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!
Grandma’s Homemade Apple Bread
Around here, we call this Grandma Barb’s Apple Bread. Because my mom has been making this apple bread for as long as our daughters can remember.
This apple bread recipe is an especially wonderful treat during the fall, when the trees of local apple orchards are hanging heavy with crisp, sweet fruit. And the bread’s even better when made with apples from your very own backyard trees (right?!).
Mom has always liked to bake with apples, and this is one recipe I can count on her making every single fall. I even placed an order for a loaf when I knew she was due for a visit!
FEATURED COMMENT:
“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. You can find ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
- Prep your tools: 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, discarding the cores.
- Add sugar: In a large bowl, mix the shredded apples with sugar and let them sit for a bit. This will infuse each piece of apple with extra sweetness. Don’t worry about the liquid that will accumulate, that’s supposed to happen!
- Add remaining wet ingredients: In the same bowl as your apples, add the oil, eggs, vanilla, nuts and raisins. Stir well.
- Mix dry ingredients: In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix well. There’s a good amount of cinnamon in the batter, which plays so fabulously with the apples and raisins.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients, mixing just until you don’t see any dry bits of batter anymore.
- Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared pans and bake until the bread is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool & Eat: Let your 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!
This recipe works perfectly with two 8″ x 4″ loaf pans. Here’s my favorite pans – they’re heavy duty and always release breads perfectly. I like their slightly smaller size, just a touch smaller than a more common 1-pound loaf pan.
Tips for the Best Apple Bread
- As I’ve mentioned before, shred your 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.
- Don’t skip any steps. It will probably be tempting to skip the step where the apples and sugar sit for a bit. It does add prep time, but trust me, it’s worth it!
- Don’t over mix your batter. Just mix it enough so that all the dry ingredients are worked in and you don’t see any bits of flour.
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 saran wrap and place it in a freezer safe ziploc bag. This bread will keep for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to eat it, defrost the apple bread in the fridge overnight.
Like this apple recipe? Save it to Pinterest!
Apple Bread
Ingredients
- 4 large Granny Smith Haralson, or Honeycrisp apples (or your favorite firm, tart apple variety), peeled
- 2 c. sugar
- ½ c. vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 c. chopped roasted pecans or walnuts optional
- 1 c. raisins Craisins, or chopped dates
- 3 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 T. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 T. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 8" x 4" loaf pans. Set aside.
- Using the large holes on a box grater, shred the apples (discard the cores). You should have 4 cups of grated apple.
- In a large bowl, fold together shredded apples and sugar, and let sit for 15 minutes until sugar dissolves. There will be alot of liquid.
- Add oil, eggs, vanilla extract, pecans, and raisins, and stir to incorporate.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into the apple mixture, just until mixed. Pour into 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.
Since a summer BBQ at a neighbour’s house when my food contribution was 2 loaves of this bread, I can’t make enough of it. My wife and my youngest son work at the local hospital. I made the mistake of allowing them both to take a loaf each in the next time I baked.
I now have to bake loaves in batches a couple of times a week just to keep up with demands from neighbours, medical staff, relatives and on one occasion from a patient in hospital.
Still going through Covud 19 so anything I can do now I’m retired to say thankyou is well worth doing. Obviously recipe is outstanding. X
This was good. I made a few small changes. I used 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, toasted walnuts and 4 Cortland apples. I didn’t use raisins. It took around 50 min to bake at 350F.
It’s the 4th of July and I made this Apple bread again, what can I say everyone that I made this for loved it. My sisters birthday is the 5th of July so these two are for her because she requested it. This time I used less sugar because the raisins and cranberries are sweet. Thanks so much for your exceptional recipe, I’ll always make it.
Guess what.? I made this recipe again today, I’ll be taking one to my sister and one for my son. I used applesauce instead off eggs because my son is vegan, I’m not even going to tell my sister it’s vegan, let her figure it out. She’ll definitely love it, it’s delicious.
I have made this Apple bread a couple of times, and it’s always a family hit, even the little kids loved it so much. I even made it for my family gathering and everyone loves it. Will definitely keep making this delicious bread.
