This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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!
Half Baked Harvest At Home
20+ new recipes for wholesome comfort food made with everyday ingredients. Pre-order today! HBH At Home will be released on Tuesday, February 23rd!
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.
Obvi, five stars ✨
Thanks again Kris:)
Delicious Tieghan! I’ve already made it three times over!..took one to a party, and the other two just disappeared ?
Hey Kris,
Amazing!! I am so glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I made it this weekend using homemade apple butter from my apple trees. It is amazing and very delicious.
Hi Lynda,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was tasty for you! xT
Soooo good and moist! The end result looks pretty and is a step up from your average quick bread. I would definitely make for guests.
Hi Melissa,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! xT
Just made this tonight. My infinitely picky daughter even loved it! It was incredible and perfect for the start of fall. In a sea of pumpkin spice recipes, this apple bread recipe was a sure standout and one I will be making over and over.
Hi Tara,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed by your family, thanks for giving it a try! xT
This looks so delicious! I want to make this. I have a few questions though:
1. This is probably a silly question, but do the apples need to be peeled, or will keeping the skin on the apples affect the recipe?
2. Does the bread need to be refrigerated (since there is cream cheese in the middle)?
Thanks!
Hey Marlena,
I do not peel my apples, I think the skin adds flavor but you can peel them if you like! This bread is great store in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge:) I hope you love the recipe! xT
Tastes like fall with the apple and cinnamon. It’s so good! Worth the time to make and the house smells so good when you bake it.
Hi Jennifer,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
Could butter be subbed for the coconut oil?
Hey Brittany,
Yes, an equal amount of melted butter will work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Can you make sum for me and I just buy it from you please!!
Lol sorry, you’ll have to try it out yourself:)
This was fantastic!! I made it partly to take to a friend’s house and my husband was kind of grumpy that we were sharing it. Ha! I made a second one with pumpkin butter, pear, and a pumpkin spice/sugar mixture. That was also so delicious. Thank you!
Hi Kellie,
Awesome!! Such a great idea to do a pumpkin version:) Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Could you sub applesauce for the apple butter ?
Hi Crystal,
Sure, I would try to use a thick apple sauce for best results. I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe! One question: Can the bread be frozen after baking?
Hey Meredith,
Thanks so much for making this! Sure, I don’t see why not! Happy Sunday! xT
Oh my goodness, Tieghan! This sounds amazingly yummy!! Any suggestions/directions for baking this in mini loaves???
Thanks so much Michele! I would just reduce your bake time and start checking for doneness at 30 minutes. I hope you love the recipe! xx
Just made this and we could hardly wait for it to come out of the oven. Tastes every bit as good as it smelled when baking! So good!
Hi Martha,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this bread and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
This sounds SO good and I want to make it so bad, but is there a substitution for the coconut oil? I don’t want to ruin the recipe, but my boyfriend is allergic. 🙁
Hi Kelsey,
You could do any other neutral oil or melted butter in place of the coconut oil. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Could you use a flax egg instead ( food allergies)?
Hi Carolyn,
So sorry, I’ve not tested this recipe with a flax egg, but you could certainly give it a try! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Excited to try this recipe today!! Does it need to be refrigerated once cut into and eaten? Or can the bread stay out? Thanks!
Hey Samantha,
You can leave on the counter in an airtight container:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this bread! xT