This Easy Apple Bread Recipe is sweet, spiced, and deliciously moist. Topped with a maple cream cheese frosting, it’s perfect to serve as a snack or dessert and is so easy to make!

brown butter apple bread sliced and topped cream cheese frosting

Perfectly Sweet and Spiced Apple Bread

with the best maple cream cheese frosting!

I know everyone is all about pumpkin in the fall, and don’t get me wrong I love a good pumpkin recipe. This pumpkin chocolate chip bread and pumpkin oatmeal bars are two of my favorite pumpkin recipes but I also think it’s about time that apples get the respect they deserve!

When they’re in season, apples are crisp, sweet, and so juicy. They’re great to bake with and, when paired with warm spices, they add delicious, cozy flavor to everything from oatmeal to this easy apple bread. Made in one bowl, the bread bakes in minutes and is virtually fail-proof. Of course, it’s great on its own, but my maple cream cheese frosting takes it over the top and makes it taste like a treat from a fancy bakery.

— Ashlea

Ingredients You’ll Need

This bread starts with a basic batter that is elevated with a handful of spices and mix-ins for lots of flavor. Here are a couple of quick notes about the ingredients:

Butter: this adds moisture and richness to the batter. I always recommend unsalted butter for baking!
Unsweetened Applesauce: this enhances the apple flavor and makes the bread super moist.
Dark Brown Sugar: adds just the right touch of sweetness and a subtle molasses taste.
Eggs: you’ll need a couple of large eggs to help bind everything together. I haven’t tested this recipe with egg substitutes, and I can’t guarantee your results if you do!
Vanilla Extract: a must-have in any baked good!
Flour: we’re using all-purpose flour for the base of the bread. Substitute a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour if you need your bread to be gluten-free.
Baking Soda: make sure it’s fresh, or your bread won’t rise!
Spices: salt enhances all the ingredients. Then, we’re using ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom to add warmth and depth to the bread.
Apples: you’ll need one cup of grated apples. You can either peel the skin or leave it on. It’s up to you!
Walnuts: I like to add chopped walnuts for a little crunch, but you can omit them if you want.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting: combine brick-style cream cheese, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt for a sweet, slighty tangy, maple-infused frosting.

The Best Apples for Apple Bread

My go-to apples for this recipe are Granny Smith or Pink Lady. Granny Smith apples are tart and firm, which means they hold up well in the oven, and the tart flavor balances the sweetness of the bread. On the other hand, Pink Lady apples have a slightly sweeter taste while maintaining a firm texture. You could also use Honeycrisp or Fuji!

apple bread batter in mixing bowl with spoon

How to Make This Easy Apple Bread Recipe in 4 Steps!

Combine the ingredients: Make brown butter, and let it cool. Then, combine the wet ingredients in a large bowl, and stir in the dry ingredients before folding in the grated apple and chopped walnuts.
Bake: Transfer the batter to a prepared loaf pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread on a wire rack.
Prepare the frosting: While the bread is cooling, beat the frosting ingredients in a bowl until fluffy.
Serve: Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of the cooled apple bread. Then, slice, serve, and enjoy!

cream cheese frosting spread over apple bread with cinnamon

Ashlea’s Recipe Tips & Tricks

Make a parchment paper sling. Cut a thick strip of parchment paper, and place it in the bottom of a well-greased loaf pan before pouring in the batter. Once the bread has cooked, you can lift the bread out by using the “handles” of parchment paper.
Use a non-stick loaf pan. If you are really concerned, you can also look for a pan that is non-stick, which will make it fairly easy to remove the bread.
Grease the pan with a neutral oil. Be sure to grease your pan well with either butter or a neutral oil (I love avocado oil) to ensure that nothing sticks.
Avoid overmixing. Stir the batter just until no streaks remain. Continuing to mix can overwork the gluten in the batter, which will cause your apple bread to be dense and dry.
Cool the bread. I know it’s difficult to wait, but trust me! If you slice into the bread while it’s warm, it’s likely to crumble and fall apart. Also, if you add frosting to hot bread, it will melt and slide right off.

How to Store

You can store your bread on the counter, tightly wrapped, for 3-4 days. If you need it to keep for a bit longer, I recommend storing the bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

If you want to freeze your apple bread, here are a few of my favorite tips to keep it fresh.

Slice the bread before freezing unless you know you are going to serve and eat the entire loaf at one time.
To freeze the loaf, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and place the wrapped bread in a freezer-safe storage bag. When you are ready to eat, remove a slice of bread, or the entire loaf, from the freezer and let it thaw on the countertop.
If you would like, you can reheat a slice of bread in the oven at 350 degrees, wrapped in foil, for a few minutes until warmed through.

More Delicious Apple Recipes

Looking for more? Find 14 apple recipes to make this fall!

I hope you give this Apple Bread Recipe a try! It’s soft, moist, and perfectly spiced! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.

Easy Apple Bread with Maple Cheese Frosting

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour (240 grams)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 cup grated granny smith or pink lady apple
1 cup chopped walnuts

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan with oil spray. To make it even easier to remove the bread, cut a strip of parchment paper and place it in the loaf pan like a sling.
Brown the Butter: Add the diced butter to a small skillet or pot. Heat the skillet to medium heat. The butter will start to melt as the skillet heats up.
Allow the butter to bubble and “cook” until it begins to change from a bright yellow color to a golden brown color. Continually stir the butter as you see the foam start to dissipate and brown bits begin to form in the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir the butter until it is a golden brown color and has a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool.
To a large mixing bowl add brown butter, unsweetened applesauce, dark brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined.
Next, add the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt to the bowl. Stir until well combined.
Fold the grated apple and chopped walnuts into the batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared 9×5 loaf pan.
Bake the bread at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the bread from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Make the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting: While the bread is cooling make the maple cream cheese frosting. Add the cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl. Next, add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat the frosting on low speed for around 30 seconds to incorporate and then increase to high speed and continue to beat on high for around 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
Once the bread is completely cool, spread the cream cheese frosting on top of the bread. Slice the bread and serve!