No butter or oil is used in the bread batter yet this Apple Praline Bread is so moist and delicious. The big bonus is the lovely praline topping that is nutty and crunchy and truly yummy!
Last year, I was reading the local newspaper (Holland Sentinel) when I chanced upon this lovely bread recipe. It was the winner for the Apple Recipe Contest sponsored by the Downtown Holland Magazine, a publication of the Holland Sentinel. Upon reading it, I knew I just had to try it.
It was such a delicious recipe! No surprise that it won the contest!
What was unbelievable was that it was actually a low-fat bread – no butter or oil is used in the batter yet it comes out super moist!
And what makes it a star is the topping!!!
The praline topping with crunchy nuts and buttery sauce is totally divine. So that’s the only part with some fat in it!
Photo below shows what Apple Praline Bread looks like when I baked it in my long loaf tin.
If only to taste the topping, you gotta make this. Surely, this has become our favorite fall bread.
But since apples are available any time of the year it’s worth making this regardless of the season!
What are you waiting for – make it today and be amazed at this delicious bread with no butter or oil!
Photo below of Apple Praline Bread when you bake it with brown sugar.
Either way, it’s delicious and perfect with a cup of tea!
Below is the step-by-step photo instructions on how to make this yummy bread. For printing, please check the recipe card below.
Ingredients for Apple Praline Bread
For the bread batter
- sour cream or yogurt as a substitute
- sugar (brown or white, though brown sugar would make the bread look darker as the photo above shows, I have used both)
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose or plain flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- baking apples (sweet-tart variety like Granny Smith is great for this)
- nuts (walnut or pecan or a combo)
For the praline sauce
- brown sugar
- butter
How to make Apple Praline Bread
1. Simply mix or beat together the sour cream/yogurt, sugar, eggs, and vanilla to combine. An electric mixer would make it easier but a whisk with some elbow grease should be fine for the job, too!
2. Add in the flour, leavening agents, and salt. Continue to mix until well combined.
Fold in the apples and a portion of the nuts into the batter. The apples here still look big as this was my first attempt but then the second time around, I chopped them finely so the bread is easier to cut when it’s completely cooled down and does not break apart. Lesson: Make sure to slice the apples thin!
Transfer the batter to the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. Then, bake!
Look at the result below! What a gorgeous bread (and my little princess is gorgeous, too!!!). She was still so tiny here and insisted I take a photo of her with the bread. I can’t believe this was nearly 10 years ago!
Yes, I’ve been making this bread for that long – it’s our staple for fall!
For the praline sauce
In a small saucepan, place the butter and brown sugar.
Using medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and then simmer lightly for about one minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and the sugar is fully melted.
Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool completely.
This is what makes the bread over the top yummy!!! What a lovely fall bread indeed!
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Apple Praline Bread
Ingredients
For the bread batter
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sugar, (brown or white, though brown sugar would make the bread look darker as the photo above shows, I have used both)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups baking apples or 2 small-medium ones (sweet-tart variety like Granny Smith is great for this), peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup nuts (walnut or pecan or a combo), divided
For the praline topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set aside.Using an electric mixer, beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla on low speed until well blended.
- Stop the mixer and then add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Continue to beat on low until well combined.
- Fold in the apples and 3/4 cup of the nuts into the batter. Transfer the batter to the greased loaf pan.
- Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.Cool in the loaf pan for about 20-30 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Drizzle the praline sauce all over.
- For the praline sauceIn a small saucepan, place the butter and brown sugar.
- Using medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and then simmer lightly for about one minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and the sugar is fully melted.
- Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool the loaf completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
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Psalm 46:1-4
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (Selah) 4
Last updated on September 8th, 2023 at 04:27 pm
wow what a beautiful bake, adding sour cream just does magic to the loaf… no wonder it is so moist and rich, love the last click too cute
Priya
Cook like Priya
Thanks, Priya! Yup, it is a yummy bread indeed!
This looks divine!
We love this bread! Thanks for dropping by Lisa!
