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Our Apple Streusel Bread is a sweet cake-like bread with a layer of apple chunks and walnuts in the middle and topped with a cinnamon streusel.
Incredible Apple Streusel Bread
Hooray for apple season! It’s time to bake this amazing Apple Streusel Bread!
Just look at this bread…and I challenge you not to drool! A sweet, vanilla and sour cream-infused batter is baked with a layer of apple chunks and walnuts in the middle, plus a generous cinnamon streusel topping. Then…a creamy, sweet, brown sugar glaze is drizzled over the top. I’m in apple season heaven!
This delicious Apple Streusel Bread is a perfect sweet treat for breakfast, brunch, dessert – or any time of day!
Why You’ll Love Apple Streusel Bread
- Every bite has a generous amount of sweet apples and cinnamon flavor.
- Served warm out of the oven, this quick bread makes a delicious sweet treat any time of the day. You could even serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side for even more apple season decadence.
- You can bake up several loaves during apple season, then wrap and freeze to enjoy later in the year.
Reader Review
“This has been our go-to apple recipe for years now. After apple picking, we always bake up a few loaves – one to eat, some to give away to friends, and at least one to freeze to enjoy later. It’s so moist, the vanilla bread is wonderful, and I love the streusel filling and topping in every bite.” – Janet
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Apples – We used Braeburn apples, but any baking variety that stays firm after cooking will work such as Granny Smith, Cortland, Honey Crisp, or Gala.
- Walnuts – The nuts will be finely chopped for this recipe so no need to buy whole walnuts; the pieces are fine. You could also swap in pecans if you prefer.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar, brown sugar, and confectioners’ sugar are all used in this apple quick bread recipe.
- Spices – A variety of spices are added to this streusel filling and topping including nutmeg, cinnamon and apple pie spice.
- Sour Cream – This makes the bread super moist. You could use Greek yogurt instead.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Butter
- Eggs
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder
- Heavy Cream – Included in the glaze.
Special Tools Needed
- 9×5-inch loaf pan
- Mixer
- Various sizes of mixing bowls
- Cooling rack
- Sheet pan
- Toothpicks (to test for doneness)
- Small Saucepan
- Whisk
How do I made Apple Streusel Bread?
- Butter and flour the loaf pan.
- Mix the streusel filling as well as the apple walnut filling.
- Mix the batter.
- Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan. Top with half of the apple mixture, then half of the streusel mixture.
- Pour the remaining batter over the filling. Top that with the remaining apples and walnuts, then the rest of the streusel.
- Bake until done (See Chef’s Tip below for the best way to tell when a quick bread is done), then let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the glaze while the apple bread cools.
- Remove the loaf from the pan and place on a cooling rack over a baking sheet.
- Drizzle the glaze over the top of the warm cake.
- Serve warm or cooled.
Chef’s Tip
The best way to tell when a quick bread is done is to follow the timing listed in a recipe, but also use the toothpick test.
The toothpick test involves sticking a toothpick into the center of the loaf. When you pull the toothpick out, there should be no wet batter – it should be clean.
Just note that in a recipe like this Apple Streusel Bread, you may pierce an apple with the toothpick and it’s possible that the toothpick will appear wet. Just poke a different spot to make sure the toothpick comes out clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
- My bread sank in the middle as it cooled. What happened? – Anytime a quick bread sinks in the middle, it usually means that it was still undercooked in the center. See the Chef’s Tip above to read about the Toothpick Test.
- Can I freeze this Apple Streusel Bread? Yes, this bread freezes nicely. Just be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil. Also note that the glaze may come off once thawed and unwrapped. You could add more glaze before serving if you’d like.
This Apple Streusel Bread first appeared on A Family Feast in September 2016. We’ve updated the post, but the delicious recipe remains the same.
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Apple Streusel Bread
Our Apple Streusel Bread is a sweet cake-like bread with a layer of apple chunks and walnuts in the middle and topped with a cinnamon streusel.
