This apple banana bread is full of sweet bananas, diced apples, cinnamon, and a layer of streusel. It’s extra moist, easy to make, and will become your new favorite banana bread recipe!
Apple Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumb Topping
We went apple picking and I needed a cozy way to use up all those apples (and the overripe bananas on my counter). This loaf is the result. It’s like eating a slice of apple pie in banana bread form!
Apples in every bite: Diced apples are tossed in cinnamon, brown sugar, and a little flour, so they stay juicy and don’t sink to the bottom.
That crumb topping: A buttery brown sugar streusel bakes on top. I retested it after reader feedback, and chilling it before baking keeps it from sinking into the bread.
Stays moist for days: A full 1 1/2 cups of mashed banana keeps it soft and tender.
Works for everyone: I’ve tested it with 1:1 gluten-free flour and dairy-free butter, and both worked great.
Readers love it too. Jamie says her neighbors call it “the absolute best,” and Chauntall’s kids loved it.
Love quick bread? Try this brown butter banana bread, almond flour banana bread, or oat flour banana bread next.
Ingredients You Need
You’ll need a few baking staples for this banana and apple bread. Jump to recipe for exact measurements.
- Sugar: we’re using a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bread, filling and topping.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: this gives it the real apple pie flavor.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- All purpose flour: any brand will do. We also tested this with 1:1 gluten free baking flour and it worked well.
- Apples: You need about 1 1/4 cups peeled and diced apple (1 large apple). I like a firm, tart apple like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp because the banana bread is sweet.
- Baking soda and powder: needed to help the bread rise!
- Mashed bananas: Measure them instead of counting bananas, since bananas vary so much in size. You’ll need 1 1/2 cups.
- Eggs: for binding the batter together. use room temperature eggs for best results.
- Vanilla extract: high quality extract or vanilla bean paste are ideal.
Have extra bananas? Try banana baked oatmeal, healthy banana muffins, or gluten-free banana cake next.
How to Make Apple Banana Bread
Here are the step-by-step instructions with photos. Jump to recipe card for the printable instructions.
- Crumb topping: mix the streusel topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork or pastry blender until it’s crumbly. Pop it in the fridge while you make the batter. The colder it is, the less it sinks.
- Apple mixture: peel and dice the apples into small chunks then mix with brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss with flour to help them from sinking to the bottom.
- Dry ingredients: Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
- Wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the mashed banana with the melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix, then gently fold in the apples.
- Top with streusel: Grease a bread pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Pour the batter in the pan and top with streusel.
- Bake: Bake on the lower third rack at 350°F for 65 to 75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let it cool almost completely before slicing.
If you love crumb topping, you’ll love this gluten-free coffee cake too!
How to Ripen Bananas Quickly
- 20 Minute Method: place the bananas (with the peel) on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 250°F. Reduce the time based on how ripe they already are.
- One day method: put the bananas in a paper bag, close and leave it at room temperature and you’ll have ripe bananas the next day. The ethylene the bananas release speeds up the ripening. Add an apple to speed this process up even more.
Quick Tips
- Measure mashed banana: instead of using a certain number of bananas. The weights vary a lot!
- Use parchment paper: leave an overhang of paper for easy removal.
- Toss the apples in flour: this helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the banana bread.
- Use the toothpick test: apples add moisture to the batter so it can make it take longer to bake. Ovens can vary as well, so inserting a toothpick into the center helps determine if it’s done.
- Tent with foil: If the top is browning before the center is done, loosely cover it with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes.
FAQs
Yes! Dice them small (about 1/2 inch), peel them, and toss them in a little flour so they don’t sink. Apples add moisture, so expect a longer bake time and use the toothpick test.
Use a firm apple that holds its shape while baking. I prefer a tart one like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp to balance the sweet bananas. Gala and Fuji work too if you like it sweeter. Softer apples like Red Delicious can turn mushy.
Each banana is different in size, so measuring it after it’s mashed is important to ensure you have enough banana in the recipe. If your bananas are really large, you may only need 3 compared to 3 small-medium bananas. The banana bread should still work if you don’t measure, but I recommend doing it if you have the time.
A lot of regular banana bread recipes call for sour cream or yogurt because of the acid and tender crumb it gives the quick bread. I do love those recipes, but wanted to offer a simple dairy free option (see below) for this recipe, so we opted to create one without it.
