Nutty Cinnamon Apple Quick Bread
Full of warm cinnamon, spicy apples, and nuts, this fluffy quick bread is rich in flavor. Since it's not overly sweet, enjoy this loaf for breakfast, dessert, or even as a snack!
Equipment
- dark coated 9x5-inch loaf pan
- bowls & mixer
Ingredients
Apple Mixture:
- 1 large apple
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Cinnamon Topping:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Cinnamon Loaf:
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream
- 1/3 cup milk of choice
Optional Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk of choice, depending on desired consistency
Instructions
Apples:
- Peel and chop your apple into small chunks. Toss with 2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Set aside.
Cinnamon Nut Topping:
- Combine brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, and chopped nuts in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cinnamon Loaf:
- Thoroughly grease a 9x5-inch dark coated loaf pan and preheat oven to 325°. (For a light pan, raise the temperature to 350°).
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tsp cinnamon; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat together sugar and butter until creamy. Slowly beat in eggs. Add vanilla, milk, and Greek yogurt until well-mixed. Add flour mixture until just combined - do not overmix.
- Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Add half of the chopped apples, and then half of the cinnamon mixture. Swirl through the batter with a knife.
- Pour on remaining batter, top with remaining apples, top with remaining cinnamon mixture. Swirl again with a knife. (I like my cinnamon mixture all throughout the bread. if you prefer one thick ribbon in the middle of the loaf, carefully swirl a large path through the bread, or only swirl one time with the top layer instead of for both layers).
- Bake at 325° for about 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. It will continue cooking slightly while it cools. Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.
- Make the glaze: mix powdered sugar and 1-2 tablespoons milk until smooth and creamy; stop adding milk when you've reached your desired consistency.
- After 10 minutes, slide a knife around the edges of the bread and transfer to a cooling rack. Drizzle with glaze. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- After 10 minutes cooling, transfer your loaf to a cooling rack. If you don’t mind a melty glaze, drizzle it on immediately. Or if you’re patient, let it cool for another 20 minutes before drizzling.
- Substitute for Greek yogurt/sour cream: Omit Greek yogurt or sour cream; increase milk to 1/2 cup instead of 1/3 cup.
- The calorie count includes the use of walnuts, butter, plain Greek yogurt, and 2% milk where there are optional substitutions.
- You can also freeze the loaf if desired. I'd recommend pre-slicing all your pieces before packaging it up to make it easier for defrosting.