There are just so many things I like about this recipe. For one, it’s a one bowl recipe. All you have to do is keep the ingredients ready and keep dumping them into a bowl. No need to mix the flour and baking powder separately or anything. Easy, right? The other thing I love is that the apples are grated so you can taste them in almost every single bite.
I did make a few changes to the original recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. The recipe did not call for any spices to be added, I added a teaspoon of my homemade apple pie spice mix in the bread and topping. For the streusel topping I added dark brown sugar that caramelized as the bread baked and formed a nice, slightly crunchy, caramel-y streusel layer. I omitted the nuts from the streusel and added tiny currants to the topping as well as the bread. And the final addition was my drizzle – an attempt to substitute the lattice topping with a cream cheese drizzle. A simple concoction of cream cheese, sugar and milk. 
Best of both worlds, apple pie and bread, all in one. The bread is super soft, moist and melts in your mouth. It is perfect for Christmas, its perfect for fall. And then you have the taste of apple pie in bread – which makes it totally legal to eat pie for breakfast.
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Apple Pie Bread
- Total Time: 85 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
Description
This Apple Pie Bread combines the comforting flavors of apple pie with the soft, moist texture of bread, making it a delightful treat for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) buttermilk
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp apple pie spice mix
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups (480 ml) grated apples
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) currants
For the Streusel Topping
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
- 2 tbsp currants
For the Cream Cheese Drizzle
- 2 oz (60 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp (15-30 ml) milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the buttermilk, baking powder, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Gradually add the flour, apple pie spice mix, and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the grated apples and currants.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- For the streusel topping, in a small bowl, combine the dark brown sugar and flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the currants.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter in the loaf pan.
- Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the bread is baking, prepare the cream cheese drizzle by mixing the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk until smooth and pourable.
- Once the bread is done, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Drizzle the cream cheese mixture over the cooled bread before serving.
Notes
- Grating the apples ensures you get apple flavor in every bite.
- The dark brown sugar in the streusel topping caramelizes beautifully, adding a crunchy texture.
- You can store the bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Substitute currants with raisins if preferred.
- The cream cheese drizzle adds a sweet, tangy finish reminiscent of a pie lattice.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 220
- Fat: 13
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 55
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- Vlaai: Dutch Pudding Streusel Pie
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the apples grated rather than diced or sliced?
The article specifically highlights this as one of the things the author loves about the recipe: “the apples are grated so you can taste them in almost every single bite.” Using 2 cups (480 ml) of grated apple means the fruit is distributed evenly throughout the one-bowl batter rather than creating isolated chunks — the apple also contributes moisture that helps make the loaf “super soft, moist and melts in your mouth.”
What is the cream cheese drizzle meant to replace?
The article describes the drizzle — 2 oz softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1–2 tbsp milk mixed until smooth — as “an attempt to substitute the lattice topping” of a traditional apple pie. It’s drizzled over the cooled loaf after baking and gives the bread its pie-like finish alongside the dark-brown-sugar streusel that caramelizes during the 60-minute bake at 350°F.
Can I substitute the currants with raisins?
Yes — the notes explicitly say you can substitute currants with raisins, both in the batter (1/2 cup) and in the streusel topping (2 tbsp). The flavor will be slightly different (raisins are sweeter and plumper) but the texture and structure of the loaf will be the same.
How would you adjust this recipe if you live at a higher elavation??