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Apple Bread

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!

2 pans of apple bread on a cooling rack

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
using a box grater to shred fresh apples

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!

apple bread batter in a clear bowl

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!
apple bread batter in two loaf pans

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.
two loaves of apple bread in pans on cooling rack
loaf of sliced apple bread on cutting board

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.

loaf of sliced apple bread on cutting board

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.

two loaves of apple bread in pans on cooling rack

Apple Bread

Yield: 16 servings
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 55 minutes
total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This quick and easy apple bread recipe is loaded with shredded apples, ensuring moist, delicious fresh apple flavor and texture in every bite!
4.4 Stars (1118 Reviews)
Print

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

If you do not like nuts or raisins in your apple bread, just leave them out. The bread will turn out just fine.
Recipe from Mom’s recipe box, originally from Wanda’s Country Home

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 330kcal Carbohydrates: 62g Protein: 4g Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 1g Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 23mg Sodium: 288mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 39g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
two loaves of apple bread in pans on cooling rack

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.

watching the corn harvest
in the combine
watching the harvest
Rosholt, SD elevator
combining corn
John Deere combine in corn field
unloading corn into truck
a sucker from the elevator

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265 comments on “Apple Bread”

  1. This is a great apple bread. I’ve given it as gifts and I’m often asked for the recipe. I added orange zest and candied ginger to the recipe.

  2. Follow-up to my comment: I did not peel my apples before grating and I used 1/2 cup less sugar as I only had gala apples & they were really sweet.

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe is a keeper! I made 4 mini loaves and ate almost a whole one by myself. I left out the nuts and used a mixture of raisins, craisins and dried cherries. I also topped them with nutmeg sugar before baking.
    Going to try them as muffins next.

  4. 4 stars
    I followed the directions exactly as written and I didn’t over bake it. The flavor is delicious, but it’s not as moist as I’d hoped it would be. 

  5. Very good bread. The first time I have made a apple bread. The next time I will cut the sugar to 1 1/2 cups. It is a bit too sweet for me. It baked up beautifully. I did leave out raisins. But I don’t think it needed them. Great way to use up apples.
    CFC

  6. Today I made this recipe again, but I made muffins instead of loafs.  I followed the recipe as written, but used cortland apples because our orchard is full!  The recipe made 24 muffins and baked for 30 minutes – very good!  Thank you for sharing!  

  7. I haven’t tried the recipe yet but that sounds like a very interesting miss me. I’m 87 years old but I believe I can make that soon as I can get to town and get some apples I’m going to give it a try thank you very much for sharing

  8. 5 stars
    I made it for the first time today It baked really nice, but only took 45 min. In my oven!
    Beautiful color and the whole house smelled liked apple pie baking.
    It’s absolutely DELISH I’ve made an apple bread or two in the past couple years, but this recipe totally surpasses the others!So glad I saw it on line, and tried it out! It’s moist and has such good flavor! It will be a favorite I add to my bread recipes! I added raisins, and  they gave it a little more PIZZ-AZZ THANK YOU… 

  9. Cindy Ponafala

    5 stars
    I made this recipe as is, one plain and one with pecans and raisins. Both were excellent. The second loaf wasn’t even done before my husband was asking me to make another batch.

  10. Current Resident

    4 stars
    I liked this recipe a lot. There’s just the two of us so I halved the recipe and made one loaf, reducing the sugar to 3/4 C. I checked it at 50 minutes and it was done, will check at 40 or 45 minutes next time.

  11. 5 stars
    Made this for my birthday. Delish. I used 2 Granny Smith and 2 sweet apples, halved the sugar, used 1 stick butter, walnuts, only changes I made.  
    Daughter and son-in-law came.   son in law said best he has ever had and he has tried many. 
    Made two loaves .  Hubby couldn’t keep his hands off so none left for freezer.  I will remedy this pronto 

  12. 5 stars
    This bread is delightful. Because I love orange flavor, I did add the zest of 3 oranges and scraped on vanilla bean in addition to the vanilla extract. This is a keeper. Was even better the next day. It made a lovely golden loaf. I took one to a neighbor for Christmas.

    1. I got 4 mini loaves. I checked them at 25 minutes but they weren’t done. Added another 20 minutes and then let them cool in the pan 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
      Every oven is different so check on them periodically so they aren’t overdone.