Healthy Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This Healthy Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread is moist, sweet, and made with hearty ingredients! It has tart juicy apples, throughout a swirl of cinnamon and turbinado sugar. This bread makes the best toast, topped with butter or honey! It also can be turned into an amazing french toast!

Cinnamon Bread Recipe Inspiration

Cinnamon swirl bread is great comforting bread, in my opinion. I think a lot of us can remember having slices of store-bought cinnamon bread as kids. Aunt Millie’s was my favorite brand! It was such a yummy treat for breakfast or snacks, but I much prefer making my own now! I can control the sugar levels and the ingredients used in the bread. I make a regular Honey Cinnamon Swirl Bread a lot, so I started experimenting with add-ins.

Apple and cinnamon are a famous combo, and that’s why I decided to add some apples to an already delicious swirl bread. The apples add a nice moistness to the bread and an extra sweetness too.

Something you should try with this bread is making a PB&J! My husband started making his sandwiches with this bread, and he loves it. Surprisingly it is tasty and unique!

Healthy Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread Ingredients

• Warm water
• Raw honey
• Active dry yeast
• Apple cider vinegar
• Fine sea salt
• Egg
• Coconut oil
• Whole wheat flour
• Unbleached all-purpose flour
• Small Apple
• Turbinado sugar
• Ground cinnamon

Most of the ingredients in this bread are pantry staples. However, there are a few ways you can substitute the ingredients. If you only have plain white sugar, you can use that to replace the turbinado Sugar.

The coconut oil can be swapped for canola oil or a neutral-flavored oil. The apple cider vinegar can easily be replaced with white vinegar for the same results. (It helps with the rise of the dough.)

Also, the apple I used in this bread was a Gala because that’s what I had on hand. But you can use any of these 6 baking apples instead!

Bread Yeast Recommendations

Yeast is a key factor in whether your bread will turn out or not. That’s why I recommend RedStar Active Dry Yeast for almost all of my bread recipes. It works consistently and lasts for a really long time in my cupboard. Also, another tip for successful bread is always warming your liquid to the right temperature you activate it. It’s best to have it between 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Recipe Equipment

• Stand Mixer with dough attachment
• Large bowl
• Spatula
• Cutting board
• Apple peeler and paring knife
• Rolling pin
• 8.5×4.5 Loaf pan

When I’m baking bread, I usually use a Stand Mixer because it’s faster and consistent. You can also knead the dough for this bread by hand. It will just take closer to 10 minutes to get the right texture. Or if you don’t have a stand mixer and want an inexpensive brand, this Dash Mixer is what I’ve been using for the last 2 years!

If you enjoy the combos of apples and cinnamon, another recipe you may want to try is my Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins!

Healthy Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Alyssa

This Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread is moist, sweet, and made with hearty ingredients! It has tart juicy apples, throughout a swirl of cinnamon and turbinado sugar. This bread makes the best toast with honey or butter!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Proofing Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 123 kcal

Equipment

• Stand Mixer with dough attachment
• Large bowl
• Spatula
• Cutting board
• Apple peeler and paring knife
• Rolling pin
• 8.5×4.5 Loaf pan

Ingredients

  

• ⅔ cup Warm water 80-90 degrees F.
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 ½ tsp Active dry yeast
• ½ tsp Apple cider vinegar
• ¾ tsp Fine sea salt
• 1 Medium Egg
• 1 tbsp Coconut oil melted and cooled slightly
• ¾ cup Whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ cups Unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Small Apple Diced finely
• 2 Tbsp Turbinado sugar
• 2 ¾ tsp Ground cinnamon

Instructions

 

• To activate the yeast, combine warm water, 1 tbsp honey, and yeast in a stand mixer bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel for 5 minutes. The yeast should be bubbling at this point.
• Add the egg, coconut oil, vinegar, salt, all-purpose flour, and whole wheat flour to the mixer. Combine with a spatula briefly.
• Attach your dough hook, and turn on the mixer to a medium speed. Knead the dough for 6 minutes. It should start to form a ball and be slightly sticky but easy to handle.
• Grease a large bowl with non-stick baking spray or coconut oil. Transfer the dough from the mixer to the greased bowl.
• Place a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap over the bowl, and let it proof for 1 hour in a warm place, or until doubled in size.
• Grease an 8.5×4.5 loaf pan with non-stick baking spray.
• Peel and finely dice the apple a few minutes before the dough is finished proofing.
• Spray a large amount of baking spray in a 12×10 rectangle on your counter. Now place the risen dough in the middle of this section. Take a rolling pin and spray that too. Start rolling out the dough about 10 inches in width and 12 inches in length.
• Mix the turbinado sugar and cinnamon together. Pour it on top of the rolled out dough and spread it evenly. Leave a 1/2 inch border, so it does not spill out when baking.
• Place the diced apples evenly on top of the dough and cinnamon-sugar mixture. Lightly and gently press them into the dough.
• Now roll it up width-wise while being careful not to spill out the apples. Pinch the seam together and tuck in the sides.
• Place the dough loaf into the baking tin and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let it proof for 45 minutes, or until it rises a 1/2 inch above the sides
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake the loaf in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and it sounds hollow when you tap it.
• Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it and place it on a wire rack or large plate to finish cooling.

Notes

• To keep the bread fresh, wrap it in plastic wrap or foil and leave it on the counter. It should last up to 5 days this way. I recommend not keeping it in the fridge because it will dry it out.
• The bread can be frozen by wrapping in plastic wrap and placing it in a zip-top freezer bag. (Keeps good up to 6 months) Defrost on the counter for a few hours when you’re ready to use it.
• If you’re kneading the dough by hand it will take about 10 minutes.

Keyword Apple Cinnamon, Apple Cinnamon Bread, Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Healthy Apple Cinnamon Bread, Whole Wheat Bread