Ingredients
Butter and flour to prepare 9×5-inch loaf pan
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced (we used Braeburn)
1 tablespoon plus 2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped small
1/2 cup butter (8 tablespoons)
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
Glaze
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter and flour 9×5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
- In a small bowl mix ½ cup brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, toss apples with 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, apple pie spice and walnuts. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter then add 2/3 cup granulated sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about one minute.
- With mixer running, add one egg at a time and mix. Scrape bowl and mix for one minute on medium until slightly pale in color.
- Add vanilla and mix to combine.
- In a small bowl, mix flour with baking powder and baking soda.
- With mixer running, alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream. Mix just to combine but do not over mix.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread to the sides. Add half the apple mixture but pat and poke the apples down into the batter. Sprinkle with half the sugar mixture.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter, apples and sugar mixture, patting the apples into the batter before topping with the last of the sugar mixture.
- Bake on center rack of oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. (When checking for doneness insert toothpick into center of bread, making sure your tooth pick is going into batter and not an apple to get a true test for doneness. Ours took exactly 60 minutes.)
- While bread is baking, prepare glaze by combining brown sugar, butter and cream in a small sauce pan. Heat to a boil and simmer on medium low for two minutes without stirring.
- Remove from heat and sift in the powdered sugar while you whip. If it has any lumps, just pass through a small sieve. Let it sit at least ten minutes.
- Once bread is out of the oven, cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes.
- Loosen sides and flip out of pan and onto the cooling rack, then place the rack over a sheet pan.
- Drizzle the glaze over the top and let it melt into the warm cake.
- Serve warm or cool completely.
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Hi there, wondering can I use this recipe to make muffin please, tanks.
Hi Ada – We’ve never tried it but I suspect it might work – please let us know how it works out! Or you might be interested in this muffin recipe: https://www.afamilyfeast.com/spiced-apple-coconut-muffins/
If fresh nutmeg is unavailable, can you use nutmeg from the spice aisle. If so, how much? Thank you:
Sure Kay – I’d start with the same amount (1/2 teaspoon) and after tasting the batter, you can add more if you’d like.
Hi. I was wondering if the butter needs to be room temperature? It doesn’t say under ingredients. 😉
Great suggestion Crystina – it should be softened enough to more easily be creamed.
This has been our go-to apple recipe for years now. After apple picking, we always bake up a few loaves – one to eat, some to give away to friends, and at least one to freeze to enjoy later. It’s so moist, the vanilla bread is wonderful, and I love the streusel filling and topping in every bite.
★★★★★
So glad you are enjoying the recipe Janet!
This looks delicious. Can this be frozen at any stage (pre-baking, post-baking, pre-glaze etc.)?
Thank you.
Hi Luanne – You could freeze it after it’s baked – and I agree, wait to glaze it until thawed and ready to serve. Enjoy!
Can this be made gluten free?
Hi Kat – We’ve only made this recipe as written, but we’ve had good luck using the Bob’s Red Mill One to One Gluten Free Baking Flour in other recipes. You might try that!
Can you use frozen apples for this recipe and if so do you thaw them out all the way or partially?
Hi Heather – I’ve never tried this with frozen apples, but if I were to try, I’d go with partially thawing that apples. Please let us know how it comes out!
I only have a 10 inch loaf pan, will I need to adjust the recipe?
Hi Lauren – With the longer loaf pan, your baked loaf will be a little flatter (which is fine!) and depending on your oven, will probably take less time to bake. I’d start checking for doneness after 40 to 45 minutes or so just to make sure it doesn’t over bake. Enjoy!
if you don’t have a 9×5 loaf pan can you use another pan say 8×8 or 11×7
Hi Cortney – We haven’t tried doing so ourselves…If you want to try, I’d go with the 8×8 pan – it will be flatter and probably bake quicket – but I think it might work! Let us know how it comes out!
Martha,
The Apple Streusel Bread looks delicious. My hubby’s favorite spice is cinnamon, that with apples will make him very happy. Another winner!!!!
Linda
Thank you Linda! We hope you and your husband love this recipe as much as we do! (Apple season is my favorite time of year!) 🙂