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Cinnamon Sugar Swirled Apple Butter Bread. Better than you could get at any coffee shop, this yummy bread is a real fall treat! Soft apple butter quick bread recipe made with apple butter, sweetened with honey, swirled with cream cheese, and topped with Honeycrisp apples plus sweet cinnamon sugar. Best enjoyed warm, right out of the oven, with a generous smear of salted honey butter. The perfect way to celebrate the autumn apple season!
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It’s finally apple season! Look, I love summer produce, but there’s something so special about autumn apples. They’re crisp, sweet, and refreshing. Nothing really can beat a tree-picked apple. They’re one of my favorite fall treats!
Since it is September, I always try my best to really embrace apple season. So many people start breaking out the pumpkin recipes, but it’s just not time – yet.
The inspiration for this recipe is really pretty simple. There are a lot of fall treats out there with apples, especially in bakeries and coffee shops. One of my favorites is an apple cider doughnut, which I highly recommend picking up while picking fresh apples!
I took the flavors I love so much from the apple cider doughnuts and applied them to this apple bread recipe. I also took some ideas from my pumpkin butter bread that I make every season. Then I combined a few recipes and developed this sweet, soft, and apple-filled bread. I love it!
My first taste testers were my cousin Matt and his wife, Caroline. I sent this bread out with my parents when they went to SoCal last week to give to them. Caroline is in the hospital with a pregnancy complication. But all is expected to go well and they will be meeting their little baby girl (Freya) on Wednesday! Matt and Caroline both raved about this bread to my parents (although anything in comparison to hospital food is good). They couldn’t believe how moist and delicious it was.
Here are the quick details
Of course, I wanted this bread to be a little more special than all the others out there. So I used spiced apple butter, and not just apples, to really make this yummy! Apple butter is more reduced down than apple sauce, it contains less moisture, and is usually spiced.
You can use my homemade apple butter, or pick some up at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and most grocery stores. Of course, I am partial to mine. Just make sure your apple butter is spiced for best flavor.
This is all made in one bowl. You’ll mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and that’s it. I used honey as the sweetener. But mostly because I LOVE the warming flavor it adds to baked goods this time of year. The coconut oil keeps the bread doughy. And a touch of cinnamon sugar really adds the spice.
The next step is to spoon some of the batter into your loaf pan. Then swirl in the cream cheese, add chopped apples, and then the cinnamon sugar. If you don’t love cream cheese, you can omit it, but I think it works well with the fall flavors.
For the apples, Honeycrisps are my go-to. I love them!
As the bread bakes, oh my gosh, your kitchen will smell incredible. It’s going to put you in that cozy fall mood.
While the bread is baking, make the honey butter, and that’s it, done. Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack.
This is a very easy fall baking project, so it really should be on your must-make list! Enjoy a slice or two with honey butter. Such a wonderful treat to enjoy! Oslo and Asher both loved every bite of this bread, apples and all! Plus it’s a little healthier than what you’d pick up from the bakery, so we love that!
Looking for other sweet apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Spiced Pecan Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
Mulled Spiced Apple Cider Doughnuts
Double the Streusel Apple Butter Bars
Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter
Lastly, if you make this Cinnamon Sugar Swirled Apple Butter Bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cinnamon Sugar Swirled Apple Butter Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup apple butter
- 1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Honeycrisp apples, chopped , (about 3/4 cup)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
Honey Butter
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a (9×5 inch) bread pan.2. In a bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. 3. In a large bowl, stir together the coconut oil, apple butter, honey, yogurt/sour cream, egg, vanilla, and milk, until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until just combined. 4. Spoon half the batter into the prepared bread pan. Dollop teaspoon size amounts of the cream cheese over the batter. Gently swirl the cream cheese using a sharp paring knife. Arrange the apples in an even layer over the cream cheese. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar, then evenly spoon the remaining batter over the apples. It's OK if the batter doesn't fully cover the apples. Sprinkle over the remaining cinnamon sugar.5. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the center is just set. I usually cover my bread halfway through baking to prevent burning. 6. Meanwhile, make the honey butter. In a bowl, combine the butter, honey, and a pinch of salt.7. Remove the bread and let cool, or enjoy warm with extra honey butter.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Is there something I can replace the apple butter with? Thank you! Can’t wait to try this
Hey Chandelle,
You could try using a thick apple sauce, that might work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Stunner of a recipe! Absolutely delish:)
Hey Samantha,
Happy Saturday! Thanks so much for making this bread, I am so glad it was enjoyed:) xx
First off my house smells AMAZING!!! And this bread tastes pretty damn good too!!! Super easy to mix up on a crisp (almost) fall day! Love all HBH recipes and this is no different!
Hi Taylor,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xx
Recipe is confusing, add yogurt in step 2 and 4? What about the second half of sugar cinnamon, I put it on top.
Hi Mary,
The yogurt is added in step 3:) You are going to use the second half of cinnamon sugar at the end of step 4. I hope this helps! xx
You do an amazing job promoting your recipes. I am assuming the other half of the cinnamon/sugar mixture goes on top prior to baking? This bread looks wonderful!
Hi Debbie,
Yes, that is correct:) I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you give it a try! Have a great weekend! xT
What can you cover the bread with to prevent burning ?
I’m a little concerned about how the uncooked apples are going to do in this recipe. They will release water while cooking and I’m not sure they will be soft.
Wow Ami Finn! This looks fabulous! What about fat free cream cheese and fat free sour cream? Does that work too? Thanks for posting this recipe!
Hi there,
I’ve not had any issues and have tested this recipe several times and wouldn’t have shared if there were going to be issues with it:) Let me know if you try the recipe! xT
I used foil!
Hi Alexa,
You really shouldn’t have any issues with burning, but you could always cover with foil if you feel that is needed! Have a great weekend! xx
What would be an appropriate substitute for the honey?
Hi Katie,
Maple syrup would work well for you in place of the honey. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Have a great weekend! xx
can butter be substituted for the coconut oil? if so, would you recommend melting 1/2 cup (same measurements?)
Hi Marie,
Yes, that should work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
What to do with the sour cream? I’m trying to decide whether to risk it…
Hi Elizabeth,
The sour cream is added in step 3:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Wow this sounds great. Can I assume you can use yogurt, sour cream or cream cheese? And then sprinkle the last half of the cinnamon sugar on top? Thank you, I love your recipes.
Hi Cindy,
You can use yogurt or sour cream, but for the cream cheese you are going to want to use cream cheese:) Yes, the second half is sprinkled on top! I hope you love this recipe! Happy Friday!
Tiegan can I use regular whole wheat flour vs. whole wheat pastry flour? Will it make a noticeable difference?
Hi Lise,
You can certainly use it, but the pastry flour is going to make this cake much lighter in texture. Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
Regular yogurt? or greek?
Hey Danelle,
Either one will work here:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Could you skip the cream cheese part but still add the apples?
Hi Pamela,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope you love this bread, please let me know if you give it a try! Happy Friday:)
The recipe doesn’t say when to add the yogurt.
It says to add the yogurt/sour cream in step 3.
Yes, it looks like they fixed the recipie because my print out from early this morning doesn’t include the yogurt.
Hey Mary,
You are going to add the yogurt/sour cream in step 3:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xxT
The recipe doesn’t say what to do with the other half of the cinnamon sugar.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you.
“Arrange the apples in an even layer over the cream cheese. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar, then evenly spoon the “
Hi Cheryl,
You are going to use half in the middle in step 4 and then half on the top at the end:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan