Apples and cinnamon add a cozy fall twist to this Apple Banana Bread. This easy quick bread recipe is a delicious way to welcome the fall season!
Many recipes require several rounds of testing with little tweaks made each time to get them just right, but not this one. It was one and done!
The first time I baked this cozy Apple Banana Bread it was consumed by my family so quickly I knew I had something special on my hands.
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Bananas – Bananas that are a bit too ripe to enjoy on their own are perfect for baking banana bread.
- Apples – My favorite variety of apples for baking are in the crisp-sweet category like, Gala, Envy, or Honeycrisp.
- Dry ingredients – All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Wet ingredients – Butter, eggs, and vanilla.
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
How to Make Apple Banana Bread
This is a quick overview of how to make this recipe. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- In a large skillet over low heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter with the brown sugar.
- Add the apples and increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the apples are tender then add a little cinnamon a vanilla. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
Combine the Dry Ingredients
- Add the all-purpose flour to a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Combine the Wet Ingredients
- Beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until smooth.
- Add the mashed bananas and the remaining vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
Finish the Batter and Bake
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once and beat on low speed until smooth. Fold in the apple mixture with a wooden spoon.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.
Pro Tip
If the loaf is beginning to brown too much, cover it loosely with foil towards the end of the baking time.
FAQ and Valerie’s Tips
There is no need to store freshly baked banana bread in the refrigerator. Instead, place it on a plate and cover it with plastic wrap and leave it on the kitchen counter. Alternately, you can transfer it to an airtight container.
If covered and stored on the counter it will stay fresh for up to 4 days. If you keep it longer, it may begin to dry out a bit but toasting it can help the texture. If at any point you see mold, it should be tossed.
You can freeze a whole loaf or slices by wrapping the bread securely in a double layer of foil. Transfer the foil-wrapped package to a freezer-safe plastic storage bag and store it in the freezer. The bread should be thawed and consumed within a few months for the best quality.
Remove the foil-wrapped bread from the plastic bag to avoid any condensation from collecting and potentially making the bread soggy. Allow the foil-wrapped bread to thaw completely on your kitchen counter. You can speed up the process by microwaving individual slices for a few seconds or popping them in the toaster.
Serving Suggestions
This bread is spectacularly delicious warm from the oven and slathered with butter. Try toasting slices the next day for the same delicious effect.
More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
- Strawberry Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Carrot Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Walnut Frosting
- Check out my entire collection of Muffin and Quick Bread Recipes!
Apple Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons butter, softened, divided (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 large crisp-sweet apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (like Honeycrisp, Envy, or Gala) (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and all of the brown sugar to a large skillet and place over MEDIUM-LOW heat. Cook, stirring, until the butter has melted. Add the apples and increase the heat to MEDIUM. Cook, stirring, until the apples are tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of the vanilla. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg and the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Add the remaining ½ cup butter and the granulated sugar to a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until smooth. Add the mashed bananas and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat on low speed until smooth. Fold in the apple mixture with a wooden spoon.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil towards the end of the baking time if the loaf becomes too browned. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Wonderful moist bread
This Apple Banana Bread was so good 😋😋 Not to sweet – bonus. Thank you
This recipe was so good and not very sweet that I end up making more and recommending to my friends to try it too. Thank you for sharing.
Wow! My family had the same reaction. The bread didn’t even last 2 hours out of the oven and it was gone and it was a great way to use my kid’s half eaten apples. I’ll be checking out more recipes and making this again!! Thank you! So good!!
Yay! I’m happy everyone loved it! Thanks, Danielle 🙂
This bread was delicious, Thanks for sharing! As with a lot of different foods, it was even more flavorful and moist the days after. 🙂
The recipe sounds quite easy with ingredients in the kitchen – definitely a recipe I will try sometime soon. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you love it!