Maple Apple Banana Bread
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This apple banana bread is an indulgently moist and cozy quick bread combining banana and apple with maple-scented warmth-perfect for autumn mornings.
Autumn apple bread in the fall is always a favorite. If you love muffin bread, try this apple oatmeal bread recipe too!
Featured Review
"I randomly picked this recipe because I happened to have all the ingredients. I had some visitors that afternoon as it came out of the oven and had 2 different people request I make them a loaf. Someone even tried to give me money for ingredients lol. Everyone said it was the best banana bread they ever had. This will be a favorite of ours from now on."
~ Hallie ★★★★★
Recipe Overview
- Flavor: Sweet and warmly spiced, with banana, apple, and maple in every bite.
- Texture: Moist, tender crumb with shredded apples that melt into the loaf.
- Time: 15 minutes prep + 60-65 minutes bake.
- Best For: Cozy autumn breakfasts, afternoon snacks, bake sales, or gifting.
- Make Ahead: Stays fresh for 3-4 days; freezes well for up to 3 months.
Why You’ll Love This Bread
This Maple Apple Banana Bread is a celebration of autumn flavors in one moist, tender loaf. Bananas add natural sweetness and softness, apples bring fresh moisture and texture, and maple syrup ties everything together with warm, caramel-like notes. A touch of cinnamon and cloves makes every bite taste like fall.
It's an easy quick bread, perfect for breakfast, snacks, or gifting-and one you'll want to bake all season long.
Key Ingredients
- Butter - Provides richness and a tender crumb. Creaming softened butter with the sugars helps create a light texture-avoid melting it, which can make the bread dense.
- Brown and White Sugar - A mix of both balances sweetness and moisture. Brown sugar adds caramel notes, while white sugar keeps the loaf light.
- Eggs - Bind the ingredients and give structure while keeping the bread soft.
- Sour Cream - Adds subtle tang and moisture, ensuring the bread stays tender for days. Greek yogurt works as a substitute.
- Maple Syrup - Pure maple syrup deepens the flavor and enhances the autumn spices.
- Vanilla - Rounds out the flavors with a touch of warmth.
- Flour - All-purpose flour provides structure without weighing the loaf down.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder - Work together to lift the batter so the loaf bakes tall and fluffy.
- Cinnamon, Salt & Cloves - The spice trio that makes this bread taste like fall. Cinnamon for warmth, cloves for depth, and salt to sharpen flavors.
- Apples - Shredded apples melt into the batter and keep the bread extra moist. You can shred two apples in about a minute with a box grater. If you prefer more texture, finely mince the apples instead.
- Bananas - Very ripe bananas (with plenty of brown spots) add natural sweetness and creaminess. The riper the banana, the better the flavor.
How to Make This Apple Banana Bread
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 × 5 × 4½-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Set aside. - Step 2: Cream the Butter & Sugars
Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. - Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in the mashed bananas until combined. - Step 4: Prep the Apples
Shred or finely mince the apples. Add them to the bowl of dry ingredients and toss to coat. - Step 5: Combine the Batter
Gently fold the apple-flour mixture into the wet batter until no dry streaks remain. Avoid overmixing. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Optional: sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar. - Step 5: Bake
Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the loaf is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil near the end of baking.
Why This Bread Works
This bread marries two iconic flavors, banana's creamy sweetness and apple's crisp brightness, enhanced by maple syrup and warming spices like cinnamon and cloves. The apples add moisture and textural interest; bananas bring sweetness and softness. Maple syrup deepens the fall flavor while sour cream creates a tender, moist crumb-a true autumn comfort loaf.
For more fall flavors, you'll love this easy apple fritter bread, an indulgent, autumn-flavored bread with layers of fresh apples, streusel, and cinnamon!
Tips for Baking Success
- Use very ripe bananas - The spottier, the better. They'll mash smoothly and provide extra sweetness.
- Grate the apples - Shredding helps them melt seamlessly into the batter. If you prefer small apple pieces, finely chop instead.
- Check doneness early - Oven times vary; start checking at 55 minutes with a toothpick in the center.