Overmixing and underbaking. Stir the flour in just until combined, and don’t pull the loaf early. The apples add moisture, so it needs 65 to 75 minutes. Measuring your mashed banana instead of counting bananas helps too.
Recipe Variations
Gluten-free: replace the all-purpose flour in this recipe with 1:1 gluten free baking flour. We tested this with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour and it worked really well.
Dairy-free: replace the butter in this recipe with a quality vegan butter. We like Myokos cashew based butter. You could also swap it for refined coconut oil, but you won’t get all that rich butter flavor.
Eggless: We haven’t tested this, but one reader swapped the eggs for applesauce and loved it.
Want a lighter loaf? Try my healthy banana bread.
Storing and Freezing Leftovers
Allow the bread to cool completely then wrap individual slices or the whole loaf in plastic wrap or foil. Place wrapped bread in an airtight container or plastic bag.
Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm it in the microwave.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Quick Bread Recipes
- Paleo pumpkin bread
- Healthy pumpkin banana bread
- Cinnamon swirl gluten-free pumpkin bread
- Almond flour banana bread
Or try more of my favorites breads and muffins!
Apple Banana Bread Recipe
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Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Apples Filling
- 1 1/4 cup peeled and diced apples (1 large apple)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
Apple Banana Bread
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups ripe mashed bananas (about 3-4 large bananas)
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Prep: Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan or coat with nonstick spray and line the center with a piece of parchment paper.
- Streusel topping: Add all of the crumb topping ingredients into a small bowl and mix well with a fork until it comes together and creates a crumble of large chunks. Store this in the fridge while you make the bread batter. The colder the topping is, the less it will sink into the banana bread while it bakes.
- Cinnamon apple mixture: Mix the diced apples with cinnamon, brown sugar, and flour and toss to combine.
- Dry ingredients: Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices in a medium bowl.
- Wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the mashed banana with the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
- Combine the batter: Whisk in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Carefully fold in the apple mixture. Pour it into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake: top the batter with the prepared streusel. Bake in the preheated oven for 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick insert in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool almost all the way before serving.
Notes
Video
Equipment
- Parchment paper
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Excellent recipe, my favorite, and everyone who tastes it….so I had to make two today, my neighbors call it the Absolute Best…ty for sharing this “Go To” Recipe.
Love this!! Thank you so much, Jamie!
Came out excellent, but takes a long time and several bowls to prep for oven. Also, the streusal topping makes more than fits in the space on a 9×5 pan once the batter is poured in. I saved the extra strudel and used it on some diced baked apples.
Can you add a cream cheese filling too it?
Hi! That sounds yummy but I haven’t tested that. Here’s what I would try: Mix 8 oz softened cream cheese + 3 tablespoons sugar + 1/2 teaspoon vanilla + 1 tablespoon flour. Pour half the banana bread batter into the pan, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over it, then top with the remaining batter, streusel, and bake as directed. Let me know how it turns out!
Completely agree with the other commenter on 3/4 cup flour being way too much for the topping. I ended up throwing it out and starting over because I couldn’t get it to remotely form into crumbs. I ended up using 1/3 cup which worked much much better. I wish the banana flavor was a little more prominent, it’s apple and cinnamon forward but is tasty.
Thanks Nicole! I retested this recipe and updated the crumb recipe.
It’s delicious and easy to make!
Thanks!
OMG, just made this and it’s amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have already shared the recipe for friends to try. I’m afraid I have eaten so much of it, I don’t want dinner now!
Love that! Makes me so happy!
/3/4 cup flour in the crumb topping I found to be way to much. 1/4 maybe would be better. Was not like typical crumb topping just gobs of flour.
Definitely a personal preference! I’ve been making my crumb topping like this for years and always love it. Thanks!
Can this recipe be made with an egg substitute? If so what would you suggest?
I would think maybe you could try pumpkin purée or nut/seed butter.
I used applesauce!! 1 cup to 2 eggs.
Tasty! My kiddos loved it. I will be making this recipe again. Thanks!
Thank you Molly for sharing this recipe,
I love new creative recipe ideas
I have put this in my top list of favourites to bake next
Look forward to baking this and sharing it with family and friends