Apple Cinnamon Babka is made with a cinnamon sugar filling with chopped apples that have been sauteed in butter. This delicious Jewish cake is browned to perfection and is drizzled with a sweet cinnamon glaze.

This homemade sweet bread is made using a brioche bread recipe that is proofed and rolled around a cinnamon sugar filling, braided, and baked to beautiful golden perfection.

Apple Cinnamon Babka sliced with cinnamon glaze.

Apple Crumb Coffee Cake is another delicious apple dessert perfect for breakfast or dessert and this Apple Dapple Cake is a classic apple dessert.

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Ingredients in Apple Cinnamon Babka
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📖 Recipe

Ingredients in Apple Cinnamon Babka

It may seem like there are a lot of ingredients in making this Apple Cinnamon Babka (Apple Cinnamon Sweet Bread) but it's a lot of the same ingredients used in different steps.

Dry instant yeast
Warm milk
Egg
Unsalted butter
Salt
Granulated sugar
Ground cinnamon
Jonagold apples - Honey Crisp and Pink Lady are great options for this babka as they hold their shape well during baking
Ground nutmeg
Allspice
Dark brown sugar
Confectioner's sugar
Vanilla extract

Top view of braided apple cinnamon sweet bread cooling on wire rack.

Make the Brioche dough- Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment or a hand mixer with a large mixing bowl. Combine the warm milk and the dry yeast together. Allow it to sit for five minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
Combine the egg, the three tablespoons of butter, all-purpose flour, and the salt.

Sprinkle in the sugar and sugar and mix.
Allow the mixture to rest for a few minutes to soak up all of the moisture.

*If using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat on medium until a dough forms. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.

If using a hand mixer, for this step, you will want to knead by hand to get the dough to be the right texture.

Turn the dough over onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough into a ball. Grease a bowl and place the brioche dough into it.

Cover and allow it proof (double in size) for at least 45-50 minutes.

TIP: For quicker proofing, use an Instant Pot on the “Yogurt” setting and place a glass lid on top of the pot. Set the timer to 30 minutes and allow the dough to proof without lifting the lid.

You can also place it in a warm area of your home, or use the “Proof” setting on your oven.

Make the cinnamon sugar filling - While the dough is proofing, make the cinnamon sugar filling while the dough is proofing.

A loaf of braided apple cinnamon sweet bread fresh out of the oven resting on a wire rack to cool

To do this, blend the room temperature butter together with the dark brown sugar and cinnamon until the ingredients are well blended and it’s thick and gritty. Set aside and saute the apples.

Saute the apples- Add the tablespoon of butter to a skillet and heat it over medium-high.

Add in the diced apples and sprinkle with the ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, allspice, and ground cardamom. Stir to cover the apples well and cook the apples until they turn tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Prepare the pan for the babka- Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease and flour it. Turn the proofed dough over onto a lightly floured workspace, punch it down, and then roll it into an 11x15 inch rectangle.

Spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture - Spread the mixture with a spoon or pastry brush, spreading all of the way to the sides.

Spread the apple filling- Carefully place the apple filling evenly on top of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Press down gently to push the apples into the dough to prevent them from moving.

Roll up the brioche dough - Starting with the shorter end, roll the dough tightly into a log. Then, cut the log in half lengthwise.

Braid the apple cinnamon babka dough - Cross cross the dough turning it slightly so that the filling is facing upwards. Press the ends together to create a seal on both ends.

Cinnamon glaze being drizzled onto the warm apple cinnamon babka loaf.

Proof the dough again - Gently and carefully move the braided babka to the prepared pan. If needed, gently squish the dough to make it fit in the pan. Cover the pan and allow it to rise for another 45 minutes. It should be puffy - if needed, allow it rise longer.

Prepare the oven- Preheat the oven to 350° and once the time for proofing the babka is over, place the pan in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The dough should be a dark golden brown.

Prepare the cinnamon glaze- While the apple cinnamon babka is baking, prepare the cinnamon glaze by combining the confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon and milk together in a small bowl. Mix until smooth.

Drizzle the cinnamon icing on the babka - Allow the babka to cool down until slightly warm and drizzle the cinnamon icing on the babka. Store in an airtight container.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 12 slices

Apple Cinnamon Babka

Name: Apple Cinnamon Babka
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup warm milk (120 degrees); 2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast; 1 egg, room temperature; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 2 Jonagold apples, peeled and diced (Honey Crisp and Pink Lady are good options too); 1 tablespoon butter; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon allspice; 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; 1/2 cup dark brown sugar; 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 6 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar; 1/2 tablespoon milk; 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon vanilla

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Proofing Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Brioche dough

½ cup warm milk (120 degrees)
2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1 egg, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sautéed Apples

2 Jonagold apples, peeled and diced (Honey Crisp and Pink Lady are good options too)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Glaze

6 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
½ tablespoon milk
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Make the Brioche dough

Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment or a hand mixer with a large mixing bowl.
Combine the warm milk and the dry yeast together. Allow it to sit for five minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
Combine the egg, the three tablespoons of butter, all-purpose flour, and the salt. Sprinkle in the sugar and sugar and mix.
Allow the mixture to rest for a few minutes to soak up all of the moisture.
*If using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat on medium until a dough forms. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 5 to 6 minutes. If using a hand mixer, for this step, you will want to knead by hand to get the dough to be the right texture.
Turn the dough over onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough into a ball. Grease a bowl and place the round ball of dough into it. Cover and allow it proof (double in size) for at least 45-50 minutes.

Make the Cinnamon Sugar Filling

While the dough is proofing, make the cinnamon sugar filling while the dough is proofing.
Blend together the room temperature butter together with the dark brown sugar and cinnamon until the ingredients are well blended and it’s thick and gritty.
Set aside and saute the apples.

Saute the Apples

Add the tablespoon of butter to a skillet and heat it over medium-high. Add in the diced apples and sprinkle with the ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, allspice, and ground cardamom.
Stir to cover the apples well and cook the apples until they turn tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Make the Babka

Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly grease and flour it.
Turn the proofed dough over onto a lightly floured workspace, punch it down, and then roll into an 11x15 inch rectangle.
Spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture - Spread the mixture with a spoon or pastry brush, spreading all of the way to the sides.
Carefully place the apple filling evenly on top of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Press down gently to push them into the dough to prevent the apples from moving.
Starting with the shorter end, roll the dough tightly into a log.
Cut the log in half lengthwise.
Braid the babka dough by crisscrossing the dough turning it slightly so that the filling is facing upwards.
Press the ends together to create a seal on both ends.
Gently and carefully move the braided babka to the prepared pan. If needed, gently squish the dough to make it fit in the pan.
Cover the pan and allow it to rise for another 45 minutes. It should be puffy - if needed, allow it rise longer.

Bake the Apple Cinnamon Babka

Preheat the oven to 350° and once the time for proofing the babka is over, place the pan in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
The dough should be a dark golden brown after baking.
Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Prepare the Cinnamon Glaze

While the babka is baking, prepare the cinnamon glaze by combining the confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon and milk together in a small bowl.
Mix until smooth.
Drizzle the cinnamon icing on the babka - Allow the babka to cool down until slightly warm and drizzle the cinnamon icing onto the top.
Store in an airtight container.

Notes

TIP: For quicker proofing, use an Instant Pot on the “Yogurt” setting and place a glass lid on top of the pot. Set the timer to 30 minutes and allow the dough to proof without lifting the lid.

Ingredients in Apple Cinnamon Babka

📖 Recipe

Apple Cinnamon Babka