There’s just something irresistibly cozy about cinnamon-spiced apple treats, and this Apple Fritter Bread Recipe packs all those warm, comforting flavors into a soft, pull-apart loaf that's perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Trust me, once you bake this, you’ll want to make it your go-to apple dessert bread all season long!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Let me share why this Apple Fritter Bread Recipe quickly became a favorite in my kitchen. It’s more than just bread — it’s a soft, spiced, apple-studded delight layered with a sweet glaze that reminds me of fresh apple fritters but in a sliceable form. I love making it when apples are in season because the aroma alone transforms the whole house.
- Incredible flavor: The combination of cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon juice with tender diced apples creates the perfect apple fritter taste.
- Soft, pull-apart texture: The bread is light but packed with chunks of apple filling, making each bite exciting and comforting.
- Easy to share and store: It slices beautifully, holds up well for leftovers, and freezes like a dream.
- Customizable and versatile: From adding nuts to swapping ingredients, you can make it your own without losing the classic apple fritter charm.
Ingredients & Why They Work
This Apple Fritter Bread Recipe balances soft yeast dough with a sweet, spiced apple filling that’s thickened just enough to stay put but still juicy. Knowing a bit about the ingredients helps you pick the best ones and understand why this bread is so tender and flavorful.
- Milk: Adds richness and moisture for a tender crumb, plus warmth helps activate the yeast.
- Salted Butter: Brings buttery flavor and a touch of saltiness to balance sweetness.
- All-purpose flour: The backbone of the dough lending structure while staying tender.
- Active dry yeast: Key for the bread’s rise, giving it that fluffy texture.
- Brown sugar: Adds deep molasses flavor to both dough and filling, complementing the apples.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors and controls yeast activity.
- Apple cider (or water): Adds subtle apple depth or moisture if you prefer to keep it simple.
- Egg: Helps bind and enrich the dough, making it soft and golden.
- Apples: Peeled and diced so they soften properly during cooking, releasing juices full of natural sweetness.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the apple flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla, cinnamon: These comforting spices bring classic apple dessert warmth into the bread.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the filling to prevent it from running all over the dough.
- Powdered sugar glaze ingredients: Smoothed with butter and apple cider for a drippy sweet topping that seals in the flavor.
Make It Your Way
While I adore the classic version of this Apple Fritter Bread Recipe, I like to switch things up depending on the occasion or what I have on hand. That’s the fun of baking—you can tailor it to your taste!
- Variation: Adding chopped walnuts or pecans adds a lovely crunch; I often sprinkle some on top before baking for an extra textural surprise.
- Dietary modifications: You can substitute the butter with coconut oil and choose a plant-based milk for a dairy-free twist that still keeps the loaf moist.
- Seasonal change: Swap in pears for apples in late fall for a different flavor profile that’s just as delicious.
- Difficulty levels: If you’re short on time, prepare the filling the night before to streamline the process.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Apple Fritter Bread Recipe
Step 1: Warm the milk and melt the butter
First, heat your milk just until bubbles form around the edges — I usually watch carefully so it doesn’t boil over. Stir in your butter until it's fully melted, and then let that mixture cool off just a bit. You don’t want to kill the yeast, but it should still be warm enough to wake it up and make your dough rise beautifully.
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients and combine dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, brown sugar, and salt. Then add the egg, apple cider (or water), and your warm milk-butter mix. Stir that up until the dough starts to come together — then it’s time to knead! Either use a stand mixer with a dough hook or your hands for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Step 3: Let the dough rise
Pop your dough ball into an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. It’ll need about 1 hour to double in size—perfect time to get started on your apple filling!
Step 4: Cook the apple filling
In a skillet over medium heat, toss the peeled and diced apples with brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Stir occasionally until the apples soften and the juices thicken into a syrupy, fragrant sauce. Then, take it off the heat and let it cool while your dough gets nice and puffy.
Step 5: Assemble the bread
Prepare two large bread pans with parchment paper slings to make removal easy. Divide your dough in two, roll one portion into a rectangle on a floured surface, and spread half your apple filling evenly over it. Roll it up like a cinnamon roll. Then, cut the roll into chunks with a crosshatch “X” pattern to create bite-sized pieces filled with apples and syrup.
Use a bench scraper to scoop the chunks and syrup into the pans — yes, it gets messy, but this method guarantees every slice gets that perfect amount of apple and sticky sweet syrup. Repeat with the second loaf, cover lightly, and let them rise again for about 30 minutes.
Step 6: Bake and glaze
Bake your loaves at 350°F for 35-45 minutes until they’re golden brown and cooked through. When out of the oven, mix up the glaze—powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and a bit of apple cider or milk—and drizzle it generously over the warm bread. Let it set for a few minutes, then slice and share!
Top Tip
Trust me, after making this Apple Fritter Bread Recipe several times, I’ve learned a few things that make all the difference between good and unforgettable.
