Go Back

Brown Butter Apple Cider Quick Bread

Brown Butter Apple Cider Quick Bread is an ultra-moist loaf made with nutty browned butter, reduced apple cider, and tender diced apples. The bakery-style quick bread bakes up tender with a sweet apple cider glaze for a cozy fall crumb.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apple Cider Bread
  • 1.5 cup apple cider
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter Use 1 stick, for browning.
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.25 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 eggs Large.
  • 0.75 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup Honeycrisp or Gala apples, finely diced Peel and finely dice; reserve for folding in.
Apple Cider Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp reduced apple cider Use 2–3 tbsp to reach drizzle consistency.
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
Optional Garnish
  • 0.5 thin apple slices Optional.
  • 0.25 tsp light dusting of cinnamon Optional.
  • 0.25 cup chopped toasted pecans Optional.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep the pan and reduce the cider
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), then grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so it lifts out cleanly.
  2. In a small saucepan, simmer apple cider over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, then let it cool until warm rather than hot (about 10–15 minutes).
Brown the butter and mix the batter
  1. In a saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat until golden brown with a nutty aroma, about 5–7 minutes, then remove from the heat to cool slightly.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground ginger until evenly blended.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, browned butter, reduced apple cider, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, then stop mixing as soon as no dry streaks remain to keep the crumb tender.
  5. Gently fold in the finely diced apples so they are evenly distributed without overworking the batter.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top, aiming for an even layer so it bakes uniformly.
  2. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean; if the top browns too fast, loosely tent with foil during the final 15 minutes (look for deep golden edges and a set center).
Glaze, cool, and garnish
  1. Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to prevent soggy sides.
  2. Whisk together powdered sugar, reduced apple cider, and vanilla extract until smooth, thick but drizzle-able, then drizzle over the cooled loaf.
  3. Garnish with thin apple slices, chopped toasted pecans, and a light sprinkle of cinnamon before slicing.

Notes

Pro tip: reduce the apple cider right before you start browning the butter so it can cool to mix-in temperature without slowing your bake. Store sliced loaf in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months for best texture. For a dairy-light swap, use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream (similar tang and moisture).