Apple fritters are one of my absolute favorite treats. I love that crispy, sugary outside and the soft, apple-filled inside.

This Apple Fritter Bread takes all those amazing flavors and puts them into an easy-to-make loaf.

It’s perfect for a weekend breakfast, a cozy brunch, or even a sweet dessert.

What’s even better? It really captures the essence of those classic doughnut shop flavors without needing to deep fry anything.

Recipe Overview: Apple Fritter Bread

This quick bread is essentially a delicious mashup of apple pie and, well, apple fritters! Imagine a moist, tender loaf cake swirled with cinnamon-sugar and studded with chunks of fresh apple.

It gets a lovely, crunchy topping that mimics the fried texture of a fritter, but it’s all baked in the oven.

This bread is excellent warm, straight from the oven.

But it’s equally yummy at room temperature and even makes fantastic toast the next day (if there are any leftovers, that is!).

Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or simply a cup of coffee or tea.

Detailed Ingredients for the Apple Fritter Bread

Here’s what you’ll need to gather to get started:

All-purpose flour: 2 cups. This provides the structure for our bread.
Granulated sugar: 1 cup, divided. We’ll use most of it in the batter and some for the topping.
Baking powder: 2 teaspoons. This is our leavening agent, which helps the bread rise.
Salt: ½ teaspoon. Salt enhances the other flavors. Don’t skip it!
Ground cinnamon: 2 teaspoons, divided. We’ll use some in the batter and some in the swirl.
Milk: ½ cup. I usually use whole milk, but 2% works fine too.
Eggs: 2 large. These add richness and help bind the ingredients.
Unsalted butter: ½ cup (1 stick), melted and slightly cooled. This provides moisture and flavor.
Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon. Always a good idea in baking!
Apples: 2 medium, peeled, cored, and diced. I like to use Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape well during baking, but feel free to use your favorite baking apples variety.
Brown Sugar, packed: 1/4 Cup. For that amazing cinnamon swirl.

For substitutions, you could use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. If you’re out of milk, a plant-based milk like almond or soy milk should work.

Step-by-Step Instructions: Making the Apple Fritter Bread

Get Ready: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan. I find that using baking spray with flour already in it is the easiest way to ensure the bread doesn’t stick.
Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ¾ cup of the granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon.
Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix – a few lumps are okay. Overmixing can make the bread tough.
Prepare the Apples: In a small bowl, toss the diced apples with the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar.
Cinnamon Swirl: In another small bowl, combine the brown sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Layer the Batter: Pour about one-third of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the batter. Top with half of the sugared apples.
Repeat Layers: Add another one-third of the batter, then the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture, and the remaining apples. Finish with the final one-third of the batter.
Create a Swirl (Optional): If you want a pretty swirl throughout the bread, you can use a knife or a skewer to gently swirl the layers together. Don’t overdo it, or you’ll lose the distinct layers.
Bake: Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.
Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps prevent it from sticking and allows it to set up properly.

Variations & Tips for the Best Apple Fritter Bread

Spice it Up: Feel free to add other spices like nutmeg, allspice, or cardamom to the batter or the cinnamon swirl for a more complex flavor. A pinch of each is a nice touch!
Add Nuts: Chopped pecans or walnuts would be a delicious addition to the topping or mixed into the batter.
Glaze It: While this bread is delicious as is, you can also drizzle it with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and milk or apple cider.
Make-Ahead: You can prepare the batter the night before, cover it, and refrigerate it. Then, just add the apples and bake it in the morning.
Storage: Store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Reheating: To reheat, you can warm individual slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or toast them lightly.
To serve, I love to have this apple fritter bread with a hot cup of coffe. It also compliments any brunch spread.

Key Details

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 50-60 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes – 1 hour 20 minutes.
Servings: 8-10 servings
Equipment you’ll need: 9×5 inch loaf pan, mixing bowls, whisk, rubber spatula.

Apple Fritter Bread

This Apple Fritter Bread takes all those amazing flavors and puts them into an easy-to-make loaf. It's perfect for a weekend breakfast, a cozy brunch, or even a sweet dessert. It really captures the essence of those classic doughnut shop flavors without needing to deep fry anything.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 15

Course Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 2000 kcal

Ingredients

All-purpose flour: 2 cups
Granulated sugar: 1 cup divided
Baking powder: 2 teaspoons
Salt: ½ teaspoon
Ground cinnamon: 2 teaspoons divided
Milk: ½ cup
Eggs: 2 large
Unsalted butter: ½ cup 1 stick, melted and slightly cooled
Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
Apples: 2 medium peeled, cored, and diced
Brown Sugar packed: 1/4 Cup

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ¾ cup of the granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix – a few lumps are okay.
In a small bowl, toss the diced apples with the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar.
In another small bowl, combine the brown sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Pour about one-third of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the batter. Top with half of the sugared apples.
Add another one-third of the batter, then the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture, and the remaining apples. Finish with the final one-third of the batter.
If you want a pretty swirl throughout the bread, you can use a knife or a skewer to gently swirl the layers together.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.