If you only make one apple bread in your lifetime, this is the recipe you need. One taste and you’ll be sold, I promise! Quite a bold statement for apples, right? But this is the kind of soft, dense bread you’ll want to have around for coffee, snack time, and unexpected guests. Sweet enough to fit the dessert category but humble enough for breakfast. The yogurt and eggs leave it fabulously moist, and the thick brown-sugar glaze smothers the bread and knocks it out of the park!
Ingredients
Apple Bread
- ¼ cup (60g) butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (180g) plain yogurt (Greek or regular)
- 0.33 cup (65g) dark brown sugar
- 0.66 cup (130g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
- 1 cup (140g) chopped pecans
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 1 cup (170g) dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60g) butter
- 0.33 cup (80ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
How to Make It
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x5in loaf pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Make The bread
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, yogurt, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until creamed, about 2–3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and beat on medium speed until everything is combined, about 2 full minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer if using a stand mixer. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Slowly stir everything together until no more flour pockets remain. The batter will be thick, but do not overmix it. Fold in the chopped apple and 2∕3 cup of the pecans.
- Spoon into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil halfway through cooking to prevent the top from getting too brown. The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the loaf to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Make The glaze
- Combine the brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring the mixture often. Allow to boil for 1 minute, then turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and whisk in the confectioners’ sugar. Add the remaining 1∕3 cup of pecans. Allow to cool for 3 minutes then spoon over bread while it is still warm. The bread stays fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days and in the refrigerator for up to 7. Serve warm or cold.
