Maple Apple Banana Bread: A Treat for Fall
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A fusion of fall’s favorite flavors… in a quick bread. Maple Apple Banana Bread is an autumn treat filled with the warming and subtle spices of maple, cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves.
And it’s incredibly delicious.
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In fact, perhaps a tiny bit addictive.
At least in my house.
Simple? Yes.
If you love banana bread — and apple bread. Try this delightful combination.
But first… a word about apples.
Apples in Apple Banana Bread
The recipe calls for two apples. I happen to have swiped a few from my parent’s trees. To be honest, I’m not absolutely certain which variety they are.
Use any variety you prefer. Soft baking apples, like Golden Delicious, are always a favorite, but Granny Smith apples are tasty too with their distinctive flavor.
How to prep the apples
I love the bread texture with shredded apples. You can quickly shred 2 apples in about a minute using a box grate or for even quicker work, a food processor.
Finely minced apples work in this bread too.
Ingredients in Apple Banana Bread
Specific ingredient measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a summary of the ingredients needed:
- Unsalted butter at room temperature
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar (I prefer light brown sugar)
- Large eggs
- Sour cream
- Pure maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda and baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Fresh apples and ripe bananas
How to Make Apple Banana Bread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Set aside.
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 sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla. Fold in 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 visible 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.
Toppings
It’s completely optional, of course, but I like to sprinkle a teaspoon or two of cinnamon sugar over the loaf before baking. It simply enhances the flavor and is sparkling pretty when baked.
Apples and cheese pair so well. Try spreading a dollop of whipped cream cheese on a slice of this Maple Apple Banana Bread. It’s such a treat!
More Banana Recipes You’ll Love
Maple Apple Banana Bread: A Treat for Fall
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 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
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 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 4-1/2 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.
How to Store Maple Apple Banana Bread
- Cool the bread completely before storing it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days. Refrigerating the bread removes moisture and can make the bread drier. Store in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 days.
How to Freeze the Bread
- You can freeze slices, individually wrapped with foil or plastic wrap, in an airtight container or freezer bag. Or you can freeze the whole loaf by also wrapping it tightly in foil or plastic wrap and then adding it to an airtight container. Be sure to remove as much air as possible to prevent drying and freezer burn.
How to Serve:
- I love a smear of cream cheese over slices of warm from the oven bread. But butter if yummy too. In fact, try toasting it for breakfast or serving it with afternoon tea.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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.