Apple Fritter Bread

This Apple Fritter Bread is the most decadent Fall treat that’s perfect for breakfast, as dessert, or for an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee. It’s rich in warm cinnamon flavor and loaded with fresh apple flavor. Plus, it’s much easier than making apple fritters from scratch with no deep frying required.

If you know anything about my love for apple desserts, it runs deep! My Fried Apple Pies are one of my most popular recipes that have been in our family for generations. This Apple Fritter Bread is my family’s new favorite quick bread to make after we go apple picking.

What I love about this bread is that it has all the fresh apple flavor and spices of classic apple fritters, but no messy frying needed. Every bite is perfectly soft and never dense, it truly melts in your mouth! We’ve brought it to a brunch, enjoyed it as a snack, or even added a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.

For more fall sweets, my Apple Roll and Apple Dapple Cake are two other classic family recipes.

why you’ll love this recipe

• Layers of warm, spiced flavor. We use cinnamon in every single layer of this apple fritter bread. And it’s so worth it! Every bite is addicting.
• Fresh apple flavor. Chopped apples are folded into the bread to add real fruitiness.
• Perfect for sharing. It’s an impressive bakery-style loaf to share with any friend or at a fall picnic or event.

ingredients

Scroll Down to the Bottom of this Post for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Printable Recipe Card

Apple Mixture:

• Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples: We like tart apples here since they compliment the sweetness of the bread nicely.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the apples perfectly.
• Ground cinnamon: Warming spice to pair.

Brown Sugar Layer:

• Packed dark brown sugar: Adds rich molasses flavor.
• Ground cinnamon: More of that classic warm flavor.

Bread Loaf:

• Large egg: Binds the batter together.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the bread.
• Melted salted butter: Adds richness and lots of flavor.
• Sour cream: Keeps the apple fritter bread moist with a hint of tang to compliment the sweetness.
• Vanilla extract or paste: Adds caramel and floral notes.
• Self-rising flour: Already has a leavener in it to help the bread be tender in texture.
• Baking soda: A second leavening ingredient to compliment the self rising flour to make sure it’s not too dense.
• Ground cinnamon: We add cinnamon one more time for triple flavor.

Topping:

• Powdered sugar: Sweetens the icing and is responsible for that crackly texture.
• Milk: Controls the consistency of the icing.

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

• Mixing Bowls
• Rubber Spatula
• 8 x 5-inch Loaf Pan
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Liquid Measuring Cups
• Cooling Rack

how to make apple fritter bread

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray, grease with butter, or line with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, toss together the diced apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon until the apples are well coated. Set aside.

3. In another small bowl, stir together the dark brown sugar and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and granulated sugar until smooth and well combined.
5. Add the melted butter, sour cream, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
6. Add self-rising flour, baking soda, and cinnamon and stir until just combined.

7. Pour half the batter into your prepared pan and gently smooth the top with a spatula. Evenly scatter half the apple mixture in a flat layer, then sprinkle half the brown sugar layer on top. Pour the remaining batter over and smooth it all the way to the edges of the pan. Top with the remaining apples and remaining brown sugar mixture.

8. Bake for 38 to 42 minutes until the top is domed and set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. In the last 10 minutes, loosely tent the pan with a sheet of foil to keep the top and sides from getting too dark before the center is done.
9. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes 
10. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth and pourable. If you’d like a thinner glaze, add a little more milk, one teaspoon at a time.
11. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled bread, letting it run down the sides. Allow it to set for a few minutes before slicing.

expert tips

• Don’t over-bake the bread. You’ll want to insert a toothpick when you think it’s ready. If the toothpick has just dry crumbs and no moist batter, then it’s ready to cool.
• Layer the apples and batter. This is what makes for the best bread! The apples become tender and layer nicely into the bread batter.
• If your glaze it too thin, add a pinch more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, then add a teaspoon more milk until the desired consistency is reached.
• Be sure to cool the bread completely before glazing. The apple layers need to set properly and the glaze will just run off if the bread is too warm.
• Chop the apples all the same size. This makes for even cooking and baking so that the bread has the same texture throughout.

storage

Store any leftover bread covered with plastic wrap or foil on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

While you can freeze this bread, we don’t recommend it since it can change the texture once it’s thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

More delicious fall recipes

• Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake
• Pumpkin Spice Loaf
• Apple Butter Pull Apart Bread