- Cool completely before slicing - This helps the loaf set and makes for neater slices.
Serving Ideas
- Enjoy a warm slice with a pat of butter or a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Serve with coffee or hot cider for breakfast or for an autumn afternoon tea.
- Slice and wrap for lunchbox treats or fall bake-sale favorites.
Recipe FAQs
Yes-you can swap in ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, though the texture will be slightly denser and less textured than with grated apples.
Granny Smith adds a tart bite, while Honeycrisp or Fuji provides sweetness. Softer baking apples like Golden Delicious will melt into the bread.
Absolutely. Wrap cooled slices or the whole loaf in plastic, then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature or warm slices in the toaster oven.
Yes! Divide the batter into a greased or lined muffin tin. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Maple Apple Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter room temperature (1 stick)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 3 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 apples cored and shredded or chopped (peeled or unpeeled)
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 4-½ inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Set aside.
- Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer, cream together room temperature butter with both granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla. Fold in the mashed banana.
- Grate and finely mince the apples and add to the dry ingredients. Then fold the dry ingredients with the apples into the egg and butter mixture just until incorporated but without any dry flour streaks. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top if desired.
- Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- If the bread becomes darker than you like, loosely cover it with foil toward the end of baking. Remove the bread from the oven and let sit in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Topping: If you want to enhance the cinnamon flavor, sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar over the loaf before baking.
- Bananas: Use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for the sweetest flavor and softest texture. They'll mash easily and blend smoothly into the batter.
- Apples: Shred the apples on a box grater for a moist, evenly textured loaf. If you prefer distinct bites of apple, finely dice instead. Both tart (Granny Smith) and sweet (Fuji, Honeycrisp) apples work well.
- Butter: Creaming softened butter with the sugars creates a light, tender crumb. Avoid melting the butter-it will make the loaf dense.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup brings depth and autumn warmth. If using pancake syrup, note that the flavor will be sweeter and less complex.
- Sour Cream: Adds a subtle tang and ensures the bread stays moist for days. Greek yogurt can be substituted in equal amounts.
- Spices: Cinnamon and cloves give this loaf its cozy fall flavor. Feel free to add a pinch of nutmeg for extra warmth.
- Doneness: Ovens vary-begin testing around 55 minutes. The loaf is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Storage: Cool completely before wrapping. Store tightly covered at room temperature for 3-4 days, or freeze slices for up to 3 months.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This is an awesome recipe! I used fresh milled soft white flour to make it and upped the spice a bit with the addition of ginger. Absolutely divine muffins!!!!
Hi Bethany! I'm so thrilled you enjoyed this recipe -- it's a fall tradition at my house! I love that you used fresh milled soft white flour. That would be delicious! Thank you for trying the recipe and letting me know how it worked for you.
I randomly picked this recipe because I happened to have all the ingredients. I had some visitors that afternoon as it came out of the oven and had 2 different people request I make them a loaf. Someone even tried to give me money for ingredients lol. Everyone said it was the best banana bread they ever had. This will be a favorite of ours from now on.
This is delicious! I had given a couple of slices to our grown son. He liked it so much he drove over to see if there was more. So if you are looking for a way to get your kids too visit, this bread is your ticket!
You made my day, Susan! I also have a grown son who will travel home for home baked treats 😍. I’m so glad they liked it!!
This is such a tasty, easy treat! Love it!
This is such a tasty, easy treat! Love it!
Thought I should note it doesn't say when to add the dry ingredients.
Thanks, Tisha! I've updated the instructions.
Hey there, this is totally delicious, made it last night. But heads up, your instructions don't say when to add the vanilla and maple syrup. I mixed them with the other wet ingredients, but I almost missed it.
Hey Kelsey! Thanks so much for catching that. I have updated the instructions. Sometimes my mind works faster than my fingers on the keyboard :)! So glad you enjoyed it. It's one of our favorites!
Hey there, this is totally delicious, made it last night. But heads up, your instructions don't say when to add the vanilla and maple syrup. I mixed them with the other wet ingredients, but I almost missed it.