I have vivid childhood memories of Simchat Torah — the singing, the circling, the joyfulness of adults holding Torah scrolls. But like most children, I secretly lived for what came after services: It was all about that moment when someone handed me a sweet, sticky, wonderfully messy caramel apple. This caramel apple bread feels like a grown‑up, albeit far less chaotic version of that joy.
It’s a tender quick bread packed with chopped apples, so every slice has fruit packed inside. The drizzle of homemade caramel sauce brings that same gooey sweetness we all remember, but in a way that’s easier to share, serve, and eat without getting caramel all over your face. It’s nostalgic; it’s the caramel apple reimagined.
Chag Sameach!
Yield: 1 loaf
For the Bread:
- 1-3/4 Cups All-purpose flour plus 1 Tablespoon, divided
- 1 Cup Sugar, divided
- 2 Teaspoons Ground cinnamon
- 1 Large Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 1-1/2 Teaspoons Baking powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Baking soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground allspice
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Whole milk
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
- 1/2 Cup Chopped pecans
For the Caramel Sauce:
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 1/4 Cup Heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Directions:
For the Bread:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Set aside.
In a medium bowl toss the apples with the cinnamon, ¼ cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining flour and sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and oil.
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir gently until just combined. Fold pecans, apples with any remaining cinnamon sugar into the batter.
Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs. If the outside of the bread is browned but the center is still wet when a toothpick is removed, loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil and continue baking in 10-minute intervals until fully baked.
Cool in pan for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
For the Caramel Sauce:
Add the sugar to a medium stainless-steel saucepan set over medium heat. Stir constantly. The sugar will become lumpy, then melt, and then turn into an amber liquid.
Reduce heat to low and add butter. Stir until butter is fully melted.
Slowly add cream and raise heat back to medium. Stir and let boil for 1 minute until a candy thermometer reads 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove from heat and whisk in salt. Caramel will thicken as it cools. Let stand for 15 minutes before using. Makes about 1/2 cup caramel sauce.
Drizzle caramel sauce over cooled bread. Slice and serve.
Cover bread and store at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to four days. Pour remaining sauce into a glass jar and let it cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for up to one month. Caramel will solidify in the fridge, but it can be reheated to a pourable consistency.
Glendale resident Pam Stein is a Chronicle food writer, known to thousands of online followers as the voice of In Pam’s Kitchen. For more recipes and ideas, follow @inpamskitchen on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) or TikTok.
