Date Apple Quick Bread

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 08/4/21
apple bread with cranberries or dates

 Diana Rattray

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 75 mins
Total: 95 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Yield: 1 loaf

Quick loaves of bread are great additions to your breakfast or brunch tables, are wonderful to accompany coffee or tea, and make tasty desserts. This easy quick bread recipe gets its moisture and flavor from the finely chopped apples and warming spices. Dates give the loaf a chewy texture and the right amount of sweetness, while the milk and butter make a silky dough that browns beautifully in the oven.

Portable and packed with nutrition, this bread is great for picnics and potlucks and makes decadent nut butter and jelly sandwiches for kids' parties. Use thick slices for French toast, press a sandwich with Brie cheese and honey, or simply serve with whipped butter and jelly. There is no wrong way of eating this and it's so easy to make, that you'll find yourself making one each week.

Use any firm and sweet apple, like Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp.

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet apples (e.g., Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious)

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 1 cup chopped dates

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

  3. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.

  4. Peel, core, and finely chop the apples until the fruit measures 1 1/2 cups. Reserve.

  5. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

  6. Using a stand or hand mixer, cream the butter with the sugar. Mix for about 5 minutes.

  7. Roughly beat the eggs in a small bowl and add them to the creamed butter and sugar.

  8. Add half of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Mix for 3 minutes.

  9. Add the milk.

  10. Add the remaining flour to the mixture and mix well for another 5 minutes. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for another 3 minutes.

  11. Add the dates and chopped apple into the batter and mix well with the help of a spatula. The batter will be quite stiff.

  12. Spread the batter in the prepared loaf pan.

  13. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes.

  14. Turn the loaf out onto a rack to cool completely and use a serrated knife to cut.

  15. Enjoy!

Other Dried Fruits and Flavorings for Your Loaf

Using this basic dough as a base, add other ingredients and make your own quick sweet bread. Here are a few ideas:

  • Instead of dates, add dried cranberries or raisins to the dough, or a combination of both.
  • Add chopped dried cherries or apricots, or a combination of both, instead of the dates.
  • Add sliced almonds, crushed cashews, pepitas, or sunflower seeds to give the bread some extra crunch.
  • Use vegan margarine and any milk substitute instead of whole milk and butter to make the loaf dairy-free.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
334 Calories
11g Fat
56g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 334
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 380mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 56g 20%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 119mg 9%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 205mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)