bread doesn’t need to be refrigerated. You can leave the bread out for a few days if it is kept in an air tight container.

A loaf of apple bread in a metal loaf pan, with a bowl of cinnamon glaze next to it and apples and a whisk to the sides.

More amazing apple recipes you should try

Other delectable bread recipes

A loaf of cinnamon bread being glazed.
A loaf of bread with a cinnamon glaze.
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Cinnamon Apple Bread with Walnuts

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Description

Make the most of apple season with the simple quick bread recipe. This fluffy cinnamon apple bread is filled with grated apples, crunchy walnuts and lots of spicy cinnamon, topped with a sweet apple cider glaze. Not a fan of walnuts? Feel free to leave them out.

Ingredients

Scale

For the bread:

  • 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour

  • 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar

  • 10 grams (1 tablespoon) baking powder

  • 2 grams (½ teaspoon) kosher salt

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 113 grams (½ cup, 120 milliliters) neutral oil (vegetable, canola, safflower, grapeseed)

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 85 grams (6 tablespoons, 90 milliliters) dairy free milk, room temperature

  • 225 grams (2 cups) shredded apple

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

For the glaze:

  • 120 grams (1 cup) powdered, confectioners, or icing sugar

  • extracts, spices, or zests as desired

  • pinch of salt

  • 28–43 grams (2–3 tablespoons) liquid of choice

Instructions

Prep:

  1. At least 30 minutes before baking, measure out the milk and set it out with the eggs to come to room temperature. Measure out the rest of the ingredients. 

  2. Position an oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) if making a loaf. 

  3. Prep an 8.5 x 4.5-inch (22 x 11-cm) loaf pan with parchment paper or non-stick spray.

To make the batter:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and any spices if using.  

  2. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the oil, egg, vanilla extract, milk, vegetable or fruit base, and any extracts, juices, and/or zests if using until well combined. 

  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl. 

  4. Stir with a spoon or silicone spatula until just combined. This should only take about 30-45 seconds of mixing. The batter will be pretty thick and lumpy. Do not over-mix or the bread will become tough. 

  5. If using any solid mix-ins, gently fold them into the batter. 

  6. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, leaving about ½-inch from the top, or pour into your loaf tin. If using, sprinkle the sugar or streusel topping liberally on each muffin or on top of your loaf. 

  7. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 60-70 minutes until lightly golden brown and the tops spring back when gently pushed or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check on your bake at about the halfway mark, and if it looks as though it is not baking evenly, rotate the pan. 

  8. Transfer the baked loaf out of the pan onto a cooling rack about 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven. Let it cool completely before glazing.

  9. Store uneaten bread covered in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To make the glaze:

  1. Place the powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl with the salt, zests, or extracts you are using. 

  2. Add the liquid into the bowl bit by bit, whisking until you have a thick glaze, about the consistency of honey. It should flow slowly off the whisk in a steady stream. If the glaze gets too thin, you can add a bit more powdered sugar to thicken it back up. 

  3. When apple bread is completely cooled, drizzle glaze over the top and allow it to set before slicing.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 379
  • Sugar: 29 g
  • Sodium: 277.7 mg
  • Fat: 19.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 47.7 g
  • Fiber: 2.3 g
  • Protein: 5.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 31 mg

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! You can leave a rating or review in the comment section below. Ratings and reviews help this site grow and help others who make the recipe in the future!

Melissa Belanger is the founder and food-obsessed visionary behind Simply Whisked, where she creates dairy free recipes with simple ingredients. She lives in Wisconsin with her milk-allergic husband and two kids. Melissa's experience in developing dairy free recipes is unparalleled and she strives to make dairy-free living accessible and enjoyable. In addition to running Simply Whisked, Melissa also manages two other publications: Another Cocktail Blog, a cocktail recipe website, and The Pasta Twins, a joint venture with her twin sister.

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One Comment

  1. Thank you for this recipe. One thing in the ingredients it says teaspoon but nothing after that. Is that cinnamon?

    Reply

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