I never let apple season pass by without making this quick apple loaf once or twice. It’s been a favourite for many years. You’ll love the tender loaf with lots of apple and a bit of walnut. To top it all off, the cinnamon and brown sugar crumb is plentiful, crunchy and delicious.
This apple loaf keeps well on the counter for several days, or you can slice and freeze it to enjoy anytime. A slice will thaw on the counter to enjoy in 20-30 minutes. It’s lovely enjoyed alongside a cup of tea or coffee or for a morning treat.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Apples – You can use any apple you like. The sweetness (or tartness) of the apple will probably affect the overall sweetness of the finished loaf. Using Honeycrisp, for example, will make a sweeter loaf, while Granny Smith will make a less sweet loaf.
Walnuts – I love the addition of walnuts to this loaf. You could also use pecans or for a nut-free loaf, simply omit the nuts altogether without any changes to the recipe.
How to make Dutch apple loaf
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the recipe card below when making the recipe.
- Start by preparing the crumb topping. Add the cold butter to the dry crumb ingredients.
- Use your fingertips to rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients until broken down and crumbly. Pop the crumb into the fridge while you make the loaf.
- Start the loaf batter by adding the sugar and room-temperature butter to the bowl. Cream it together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.
- Beat the eggs into the batter one at a time.
- Add the vanilla and milk and beat in.
- Mix in the dry ingredients until well combined.
- Add the chopped walnuts to the batter.
- Add the diced apple to the batter and fold in evenly.
- Add the batter to the loaf pan and sprinkle the crumb topping on top. Bake and enjoy!
Recipe tips!
- I like to keep the apple pieces to a fairly small dice (1/2-inch-ish), as large chunks can make the loaf trickier to slice neatly.
- Be careful not to over-bake the loaf. Test with a skewer in a few places until the skewer comes out clean.
- Store the cooled loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Get the Recipe: Dutch Apple Loaf
Ingredients
For the crumb topping:
- 1/4 cup (50 g) white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (67 g) butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
For the loaf:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon (60 ml) buttermilk, or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (500 ml) apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice *see Note 1
- 1/3-1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped (can omit)
Equipment
- 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
Instructions
- Prepared the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add the cold butter pieces and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you have an even, crumbly mixture. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (non-convection/not-fan-assisted). *Reduce oven temperature to 325F if using a glass loaf pan. Grease a 9-by-5-by-3-inch baking dish. Line the base and sides of the loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing the sides to extend past the edge of the pan to use as handles to lift the loaf out of the pan after baking.
- Prepare the loaf batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the buttermilk and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients. mixing just until fully combined. Stir in the diced apples and chopped walnuts by hand.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish, then scatter the crumb topping evenly over the top.
- Tip! Ovens vary, and even the colour of your loaf pan will affect baking time. Watch closely towards the end of baking and test often to avoid under or over-baking.
- Place the loaf into the preheated oven and bake until domed and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean, about 55 minutes to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the loaf pan on a cooling rack. Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and return the loaf to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
More apple recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
this was delicious! thank you
Thanks so much, Debbie! So glad you enjoyed it :)