Easy Sour Cream Apple Bread with Pecans

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Easy Sour Cream Apple Bread with Pecans is a simple, homemade, amazing, quick bread loaded with fresh apples, buttery roasted pecans, tangy sour cream, and ground cinnamon.

It’s super moist and super delicious, and every slice of this southern-style apple bread with pecans is excellent whether you serve it for breakfast with a cup of coffee, a quick after-school snack, or just because.

Sliced apple bread with fresh apples next to it.

Like my Sweet Potato Bread, Buttermilk Banana Bread with Blueberries, and Peach Bread, a loaf of this apple pecan bread also makes a thoughtful and much-appreciated hostess gift. It is perfect for welcoming a new neighbor or bringing it to a sick friend.

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Here’s why you will love this recipe:
Ingredient notes:
Step-by-step directions:
Recipe variations:
Serving suggestions:
Recipe FAQs:
Sharon’s tips:
More apple recipes:
📋 Recipe:

Here’s why you will love this recipe:

Like my apple pastries recipe, this apple quick bread is simple to make and only takes minutes to prepare. Also, you won’t need to pull out your mixer because you can mix everything by hand.
It’s a healthier option than some other types of bread or desserts and not as sweet. In addition, apples and pecans are loaded with fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients.
Sour cream apple bread with pecans can be made ahead, and it freezes beautifully.

Ingredient notes:

Ingredients for apple bread including apples and pecans.

Don’t let this lengthy ingredient list dissuade you. You probably already have most of the ingredients on hand, and the hardest part of this recipe is peeling and grating or chopping the apples.

Apples – fresh apples are the star of this show. You can use either sweet or tart apples or a mix.
Applesauce – is only needed to supply moisture if your apples are not juicy.
Sour cream – adds moisture and balances out the sweet apple flavor.
Pecans – add their buttery deliciousness and a bit of crunch. While you can use raw pecans, roasting brings out their richness.
Sugar – a combination of brown and white granulated sugar provides just a touch of sweetness.
Vegetable oil – also provides moisture and keeps the texture of the bread from being too dense.
Eggs – provide flavor and are the glue that holds everything together.
Cinnamon and vanilla extract – provide flavor and enhance all of the other flavors.
All-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt – are the base of this recipe and provide structure and texture.

Step-by-step directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
Use a non-stick baking spray with flour to grease the bottom only of an 8.5 x 4.5-inch or a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Then, add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and applesauce (if needed) and whisk to combine.

Using a whisk to combine eggs and brown sugar in a bowl.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl and add to the wet ingredients. Whisk to combine. Add the grated or chopped apples and pecans and stir to combine.

Chopped apples and batter in a metal bowl with a whisk.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean with no streaks of batter.

Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack. Then, remove it from the pan, slice, and serve.

A cutting board with sliced apple bread.

Recipe variations:

If you want to change this recipe up a bit, you can substitute candied pecans or chopped walnuts for the roasted pecans or leave the nuts out altogether. You could also add a handful of raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates, or caramel chips.

In addition, if you want to kick things up a notch, you could add a streusel topping, brown sugar topping, or drizzle the bread with a caramel sauce or glaze.

Serving suggestions:

A slice of Sour Cream Apple Bread with Pecans is tasty just as it is. A slice can also be served lightly toasted and topped with Pecan Butter, Orange Butter, Maple Bourbon Butter, Apple Curd, or even softened cream cheese.

Leftovers could be used to make apple bread pudding or apple french toast.

Recipe FAQs:

What are the best apples to use in this recipe?

I like to use a combination of crisp, sweet Honeycrisp and tart Granny Smith apples. However, any firm apple variety you use in baking, such as Braeburn, Fuji, and Pink Lady, also works well. Avoid softer varieties such as Golden Delicious.

Can this recipe be made ahead?

Yes! This delicious and moist apple bread can be made several days ahead, and as long as it is wrapped well, it will stay fresh for as long as four days at room temperature.

Can this bread be frozen?

Yes, apple bread freezes beautifully. To freeze, allow it to cool first, and then wrap it securely in plastic wrap and then foil. It can be frozen for up to three months. Before slicing and serving, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

What is the difference between quick bread and yeast bread?

The main differences are what kind of leavener is used and how much time it takes to make the bread.

Quick bread uses baking powder or baking soda as leaveners, and the batter can be mixed up in a bowl and then baked. This process generally takes an hour or less.

Yeast bread, on the other hand, uses yeast as a leavener and involves kneading and allowing the dough to rise before baking. This process generally takes several hours.

Sharon’s tips:

If you don’t have baking spray, you can also use butter to grease the bottom of the pan and then sprinkle a tablespoon of flour or sugar over it. Next, tap the pan on the counter to evenly distribute the flour or sugar and pour out any excess.
You only need the applesauce if your apples are not juicy. (For example, I had a little over a tablespoon of apple juice in the bowl after chopping my apples, so I didn’t add the applesauce.)
If your apples are not juicy and you don’t have any applesauce, you can add two tablespoons of sour cream.
Because you only need half a cup of pecans, I think it’s easiest to roast them in the microwave. Place the chopped nuts on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for two minutes. Taste and continue microwaving them in 30-second increments until they are roasted.
Once you fill your pan with batter, be sure to bake it right away. Your bread may not rise properly if you allow it to sit too long before baking.
All ovens bake differently and the baking times listed are just a guide. It may take less or more time for your bread to be done. Start checking it about five minutes before you think it will be ready, and watch for the bread to start pulling away from the sides.
Like most baked goods recipes, if you want to make more than one loaf, it is better to make the batter in several batches instead of doubling or tripling the recipe.