This truly looks amazing, Abby! Moist and perfect for the season..I am loving it and have to try it! This bread would go perfect with my afternoon tea! Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!
I think any tea will pair lovely with it! Thanks for coming by, Sandra!
Yummy and moist looking cake dear. Delish. I frequently add yogurt instead when ever a baking recipe calls for sour cream. It turns out moist still. May be sour cream would have made them softer. Will try urs soon dear. U r so amazing in updating ur blog dear. I would have luved to live near u to get samples to try 🙂
Sherin dear, I would have you as a neighbor in a heartbeat! Wouldn't it be great to be so near so we can share recipes? Shame we are an ocean away. 🙁 But thanks to FB and blogging, we are almost near!
By the way, when I run out of sour cream, yogurt is always my substitute. I heard that Greek yogurt is so good for cakes and breads so will have to try that next time. Take care!
I'm going to make this today with Greek yogurt. Can't wait to try it.
I am making this! Maybe tonight! Thanks! 🙂
Hi Lois! Hope it works well for you. Have made these a few times last year. Will have to make it again soon. Thanks for visiting!
So glad you joined us with THIS recipe! Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday! Please come back on Sunday to VOTE!
I love Foodie Friends Friday, won't miss it, if I can help it! Thanks, Lois!
This sounds yummy. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday.
You're welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
Great looking bread
Loooooooooove the praline topping – I think it adds a lot!:)
Yes, it adds not just flavor but texture too! Thanks for stopping by Winnie!
Mmmmm, this looks fabulously scrumptious!! Stopping over from Foodie Friends Friday. SO voting for this one!! 🙂
~April
dimplesanddelights.blogspot.com
Hi April! So kind of you to say that! Thanks for stopping over.
What a delicious looking bread!!! A quick question, do I drizzle the praline sauce while the bread is still cooling inside the pan or do I drizzle AFTER it is COMPLETELY cooled? Thank you so much for sharing this:-)
Hi! I usually take the bread out of the loaf pan after 20-30 mins and then I cook the sauce and then drizzle it over. Then I let it cool completely. Thanks for visiting!
Congratulations! You are being featured on Weekend Potluck today! Feel free to come grab an "I was featured" button from my blog.
Happy Friday! Tonya
http://4littlefergusons.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/weekend-potluck-39-our-cookbook/
Oh wow! I'm over the moon! Thank you so much. This is so unexpected so I am so grateful for this blessing!
Oh my, your bread looks so good. Perfect fall treat.
Thanks, Brandi! Do try it if you can. It's truly a great Fall bread. Thank you so much for stopping by!
This looks amazing Abby. I can't believe it has no butter! It looks so moist I'd never believe it!
I was skeptical at first too Valerie but when I tried it, it was surprisingly moist and delicious! Hope you can try it. Thanks for stopping by Valerie!
made this today. I recommend adding some nutmeg and cinnamon. Otherwisee, came out very good. Very moist. Glaze on top hardens quickly on cake. So spread it super fast if you want to cover entire cake. I think I cooked the topping a bit longer than recommended and it ended up tasting like a praline. It was yummy but as I said, hardened very quick on the cake.
Thanks for the feedback. Adding spices sounds good, too.
Wow no added fat~! Nice and looks delish will have to try
Thanks! Yeah I was amazed too that it turned out moist even thought there's no fat! Hope you like it!
I'll be making this, for sure. I love ANYTHING praline!
Thanks, Becky! Praline toppings are always the best! Hope you like it!
I had a feeling you were going to say there was yogurt or sour cream in this recipe. I use both of them often in my cakes and loaf recipes as it yield such a fluffy and moist cake. Thanks for sharing Abby! Mr.CBB
Thanks! Glad you stopped by. 🙂
Abby, this looks absolutely delightful. I have every ingredient on hand and am pretty sure I will be making this today. Thank you so much for coming by.
Donna
Hi Donna! Thank you so much for stopping by and I surely hope you enjoy making it. It's a yummy fall treat, indeed. 🙂
Just made this, but I only had 3/4 c of sour cream so I added 1/4 c of apple butter. We shall see how it comes out! The batter was yummy! 😉
The addition of apple butter sounds fantastic! Please enjoy Terry and hope all went ok. Thanks for stopping by.
