Dutch Apple Bread is made from scratch with butter, sugar and fresh apples. This apple quick bread recipe has amazing flavors and is topped with a cinnamon streusel and drizzled with warm vanilla glaze.
I’ve made a lot of apple bread recipes over the years and this Dutch apple bread with the buttery crumble topping is easily the best! It has fantastic flavor and I love the chunks of
Dutch Apple Bread Recipe Ingredients
For the Bread, you will need:
-Butter: We use ½ cup softened butter, which is 1 stick. I usually use salted butter, but use what you have on hand!
-Sugar: You need 1 cup of granulated sugar to make this bread nice and sweet.
-Eggs: Just 2 large eggs is all you need to help bind this bread together well.
-Milk: You will need ½ cup milk for the batter. Dairy milk or almond milk works best. I do not recommend using soy milk.
-Vanilla: Using 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to help enhance the flavors in this bread.
-Flour: Use 2 cups of all-purpose flour for the base of this bread dough.
-Salt: You will need ½ teaspoon of salt to help enhance the flavors in the bread.
-Baking powder: You need 1 teaspoon of baking powder to help the bread rise and leaven properly.
-Apple: You need 1 ½ cups diced peeled green apple (you can also use a HoneyCrisp apple, Fuji, or similar!)
-Nuts: Using ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans will add a fantastic crunch to the bread.
For the Topping, you will need:
-Butter: You will need 5 tablespoons of cold butter. This will help to give the crumbly texture we want.
-Flour: Using ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour is needed for the topping to turn out just right.
-Sugars: Use 2 tablespoons each of granulated sugar and brown sugar to make the topping sweet.
-Cinnamon: 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon will give the topping a nice warm flavor.
For the Glaze, you will need:
-Butter: Use 1 tablespoon of melted butter to make the glaze taste nice and rich.
-Powdered sugar: You need ½ cup of powdered sugar to make the glaze smooth and sweet.
-Milk: You will need 1 tablespoon of milk to get the glaze to the right consistency.
-Vanilla: Use ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract to help enhance the flavors in the icing.
How to make Dutch Apple Bread
Prep
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Then, line a bread pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. I use a 10″ bread pan but this recipe works in standard 8″ loaf pans as well. The baked bread will just be taller.
Chop apples into small square pieces, set aside.
Make the bread batter
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together.
Next, add in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract and stir well to incorporate.
Then, mix in the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder. )
Now time to fold in apples and nuts.
Lastly, transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan.
Make topping
Start by combining the cold butter, brown and white sugars, flour, and cinnamon. Mix with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly.
Then, sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the batter in the pan.
Bake
Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in bread, comes out clean. (Internal temperature of bread will be 200 degrees F when fully cooked.)
Let cool before adding the glaze.
Glaze
Mix together the melted butter, powder sugar, and milk until smooth.
Remove the bread from the pan and drizzle the glaze over the top.
Slice and serve. Enjoy!
WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF APPLE TO BAKE WITH?
There are many types of apples to choose from and although they are all delicious on their own, when baking some hold up better than others. I have baked with many different apples and my all time favorite truly is Granny Smith green apples. They are in every store and easy to find, they are crispy and hold their form well when they have been cooked down. More types that are good for baking with are Fuji, HoneyCrisp, Pink Lady and McIntosh Red apple. I’d avoid Red Delicious, Golden Delicious or other soft apples as they tend to fall apart and lose flavor when baked.
DUTCH APPLE BREAD
Ingredients
Apple Bread Batter
- ½ cup softened butter 1 stick
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs large
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ cups green apple diced & peeled
- ½ cup walnuts or pecans chopped
Dutch Crumb Topping
- 5 tbsp cold butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a bread pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick baking spray.
- Chop apples into small square pieces, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract and stir well to incorporate.
- Mix in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold in apples and nuts.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, until toothpick inserted in bread comes out clean. (Internal temperature of bread will be 200 degrees F when fully cooked.) Let cool before adding the glaze.
- Whisk together the melted butter, powder sugar and milk until smooth. Remove the bread from the pan and drizzle the glaze over the top. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Can you Freeze Apple Bread?
Yes, you can freeze this Dutch Apple Bread as long as you securely wrap it and store in an airtight container. I like to wrap mine in foil then store in a freezer Ziplocked bag. Be sure to eat it within 1-2 months! Also, do not add the glaze until after you have thawed it.
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!
How do I peel an Apple?
Many recipes for apples require that you core and peel them. There are a variety of ways to do this, and they’re all simple!
If you’re just peeling & coring a few apples at a time: I like to use a basic vegetable peeler, plus an apple slicer that cuts apples into 16 pieces. These smaller slices are better for baking as the apple cooks faster since they’re smaller slices. That way the crust/cake or whatever you’re baking apples into isn’t too dark before the apples are done cooking!
If you’ve got a large batch of apples to cook: If you use a lot of apples, you probably should consider getting one of these handy peeler corer slicers. You can peel, core & slice half a bushel in about 15 minutes with this tool!
