Apple Banana Bread made with ripe bananas and diced sweet apple, topped with a cinnamon streusel and drizzled with icing. Our favorite banana bread recipe ever!
I’ve made many a banana bread recipe in my life, but I am going on record saying, this is my absolute favorite. It’s a moist and flavorful banana bread with apple chunks in every bite, what’s not to like? This recipe is so simple and easy to make that it might quickly become one of your favorites too.
What is Apple Banana Bread?
It’s exactly as it sounds, and it’s incredible. With a banana bread filled with chunks of diced apple. To make it even better, it’s covered in an easy homemade cinnamon streusel topping and then topped with a powdered sugar glaze. You know it’s going to taste great because it looks AMAZING. In fact, you may never be able to enjoy a plain banana bread recipe again- it’s THAT good!
Apple Banana Bread Ingredients
-Eggs: Eggs are important to create a leavening, adds flavor, and with the flour, combine to make the perfect crumb.
-Sour cream: You can use sour cream or plain/vanilla Greek yogurt, both have similar results and make this bread rich and moist.
-Vegetable oil: Using vegetable oil or canola oil you get the needed fats to make this bread irresistible and moist.
-Mashed bananas: Using ripe bananas is ideal for banana bread, the darker the color, the sweeter and stronger their presence will be in the final results!
-Sugars: Using a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar, we get the needed sweetness this apple banana bread needs.
-Vanilla extract: A very common baking ingredient and found in most recipes, it helps to highlight the flavors in a recipe without overpowering them.
-Flour: Using all purpose flour or bread flour, you can get that tasty crumb from the bread once baked. Bread flour has more protein and can alter the flavor for the better, but using either will give your bread tasty results!
-Baking soda: The leavening agent in this quick bread recipe. It helps to give the bread the much needed height and without it your bread will fall flat, pun intended.
-Cinnamon: A great flavorful addition to help meld together the flavors of apple and banana. Cinnamon is always welcomed in my book!
-Salt: Salt is a basic staple in recipes because it not only helps to give it a little something extra, but it helps to highlight the flavors in recipes and really makes them POP.
-Apple: You’ll want your apple diced and peeled so it’s ready to go but you can choose between apple varieties and select a sweet or tart apple based on what you’re looking for.
Streusel Topping Ingredients
Flour: The base of the streusel. It helps to absorb liquids and create the little crumbly bits you’ll be sprinkling over the bread.
Brown Sugar: Adding a level of sweetness and depth to the molasses without being overpoweringly sweet, this brown sugar gives that caramelization we want to see.
Cinnamon: A streusel topping almost wouldn’t exist without cinnamon. The flavor, smell, and nice brown color it gives really helps to make the streusel incredible.
Butter: Melt your butter and use it to help bring together the dry ingredients in this streusel and give it that much needed depth and richness.
Icing Ingredients
-Powdered sugar: This sugar will give us a great white glaze that’s smooth and sweet.
-Hot water: Using hot water we can dissolve the sugar and turn it into a spreadable glaze. You can add a little more or less depending on the desired glaze thickness you want but don’t overdo it. A little water goes a long way!
How to Make Apple Banana Bread
Preheat your oven to 325°F and spray two 8″ or 9″ loaf pans with non-stick baking spray, then set them aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Add in the mashed bananas, sugars and vanilla. Stir until everything is well combined.
In a smaller bowl combine the dry ingredients and then whisk them until well incorporated.
Pour the flour mixture into the banana mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the apples.
Pour half of the batter into each baking pan.
Combine the streusel ingredients in another bowl and stir until the mixture is uniform and crumbly. Sprinkle half streusel mix over each loaf.
Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the internal temp of the middle of baked bread registers 200°F with a cooking thermometer.
Remove from the oven and then let cool in bread pans for about 20 minutes. Turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool fully.
Whisk the powdered sugar together with the hot water. Drizzle over the cooled bread. Let the icing cool to set (it’s fast!) then slice and serve. Store the leftovers in an airtight container.
