There's something so comforting about biting into a warm, cinnamon-spiced loaf studded with tender apples and drizzled with sweet glaze. This Apple Fritter Bread Recipe brings all those cozy flavors together in a fun, pull-apart bread you won't want to stop nibbling on.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I have made this Apple Fritter Bread Recipe more times than I can count. It's not just the delicious cinnamon and apple combo — it's how simple ingredients transform into a loaf that feels both bakery-worthy and homey. Every bite gives you that perfect mix of sweet, spice, and soft bread, all wrapped in a gorgeous glaze. You’ll find it hard to keep your hands off!
- Irresistible Flavors: The cinnamon, vanilla, and apple filling taste like classic apple fritters baked into bread form.
- Textural Magic: Soft, fluffy dough meets gooey apple chunks with just the right hint of crisp edges.
- Fun Assembly: Cutting and layering the dough with filling creates a beautiful swirl and bursts of apple throughout.
- Great Make-Ahead Bread: You can prep it in advance and bake it fresh the next day — perfect for busy mornings!
Ingredients & Why They Work
This Apple Fritter Bread Recipe combines pantry staples with fresh apples to create the perfect balance of richness, sweetness, and seasonal spice. Every ingredient plays a role — from the warmth of the cinnamon to the moisture of butter and apple cider that keeps the bread tender.
- Milk: Adds softness and richness to the dough, helping it rise beautifully.
- Salted Butter: Gives that luscious buttery flavor that enriches both dough and filling.
- All-purpose Flour: The base of your bread, providing the structure you need.
- Active Dry Yeast: The magic that makes your dough rise and become fluffy.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a subtle molasses flavor to both dough and filling.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances overall flavor.
- Apple Cider or Water: Apple cider gives a deeper apple flavor, but water works in a pinch.
- Large Egg: Binds ingredients and adds richness.
- Apples (peeled & diced): The star of the filling — I recommend tart apples like Granny Smith for the best contrast.
- Lemon Juice: Brightens the apple filling and prevents browning.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and depth to your apple filling and glaze.
- Cinnamon: The signature spice that makes this bread smell like fall.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the apple filling so it doesn't get too runny inside the bread.
- Powdered Sugar: For that silky smooth glaze adorning the finished loaf.
Make It Your Way
I love how versatile this Apple Fritter Bread Recipe is! Sometimes I add chopped pecans or walnuts to the filling for a little crunch. Other times, I mix in a pinch of nutmeg or ginger with the cinnamon for extra warmth. Feel free to tweak it — the dough handles additions like dried cranberries or raisins beautifully too.
- Variation: Adding chopped toasted pecans brings a lovely nutty contrast to the soft apples, which my whole family raves about.
- Make it Gluten-Free: I’ve successfully swapped in a gluten-free flour blend — just make sure it contains xanthan gum for structure.
- Lower Sugar: To reduce sweetness, I cut brown sugar in the filling by half and use a lighter glaze drizzle — still delicious!
- Seasonal Twist: Swap apples for pears in autumn, or try adding a handful of fresh cranberries for a festive touch.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Apple Fritter Bread Recipe
Step 1: Warming up the Milk & Butter
Start by gently heating your milk until you see bubbles just around the edges—no boiling needed! Stir in the butter until melted, then let this mixture cool slightly. You want it warm to the touch but not hot, or it can kill the yeast, so be careful here. This warm milk-butter combo gives the dough a tender crumb and richness that's key to making this bread irresistible.
Step 2: Mixing and Kneading the Dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, brown sugar, and salt to distribute everything evenly. Add the apple cider (or water), beaten egg, and your warm milk-butter mixture. Stir it until the dough comes together, then knead it—by hand or using a dough hook on low speed—for about five minutes until smooth. When it’s soft, elastic, and a little tacky, you’re ready to let it rise.
Step 3: Preparing the Apple Filling
While the dough takes its nap, toss the diced apples with brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a skillet. Cook over medium heat until the apples soften and the juices thicken just a bit. The filling should be saucy but not soupy—this helps keep every bite moist without making the bread soggy. Let it cool while your dough finishes rising.
Step 4: Assembling the Bread
This is the fun part! Divide your dough in half, then roll one portion into a rectangle on a clean, lightly floured surface. Spread half the apple filling over the dough, juices and all. Roll it up like a cinnamon roll, then carefully slice it diagonally in a cross pattern, creating chunky little pieces.
Use a bench scraper or spatula to scoop these chunks with their syrup into a parchment-lined bread pan. Don’t stress over mess here — this method helps you get perfect apple distribution throughout the bread. Repeat with the second half. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Baking & Glazing
Bake your loaves at 350°F for 35-45 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove immediately from the pans to cool on wire racks. While still warm, whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and apple cider to make the glaze and drizzle it over. Watch how the glaze sets, making the outside irresistibly shiny and sweet.