Choose which category of apple recipes you’d like to browse:
Apple Pies
Apple Cookies/Bars
Apple Cakes
Apple Breads
Miscellaneous Apple Recipes
What Type of Vanilla Extract Should I Use?
A few years ago I tested 10 different vanilla extracts and found new favorites! I love using TOTONAC’s Mexican Vanilla for everyday use. It’s pure vanilla and contains no alcohol, which I like because I don’t like the taste of extracts made with alcohol. Each time I try another, I go back to Totonac’s quickly afterward; it’s so good! I also love using Nielsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste. Again, this one has the best flavor by far!
What Spices are Good in Apple Bread?
Baking apple bread? Don’t forget the spices! Adding cinnamon is a must – it will add some delicious warmth and natural sweetness to your loaf. A dash of nutmeg in the bread batter can also be wonderful when paired with cinnamon, as it lends a delicate flavor and aroma. Throw in a pinch of clove to round out the nutty, earthy notes that will really bring out the sweetness of the apples. The combination of these three spices ensures that your homemade apple bread is flavorful, moist, and utterly scrumptious!
How to know if the bread is done?
Your bread should register about 200 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer to ensure that it has been cooked fully. Not only that but the top should appear to be a nice golden brown color and as the bread cools, it shouldn’t sink, but should instead remain well-shaped with a rounded top.
BEST BREAD PAN?
I bake a lot of bread and the pans I prefer are either ceramic, glass or cast iron. These pans will bake bread more evenly and release the bread more easily after baking. I don’t like using dark or nonstick pans because the bread cooks unevenly. It darkens on the outside before the bread is cooked on the inside, so the coloring is uneven. Read more about which bread pan is the best here!
My Apple Bread sank. What happened?
This happens to me occasionally too! Often it’s because I’ve overmixed the batter. Quick bread (referring to a bread recipe that doesn’t use yeast) does not like to be stirred too much, so try to just barely mix all the ingredients together. Another culprit could be overfilling the pan. The bread pan should be only half full each time. As always, make sure your leavening ingredients- baking soda and baking powder- aren’t too old. Baking soda should only be on your shelf for 6-9 months before purchasing new. I purchase it in bulk (I bake a lot!) and refrigerate it to help it last longer.
More amazing quick bread recipes that we love:
- CARAMEL APPLE BREAD
- APPLE BANANA BREAD
- APPLE BREAD PUDDING
- GLAZED APPLE WALNUT BREAD
- APPLE CINNAMON MONKEY BREAD
- PUMPKIN APPLE GINGERBREAD
- APPLE PIE QUICK BREAD
- GLAZED APPLE CINNAMON BREAD
- APPLE PUMPKIN BREAD
- BEST APPLE RECIPES
- APPLE CINNAMON SCONES
For the love of homemade bread
Once you make one loaf of homemade bread, you’ll be hooked and want more! Our Buttermilk Bread is always a big hit, as is our Soft White Bread which is perfect for sandwiches.
If you love banana bread like we do, you’ll want to try our White Chocolate Banana Bread as well as our Caramel Banana Nut Bread. Yum!
Come Fall, baking apple breads is just tradition! Our Apple Banana Bread is always amazing, as is our Caramel Apple Bread. Happy Baking!
Linda says
This bread is SO buttery and tasty; I used Granny Smith apples…really didn’t get an apple flavor so will try a different variety next time. Nice texture, too!
Lyndsey says
I’d love to try this but have difficulty getting baked goods to turn out correctly in Colorado. Modification suggestions for high altitude? Thanks!
Jessica says
No changes necessary for high altitude, but I do find my loaves take longer to rise!
Judy Martin says
I made this recipe. It turned out good. But I doubled the recipe cuz I used 9″ pan. I had a lot of apples to use. We thought it was good. I added a tsp of allspice to the dry ingredients. I would like to have more flavor to it. I think next time I would add more cinnamon and allspice to it. I think the icing should be a little bit thicker.
Jessica says
Thanks Judy!
Pat McKenna says
can you send recipe for the Dutch Apple Bread,,looks great ,cant wait to taste it
Jessica says
Pat- you can find the recipe above!
Ed says
Which bread pan are you suggesting?? At first you say “I like to use a good bread pan. I bake a lot of bread and the pans I prefer are either aluminized steel or ceramic. Both types of pans will bake bread more evenly and release the bread more easily after baking. I’ve used glass pans in the past and it seems like my bread sinks too often when using them, so I stopped.” In the recipe directions you say “I use a 10″ bread pan” and the link takes me to amazon site for “Norpro Nonstick Bread” pan. You also say “don’t like using dark or nonstick pans because the bread cooks unevenly. It darkens on the outside before the bread is cooked on the inside, so it’s easier to burn.”
So I’m thinking in need to use aluminized steel or ceramic pans.
Then right after the Print Recipe section, in the section Titled “Best Bread Pan?” I find this comment, “I bake a lot of bread and the pans I prefer are either ceramic, glass or cast iron. These pans will bake bread more evenly and release the bread more easily after baking. I don’t like using dark or nonstick pans because the bread cooks unevenly. It darkens on the outside before the bread is cooked on the inside, so the coloring is uneven.