- Don’t skip the parchment sling: It makes removing the sticky loaf from the pan so much easier and keeps your bread intact.
- Use a sharp knife or bench scraper: When cutting the rolled dough into chunks, a sharper cut prevents squishing the apples and spilling the syrup everywhere.
- Keep some syrup handy: There’s often leftover syrup on your work surface after assembling the bread—be sure to scoop it in the pan; that’s pure apple magic!
- Watch the glaze consistency: If it’s too thick, add a splash more apple cider or milk; too thin, add a tiny bit more powdered sugar for a perfect drizzle.
How to Serve Apple Fritter Bread Recipe
Garnishes
I love a simple dusting of powdered sugar and an extra drizzle of warm glaze. Sometimes, I sprinkle a few toasted sliced almonds or a pinch of cinnamon on top for a little extra zing and texture. A pat of softened butter on a warm slice is a small indulgence I can’t resist either.
Side Dishes
This bread pairs wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee or chai tea. For a brunch spread, I like serving it alongside scrambled eggs or a simple yogurt parfait with honey and granola for balance.
Creative Ways to Present
For holidays, I’ve arranged the chunks from the sliced loaf on a long wooden board alongside a bowl of apple butter or cream cheese frosting for dipping. It makes for a fun interactive dessert centerpiece at family gatherings!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Wrap your leftover Apple Fritter Bread tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. It stays fresh at room temperature for about 2-3 days, which is great if you plan to nibble it slowly!
Freezing
I usually freeze the bread without glaze by wrapping it well in foil and then placing it inside a freezer bag. It lasts up to 3 months in the freezer without losing that lovely texture. Just thaw at room temperature before reheating.
Reheating
To revive your slices, I recommend warming them in a toaster or warming a whole loaf in a 300°F oven for 10-15 minutes. This brings back the fresh-baked smell and texture like it’s just out of the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Tart apples like Granny Smith work well for a tangy contrast, while sweeter varieties like Fuji or Gala offer a naturally sweeter filling. I sometimes mix apples to get a nice balance of flavor and texture.
Cooking the apple filling until the juices are thickened and syrupy is key. The cornstarch helps with that. Also, rolling and cutting the dough the way described traps the filling inside the dough chunks, so it’s evenly distributed without soaking through the entire loaf.
You could try a quick bread version with baking powder, but the texture and flavor will be different. The yeast dough gives this Apple Fritter Bread Recipe its soft, slightly chewy texture and subtle tang that’s hard to replicate with quick bread methods.
When stored properly at room temperature in a sealed container, the bread stays fresh for 2 to 3 days. If you want to keep it longer, freezing is your best bet — just freeze before adding the glaze and thaw before serving.
Final Thoughts
This Apple Fritter Bread Recipe brings all the best parts of a classic apple fritter into a shareable loaf that’s just as fun to make as it is to eat. I love how it fills the house with a mouthwatering aroma and creates those little moments of joy when the glaze drips onto your plate. I hope you give it a try soon—you might just find yourself baking it again and again like I do!
Print
Apple Fritter Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 20 servings
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Delicious Apple Fritter Bread combines a soft, yeasted dough with a sweet apple filling and a vanilla glaze, perfect for a comforting breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup apple cider or water
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
Apple Filling
- 3-4 apples peeled & diced
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter melted
- 3 teaspoons apple cider or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: Heat the milk in a small saucepan until hot with bubbles around the edges but do not boil. Add the butter and stir until melted, then cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, brown sugar, and salt. Add apple cider or water, beaten egg, and warm milk-butter mixture. Stir until dough forms a ball, then knead for 5 minutes until smooth. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook.
- First Rise: Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Make Apple Filling: While dough rises, combine diced apples, brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples soften and juices thicken slightly into a syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare Pans and Roll Dough: Line two large bread pans with parchment paper slings. Divide dough into two equal portions. On a floured surface, roll one portion into a rectangle. Spread half the apple filling evenly over the dough, including juices. Roll dough from the long edge like a cinnamon roll.
- Cut and Arrange: Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the rolled dough diagonally into 1-inch slices, then crosscut to create an “X” pattern, slicing the dough into chunks. Scoop chunks and apple filling into prepared bread pan, including syrup. Repeat with remaining dough and filling in the other pan. Cover loaves with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake loaves for 45 minutes until browned on top and fully cooked. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.
- Make Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and apple cider or milk until smooth. Drizzle over warm bread and let set before slicing.
Notes
- Apple juice can substitute apple cider, but cider has a stronger flavor.
- Store bread wrapped tightly at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- To freeze, skip glaze, wrap in foil and plastic bag; freeze up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen bread at room temperature; warm in toaster or oven at 300°F for 10-15 minutes.
- For make-ahead, assemble and refrigerate dough overnight; bring to room temperature before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
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