Dutch apple bread is an old fashioned recipe that's perfect for relaxed weekend brunches! It's made with juicy apples, creamy butter, buttermilk, and a sweet cinnamon apple topping.
Finish it with a luxurious vanilla drizzle for a quick bread that's as pretty as it is delicious!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- A gooey apple layer runs throughout the center of the quick bread.
- Freezes like a charm.
- Quick bread bakes like cake—no kneading, rising, or yeast necessary.
Easy Dutch apple bread tastes like you're visiting your favorite country bed and breakfast! I like to serve slices of this alongside slices of a gingerbread loaf during the holidays.
This pan de muerto recipe is another fall favorite.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Stir the brown sugar and spices into the peeled, diced apples.
- Beat the butter and sugar; add vanilla and eggs.
- Mix in the dry ingredients.
- Blend in the buttermilk.
- Add half the batter to a prepared pan.
- Top with half of the apple mixture.
- Spoon on the remaining batter.
- Add the remaining apples. I usually sprinkle with a little brown sugar, too. Bake as directed.
🥫 Storage
Store apple bread at room temperature for 2 days wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container.
Dutch apple bread freezes nicely for up to 3 months.
I like to slice it and put parchment paper between the slices before freezing. That way, I can just grab as many slices as I need without thawing the whole loaf.
⭐ Expert Tip: Use a mixture of a couple of different kinds of apples for the best flavor. I used honeycrisp and granny smith in this recipe.
🧑🏻🍳 Baker's notes
This easy quick bread recipe is full of all the cinnamon goodness of apple fritters but without the frying!
- Sprinkling to top with a little brown sugar or turbinado sugar before baking gives it a little crunch. Use about a tablespoon.
- You don't need to use parchment if you don't want to but it does help with the removal of the apple fritter bread!
- Always spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray whether you're using parchment or not.
- It's really important to let Dutch apple bread cool fully on a wire rack, before slicing. This resting time allows the apple and brown sugar mixture to thicken up just a bit (it gets all caramelly and gooey) which holds the bread together better.
- Check for doneness with a toothpick—but look closely! Just like in the best Amish apple fritters, the apple mixture will stay gooey once the baking is complete. Don't confuse that good moistness with wet batter, or vice versa.
- Bread is done when it registers 190F in the center with an instant read thermometer.
💡Great Idea: Tuck into a basket with a tin of Earl Grey tea, some local honey, and a vintage teacup for a friend who could use a smile.
✨FAQs
Quick bread bakes similarly to a cake in that it uses baking powder/baking soda as the leavening agent instead of yeast. This means you just have to combine the ingredients and bake! Save the kneading for some other day.
That could happen for a variety of reasons. Too much liquid in the batter is the main cause. Sometimes, its due to weak (close to expiration) baking powder or baking soda. Other times a loaf can sink if you let the batter stand too long before baking or pull it out of the oven before it's done baking. Follow this easy recipe closely and you'll have success!
You might also like this banana bread made with buttermilk and brown sugar for extra flavor.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dutch Apple Bread
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- loaf pan
- stand mixer
Ingredients
Apple Bread Batter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Apple Mixture
- 1 pound apples about 2 cups or so, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
Glaze
- 1 cup Confectioners sugar
- ¼ cup Melted butter
- 1 tablespoon cream as needed for consistency
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, line with parchment, then grease the parchment.
- Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together in a bowl.
- Stir into peeled and diced apples until the apples are covered.
- Beat the white sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, and beating about 1 minute after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl.
- Stir the flour mixtur into the creamy butter mixture.
- Stir in the buttermilk.
- Spoon half the batter into the pan, evening out the top with the back of your spoon.
- Add half the apples that are coated with the cinnamon brown sugar mixture.
- Add the remaining batter in. and top with the remaining apples and cinnamon mixture.
- Top with the remaining apples and cinnamon mixture, pressing down lightly.
- Sprinkle with a little extra brown sugar if desired.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- If it begins to brown to much on the top just tent it with aluminum foil.
- Let cool completely before removing from pan.
- Drizzle glaze over the cooled bread.
Glaze
- Mix the confectioner's sugar and butter together. Add cream as needed to make a drizzly glaze
Notes
- Use a mixture of types of apples for the best flavor. I used honeycrisp and granny smith in this recipe.
- Sprinkling to top with a little brown sugar or turbinado sugar before baking gives it a little crunch.
- Always spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray whether you're using parchment or not.
- It's really important to let Dutch apple bread cool fully on a wire rack, before slicing.
- Check for doneness with a toothpick—but look closely! Just like in the best Amish apple fritters, the apple mixture will stay gooey once the baking is complete. Don't confuse that good moistness with wet batter, or vice versa.
- Bread is done when it registers 190F in the center with an instant read thermometer.
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