AVOID SUNKEN BREAD
The easiest and best way to avoid sunken bread is to use a cooking thermometer to check the inside of the loaf. Fully cooked bread will register 200°F on a thermometer. My all-time favorite thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great cooking thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!
Apple Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt- plain or vanilla)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 bananas)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose or bread flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup peeled & diced apple (about 1 small apple)
Streusel Topping
- 3 tbsp flour
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp melted butter
Icing
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray two 8" or 9" loaf pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vegetable oil. Add mashed bananas, sugars and vanilla and stir until well combined.
- In a smaller bowl combine dry ingredients and whisk until well incorporated.
- Pour the flour mixture into the banana mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in apples.
- Pour half the batter into each baking pan. Combine streusel ingredients and stir until mixture is uniform and crumbly. Sprinkle half streusel mix over each loaf.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, until internal temp of the middle of baked bread registers 200°F with a cooking thermomete
- Remove from oven and let cool in bread pans for about 20 minutes. Overturn onto a cooling rack to cool fully.
- Whisk powdered sugar together with hot water. Drizzle over cooled bread. Let icing cool to set (it's fast!) then slice and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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How ripe should banana be for banana bread?
You want your bananas to be at the very least yellow with brown spots. But at most they can be solid black. The more ripe that the bananas are the sweeter they are (and the easier they are to mash).
How do you keep banana bread moist after baking?
Keeping your banana bread properly stored can help to keep the moisture inside and maximize the shelf life. By keeping the banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature you can keep the banana bread moist for as long as possible. Keeping it out of the fridge can also help as the cold air often dries out baked goods.
How long does banana bread last on the counter?
You can get banana bread to last up to 5 days on the counter at room temperature f you keep it well wrapped and covered. This should give you plenty of time to snack your way through a loaf. Don’t forget that you can freeze any leftovers if you can’t finish it off fast enough!
Why is there sour cream in banana bread?
Sour cream is one of those awesome baking secrets that helps to add a deeper level of richness and moisture when it comes to the flavor and texture. What makes it really great is that it’s completely unnoticeable once baked into goods and if you hadn’t put it in there, you probably wouldn’t know it was in there.
Can you freeze apple banana bread?
Yes, this bread is great for freezing. Just make sure to have a completely cooled loaf and then to wrap the baked loaf in plastic wrap before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Then let it thaw on the counter for a few hours before eating.
Our favorite banana recipes:
- Banana Pound Cake
- Zucchini Banana Bread
- White Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Banana Cream Cheesecake Bars
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Caramel Banana Cream Tiramisu
- Glazed Blueberry Banana Bars
- Nutells Banana Muffins
- Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
- Banana Split Milkshakes
- Cranberry Banana Bread
- Caramel Banana Nut Bread
- Easy Banana Bread
- Banana Split Pie
You’re going to love this Apple Banana Bread. Made with fresh diced apples and topped with a cinnamon streusel crumb topping and drizzled in a powdered sugar icing, it’s simply the best banana bread recipe ever.
Crystal says
Super yum. I used way sugar. 1/4 of sugar and 1/4 cup of sugar two times. With granny smith apples. Perfect balance of not too sweet and sour.
Alison says
Thanks Crystal!
Mary says
Love this recipe!! Made it once and used about half the sugar and it was perfect! I now want to try subbing out the banana for pumpkin and see how that’d taste!
Chotima Esch says
I made this recipe this morning. It was super yummy!. I was so glad that I found your recipe. I finished off half loaf in ten minutes myself. Thanks so much !!
Alison says
I’m so glad you love this one Chotima!
Tami says
Absolutely delicious! My husband and I finished off one loaf in one day, it’s that good!!
Alison says
I’m so happy you both enjoyed this one Tami!
Carol S. says
Can you substitute apple sauce for the oil? I often do in other recipes, using homemade applesauce with no added sugar.
