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.
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The Best Apple Bread
This Dutch Apple Bread is something I love any time of the day. I have at least 4 recipes I have written already that are similar but I have to say, this one is my favorite! This apple bread has the best aroma and an almost pound cake like texture- you will not be able to stop eating it. I love how easy it is to make as well!
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
Homemade Dutch Apple Bread with fantastic flavor & texture! Family favorite apple bread recipe that everyone enjoys. Dutch Apple Bread made from scratch with butter, sugar & fresh apples. Amazing flavor in this apple quick bread recipe topped with a cinnamon streusel & drizzled with warm vanilla glaze.
Cindy says
This was a VERY tasty bread/cake and I will be definitely making it again. Mine took almost 70 minutes to bake to get to the 200F but it was worth the extra few minutes. I did add cinnamon to the glaze for just a little extra cinnamon flavor. I used Granny Smith apples but they did disintegrate quite a bit so I’ll use Honeycrisp the next time. Thank you for a great recipe. I’ll be trying some of your others now that I found your page. ❤️
Nellie says
So glad you enjoyed the bread Cindy!
Jordan says
Little backstory, I work at McDonald’s and when the apples we use for oatmeal goes past the date, we have to throw them. I was able to get almost 40 packs! I made this bread 2 times now and it is WONDERFUL. I brought it to work and everyone loved it! So happy I was able to find this recipe! Thanks😁
Kaylie says
Love that you were able to keep the apples from going to waste and enjoyed the bread! Thank you, Jordan!
Michelle says
I made this and it was really dense and really crunchy on the outside? There was also a massive pool of butter when I removed it from the tin?
I cooked it at the the correct tempt for 60 minutes.
Not sure what went wrong…?
Jessica says
Sounds like something didn’t go quite right. Review the ingredients and make sure you added the correct amounts?
Sophia says
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. My 8 year-old and I made this for the first time today and it is stunning. Delicious and relatively easy to make.
Lori Cuervo says
Very tasty. I made this to take as a hostess gift. It was still warm, so I didn’t have time to add the glaze. It was great without it. I will definitely keep this in my baking rotation. I bet some dried cranberries in there would be the perfect fall treat.
sona kim says
simply the best easy apple bread cake I have ever had!
Thanks for the recipe. I baked this over the weekend and absolutely love it.
Will be making more!
Qbanita says
I just made this for the time and it was delicious! I have some picky eaters, so I grated the apples instead (think zucchini bread), and it came out great! Pops of apple throughout! I skipped the icing, but the streusel topping was delicious. Easy to make and everyone loved it!
Nellie says
Grating the apples is a great idea! So glad you enjoyed the bread.
Lori Ann says
Absolutely delicious! Made it for the first time last night, and will definitely be making it again.
Alison says
This is a repeat recipe at our house all of the time too Lori!
Beth says
I made this bread yesterday and it went together quickly. Baked in my 8” lglass loaf pan for 66 minutes. It wa soooo good. It was almost like eating an apple pie. But easier. Not too sweet. Perfect! Thank you for this recipe
Kaylie says
So glad you loved it, Beth, thank you!
Chloe says
Can you use unpeeled apples? Or will that ruin the texture?
Jessica says
I think peeled apples work so much better in this bread.
Madison M. says
Extremely dry and lacking in apple flavor. Really disappointing. Followed recipe exactly.
Jessica says
REally? Huh. I just made it again this weekend and everyone devoured it. What type of apples did you use?
Jen says
Made this with a bit of altering it was fabulous! Thank you for sharing!
Shydeenha Bruno says
Do you think this Recipe would make good large Muffins? I want to make them into muffins but I don’t know how many it would make?
Nellie says
Muffins sounds like a great idea! Most quick bread recipes convert very easily – a one loaf recipe of bread usually makes about 12 muffins. Just make sure to cut the baking time in about half and keep a close eye on them in the oven!
Marleen Lemke says
Made this Dutch Apple Bread, and it was delicious! Tastes more like coffee cake to me. Everyone loved it. I made 2 loaves, going to make more soon!
Anna says
I made this recipe for a culinary exam I had to do for school, it was my first time making it so I was really nervous but it turned out amazing! It’s so moist and the crumble on the top adds a ton of flavour! I got a 93% on my exam making this so if the red seal chef says it’s good, it really must be good!
Nellie says
Wow, that’s amazing! So glad the recipe was a winner for you!
amber says
so yummy!!
Jessica says
Agreed!
Kate says
According to a friend, this bread is fantastic, so I’m dying to try the recipe. Quick question first – can you use a dairy substitute in the bread and/or icing, such as soy milk?
Nellie says
I’m guessing that would work just fine!
Marge Rambo says
Excellent! I made this today and love it. I can’t wait until morning to have it with my breakfast coffee. Since it is bread and not real sweet I doubled the icing. Perfect! I was going to send a picture but don’t see a place for it here. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Nellie says
Doubling the icing?! I’m pretty sure we would be really good friends 😉
Shirley says
So I made this yesterday for family Friday dinner. It was very good and tasty but for me it seemed a slight bit dry. I followed the directions to a t. Not sure why?
Jessica says
What type of apples did you use? The apples account for some of the moisture, so it’s important to use more of a baking apple like Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith or Honey Crisp.
Andrew says
Made it today…was awesome, came out perfect!
I did omit the nuts, and I dusted the diced apples in a cornstarch and cinnamon mixture. Other than that I followed the recipe accordingly.
Thank you so much!
Alison says
Thanks Andrew! So glad it turned out great for you!
Julie Ann says
Has anyone tried to freeze this? I would like to make several loaves and freeze a few for later.
Jessica says
You can freeze it, but I prefer the taste freshly baked. It can get a bit dry.
jan says
I made mini tins to hand out to everyone I was able to see. I made them ahead and froze them. We also ate one that had been frozen. We thought it was fine and I got rave reviews from everyone that received one!