Apple Banana Bread
Chilly air, leaves rustling, bonfires burning - it's a whole vibe over here in the Midwest! It's the time of year I'm happily cranking the oven on and baking all the warm, spiced things. When I've got a bunch of ripe bananas to use up, it's a no brainer for me - I'm making something sweet and cozy. This Apple Banana Bread was packed with brown sugar and cinnamon, tart Honeycrisp apple, and sweet bananas. It's like the banana bread you know and love, with some fall twists. This bread would be great for breakfast, snacking, or served as a sweet treat after dinner - these are flavors everybody loves!
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cinnamon apples:
- 1 Honeycrisp Apple cored and finely diced
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar packed
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- Pinch of Salt
For the apple banana bread:
- 3 Very Ripe Bananas peeled and mashed
- ½ cup Salted Butter melted
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar packed
- 2 Large Eggs
- ¼ tsp Almond Extract
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Salt
For the top:
- 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
To make the cinnamon apples:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, then lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Add the washed, dried, and finely diced apple to a small bowl along with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the cinnamon apples.
- Stir to combine, then set off to the side until ready to use.
To make the apple banana bread:
- Peel the bananas, add them to a large mixing bowl, then mash until smooth.
- Melt the butter in a small dish, then set it to the side to cool for a bit.
- While it's cooling, add the brown sugar to the bowl of mashed bananas, then pour in the butter.
- Whisk the mixture until smooth, then add the eggs, almond extract, maple syrup, and applesauce, whisking until combined.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
- Fold the dry into the wet, whisking until the two are well incorporated, but not overmixing!
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the cinnamon apples, ensuring they're well incorporated into the batter but again, not overmixing!
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, using a rubber spatula to smooth it out evenly. Don't spread it too smooth though; we still want some of those apple chunks poking through!
A few streaks of flour here and there are fine as we will be mixing even more before baking this thing!
Overmixing quick bread batters can cause them to become gummy while baking.
To make the topping and bake:
- Use a fork to whisk the cinnamon and sugar in a small dish, then evenly sprinkle it all over the apple banana bread.
- Bake the bread for 60-70 minutes - until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist bits on it, not wet batter.
- Allow it to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then lift it out, peel the parchment paper off of the bottom, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
To serve:
- Slice and serve apple banana bread warm with some butter on top. Enjoy with a cup of coffee, fresh fruit, or whatever else you feel like having!
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 37.6gProtein: 3gFat: 8.9gSaturated Fat: 5.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2.1gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 208mgPotassium: 250mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 260IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1.2mg
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
