Apple Raisin Bread

Packed with pecans, raisins and diced apples, this Apple Raisin Bread is a fantastic baking recipe for apple season!

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It’s amazing how many different types of bread there are. On one end, there’s the classic yeasted bread like this Cinnamon Raisin Bread. Then there are soda breads like this Irish Soda Bread with Brandy-Soaked Raisins. Baking soda replaces the yeast for an entirely different type of bread.

Technically, soda bread falls into the quick bread category as it uses a chemical leavener instead of yeast. But even within quick breads, there are lots of different types. This Cranberry Banana Bread might be one of my all-time favorite quick breads. That bread uses butter creamed with sugar as the base. And then you land on quick breads made with vegetable oil or canola oil.

That finally brings us to this recipe for Apple Raisin Bread. This bread uses veggie oil or canola oil instead of butter. Using oil in quick breads will yield a bread with a moister, more tender crumb. However, creamed butter in quick breads will give you a fluffier bread that is more cake-like. In the end, all of these breads are delicious – just different.

Apple Raisin Bread

The flavor of this Apple Raisin Bread is absolutely fantastic! This bread is a bit denser than quick breads made with creamed butter, but don’t let that slow you down. You should run – not walk – to the kitchen and make a loaf or two of this bread ASAP!

The amazing taste of this bread comes from the classic baking spices mixed with diced apples, nuts and raisins. This bread is a great way to celebrate apple season! (We always end up with way too many apples in the fridge during apple season…so then I end up baking apple everything to use ’em.)

When it comes to baking spices, the obvious flavors are in this bread – brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg. But there is also one other spice in there – cardamom. I’ve become a huge fan of using cardamom in addition to the traditional fall baking spices. Just a little bit. Cardamom shouldn’t be the main flavor. Instead, it just adds an extra depth of flavor that is truly fantastic!

This Apple Raisin Bread recipe makes 2 loaves. Honestly, 1 loaf just disappears too quickly! And since you’ve got all of the ingredients out anyways, might as well just make 2 loaves. These loaves freeze quite well, too. We often freeze an extra loaf of this bread during apple season and pull it back out on a cold February morning. It’s pretty fantastic!

Variations

• Pecans. If you aren’t a fan of pecans, feel free to use another nut in this recipe – walnuts would work well. Or just omit the nuts entirely.
• Raisins. I highly recommend the raisins in this bread. However, you could omit them or use another dried fruit instead. Dried cranberries would be a good choice.
• Apples. I wouldn’t omit the apples in this recipe. However, the types of apples you use are entirely up to you. I typically use a combination of ½ tart apples (i.e. Granny Smith) and ½ sweet (i.e. Fuji, Gala, etc.).

How to Store Leftover Quick Bread

Leftover quick bread should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. As it gets older, the bread will become a bit crumblier…but it will still be delicious. As noted above, these loaves freeze very well. Just wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store them in a freezer bag for up to 4 months. Let thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours before slicing.

This Apple Raisin Bread is one of those baked goods where you take a little nibble each time you walk through the kitchen. But then you find yourself looking for an excuse to walk back through the kitchen just to break off another little nibble! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do here – happy baking!

Did you bake this Apple Raisin Bread recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Apple Raisin Bread

Packed with pecans, raisins and diced apples, this Apple Raisin Bread is a fantastic baking recipe for apple season!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 servings

Calories: 334kcal

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Ingredients

For the Apples

• 3 cups diced peeled apples ~2 large apples
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup brown sugar

For the Bread

• 1¼ cups canola or vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

For the Apples

• Using a large bowl, add diced apples, raisins, pecans, cinnamon and brown sugar; toss until well combined. Set bowl aside.

For the Bread

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Spray (2) 9”x5” loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray; set pans aside.
• Using a medium bowl, whisk together oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Set bowl aside.
• Using a separate bowl, add flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, cardamom and nutmeg; stir until well combined.
• Pour wet ingredients into bowl with dry ingredients; stir until well combined.
• Fold in diced apple mixture (from above).
• Divide batter evenly into the prepared baking pans.
• Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaves comes out clean.
• Let loaves cool in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack until completely cooled.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Looking for more apple baking recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: