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Apple Bread with a spiced crumble topping and sweet glaze is what fall mornings should smell like, moist and tender from two whole grated apples, and it mixes up in one bowl with a whisk, no mixer required. I bake the first loaf every year on the first crisp weekend of September, and Maddie and Lizzie hover by the oven the way they do for our pumpkin bread.
Grating the apples instead of chopping them melts the fruit right into the crumb, so every single bite tastes like apples.
Apple Bread Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 50 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 343kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet spiced apple with buttery streusel
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, simpler than our from scratch cinnamon rolls
Quick Answer
Whisk together sugar and pumpkin spice, mix in melted butter and vanilla, then whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour in milk to form a thick batter and fold in two grated apples. Layer the batter and a brown sugar crumble in a parchment lined loaf pan, bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, cool, and finish with a spiced powdered sugar glaze.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Grated apples melt into the crumb. Grating releases the juice and spreads apple through every bite, keeping the loaf incredibly moist without pockets of raw fruit.
- Melted butter means no mixer. It whisks straight into the sugar and spice, so the whole batter comes together in one bowl in minutes.
- The crumble is layered twice. A ribbon of streusel through the middle plus more on top gives you buttery brown sugar crunch in every slice, not just the top.
- Pumpkin spice does triple duty. It seasons the batter, the crumble, and the glaze, so the warm spice flavor is layered from crust to center.
- A parchment sling saves the topping. Lifting the loaf out by the paper keeps the crumble intact instead of shaking it off with a pan flip.
- The glaze goes on a warm loaf. Twenty minutes of cooling lets the glaze set into a bakery style drizzle instead of vanishing into the crumb.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One bowl, a whisk, and a box grater, no mixer to haul out or wash.
- Two whole grated apples keep it moist for days.
- It fills the house with the same cozy smell as our homemade cinnamon rolls in a fraction of the hands on time.
Key Ingredients
Pantry staples plus two fresh apples.
- Apples: Two apples, grated. A crisp sweet tart variety like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith gives the best flavor and texture.
- Pumpkin spice seasoning: The warm spice blend flavors the batter, crumble, and glaze.
- Melted butter: Richness for the batter with zero creaming, plus softened butter for the crumble.
- Brown sugar: The heart of the streusel crumble that bakes into buttery caramel pockets.
- Powdered sugar: Whisks with milk and vanilla into the sweet glaze that finishes the loaf.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This loaf takes to fall tweaks beautifully.
- Stir a half cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter for crunch.
- Swap the pumpkin spice for straight cinnamon if that is what is in the cabinet.
- Add a half cup of raisins or dried cranberries with the grated apples.
- Prefer whole baked fruit? Our brown sugar stuffed baked apples scratch the same itch in individual servings.
How to Make Apple Bread
- Whisk the sugar and pumpkin spice together, add the melted butter and vanilla to form a crumbly paste, then whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the milk and mix until you have a thick batter with no dry patches.
- Add the grated apples to the batter and fold them in until thoroughly combined, then set the bowl aside.
- In another bowl, blend the flour and brown sugar together with a fork for the crumble topping.
- Add the softened butter and pumpkin spice and keep blending with the fork until a crumbly streusel forms.
- Layer half the batter in a parchment lined loaf pan, sprinkle on half the crumble, add the remaining batter, and finish with the rest of the crumble. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and milk into a smooth glaze. Cool the loaf 20 minutes, lift it onto a wire rack, and drizzle the glaze all over the top.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Grate the apples on the large holes. Fine grating turns them to mush, the large holes give tender shreds that bake perfectly.
- Leave the peel on if you like. It grates into tiny flecks and adds color, or peel first for a completely smooth crumb.
- Do not skip the parchment sling. The crumble topped loaf lifts out cleanly instead of flipping upside down.
- Tent with foil if the top browns fast. Around the 35 minute mark, a loose foil tent keeps the crumble golden, not burnt.
- Test the center, not the edge. The apple keeps the middle moist, so make sure the toothpick comes from the very center clean.
