Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Bread | Moist & Easy Dessert Loaf
Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Bread
Soft. Moist. Cinnamon-swirled. Loaded with juicy apples. This cozy sourdough dessert bread tastes like apple pie decided to become a loaf of bread.
Think Banana Bread... But Make It Apple Cinnamon
This isn't your everyday sourdough loaf. It's a soft, tender dessert bread packed with fresh apples, warm cinnamon and brown sugar, with a beautiful cinnamon-sugar swirl running right through the middle. And the best part? It's a delicious way to use sourdough discard.
This Is Sourdough's Sweeter Side
Forget everything you know about shaping boules and chasing oven spring. This is a quick-bread-style sourdough dessert loaf. No kneading. No complicated dough development. No special equipment.
Sourdough discard joins melted butter, eggs, brown sugar and cinnamon before fresh apples are folded into the batter. Then comes the part that makes every slice special: the cinnamon-sugar swirl.
- Sourdough discard
- Fresh apples
- Melted butter
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar
- Warm ground cinnamon
- Vanilla and eggs
- Bread flour
A Little Peek at the Apple Cinnamon Magic
We're giving you the highlights here. The complete recipe includes exact measurements, mixing instructions, apple recommendations, cinnamon-swirl instructions and complete baking directions.
🍎 Choose Your Apples
A combination of sweet and tart apples gives the loaf more depth. Honeycrisp and Granny Smith make a particularly good pairing, but several other varieties work beautifully too.
🥣 Mix It Gently
The wet ingredients come together first, followed by the dry ingredients. Once the flour disappears, stop mixing. This isn't a bread dough, and overmixing can take away that soft, tender texture.
🍎 Fold In the Apples
Small, bite-sized apple pieces are folded into the batter so they distribute throughout the loaf and give you an apple-filled bite from beginning to end.
🍂 Build the Cinnamon Swirl
The batter is layered with cinnamon sugar before a few gentle swirls create those beautiful ribbons. Don't overdo it—you want distinct cinnamon pockets rather than one blended mixture.
🍎 The Trick to a Better Apple Bread
Don't cut the apples too large. Smaller pieces distribute more evenly, bake more consistently and make sure nearly every bite gets some of that juicy apple and warm cinnamon flavor.
Breakfast? Dessert? We'll Let You Decide.
Warm from the oven, this loaf is pure comfort. Serve it alongside coffee for breakfast, enjoy a slice in the afternoon, or turn it into dessert with a simple vanilla glaze or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Warm with butter
- Freshly brewed coffee
- Afternoon tea
- Drizzled with vanilla glaze
- Served with vanilla ice cream
- Perfect for weekend brunch
Three Little Things That Make a Big Difference
This is an easy recipe, but a few small details can take your loaf from good to ridiculously good.
1. Let the Butter Cool
Melted butter should cool slightly before it meets the eggs. You want everything combined smoothly—not scrambled.
2. Don't Overmix
Once the dry ingredients disappear, put the spoon down. Gentle mixing is one of the secrets to keeping this dessert bread soft.
3. Don't Rush the Cooling
The loaf continues to set as it cools. If you can resist slicing immediately, the finished texture will be even better.
🍦 Make It Dessert
Once cooled, add a simple vanilla glaze—or serve a warm slice with vanilla ice cream for the full dessert experience.
⚠️ Squirrelly Girl Baker's Warning
You will tell yourself, "It's basically fruit." Then you'll eat another slice. And another. Technically... you're getting your apples in. 🍎
Ready to Bake Something Seriously Cozy?
We've saved the full recipe for you — including exact measurements, apple recommendations, mixing instructions, cinnamon-sugar swirl technique, baking time and the optional vanilla glaze.
🍎 Get the Full Apple Cinnamon RecipeGreat Sourdough Starts With Great Starter
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