A quick and easy Apple Bread recipe that’s loaded with shredded apples! Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, this moist apple bread is perfect for fall!
Looking for more apple recipes? Try my old fashioned apple crisp and apple fritter bread!
My mom’s homemade Apple Bread recipe is a favorite around here. I especially like to bake this in the fall, using just-picked apples from my parents’ trees or ones from a local orchard. The bread is moist and perfectly spiced, with tons of fresh apple flavor in every single bite!
Why We ❤️ this Apple Bread Recipe
My mom has been making this apple bread for as long as our daughters can remember – they affectionately call it “Grandma Barb’s Apple Bread”. Here’s why my family requests it:
- BEST apple flavor. Really. I’ve never tasted an apple bread with this much apple flavor in every bite. And that’s because this recipe calls for shredded apples. The moist, flavorful apple shreds get distributed evenly throughout the batter, making this hands-down the BEST apple bread recipe!
- Quick & easy. I can have two pans of apple bread in the oven in just 20 minutes!
- Awesome flavor & texture. I adore warmly spiced fall baked treats, and this apple cinnamon bread is top of list. It’s fabulously moist and packed with flavor!
“Beautiful color and the whole house smelled liked apple pie baking. It’s absolutely DELISH, this recipe totally surpasses others! It’s moist and has such good flavor!”
Susan
Why Are the Apples Shredded for this Bread?
At the very core of this apple quick bread is a mess of shredded apples. I recommend using an apple variety that is firm and has some tartness, such as Granny Smith, Haralson, or the sweeter Honeycrisp. Shredding the apples infuses each bite of bread with rich apple flavor. It also avoids any potential issues with diced apples, which can sometimes sink to the bottom of your bread.
If you’re wondering exactly how to shred apples, all you need is a box grater. Simply peel the apples and grate them using the largest holes on the grater. It’s super easy and doesn’t take much time at all.
A few more awesome apple recipes for you: my favorite apple crisp is an easy and super delicious treat, Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats is a great way to get your day started, and how about a cocktail? This Apple Sangria with Bourbon and Thyme is perfect for sitting around an autumn fire or entertaining for Thanksgiving!
How to Make Apple Bread
I love how easily this quick bread recipe comes together. Here’s how to make it. Find ingredients and exact measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prep: Preheat your oven and grease two 8×4 loaf pans.
- Shred the apples: I use the large holes on a box grater for this. Just peel the apples and then shred them.
- Add sugar: Mix the shredded apples with sugar and let them sit for a bit. This will infuse each piece of apple with extra sweetness.
- Add remaining wet ingredients: Then stir in the oil, eggs, vanilla, nuts, and raisins (if using).
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until you don’t see any dry bits of batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until the bread is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool & enjoy: Let the apple bread rest in the pan for about ten minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling. Once the bread has cooled, slice it up and dig in!
Tips for the Best Apple Bread
- Shred the apples. This is actually less work than dicing, the method that many apple bread recipes call for. Plus, this method distributes the apples all throughout the bread.
- Let shredded apple and sugar mingle. It might be tempting to skip the step where the apples and sugar sit for a bit. It does add prep time, but trust me, this makes the apple bread really moist and extra delicious!
- Use 8×4 pans. I highly recommend using two light-colored 8″ x 4″ loaf pans for this recipe, as they’re the perfect size. They are just a touch smaller than a 1-pound loaf pan.
The house smells so cozy while this bread is baking. It’s like a big apple-cinnamon hug.
This apple bread is a loaf of fall, packed with shredded apples. I think it’s truly the best apple bread recipe, with a variety of flavor and texture in every single bite.
Can I Leave Out the Nuts and Raisins?
There are very few recipes where I can get away with “sneaking in” raisins, as our daughters are not the biggest fans. And this apple bread is one of those exceptions.
However, if you or anyone in your family is opposed to either nuts or raisins, just leave them out. The bread will turn out just fine. :)
Can I Freeze Apple Bread?
The bread freezes extremely well. So I like to stash one loaf away for later. This makes for an easy baked treat with only the minimal effort of taking it out to thaw.
To freeze your apple bread, let it come to room temperature. Then wrap it in a couple layers of plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe baggie. It will keep really well for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, defrost the apple bread in the fridge overnight.
Apple Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded fresh apple, from approximately 4 large peeled apples (Use apples that are flavorful and firm, and hold their shape when baking, such as Haralson, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, etc.)
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped roasted pecans or walnuts, optional (I love the ones from Trader Joe's!)
- 1 cup raisins, Craisins, or chopped dates
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8" x 4" bread pans and set aside.
- Using the large holes on a box grater, shred peeled apples down to the cores; discard the cores, until you have 4 cups of shredded apple.
- In a large bowl, fold together shredded apples and sugar, and let sit for 15 minutes until sugar dissolves. There will be a lot of liquid.
- Add oil, eggs, vanilla, pecans, and raisins, and stir to incorporate.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Fold dry ingredients into the apple mixture, just until mixed. Divide evenly amongst prepared loaf pans.
- Bake 55 minutes, or until golden and center tests done with a toothpick. Remove pans from oven to cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Then turn breads out of pan onto rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2010. I updated some of the photographs and text in September 2019.
Autumn on the farm is such a special time. To see the fruits of farm labor harvested is one of my favorite things. And I love to share the experience with our daughters, to show them how I grew up. The following photos were taken in 2010, when I had originally shared this apple bread recipe.
