This Apple & Walnut Loaf is a lovely homemade bake, filled with apple, crunchy walnuts and warming spices. The combination gives the loaf plenty of flavour and texture, making it a delicious option for morning or afternoon tea.
It’s a great way to use up apples from the fruit bowl, along with a few basic baking ingredients you likely already have in the pantry. Enjoy a slice with a cup of tea or pop a few pieces into lunchboxes.
Once again our much neglected apple tree has an abundance of fruit so I am back at it coming up with even more apple recipes to share with you all. I will list just some of the apple recipes I have so far further down this page.
What apples work best in this loaf?
I love baking loaves, they are so easy to make, simple techniques and a lovely size to enjoy ALL the flavours.
This Apple & Walnut Loaf is a delicious combination of flavours, everything you want in terms of complementary flavours and textures. You can really use any sort of apples in this recipe.
Often people prefer one sort over the other, such as granny smith, but in this recipe I think any apple will be just lovely, so use any you have on hand. You only need two apples.
What do you need to make Apple & Walnut Loaf?
The ingredients are really easy and this recipe uses simple pantry staples.
To make this loaf you will need:
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Essence
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Buttermilk *
- Apples
- Walnuts
How to make your own buttermilk for this loaf
You will note this recipe uses buttermilk. Buttermilk makes baking extra moist, adds a tartness and the acid works with the ingredients to create a deliciously soft end result.
You do not need to purchase your own buttermilk. You can simply add lemon juice or white vinegar to milk and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before using. Easy as that!
How to make Apple & Walnut Loaf
The method for making this recipe is lovely and simple. You ideally will want to use a stand mixer or electric mixer to cream together the ingredients in the beginning.
Then, it is a matter of combining the ingredients one step at a time before folding through the apples and walnuts.
I peel and finely dice my apples just before adding them to the mixture so they stay fresh, intact and don’t brown. The walnuts I have diced into a smaller size.
If you ever have trouble with your baking, my Common Baking Mistakes and How to Fix Them guide has some handy tips to help.
How to top your Apple & Walnut Loaf
This recipe also includes a lovely simple topping of sugar glazed walnuts. It finishes off the loaf beautifully. You can always add a glaze or a crunchy sugar topping instead, but I have found this works really well.
Can I glaze my Apple & Walnut Loaf?
Yes, you could brush with melted butter when it comes out of the oven, and sprinkle over a topping of white sugar mixed with cinnamon to create a delicious crunch.
Can I ice my Apple & Walnut Loaf?
Yes, you could create a simple vanilla icing glaze to drizzle over it. Simply combine 1 cup of sifted icing sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, a teaspoon of melted butter and combine. Add water a tiny bit at a time until it drizzles off the end of the spoon like runny honey. Pour this over the top of the loaf and allow it to set before serving.
Video showing how to make Apple & Walnut Loaf
How long to bake and how to serve your Apple & Walnut Loaf
It takes around 55 minutes to bake this recipe and ensure it is baked all the way through. The loaf tin is quite small but it is still a generous sized loaf.
I like to serve this loaf in thick slices warm with butter. It is absolutely divine and these flavours sing together!
Can I freeze this loaf?
Yes definitely! It will freeze really well. Simply allow it to completely cool and store in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap then aluminium foil and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Other apple recipes to try
If you like baking with apples, be sure to check out some of the other recipes I currently have on my website:
- Apple Pie
- Apple Shortcake
- Apple Crunch Muffins
- Apple & Walnut Spice Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Glazed Apple Cinnamon Soft Rolls
Apple & Walnut Loaf Recipe
Apple and Walnut Loaf
This Apple & Walnut Loaf combines apples, crunchy walnuts and warming spices for a lovely homemade loaf that's perfect for morning or afternoon tea.
Ingredients
- ⅔ Cup Milk, 165 ml*
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice or White Vinegar
- 60 g Butter, room temperature
- ¾ Cup Brown Sugar, packed, 150 g
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
- 1 Egg
- 1½ Cups Plain White Flour, 225 g
- 1¼ teaspoons Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
- ½ teaspoon Fine Salt
- 2 Medium Apples, Peeled & Diced in 1 cm pieces
- ½ Cup Walnut pieces, 60 g, diced small
Topping
- ½ Cup Walnuts, 60 g, halved
- 15 g Butter, melted
- 1 Tablespoon White Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 22x12cm loaf pan and line with baking paper, leaving overhang on 2 sides for easy removal and set aside.
- To make buttermilk, combine 155ml of milk with 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl, total 2/3rds of a cup. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat softened butter and brown sugar until pale and creamy, about 4 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla for a further minute.
- In a bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and stir well to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing briefly until only just combined.
- With the mixer on low speed slowly pour in the buttermilk down the side of the bowl and mix through until fully incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Fold in the diced apples and walnuts to the bowl then spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- In a small bowl, mix halved walnuts, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until well coated. Press these evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack, lifting using the baking paper.
- Serve warm or cold, plain or with butter. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Enjoy!
Notes
How to make Buttermilk?
Combine milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Then let it sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.
Can I glaze my Apple & Walnut Loaf?
Yes, if you like,. You could brush with melted butter when it comes out of the oven, and sprinkle over a topping of white sugar mixed with cinnamon to create a delicious crunch.
Can I ice my Apple & Walnut Loaf?
Yes you could create a simple vanilla icing glaze to drizzle over it. Simply combine 1 cup of sifted icing sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, a teaspoon of melted butter and combine. Add water a tiny bit at a time until it drizzles off the end of the spoon like runny honey. Pour this over the top of the loaf and allow it to set before serving.
Can I freeze this loaf?
Yes definitely! It will freeze really well. Simply allow it to completely cool and store in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap then aluminum foil and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 519Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 7gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 45mgSodium 453mgCarbohydrates 69gFiber 4gSugar 27gProtein 10g
JustAMumNZ.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although justamumnz.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
I really hope you enjoy this Apple & Walnut Loaf as much as we do. It’s such a lovely way to use up fresh apples and makes a delicious treat for morning or afternoon tea. This recipe has been adapted from a recipe by Cozy Country Living.
If you give this recipe a go, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you in the comments. You can also leave a ⭐ rating in the recipe card above, it really helps others find and enjoy this recipe too.
You can also find me over on Facebook and Instagram for more baking and cooking inspiration, or join my newsletter to receive my latest recipes straight to your inbox.
Happy baking,
Anna x
MArkB says
I replaced applesauce with sour cream, reduced olive oil to 3 tablespoons, used a little under 1/2 cup white sugar and a little under 1/2 cup brown sugar. Makes more than a single loaf pan so included 6 muffins on the side with leftover batter. Definitely included walnuts and may add some raisins next time. To me it works as an any time snack without being overly sweet or oily. Thanks!
Yvonne says
I just made this and its absolutely delicious! I have made MANY loafs over the years and I would say this one is one of the best. My husband said, where have you been keeping this recipe? That said it all 🙂
I did not do the walnut topping. We’re going to a friend’s place for the weekend, and this will be one of the breakfast offerings tomorrow morning.
Cheryl Carron says
Sounds wonderful I need to get it on email and I will make it. I make a similar apple cake and it’s always a winner. Thanks 💖
Steph says
I made this loaf and it tastes great. The only thing I would change next time would be to grate the apple in. It is delicate to slice up and breaks easily. Just thought if the apple was grated it would be firmer and slice easier.