This recipe for Apple Cinnamon Bread is light, tender, and bursting with cinnamon and fresh apples! But the buttery oat streusel is what sets this apple bread above the rest.

Sliced apple bread with streusel on white platter with granny smith apples in background.

Loaded with tender apples and warming spices, this Apple Bread is not only delicious but is deceptively good for you as well.

Just like my recipes for Baked Apples, Apple Crisp, and Dutch Apple Pie, this Apple Cinnamon Bread combines warming spices, fresh apples, and a buttery streusel for the ultimate combination of both flavor and texture. Unlike my apple dessert recipes, this recipe is made with 100% whole wheat flour, only a TINY bit of refined sugar, and way less butter!

But you would never know it by the taste or texture! This Apple Bread is light, tender, and perfectly sweet. Paired with a cup of mulled apple cider, this apple cinnamon bread is perfect for breakfast, celebrating fall, or just curling up on the couch with a blanket and a book--now, doesn't that sound like a perfect afternoon?!

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for Apple Cinnamon Bread labeled on counter.

Flour: To keep this apple bread 100% whole grain, use either whole wheat flour or whole white wheat flour. Whole white wheat flour will result in lighter bread, but I typically use whole wheat flour as that is what I have on hand. You can use all-purpose flour, but you will sacrifice the whole grains.
Apples: I recommend using Granny Smith apples for this apple quick bread, as the tartness pairs well with the sweet crumble. However, you can use any apple that is suitable for baking, such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn.
Honey: Use either honey or maple syrup to sweeten the batter for the apple bread.
Buttermilk: The acidity in the buttermilk helps to keep this whole wheat quick bread super light and tender. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by combining vinegar or lemon juice with milk or the non-dairy milk of your choice. The recipe card includes instructions for making homemade buttermilk.
Spices: This recipe calls for cinnamon and nutmeg. Do yourself a favor--grate a whole nutmeg bulb using a Microplane, it will taste SO much better than ground nutmeg that can overwhelm a recipe.
Applesauce: Adding applesauce to the batter will help cut back on the amount of fat added, yet still keep the quick bread super tender and moist. Use unsweetened applesauce to control the added sugars in this recipe.
Melted Butter: Using melted butter in the quick bread will produce a rich, buttery flavor. In place of the butter, you could use canola oil.
Oat Streusel: The streusel topping on this apple bread is completely optional, yet adds a wonderful texture and flavor. It is made with whole wheat flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and butter.

Recipe Modifications

Dairy-Free: For the apple bread batter, use canola oil in place of butter and unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk in place of buttermilk. For the streusel, use your favorite non-dairy butter, just be sure to check on the bread after 40 minutes of baking. You may find that your streusel is browning too quickly and need to tender the bread lightly with foil.
Add nuts: If desired, add ¼ cup of chopped walnuts to the batter of this apple bread when you add in the diced apples.
Gluten-Free: I have made this quick bread and streusel using a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour with success. Just be sure that your oats are certified gluten-free as well.
No Streusel: To keep this Apple Bread free from refined sugars, omit the oat streusel. The bread will be plenty delicious.

How to Make Apple Quick Bread

Don't be intimidated by the number of steps in this recipe. Just like the nameApple Quick Bread implies, this recipe comes together quickly.

Wash, dry, and peel the apples. Once peeled, dice the apples into ½-inch cubes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Be sure to thoroughly mix your dry ingredients together so that you don't bite into a chunk of baking soda.
Add the apples to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Coating the apples with flour will help them to not sink to the bottom of your loaf pan, ensuring every bite will be equally delicious.

Side by side photo showing dry ingredients before and after adding apples.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, honey, applesauce, and vanilla extract.

Wet ingredients for apple bread in mixing bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and use a spatula to fold the batter together. Mix until the flour is completely moistened and the ingredients are well combined. But don't overmix as that would result in tough bread.

Apple Bread batter mixed together in mixing bowl.

In a separate small bowl, combine the ingredients for the oat streusel, using your fingers to mix together until everything is nice and crumbly.

Streusel for apple bread mixed together in small mixing bowl.

Pour the batter into a loaf pan that has been greased well with butter or lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the apple bread batter.

Side by side loaf pan with apple bread batter before and after adding the streusel.

Bake the apple bread until a toothpick comes out dry, this will take between 50-55 minutes. While the bread is baking, take a moment to enjoy the aroma of apples and cinnamon wafting through the air. FABULOUS!
Once the bread is baked, remove it from the oven and place it on a baking rack to cool.

After 10 minutes, carefully remove the apple bread from the pan and allow to cool fully. Once fully cooled, slice and serve.

Storage Instructions

Because this Apple Cinnamon Bread is made with whole grains and no preservatives, it should be stored, once cooled, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. It will last 4-5 days refrigerated.

Alternatively, you can freeze the Apple Bread for up to 3 months. Allow the bread to cool fully once baked, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and then place it into a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months and defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

More Quick Bread & Muffin Recipes

If you gave this Healthy Apple Bread a try, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

This recipe was posted originally in 2015 but was updated with new tips and photos in 2022.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

Notes on Ingredients

Recipe Modifications

How to Make Apple Quick Bread

Storage Instructions

More Quick Bread & Muffin Recipes