Apple Banana Bread

5 from 6 votes

This delicious apple banana bread is made with a swirl of diced apples and cinnamon in the center. It's a great recipe to bake with the kids on the weekend or share with a neighbor. I love to serve it warm with butter or a scoop of apple butter on a cozy morning with a cup of coffee.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 20

Course: Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple, banana, cinnamon

Servings: loaf (10 slices)

Author: Molly Thompson

Equipment

Libbey Baker's Premium 9x5 Glass Loaf Pan
Mixing bowls

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
3/4 cups all purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free flour

Apples Filling

1 1/4 cup peeled and diced apples (1 large apple)
1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Apple Banana Bread

2 cups of all purpose flour or 1:1 gluten-free 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 of very 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
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a Libbey glass 9×5-inch loaf pan or coat with nonstick spray and line the center with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside
Add all of the crumb topping ingredients into a small bowl (in no particular order) 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 (the goal!).
If you haven't already, peel the apple and cut it into small chunks and place it in a separate bowl. Add the the cinnamon and brown sugar and toss to coat the apples in the cinnamon and sugar.
Combine flour, leavens, and spices in a medium bowl and whisk quickly to combine.
Measure and mash the ripe bananas (if you haven't already) and place them in a large bowl. Pour in the butter, sugar and brown sugar and whisk until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until no yellow streaks remain. This is how you know the eggs are fully incorporated. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
Pour half of the batter in the prepared baking pan then place the apples in an even layer on top. Carefully pour the remaining batter on top and spread it out gently to cover the apple layer. Use a butter knife to swirl the batter around so you can see some of the cinnamon as you go.
Top the batter with the cold streusel and bake in the preheated oven for 65-75 minutes. Begin checking the for doneness around 50-60 minutes and tent it with foil if it’s getting brown. We like to use the toothpick test to tell when it's done. Remove it from the oven and cool slightly until it's cool enough to handle then finish cooling on a wire rack.

Video

Notes

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.

To freeze: 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 and date the bag so you remember when you made it. Store it in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm it in the microwave.

Nutrition