Apple banana bread is a soft and wonderfully moist cinnamon spiced banana bread filled with sweet and tart apples, topped with a crunchy sugar topping. This easy to make banana apple bread is a delicious twist on the classic banana bread that’s perfect for fall.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
There is something so cozy and inviting about banana bread. It’s straight forward and easy to make. I especially love my Brown Butter Banana Bread, Cake Mix Banana Bread, Banana Zucchini Bread and Nutella Banana Bread recipes. This banana apple bread is no exception. If you’re a fan of wonderfully moist banana bread with a fall twist, this recipe is for you.
- Layers of flavors and textures: This recipe for apple cinnamon banana bread has a perfectly moist and soft textures filled with tart chunks of apples.
- Easy to make, bake and eat: This moist banana bread with apples is just as simple to make as classic banana bread, but is such a fun and delicious twist that’s perfect for fall baking.
Ingredients
This banana and apple bread requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge.
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon. and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, mashed bananas, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract and apples.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make this east banana apple loaf if you need them.
- All purpose flour: To make this brown butter banana cake loaf gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure the amount of flour based on weight (240 g) instead of cup for cup.
- Baking Soda: This recipe hasn’t been tested with baking powder.
- Mashed Banana: Make sure the bananas are fully ripened with some brown spots.
- Unsalted Butter: Feel free to use your preferred unsalted butter. Miyokos Plant Butter is a good choice for a plant based butter.
- Granulated and Light Brown Sugar: This recipe hasn’t been tested with alternative sugars. However, maple sugar would be a good substitute to make this banana and apple bread refined sugar free.
- Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs. To make this banana bread vegan, use 2 flax eggs or egg replacer in place of the 2 eggs in the recipe.
- Sour Cream: A full fat greek yogurt or full fat buttermilk works well in place of the sour cream.
- Vanilla Extract: This provides a lovely background flavor for the caramelized banana and tart apples.
- Apples: Use tart or sweet baking apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Fuji, and Pink Lady apples.
Variations
- Apple Banana Bundt: Follow the recipe as written. Pour the batter into a well greased, non stick 10 - 12 cup capacity bundt pan. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Banana and Apple Bread with Streusel: Mix ½ cup (60g) all purpose flour with ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ½ cup (75 g) chopped raw or toasted walnuts (optional) until well combined. Using two forks, pastry cutter or your hands, work in 4 tablespoons (57 g) cold, cubed butter until a sand like consistency forms. There should be some larger pieces of streusel mixed in.
- Maple or Vanilla Glaze: Mix 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar with 2 - 4 tablespoons maple syrup or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 - 3 tablespoons milk until well combined. Pour over the cooled banana and apple bread.
How To Make
Learn how to make apple banana bread takes a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (170 C). Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on two sides. In a small bowl mash about 2- 3 medium bananas to measure 1 cup mashed banana. Peel, core and dice the apples. Toss the peeled, cored and diced apples with 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside for a moment. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together until well combined.
- In another large mixing bowl, melt the butter and cool for 5 - 10 minutes to room temperature. Whisk the light brown and granulated sugars, mashed banana, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract into the cooled melted butter until smooth and well combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Stir in the diced apples. If you would like, stir in ½ cup chopped pecan or walnuts.
3. Evenly pour the banana apple bread batter into the prepared pan. Top with a sprinkle of sugar if you like. Bake the apple banana bread for 55 - 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out with a few moist (not wet or gummy) crumbs. Cool the banana apple bread in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan. Fully cool the banana apple loaf for at least an hour at room temperature, slice and enjoy.
How To Store, Freeze, Thaw and Serve
- Store: Place leftover banana apple bread in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days. Then transfer the bread to the fridge for up to another 2 - 3 days.
- Freeze: Slice and individually wrap each slice of banana bread in wax or parchment paper and transfer each wrapped slice into a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: The easiest and best way to thaw the apple filled banana bread is to let it slowly thaw in the fridge overnight. Then pop a slice or two into the toaster or into the microwave for that “fresh from the oven” taste.
- Serve: Enjoy the banana apple bread plain, with honey sweetened yogurt, maple butter or with whipped cream and air fried apples. For more of a dessert apple banana cake, top with brown butter cream cheese frosting.
M’s Expert Tips
- Use the right apples. The best apples for this banana bread are also the best apples for baking other apple desserts. Look for tart apples like Granny Smith or sweeter apples like Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady apples.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in moist and perfectly mixed apple banana cake bread.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Fully cool the loaf. This banana bread with apples needs at least an hour, but preferably two hours to fully cool. If you slice into the banana bread too soon, the bread will be mushy.
FAQs
Yes, use 1 cup of shredded apples in place of diced apples. There is no need to toss the shredded apples in flour.
Yes, make this recipe as mini banana apple loaves by using (8) 2 x 4 inch pans. Bake the mini loaves for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
To ripen or brown bananas quickly, bake bananas on a baking sheet in a 300 F oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until the outside of the banana is blackened. Cool the bananas, peel and use as written in the recipe.
Cooling banana bread for at least 1 - 2 hours allows the structure of the bread to fully set. Your patience will be rewarded with perfectly sliced pieces of banana bread.
Other Apple Recipes to Try
If you try this Apple Banana Bread recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! -M
Apple Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9X5 loaf pan
- 1 sheet parchment paper
- 1 whisk and flexible spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup mashed bananas about 2 medium bananas
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup peeled, cored and diced apples
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (170 C). Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on two sides.
- In a small bowl mash about 2- 3 medium bananas to measure 1 cup mashed banana. Peel, core and dice the apples. Toss the peeled, cored and diced apples with 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside for a moment.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together until well combined.2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon , ¾ teaspoon baking soda , ½ teaspoon salt
- In another large mixing bowl, melt the butter and cool for 5 - 10 minutes to room temperature. Whisk the light brown and granulated sugars, mashed banana, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract into the cooled melted butter until smooth and well combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Stir in the diced apples. If you would like, stir in ½ cup chopped pecan or walnuts.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled , ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar , ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 1 cup mashed bananas , ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract , 1 cup peeled, cored and diced apples , ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
- Evenly pour the banana apple bread batter into the prepared pan. Top with a sprinkle of sugar if you like.Bake the apple banana bread for 55 - 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out with a few moist (not wet or gummy) crumbs.
- Cool the banana apple bread in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the bread out of the pan. Fully cool the banana apple loaf for at least an hour at room temperature, slice and enjoy.
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