The kitchen smells amazing when a loaf of this gluten-free apple bread is baking! It’s a favorite gluten-free sweet bread.
This gluten-free cinnamon bread is loaded with chunks of fresh, tart apples. Every fall I get at least 40 pounds of either of our favorite tart apple varieties: McIntosh or Pink Lady. Then I bake up my favorite gluten-free apple recipes, including my gluten-free apple cake and my gluten-free apple crisp.
A slice of this gluten-free apple bread is perfect alongside your morning cup of coffee, or for a mid-day snack. Or even for dessert with a cup of decaf!
How to make this gluten-free apple bread:
Grab your stand mixer or hand mixer. Mix up the wet ingredients (buttermilk, egg, oil, and sugar) until mixed.
Add the dry ingredients (gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt) and mix on low just until mixed.
Dice an apple and mix with cinnamon. Grab a spatula and stir in the cinnamon apples into the batter.
Into your greased loaf pan, you’ll layer: 1/2 of batter, 1/2 of cinnamon/sugar, 1/2 of batter, remaining cinnamon/sugar. Then you’ll grab a wooden skewer or long toothpick to swirl the cinnamon sugar throughout the loaf. Then you’ll bake for about 55 minutes.
Here’s a look at before and after baking this apple cinnamon bread (you can see the swirling back and forth I did):
You’ll know this is done when a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the baked loaf comes out with moist crumbs only, no wet batter. Given the wet apples inside, you might have to poke a couple spots to be sure.
Notes on ingredients and substitutions for this gluten-free apple bread:
- Apples: I recommend using a good tart apple that’s suitable for baking. I personally always prefer McIntosh, Pink Lady, or Braeburn.
- Flour: Use a good quality certified gluten-free flour blend. Some that I generally recommend are: gfJules, King Arthur Measure for Measure, Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Flour, Gluten-free Mama’s Almond Blend, and Cup4Cup.
- Xanthan gum: If your flour blend doesn’t have xanthan or guar gum in it already, you’ll need to add it, as indicated in the recipe, otherwise your bread will fall apart. I buy mine from Amazon
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk makes these tender. If you can’t have dairy, you can make your own dairy-free buttermilk substitute.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon stars in this recipe, so use a good quality, fresh cinnamon. I noticed a huge difference when I stopped using generic store-brand cinnamon and started using this Kirkland Saigon cinnamon that I buy at Costco (or you can buy from Amazon here).
- Oil: Use your favorite flavorless oil. I tend to use corn oil in my baking, but you can use a vegetable oil or a light tasting olive oil or other oil.
As you can see, most all of these ingredients on hand already!
I actually tried this apple cinnamon bread with a glaze and found that I much preferred it with this cinnamon/sugar topping instead of a glaze.
So try it this way first with the cinnamon sugar topping. If you want to add a glaze on top, simply mix together milk and powdered sugar to the consistency you want and drizzle over the gluten-free apple loaf.
This gluten-free apple bread would be a great addition to any gluten-free brunch you’re having. Here it is sliced up and ready to serve:
This gluten-free sweet bread would go great with this savory gluten-free breakfast casserole. It would also go great with this gluten-free quiche recipe from my friend Megan. For a drink for your gluten-free brunch, make this hot apple cider.
I ate slices of this gluten-free apple cinnamon bread plain. But you can totally slather a slice with butter or apple butter!
If you love making gluten-free quick breads, make sure you check out my other quick bread recipes. My gluten-free banana bread makes great use of overripe bananas. My gluten-free zucchini bread uses up all of your neighbor’s garden zucchini in two tasty loaves. And my gluten-free pumpkin bread is perfect for fall.
If you make a loaf of this gluten-free apple bread and love it, please come back and give this recipe a 5 star rating in the recipe card! Feel free to comment with tips or to share any successful substitutions you made.
Gluten-free Apple Bread Recipe:
Gluten-free Apple Cinnamon Bread
This gluten-free cinnamon bread is loaded with chunks of fresh, tart apples. Apple cinnamon bread goes well with any gluten-free brunch!
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup oil (I used corn oil)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend
- 3/4 tsp. xanthan gum*
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
cinnamon apples
- 1 cup diced, peeled apples (about 1 large apple or 2 small apples)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
- Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a small bowl, combine the diced apple chunks and cinnamon. Stir into batter with a spatula just until mixed in.In your mixing bowl, beat together buttermilk, egg, oil, and sugar until mixed.
- Whisk the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Then add to the mixing bowl.
- Mix on low until just mixed, but don't overmix.
- In a separate bowl mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon for layering/swirling
- Scoop half of the batter into the loaf pan. Sprinkle with about half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Scoop the rest of the batter on top. Then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over the top.
- Take a skewer or long toothpick and drag thru all layers in a snake-like motion, back and forth a few times. This will swirl the cinnamon sugar throughout the batter while still leaving plenty on top!
- Place in the preheated oven and bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted the baked loaf comes out with moist crumbs, not batter.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to serve.
Notes
*If using a gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum or guar gum already in it, be sure to omit the xanthan gum called for in the recipe.
You'll know this is done when a wooden skewer or long toothpick inserted into the baked loaf comes out with moist crumbs only, no wet batter. Given the wet apples inside, you might have to poke a couple spots to be sure.
I ate slices of this gluten-free apple cinnamon bread plain. But you can totally slather a slice with butter, margarine or apple butter.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I hope you and your family enjoy this gf apple bread as much as my family does!
Haven
Sunday 16th of October 2022
I was on your site because I really wanted your Apple Crisp reciepe, once I started gathering ingrediants I found out my apples had gone bad and I was left with three useable, not enough. So I searched through your recipes that was 'easy enough' and used less apple, THIS LOAF was AMAZING!! Thank you for the save! I was so disappointed about not gettin my apple crisp, and now I'm thrilled that I ran into the problem and found this! I'll be back, to try other reciepes. So very thankful that you can share your wisdom and skills so that I can use my limited abilites to produce a great treat. Thank You Sincerely!
Gem
Wednesday 28th of September 2022
This was wonderful. Made for a group that mostly are gluten eaters, just me who is gluten free. It was gobbled up! I did reduce sugar amount in the bread to 1/2 cup, might reduce to 1/3 next time as apples and cinnamon sugar swirl make plenty sweet. Thanks for a great recipe.
Gluten Free Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars - Faithfully Gluten Free
Wednesday 21st of September 2022
[…] Gluten Free Apple Fritters | Gluten Free Baked Apple Oatmeal | Gluten Free Caramel Apple Trifle | Gluten Free Apple Pie | Gluten Free Apple Bread […]
Jen
Sunday 10th of October 2021
This was absolutely delicious! I used Better Batter's Artisan Blend flour and it came out great. My apples were pretty sweet, so I wish I had cut back on the sugar a bit. I think a really tart apple would be best next time, but if I don't have that I'll just use a little less sugar. Thanks for a lovely recipe!
Elizabeth Lombardi
Friday 1st of October 2021
Found you on Pinterest. I made your GF apple cinnamon bread and it was sooooo perfect!! I'm hosting a brunch and though only one guest is GF, I made it for everyone because it's THAT good. I'll be checking out more recipes of yours now. Thank you!