Nicole says
I have not tested that but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work here. It would also add to the delicious apple flavor, yum!
Ronda says
I just made this recipe and it was fabulous! So yummy and didn’t even need the powdered sugar icing! Definitely making again!
Valerie says
Trying to diet during a pandemic is very difficult when all one craves are sweets and comfort foods! Thus, I must ask … your recipe calorie count is 174 per serving. But are you counting 24 servings from one loaf or both? I’ll make it anyway, as it sounds delicious, but I need to know what I’m eating! Thanks so much.
Jessica says
The 24 servings are from BOTH loaves- 12 slices each loaf. 😉 Please try it- this is one of my favorite quick bread recipes of ALL TIME.
Kristee Moore says
Can the oil be replaced with butter?
Jessica says
I wouldn’t! I know that sounds odd, but I’ve experimented a lot with bread recipes and oil yields a softer, spongier texture.
Nicole says
Has anyone tested this recipe in “mini” loaf tins? I love giving mini loaf’s for gifts and hoping that someone has already done this and has the baking time for a mini loaf.
Nellie says
The baking time for mini loaves should be about 25-30 minutes, but keep a close eye on them to determine when they are done. Mini loaves make the best gifts!
JoAnne says
Absolutely the best Banana recipe ever!!! Hands down! Perfect amount of flavor and moisture! This is so Delicious and fun to make!!!
Nellie says
So glad you enjoyed the bread JoAnne!
Lisa MANVILLE says
I didn’t bother with the glaze in order to cut a few calories but my bread turned out incredible following your recipe exactly. It is super delish. I guess I did do one thing differently since the only apples I had were Fiji. Did not matter. Thank you for the recipe, my husband loved it too.
Jessica says
I’m so glad you liked it! Fiji apples would be great in it! : )
CalGal says
I don’t peel the apples – makes no difference! ALso I added a handful of (unsalted) trail mix with walnuts, raisins, currants, pumpkin seeds. On top I sprinkled a packet of maple sugar instant oatmeal, which I would never otherwise eat. Came out great!
Eileen says
Easy recipe! I added more apple each time I’ve made it. 2 apples instead of 1. And added nutmeg too.
Nancy says
This bread was so good my husband and I finished them off in 2 days! I was low on sour cream so I used half sour cream half low fat vanilla greek yogurt. It worked fine. I also doubled the cinnamon as I really like it and I’m glad I did. This will be my go to banana bread recipe from now on.
Jan Branam says
Have not yet made it, but from list of ingredients am sure it will be fantastic!!!
Sheila says
Hi, can I use frozen apple in this recipe as i have loads of it in the freezer!!
Nellie says
I think that would work just fine!
Mamaj says
Recipe looks great, but I would like to cut the sugar. What would you recommend? Maybe 1/4 of each?
Thank you
Nellie says
Yep, I would definitely try that and see if it’s still sweet enough for you!
Casey says
Hi there! If substituting the sour cream for yogurt, should it be full fat?
Thank you!
Jessica says
I use regular full fat yogurt, yes.
Gina says
I have had this recipe so delicious, I just made it today my little granddaughter says it smells so delicious, I was asked by a friend can you make this make this recipe gluten-free?
Jessica says
Bob’s Red Mill has a gluten-free flour blend that works well in baked goods! Glad you liked it!
Tee says
This was my first time baking in a very long time and everyone who tried it loved the recipe. I used vanilla Greek yogurt and it turned out delicious. I hope to make mini versions of this as the loaves are pretty big for us alone. Any tips?
Jessica says
You can certainly bake the batter into mini loaves, then just freeze the one you won’t eat immediately!
Elizabeth says
Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jessica says
AGREE!
Ree says
Made this today- I added pecans to the topping!
Delicious!
I will always use this recipe from now on!
Thanks for the recipe!
Jessica says
You’re so welcome Ree! I love adding nuts!
Cyndie says
Yes and everyone loves it. I did the brown sugar different, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar