This delicious Apple Bread with Praline Topping is the best of two worlds - a quick bread recipe with apples, prunes, and toasted pecans glazed with an indulgent, candy-like caramel praline topping. It's perfect for breakfast with a cup of hot coffee, afternoon snack time with a glass of milk, or as an after dinner treat to end the day.
'Tis the season for all things apple! Although fall isn't my favorite time of year, I do look forward to the change of seasonal ingredients.
Apples, pears, pumpkins, and squash come into markets, and we gradually make the change from salads and cool beverages to soups, stews, and steaming cups of cocoa.
We're fortunate here in north Georgia to have many very productive apple growers. In a week or two, the leaves will be golden and the roads literally clogged with sightseers.
This Apple Bread with Praline Topping is one of my favorite ways to use fresh fall apples. It's a delicious, moist, quick bread full of fresh apples, prunes, and pecans. If you don't think you want to include the prunes, you can increase the volume of apples, but I encourage you to give them a try.
Prunes get a bad rap for causing gastric upset, but that's really only if you overindulge. They're just dried plums after all, and if you eat them in moderation, you shouldn't have any problems at all. They add a nice moistness to the bread and just a bit of a variation in flavor.
There's also a good amount of toasted pecans, and then, just for good measure, I topped the whole thing with a sweet, buttery, caramel-y praline topping. Yum.
Quick breads are a great option for novice bakers or those who just don't have the time to bake yeast breads. Sweet quick breads like this one or Banana Nut Bread, Black Walnut Pumpkin Bread, Lemon Raspberry Bread and Carrot Pecan Quick Bread are a great option for dessert, and my savory Cheddar Dill Quick Bread is perfect in place of dinner rolls.
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Ingredient Notes
- Apples (I like Honeycrisp for this bread, but practically any variety you have will work fine.)
- Prunes (Can be substituted with raisins or omit the prunes and add a bit more chopped apple.)
- Pecans (May be substituted with walnuts.)
- Sour cream (Try Greek yogurt if sour cream isn't available.)
You'll find detailed measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Apple Bread with Praline Topping
I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you'll find the recipe card.
Heat the Oven and Prepare the Pan
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously, grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set it aside.
Pro Tip
9" x 5" is the standard size for a loaf pan. You can make this bread in mini loaf pans if you like but you'll need to adjust the baking time accordingly. Try starting with 30 minutes of baking time. If your loaf isn't done, continue testing every 5-7 minutes.
Prep the Apples and Prunes
Core the apples and cut them into approximately ½-inch pieces. Roughly chop the prunes. You'll have about 1 ½ cups of chopped apples and about a ⅓ to ½ cup of prunes.
Pro Tip
I don't bother with peeling the apples, but suit yourself on that.
Toast the Pecans
Place ½ cup of the chopped pecans in a shallow baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes or until toasted. Stir once halfway through baking. Set the pecans aside to cool.
Make the Batter
Beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla on low speed of an electric mixer until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture beating on low speed until just blended.
In a small bowl, toss the apples, prunes, and toasted pecans with one tablespoon of flour.
Pro Tip
Tossing the fruit and nuts in flour will help keep them suspended in the wet batter. Otherwise, they could all sink to the bottom, and that's not what you want.
Stir the floured apples, prunes, and pecans into the batter.
Transfer the Batter to the Pan
Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining pecans very lightly pressing them onto the batter. I almost forgot to snap a photo of the pecan-topped batter before it started baking, so I stuck my camera in the oven and grabbed a quick shot. Hope you can see what it should look like.
Bake the Loaf
Bake for 1 hour or until a tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Check after about 40-45 minutes and if the top is beginning to brown too much, lightly cover with aluminum foil to prevent overcooking.
Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and replace on the cooling rack.
Make the Praline Topping
In a heavy saucepan, bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Do not overcook (the topping will harden too much if overcooked). Remove from heat and immediately spoon the topping over the top of the loaf.
Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Pro Tip
I place a sheet of foil under the rack before pouring over the icing. I say it's for easy cleanup. It's also to catch the drips for the "cook's treat." :-)
Tips and Substitutions
- The sour cream in the recipe gives a rich, moist texture to the loaf but can easily be substituted with Greek yogurt.
- Substitute walnuts for the pecans if you prefer.
- Check the bread about halfway through baking. If it seems to be getting too brown, put a piece of foil lightly on the top.
- Be sure to check for doneness before removing the loaf from the oven. To check, insert a toothpick or thin wooden skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. If there is wet mixture on the toothpick or skewer, the loaf needs to cook longer.
Storage
To keep the loaf fresh, wrap it securely in foil and store it at room temperature.
FAQs
Although I do recommend Honeycrisp apples in the recipe, it honestly doesn't matter very much which apple you choose for making apple bread. Just use your favorite and it will all work out.
I don't peel my apples when making apple bread. You can if you wish.
If you don't want prunes in your bread, you can substitute either dark or golden raisins. Or omit the prunes and increase the amount of apples to make up for them.
More Recipes You May Like
- Pear and Apple Compote with Yogurt and Granola
- Apple Pies - Baked not Fried
- Baked Apples with Cranberries and Pecans
- Apple Slab Pie
- Apple Patchwork Cobbler
- Apple Cranberry Salad
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📖 Recipe
Apple Bread with Praline Topping
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped apples (recommend: Honeycrisp)
- 8 large prunes coarsely chopped (optional)
- 1 ½ cups pecans chopped, divided
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the topping:
- 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup light brown sugar firmly packed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside.
- Place ½ cup of the chopped pecans in a shallow baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes or until toasted. Stir once halfway through baking. Set the pecans aside to cool.
- Beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla on low speed until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture beating on low speed until just blended.
- In a small bowl, toss the apples, prunes, and toasted pecans with one tablespoon flour. Stir the apples, prunes, and pecans into the batter.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining pecans very lightly pressing them onto the batter.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Check after about 45 minutes and if the top is beginning to brown too much, lightly cover with aluminum foil to prevent over cooking.
- Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and replace on the cooling rack.
- In a heavy saucepan, bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Do not overcook (the topping will harden too much if overcooked).
- Remove from heat and immediately spoon the topping over the top of the loaf. Let cool completely.
Notes
- I like Honeycrisp apples for this bread, but any variety you have will work fine.
- Substitute raisins for the prunes, or omit them and use a little more chopped apple.
- Pecans may be substituted with walnuts.
- Greek yogurt swaps out well with the sour cream.
- Tossing the fruit and nuts in flour will help keep them suspended in the wet batter. Otherwise they tend to sink to the bottom.
- Place a sheet of foil under the rack before pouring over the icing for easy cleanup.
- Check the bread about halfway through baking. If it seems to be getting too brown, put a piece of foil lightly on the top.
- Be sure to check for doneness before removing the loaf from the oven. To check, insert a toothpick or thin wooden skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. If there is wet mixture on the toothpick or skewer, the loaf needs to cook longer.
- To keep the loaf fresh, wrap it securely in foil and store it at room temperature.
- You can make this bread in mini loaf pans if you like but you'll need to adjust the baking time accordingly. Try starting with 30 minutes of baking time. If your loaf isn't done, continue testing every 5-7 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Janie says
Now why didnt I see the prunes were optional ?.. guess I got to excited about the recipe .. thank you so much.. I will surely bake this
Janie says
No prunes in the pantry .. is there something else I can use beside them ? I have everything else .. looks awesome
Lana Stuart says
You might try raisins or you could just leave them out completely. As the recipe states, they're optional.
SeattleDee says
This loaf would disappear SO quickly in my kitchen - moist, appley and praline sweet , Oh My!