Blueberry Apple Bread

Updated on: February 20, 2024

Blueberry Apple Bread is bursting with fresh berries, sweet apples, and a hint of cinnamon

This blueberry bread is a quick bread that’s perfect for a delicious snack or an easy sweet breakfast. You can also easily make muffins using this recipe.

Quick breads, unlike regular breads, do not use yeast so you can prepare and have fresh bread in about an hour!

Ready to get started? Just click on our “Jump to Recipe” button just above. For tips, processes, and substitutions keep reading. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our affiliate disclosure policy for details. We only recommend products to you that we love and use.

Ingredients needed

Dry Ingredients:

Flour – regular all-purpose flour works best
Baking Soda – needed to create soft and airy baked goods
Baking Powder – provides the lift needed for a nice rise
Cinnamon – optional, but highly recommended
Salt – salt always balances the sweetness in baked goods

Wet Ingredients:

Apples – Granny Smith or Honeycrisps are our top choice
Sugar – Adds the sweetness needed for the perfect balance
Vegetable Oil – or liquid coconut oil
Egg – room temperature egg works best for even blending

Fruit and Nuts:

Blueberries – fresh blueberries are our first choice but frozen fruit can be used (don’t thaw)
Walnuts – optional, or use any sturdy nuts, such as pecans

How to make Blueberry Quick Bread

When you are mixing this blueberry bread recipe together the batter will seem quite thick, but this is normal (trust us!). The moisture from the apples will be released during cooking and will create a great texture and plenty of moisture.

Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Prepare a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan by coating it well with non-stick spray, and lining it with parchment paper if desired. (See below for tips on lining a pan with parchment paper)

Roughly chop the nuts, if using (note: our photos do not include nuts)
Whisk dry ingredients together and set aside – flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
Whisk sugar, oil, and egg together in a large bowl
Peel the apples and cut them into 1/2-inch pieces – they don’t need to be perfectly cut

Add peeled, chopped apples to the bowl and mix to coat
Add dry ingredients to the bowl and stir just until combined. Do not overmix!
Gently stir in blueberries (and nuts, if using)

dry and liquid bread batter mixed in a bowl

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. It will be about 3/4 full. Alternately, fill greased, lined muffin tins 3/4 full

Baking

Bake the bread for about 50-60 minutes at 350°F.
Check bread at 35-minute mark and if the top of the bread is beginning to brown too quickly loosely cover it with aluminum foil
NOTE: Loaf breads are dense and can take a while to bake in the oven. Baking times can vary, so keep an eye on the bread. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs are okay.
Quick bread is done when the internal temperature on a thermometer reaches 200-205 ˚F
Muffin cooking time will vary depending on the size of your muffin tins. Start with 18 minutes and test from there. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove from the tins.
Cool bread for about 1 hour in the pan and then remove to finish cooling on a cooling rack.

Add-in Ideas

This blueberry quick bread can also be made with cranberries instead of blueberries, which is beautiful for the holidays.

Any berry can be substituted 1:1 for the blueberries, so feel free to make your own special version with blackberries or raspberries. If you use strawberries be sure to cut them into smaller pieces. Try a combination of berries for a fun version.
Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the bread halfway through cooking for a sparkly crunchy top coat.

Best Apples for Blueberry Loaf Bread

We recommend using Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples because they have a balance of sweet and tart flavors that won’t break down in the cooking process. They hold up well in the heat.
Try mixing in Fuji or Gala apples if you like a sweeter taste.

Storing and Freezing

STORING: The apples in Apple Blueberry bread will keep it moist for nearly a week but it’s best within 4 days. Keep the bread tightly sealed. You can also store it in the refrigerator.
FREEZER: Once cool wrap tightly with foil and place in an airtight container or bag. Can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove from freezer and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

How to line a loaf pan with parchment paper

If you line your loaf pan with parchment paper it will be so much easier to remove the whole loaf, once it is cooled. Parchment paper is magical!

Spray the pan well with non-stick spray or brush with oil before putting the parchment inside.

Measure your loaf pan lengthwise
Cut a piece of parchment paper to match the length of the pan
The rectangular pieces should be long enough to cover the bottom of the pan and hang over the sides of the pan. These are the “handles” to use when you want to pull the bread out of the pan
Coat the parchment with non-stick spray again
See below for a photo of the pan lined with parchment

How to make individual small loaves or muffins

INDIVIDUAL: Grease and line each pan with parchment paper just as you would do with a full-size pan. Fill each pan 3/4 full and cook 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of your pan
MUFFINS: Grease pans or line with cupcake papers. Fill tins 3/4 full. Check for doneness at 18 minute mark

Other easy bread recipes to try

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