I would like to copy and email this recipe to myself where I can print it. Then I can have it in the kitchen and view while I am making it. I would like to try it but am unable to copy it – it says you have a function on so it can't be copied.
Summer, if you scroll down there's a print-friendly icon. Please use that for printing and then click on the "remove images" box for easy and convenient printing.
Love it ,so good,made it lots of time in muffin too! And did share this recipe with some of my friends.
Wow! It looks absolutely scrumptious and delicious! I cannot wait to make it and maybe bring it to church for our next potluck..
This looks delicious!! I love the chunks of apples inside :).
I love your bread, will be making for some friends. It is a family favorite. Thank you.
.
Author
So glad to know that! This is indeed such a yummy bread! Thanks for stopping by.
Oh my goodness – how incredibly decadent! Almost like a cake! Apple bread is a win, right from the start, but that praline topping just puts it over the top – I adore pralines!
Oh wow, praline and apple just go so well together. The pictures are making my mouth water! I can’t wait to taste this apple praline bread.
This looks so delicious! It’s making my mouth water! I’m so excited to try this apple praline bread!
This is super moist and delicious. Looks so good and I just cant wait to try this out.
That looks gorgeous and perfect for this time of year. I notice someone was eyeing it up.
Author
Yes, she loved it. Thanks!
I have so many apples right now and was looking for the perfect recipe to use them. Found it!
Omg this apple bread was absolutely delicious!! I loved how soft and moist it was, and it was super easy to make. The perfect breakfast for those cooler fall mornings!
OMG look at the topping on this apple bread. My mouth is watering. The perfect pairing with coffee. A great brunch idea on the weekend. Also makes a great dessert.
Love the sound of this! This apple praline bread sounds so moist and delicious – definitely need to give it a go.
Oh my, how yummy does this apple praline bread look? I love that it uses no oil and it’s still just as moist.
Author
Thanks for catching it. It’s just 1 cup sugar – that was a typo error from the recipe card. Thanks and hope you enjoy.
The recipe is easy the bread is delicious my only bad comment is I printed out the recipe not all the other stuff on the page just the recipe and when I went to make it there was no comments on how to make the praline sauce and when you put it on I had to go back to the Internet find a recipe to figure out how to do it and when to do it other than that it’s great
Author
The instructions for praline sauce are also actually included in the step-by-step photo instructions above the recipe card. Perhaps it was just missed. Nonetheless, I am glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for letting us know, Jackie.
I definitely have to try this. The ingredients are normally in the house. I have not made praline before but your directions make everything appealing.
What size of pan not loaf to make into a cake
Author
It has the texture of bread (it being a quick bread) so it won’t be like your usual sponge cake. But if you want to use a cake pan, you can use an 8-9 inch round cake pan. Do adjust the temps because it’s a different pan. Thanks, and enjoy.
Sounds delicious and I plan to make it, but every time I make a boiled brown sugar topping it gets so hard it breaks in pieces when cut, what am I doing wrong? I tried boiling less at low temperature and less time with not much success.
Author
Did you mean it breaks as you slice the bread? A little breakage or a few tiny pieces here in there should be fine. I’ve never found that to be an issue though as mine never fully disintegrates or breakdown when I slice. If you mean though that they harden while you’re cooking and break into big pieces, then you probably have waited too long. Simply carefully eyeball it next time as you cook and while you allow it to boil a little just up to the point when the sugar has melted and mixed with the butter. Immediately pour over and then simply let it drizzle to the sides. It may harden a little but should still be easy to slice. Hope that helps.
I was wondering if you could grate the apples so the pieces would be small? Wondering if grating would add too much liquid.
Author
I don’t think it would be a problem. What I do is really slice the apples into small pieces so it’s not difficult to cut once it’s baked.
One of my favorite quick breads of all time. It’s beyond delicious! It’s literally one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.
I make the recipe precisely as written, except that I’ve started doubling the praline sauce topping. I can’t get enough of it.