I’m SO HAPPY to hear this, Annettia! Thank you!
I made this 2 weeks ago. It was delicious! I made one big loaf and 4 smaller ones to give to older friends who are staying inside their homes during this pandemic. Everyone loved it! I’m about to make more today. I’ll omit the raisins since my daughter picked them out, but it is the perfect apple bread recipe! Thank you!
So wonderful! I love how you’re sharing this with friends. (Our daughters request no-raisins, too.) Thank you for the note!
Love it! I skipped the raisins and walnuts part as i am not a big fan of both, and topped the cake with a sugar and cinnamon mix! Tastes amazing! Thank you
That’s how our daughters prefer it, no raisins or nuts. :) So glad you liked!
Hi tried this recipe and came out really really well and so easy to make.
Very very happy with the final result.
Do you drain the liquid from the apples?
Hi Christine – no, do not drain.
Hi, with this recipe. Is T tablespoon and C cup please?
It doesn’t state this anywhere and a tablespoon of spice seems a lot. Thank you.
Patti
Hi Patricia – you are correct – T is tablespoon, c is cup. And the recipe is correct – it is a tablespoon of cinnamon, which I talk about in the post. You can reduce if you like, but this is how we always make it. :) I hope you like!
Sounds delicious
I just made it and I love it
Yes, I tried ur recipe,was very delicious
and moist. it’s a keeper for me.
I already made 6 loaves of this bread,using roasted walnuts and crasins..l. We just love this bread. I am making this bread as Christmas gifts. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Hi, I’m a first time visitor to this blog site……I am interested in making a simple but tasteful apple bread and this recipe did not disappoint……I half the recipe as i only had 2 granny smith apples and made 7 mini loaves….they look similar to the loaves pics in the blog just smaller.
Thanks for a well thought out recipe….I will surely visit this site again.
Leisel
Thank you, Leisel – I’m so glad you liked this apple bread!
Just read your apple bread recipe, I have one but just hadn’t looked it up yet, think I will try this one, have black walnuts that we picked up in the timber and will leave out the raisins It sounds delicious made Sweedish rye bread over the weekend only make it about once a year as I am the only one that is crazy about it
To use a few more of those apples that are so plentiful right now I make Saucy Apple delight
Batter: l c flour 2 tsp baking powder 3/4 c brown sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 c milk and 3 large apples grated. Combine batter ingredients and put in 2 quart baking dish Mix all sauce ingredients 3/4 c brown sugar 1/ tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup oleo 2 cups boiling water and 2 large apples Stir sauce ingredients till oleo is melted add grated apple do not stir. Bake 30 min at 375 degrees. serve warm with ice cream or just plain is good too.
Wow, tasty recipe. I needed a quick thank you present for the person who found my lost dog. I had some overripe Honeycrisp apples. They grated up quickly, released a lot of juice and the whole recipe went together in no time. I halved the recipe and baked it in a pan that makes 8 small loaves (25-28 minutes, checking that internal temperature is about 200). Reading the comments, I cut the sugar by 1/4 and added 1/2 tsp of apple pie spice mix. I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top of 4 of the loaves. It looked nice but they did not need it, the recipe was fine as is. This recipe is a keeper and will make great little gifts or teatime snacks. Thanks for sharing it.
Hello Katherine – thank you so much for your comment. I’m happy that you liked the bread…and that you found your dog! :)
je veux faire la recette mais j’ai un blanc est-ce une cuilllere a table ou une cuillere a thé de poudre a pâte
The recipe uses a tablespoon of baking powder.
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon
I hope this helps.
the spoon or table spoon
Got one loaf in the oven, was wondering if this can be used for muffins? Has anyone tried, and if so, how long should I bake them?
House smells ahhh-mazing!!
I’m trying it as we speak. I’m doing cupcake size. They look great. Ok out of the oven. I did 350 for 20 minutes they look really good. Made 24 cupcake size
Fun! I’ll have to try that. Thanks for coming back to let me know. :)