Easy One-Bowl Apple Bread

5 from 2 votes

This easy one-bowl apple bread is made from scratch with yogurt, warm spices, and plenty of fresh apples!

Course bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword apple bread, cinnamon apple bread

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 2 15

Servings loaf (about 10-12 slices)

Calories 213kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch or 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and yogurt.
Sprinkle the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt over top. Whisk to combine.
Add the flour; whisk or stir just until combined. Do not over-mix.
Gently fold in apples, raisins, and walnuts, if using.
Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan.
In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle on top of the batter.
Bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent the loaf loosely with foil during the final 20-30 minutes if it starts to get too dark on top before it's cooked through.
Cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Start with room temperature eggs and yogurt, which will blend together more easily.
Use full-fat (whole milk) plain yogurt, since the added fat gives the bread a rich, moist texture and flavor.
Do not over-mix the batter. It should come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in a dry, dense loaf.
The total baking time will vary depending on the type of loaf pan that you use. A dark metal, nonstick pan cooks the bread faster, so it will likely be done within 45-55 minutes. By contrast, a lighter metal pan, a glass pan, or a ceramic pan can easily require up to 70 minutes of baking in a 350°F oven. You can tell that your loaf is cooked through when you insert a toothpick or long stick deep into the center of the loaf and it comes out clean.
This is my favorite whole milk plain yogurt (it's great topped with homemade granola, too)! If necessary, you can substitute with an equal amount of applesauce plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, whole milk plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream.
Instead of using finely-diced chunks of fresh apple, grate the apple into smaller pieces. The shredded apple will bake right into the bread and become almost undetectable, yielding a smoother texture.
Mix-Ins: Feel free to stir in chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans; raisins, dried sweetened cranberries, or currants; or even grated orange zest.