I want to thank you for a great recipe. When I was a child back in the 70’s my mom used to make me what she called a green apple cake. When the apples in the pasture were almost ripe, but still pretty green and tart I would pick some and then shell some black walnuts to give to my mom and she would make me this quick bread. I have gone through all her recipes looking for this recipe, but I never could find it. When I ran across your recipe on the internet. It sounded so much like what I remembered. It tastes exactly the way I remember it too. I’ve already made this recipe 3 times this year. Definitely a keeper.
So glad you liked this recipe, Don! Thanks for coming back here to let me know and to rate the recipe! :)
This recipe was delicious. I used an apple peeling tool to remove the skin which was great but in the future I will then shred the apples in a food processor as the hand shredder was very time consuming. I do like how the shredded fruit added a pleasing flavor and texture to the bread. It really is very easy to make. Everyone loved it!
So happy you loved this apple bread, Beth! Thank you for coming back to let me know, and to rate the recipe. :)
I always like to rehydrate raisins before putting in the completed recipe so I shredded the apples on top of them and let them absorb some of the juices. Perfect!
I have always cubed the apples in previous recipes and they would sink to the bottom, so I loved shedding them instead. Great idea.
The only things I did differently was use King Arthur’s gluten free flour, 1:1, and didn’t add nuts but I will maybe next time.
Thank you for this recipe.
Hi Patricia – I love what you did with the raisins, thank you for sharing that tip. I’m so glad you liked this recipe! :)
Made this last weekend and I couldn’t stop eating!!! My boyfriend said this was the best bread he has ever had and requested more, so that’s on my to do list for this weekend :) I made almost as exactly written, but I reduced sugar to 1 1/2 cup because I like more flavor than sweet, and subbed the oil for pumpkin since I was in the fall mood. It came out absolutely perfect!
Oh wow! I love the idea of adding pumpkin!
Fourth batch is in the oven right now due to repeated requests from teenager (a notoriously hard-to-please demographic). I add turbinado sugar to the top before baking for all sweet batter breads, but other than that, haven’t deviated from the recipe at all. Don’t be alarmed with the amount of liquid in the apple/sugar mixture – it works.
Sooo good, and soo easy! I love it!!! I added a little brown sugar on top. 5 star! Going to write it down in my recipe book!!
Hi Kayla – I love what you did with the brown sugar topping!! Thanks for coming back to let me know + rate the recipe. Enjoy! :)
It turned out very well. Moist, sweet, apple flavour throughout-delicious, nutmeg is a great addition. I forgot to flour greased pans & it did stick to bottom of pan.
Hi Sarah – I’m so glad you liked this recipe! Thanks for coming back here to let me know and to rate the recipe. I never have problems with the bread sticking, so I’m sure that was the issue.
The best apple bread ever! I did make a few changes though: reduced sugar to 1 & 1/2 C (1 C organic cane sugar and 1/2C sucanat). Might try reducing to 1 Cup next time. I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of AP. Was thinking about subbing the oil for apple sauce but it really does change the texture of the bread and this bread to very moist using oil. My add in’s were 1 C of chopped pecans and 1 C of cinnamon chips instead of the raisins. I might try adding coconut next time. Like others, I had to force myself to quit nibbling on it especially when still warm from the over and the cinnamon chips are melty. Yummy.
I loved this bread. Can you tell me the weight of the flour? I used 130 per cup. The bread was a little too moist, but still good.
Love this recipe! I shred and freeze my apples in the fall so I can make this year round. I add ishredded coconut to the wet ingredients. I have made regular sized loaves, small and mini loaves and muffins. Everything freezes great and everyone I have gifted a loaf to raves about how delicious it Is. Thanks for a great recipe!
Made this today so yummy! My husband and son loved it!! Will make again. Thank you
Best apple bread I have tried, hands down. Only used 1 cup of sugar since I don’t like my breakfast bread very sweet. Will be making these to bring to work. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
I reduced sugar to 1.5 c and I don’t think I’d go lower than that, though it tastes good with that amount as a breakfast bread. I didn’t want to shred so I chopped finely and no chunks sunk to the bottom. Breads were done when reached internal temperature of 212.
This was absolutely amazing. The only adjustments I made was to throw in whatever mixed spice I had in the cupboard and I added a shot of espresso (I was thinking coffee & walnut cake).
So glad you liked this, Claire! Thank you for coming back to let me know about your experience, and to rate this recipe! :)
Husband loves loaf breads of all types and had trievickied apples and any fruit I may have but want to explore different recipes. Look at serveral and came back to yours. Very simple and easy, due to cutting on sugar did put only 1 .1/4 cup but also added yogurt. Turned out great
So happy you liked this recipe, thank you!!
*Warning* This bread is addictive. It’s so flavorful and delicious that you won’t be able to stay out of it. It is also easy to make!
Excellent, easy. Added 1/2 cup of shredded coconut.
We are in a dairy-free fast until January 7 but these loaves look so delicious and I have a whole bag of apples that I’m just dying to use before my new baby arrives. Do you think I could sub applesauce for the eggs? I am thinking maybe 4-5 Tbsp… I also am curious if you think it’d turn out OK with bread flour instead of APF.
This turned out great! I used half Einkorn and half sprouted buckwheat flour with walnuts and dates. Really yummy and will make again!
So glad you like this recipe!!
This is a great recipe and two loaves is a plus I cored the apples, but I didn’t peel them….and, I finely chopped them in the food processor. The loaves turned out great!
Thanks for posting
So glad you liked the apple bread – thanks for coming back to let me know, and to share your changes. Enjoy! :)