You are consistent about not liking dark or nonstick but the link takes me to a nonstick pan.
To top it all off your Best Bread loaf pan article shows “BEST BREAD PAN RESULTS”
“Here’s how each of the 9 pans we tested ranked, 9 being the worst pan and 1 being the BEST:
4: Ceramic Loaf Pan, 7.7/10
3: Cast Iron Loaf Pan, 7.85/10
2: (Analon) Heavy Gauged Steel Non-Stick Loaf Pan, 8.25/10
1: Glass Loaf Pan, 9.25/10
Loaf Pan Recommendations
If you enjoy baking bread and want to use the BEST bread pans, I think the top 4 pans all performed very similarly and are great options!
The cast iron bread pan was the least expensive of the top 4.
The glass pan was a few dollars more and the ceramic and heavy weight steel (Analon) pans were the most expensive of all the pans we tested.
However, it looks like in this case, you get what you pay for, as all 4 of these pans yielded the most evenly baked, aesthetically pleasing loaves of bread.”
I looks like you are recommending at least one of the pans you initially said you had stopped using.
And in the end you contradict your first statement about pans by saying “I’d avoid using aluminized steel bread pans at all! It was the most expensive and performed consistently poorly.”
I appreciate the pan recommendation section but would rather you refer to it initially instead of after the misleading comments about Aluminized steel or ceramic.
Jessica says
I was surprised with my bread pan results too! I am trying to go through all my bread recipes and update the pan recommendations, but it takes time.
Janet says
I made this yesterday and took it to Book Club. It was amazing! The ladies hated me and loved me at the same time!!! Needless to say, the loaf was gone by the end of the evening.
Thank you for a great recipe to add to my list of others.
Mary Lou says
Would have liked to print the recipe but so many recipes today are PDF and I do not think I can do that on my printer. It is a real pain to have to write it all out, so sometimes I just pass it by.
Jessica says
You shouldn’t need to write it out. Printing it to a PDF is a setting on your printer on your computer. 😉
Tori says
If substituting self rising flour for the ball purpose flour, how much should be used? Is it an even substitution cup for cup?
Jessica says
I’d Google it. 😉
Kathy Elliott says
The recipe looks great, but the ads involving feet and musty washing machines are quite a turnoff so I scrolled on by!
Jessica says
Yep- we’re getting quite interesting ads these days! Sorry about that!
Rdel says
It turned out outstanding!
Jessica says
So glad you liked it- it’s one of my favorites!!
Natalie says
Could you use a bread maker to make this? Have you ever tried it that way?
Jessica says
I’ve not used my bread maker to make quick bread.
Sue says
Should we use salted or unsalted butter? Thx!
Jessica says
I use salted butter but I recommend using what you have on hand!
Nikki says
My neighbor made this several years ago and it was THE best apple bread I had ever tasted. Because of Covid-19 I am trying to make do with items in my pantry. That being said, do you think I could use chunky applesauce in place of the fresh apples? Would I need to reduce liquid elsewhere? Any help would be appreciated as I have a picky eater who refuses to eat chunky applesauce (insert eye roll here). Thanks!!!
Jessica says
I think chunky applesauce would be fine in place of the apple. : ) The batter is pretty thick, so if anything, it’ll yield a lighter loaf. You should be fine!
Nikki says
Thanks! Sorry for the double comment, I wasn’t able to see your reply! Headed to the kitchen to whip this up!
Ellie says
Could I use buttermilk instead of milk?
Jessica says
You certainly can! I’ve had a hard time finding buttermilk lately- lucky you!!
Peggy says
I found dry buttermilk near can creamer called Saco cultured buttermilk blend
Nikki says
Curious if I could use chunky applesauce in place of fresh apples? If so, would I need to reduce liquid elsewhere in the recipe?
Kimberly says
Thank you for sharing this on Traffic Jam Weekend! It has been chosen as a fave feature for this week’s party that went live on Thursday at 5:00 pm CST.
Gwen says
Can the sugar be replaced with a substitute sweetener, like Allulose?
Jessica says
I’ve not tried it with this recipe but as long as you use the correct ratio, you should be fine!
Gail says
Delicious! Took some to neighbors and they liked it very much. I doubled recipe with no problem. It makes a lot!
Nellie says
Lucky neighbors! Glad you all enjoyed the bread!
Lily says
Can I add chopped walnuts ?
Nellie says
Absolutely! Walnuts would be wonderful in this bread!
Brenda says
Made this apple bread. It is delicious. Will definitely make it again. I used ida red apples.
Alison says
Glad you enjoyed it Brenda!
Sally says
Could I substitute the milk for almond milk? Thanks!
Jessica says
You can use almond milk!
Julie says
Oh my goodness this has been added to my list of favorites and go to recipes! The bread turned out perfect and so delicious!
Nellie says
Isn’t it so yummy?! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Diana says
Awesome & I’ll make them again. I added chopped walnuts on top. So good
Nellie says
So glad you enjoyed the bread Diana!
Tich says
Can I skip the nuts ? I hate nuts.
Jessica says
Of course you can skip them!