Top Tip
After making this Apple Fritter Bread Recipe several times, I’ve learned that patience with rising times and a good rolling technique really make all the difference. Here are some things I swear by:
- Perfect Temperature: Make sure your milk and butter mixture is warm but not hot to keep yeast happy and active.
- Don’t Overfill: Spread the apple filling evenly but leave a small border — overfilling makes rolling tricky and can cause leaks.
- Use a Bench Scraper: Scooping chunks into the pan is easier with a bench scraper; it helps get every bit of apple and syrup into the loaf.
- Glaze While Warm: Drizzle glaze right after baking while the bread is warm so it melts in slightly and sets with a gorgeous shine.
How to Serve Apple Fritter Bread Recipe
Garnishes
I usually keep it simple with a drizzle of glaze, but a light dusting of powdered sugar adds an extra sweet touch. Sometimes, I sprinkle a few chopped toasted pecans on top to introduce a bit of crunch and nutty aroma — it’s a little flourish that feels fancy but takes seconds.
Side Dishes
This bread shines alongside a cup of strong coffee or chai tea. If serving for breakfast, pair it with creamy scrambled eggs or a yogurt parfait to balance the sweetness.
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday brunches, I’ve shaped the dough into a wreath instead of loaves and decorated it with cranberries and rosemary sprigs for a festive touch. It’s not only stunning but creates a conversation starter at the table!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. It stays wonderfully fresh at room temperature for about 2-3 days. I like keeping it out on the counter for easy snacking all weekend.
Freezing
Because this bread is so good, I always freeze extras without the glaze. Wrap the loaf tightly in foil, then into a plastic bag. It freezes well for up to 3 months. When you’re ready, thaw it on the counter before glazing and warming.
Reheating
To revive the flavors and warmth, I toast slices lightly or heat a whole loaf in the oven at 300°F for 10-15 minutes. That fresh-baked feeling is unbeatable.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! This bread dough is very forgiving. You can mix by hand with a sturdy spoon and then knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
I recommend tart apples like Granny Smith because their bright flavor balances the sweetness and they hold their shape well when cooked. You can mix varieties for more texture variation if you like.
Yes, apple juice can be substituted if you don’t have cider, but cider has a more concentrated flavor that really heightens the apple notes in the bread. If you use juice, the flavor will be a bit milder but still tasty.
Cooking the apple filling until it thickens slightly with cornstarch helps keep excess moisture under control. Also, the technique of slicing the rolled dough and pressing the chunks together with any syrup evenly distributes moisture without soaking the bread too much.
Final Thoughts
This Apple Fritter Bread Recipe holds a special place in my kitchen because it turns humble ingredients into a showstopper. It’s the perfect bread for mornings when you want something cozy but a little special. I’m confident you’ll find this recipe just as rewarding to make and delicious to share. Trust me, once you try it, it’ll become a fresh favorite in your home too.
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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
This Apple Fritter Bread is a delightful sweet breakfast treat that combines soft, yeasted bread with a flavorful apple filling packed with cinnamon and vanilla. The bread is baked to golden perfection, then topped with a luscious apple cider glaze, making every slice a perfect balance of tender dough and spiced, syrupy apples.
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 the dough: Heat the milk in a small saucepan until hot and bubbles appear around the edges but do not boil. Add the butter to the hot milk and stir until melted. Let it cool slightly.
- Mix the dough ingredients: In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, brown sugar, and salt. Add apple cider or water, beaten egg, and the warm milk/butter mixture. Stir until a dough ball forms.
- Knead the dough: Knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth. This can be done by hand or using a stand mixer with a dough hook.
- First rise: Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Prepare apple filling: While dough rises, combine diced apples, brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples soften and juices thicken slightly.
- Cool apple filling: Remove from heat and allow to cool while dough rises.
- Prepare pans: Line two large bread pans with parchment paper slings.
- Shape and fill dough: Divide dough into two portions. Roll out one portion into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Evenly spread half the apple filling including syrup over the dough.
- Roll and cut: Roll the dough from the long edge, cinnamon-roll style. Cut the roll diagonally in 1-inch slices, then cut the slices again at an opposite angle creating an "X" pattern to form chunks.
- Fill pans: Scoop chunks and apple filling into prepared pans using a bench scraper, including any syrup. Repeat with second half of dough and filling. Cover pans lightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake loaves for 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove loaves from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.
- Prepare glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and apple cider or milk until smooth.
- Glaze and serve: Drizzle glaze over warm loaves and allow to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Substitute apple juice for apple cider for a milder flavor, but apple cider yields a richer taste.
- Store bread wrapped tightly in plastic or in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature.
- Freeze unglazed bread tightly wrapped in foil and placed in a plastic bag for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen bread at room temperature and warm slices in a toaster or entire loaf in an oven at 300°F for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- For make-ahead convenience, assemble the loaves and let rise overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
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