- Let the glaze set 10 minutes before slicing. It firms into that pretty bakery drizzle and does not smear on the knife.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
A thick slice, slightly warm, next to coffee is the classic move. For a full weekend spread, set it out with our breakfast casserole and a stack of buttermilk pancakes.
Toast leftover slices in a buttered skillet until the edges caramelize, then top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. It is also right at home on a brunch board with our baked oats.
Come October we bake two loaves at a time, one for us and one to wrap in parchment and gift, right alongside a loaf of our pumpkin bread.
Store the cooled loaf tightly wrapped at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. It also freezes beautifully, wrap whole or in slices and freeze up to 3 months, thawing slices right on the counter.
Apple Bread FAQs
A crisp, sweet tart apple holds up best. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Pink Lady are all excellent. Softer apples like Red Delicious break down too much and can make the loaf gummy. Two medium apples give you about 2 cups grated.
Usually underbaking or too much apple juice. Squeeze excess liquid from the grated apples if they are very juicy, and bake until a toothpick from the very center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cooling in the pan 20 minutes finishes setting the crumb.
Yes, divide the batter and crumble the same layered way among 12 lined muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 24 minutes. You get the same spiced apple flavor in lunchbox form, glaze and all.
Wrap the cooled loaf tightly or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, or refrigerate up to a week. The grated apple keeps it moist far longer than most quick breads. Freeze whole or sliced for up to 3 months.
Absolutely, they are nearly identical blends. Apple pie spice leans harder on cinnamon while pumpkin spice adds a little more ginger and clove. Swap one for one in the batter, crumble, and glaze.
It lives right on the line. This recipe is a quick bread, leavened with baking powder and baked in a loaf pan, but the tender crumb, streusel, and glaze eat like coffee cake. That is why the original version was called an apple loaf cake.
Baked this Apple Bread? Leave a comment and a star rating below, I would love to hear how it turned out!
Our apple cranberry pie recipe turns the same fall flavors into a holiday dessert.
Apple Bread
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice seasoning
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 apples grated
For the Crumble Topping
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 6 tablespoons butter softened
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning
For the Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add the sugar and pumpkin spice seasoning. Whisk together until combined.1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice seasoning
- Add the melted butter and vanilla. Whisk until a crumbly paste has formed.⅓ cup unsalted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients: salt, baking powder, and flour. Whisk again until combined.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour in the milk and mix with the whisk until you have a thick batter with no dry patches.1 cup milk
- Now add the grated apples. Fold this together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.2 apples
- Add the flour and brown sugar to another mixing bowl. Use a fork to blend the two ingredients together.½ cup all purpose flour, ½ cup light brown sugar
- Add the softened butter and pumpkin spice to the bowl and use the fork to blend together again until a crumbly topping is formed.6 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning
- Take the loaf tin and pour half of the batter into the pan.
- Sprinkle with half of the crumble topping.
- Then, pour the rest of the batter on top.
- Finish with the rest of the crumble topping.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While baking, make the glaze. In a bowl, add the powdered sugar, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and milk. Whisk together until smooth. If the frosting is a bit too thick, add another teaspoon or so until you reach your desired consistency.½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning, 1 tablespoon milk
- Let the loaf cake cool for 20 minutes before removing it from the baking tin and placing it on a wire rack.
- Drizzle the glaze all over the top of the loaf. Serve immediately while still warm or allow to cool completely.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients: This helps the batter mix more smoothly and evenly.
- Don’t overmix: Mix just until the dry ingredients are combined to keep the cake light and fluffy.
- Test for doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, your cake is ready.
- Cool in the pan: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before removing it. This helps it set and makes it easier to slice.
- Glaze while warm: Drizzle the glaze over the cake while it’s still warm. It will soak in a bit and add extra flavor.
- Double the recipe: If you’re serving a crowd, this recipe doubles easily. Just use two loaf pans and bake both at the same time.
Nutrition
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