This apple cinnamon babka features sweet apples and a thick cinnamon filling twisted inside a rich and buttery yeasted dough. Finish the indulgent loaf with a buttery brown sugar cinnamon crumble topping and bake until golden brown. This is a must-try recipe and it’s impossible not to love!
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
What Is Babka?
Babka has a rich history. When I read more about the treat as I worked on today’s recipe, I learned that it originated in the early 1800s with the Polish Jewish community. Leftover challah dough was filled with jam or cinnamon, rolled up, and baked. The babka we see all over the place today, I read, is much richer and sweeter than its ancestor. You can find it filled with chocolate or almond paste—this is my favorite chocolate version—or the newer babka variations with pizza fillings, Nutella, pesto, and more. Food52 has an in-depth article all about babka if you want to read more about its history and popularity today.
I first tried my hand at homemade babka a couple years ago. Who’s made the Nutella babka recipe before? If you loved it, you’re in for a treat today. If you’re not a fan of Nutella, you’re also in for a treat today. I revamped the dough so it’s (1) even richer (2) even flakier and (3) only yields 1 loaf instead of 2. In terms of taste and texture, it’s more like a brioche loaf than croissant bread. We’re filling it with a thick layer of sweet cinnamon and you can use your favorite variety of apples. If I’m being honest, this apple cinnamon babka has to be one of the best things I’ve made all year. Between all the recipe testing, today’s photos, the video, and making it for a few friends, I’ve baked about 12 loaves by now. And there’s NEVER a crumb leftover.
In case you’re wondering, our self control is stuck inside one of those apple cinnamon swirls. I’m positive you’re going to obsess over it too.
Apple Cinnamon Babka Video Tutorial
Detailed Overview: How to Make Apple Cinnamon Babka
The full written recipe is below, but let me walk you through the steps so you can understand the process before starting.
- The dough. You need milk, yeast, sugar, butter, egg yolks, salt, and flour. Why only egg yolks? They make the richest tasting dough. We’re not wasting the egg whites, though—we’ll use one in the filling and one to brush on the dough before adding the topping. The dough is very soft, supple, and almost creamy-feeling. After the dough is prepared, it’s time to knead it. You can knead the dough with your mixer or by hand. You can watch me knead the dough in the video tutorial above. Add additional flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to your work surface.
- Extended rise time. Allow the prepared dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 3–4 hours or until nearly double in size. This dough is rich with fat, so it takes longer than other doughs to rise. Don’t be nervous if it’s closer to 4–5 hours—it’s a heavy dough and needs extra time to rise.
- The apple cinnamon filling. First, soften the apples on the stove with a little butter. (Step 5 in the recipe below.) Second, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract until crumbly and combined. Stir in one of the leftover egg whites. The egg white helps solidify the cinnamon filling, so it’s extra thick and crumbly inside. Like cinnamon crunch bread and cinnamon swirl quick bread, this babka is heavy on the cinnamon. We really want it to stand out!
- Shape the babka dough: As noted in the written recipe below, punch down the dough then roll it out into a 12×16-inch rectangle. Gently spread the brown sugar cinnamon filling all over the dough, then top with the apples. We’re shaping today’s babka a little differently than the Nutella babka. In that recipe, you slice the rolled dough down the center to expose the Nutella inside. That proved to be very difficult here, as all the apples spilled out. Instead, tightly roll up the dough to form a 16-inch log. Fold in half, then twist it to form a figure 8. Use the video tutorial above for a visual and detailed directions below as your guide.
- 2nd rise: Let the shaped babka rise in a greased loaf pan for about 1–1.5 hours.
- Crumble topping: The crumble topping is totally optional. But it uses some of the same ingredients you need for the dough and filling, so why not? Mix a little brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Add cold butter and using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut it into the brown sugar mixture until crumbles form.
- Finish it off before baking: Remember that other egg white? We’ll use it here. Carefully brush the surface of the babka with the last remaining egg white. Using a toothpick, poke 10–12 holes all over the top of the loaf. Why are you doing this? It actually allows steam to escape from inside the loaf so the layers don’t separate. I learned this trick from Food52. Finally, sprinkle the crumble topping on top.
- Time to bake: The bread takes about 1 hour, give or take. If you notice the top browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.
Serving/Slicing Tip: For neat slices, I recommend cooling the babka completely before slicing. The bread has so much filling that it will fall apart if sliced warm.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here is the dough after you mix the dough ingredients together:
Here is the dough after it rises and then after you punch it down:
Soften the apples on the stove and make the cinnamon filling:
Spread cinnamon filling on rolled out dough and top with apples:
Roll it up into a log:
Left photo below (before 2nd rise): Fold log in half, then twist into a figure 8. Place into your greased loaf pan, then let it rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
Right photo below (after 2nd rise): Dough is nice and puffy. Brush with egg white, poke holes in the loaf to prevent separation, then top with crumble topping.
Bake until golden brown. The brown sugar cinnamon topping melts down, some apple cinnamon filling may seep out creating jammy-like edges and crevices, and the entire kitchen smells like fall. This is SO GOOD:
In Short, This Apple Cinnamon Babka Is:
- Extra flaky
- Buttery, moist, and overflowing with apple cinnamon filling
- Mesmerizing with all those delicious swirls
- Topped with buttery brown sugar cinnamon crumbles
- Irresistible & addictive (we COULDN’T STOP EATING THIS)
- Satisfying, especially on a cool rainy day
- Worth all the effort, trust me!
For an easier apple cinnamon recipe without yeast, you’ll enjoy this apple cinnamon bread. And don’t forget to try my fresh and easy apple cake if you find yourself with a plethora of apples!
Print
Apple Cinnamon Babka
- Prep Time: 5 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 6 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Jewish
Description
This apple cinnamon babka features sweet apples and a thick cinnamon filling twisted inside a rich and buttery yeasted dough. See recipe notes for freezing and overnight instructions.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) Platinum Yeast from Red Star (1 standard packet)*
- 1/3 cup (62g) granulated sugar, divided
- 5 Tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, sliced into 1 Tbsp-size pieces and softened to room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks (reserve 2 egg whites for filling and topping)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 and 2/3 cups (334g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more as needed and extra for work surface and hands
Filling
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, divided
- 2 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced into bite-size pieces (2–2.5 cups, or 250–313g)*
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar (or a mix of both)
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg white (reserved from dough)
Crumble Topping (Optional)
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Brush on Assembled Loaf
- 1 egg white (reserved from dough)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. *If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a handheld mixer or mix the dough by hand using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.*
- Add the remaining sugar, the butter, egg yolks, salt, and 1 cup (125g) flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add another 1 cup of flour. Beat on medium speed until relatively incorporated (there may still be chunks of butter). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add 1/2 cup of flour and beat on medium speed until the dough begins to come together. As the mixer runs, add another 2–4 Tablespoons of flour depending on how wet the dough looks. (I usually add another 2 Tbsp, which makes it about 2 and 2/3 cups of flour total.) This should be a very soft and almost creamy-feeling dough. Do not add more flour than you need.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 3 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured work surface for 3 minutes. Add additional flour as you knead it, as needed to prevent it from sticking to the work surface. The dough is very buttery and soft. (See video tutorial above if you need a visual of kneading dough by hand.)
- 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 3–4 hours or until nearly double in size. This dough is rich with fat, so it takes longer than other doughs to rise. (If desired, use my warm oven trick for rising. See my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Towards the end of rise time, you can prepare the filling: Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in a large skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add the apples. Stir and cook until the apples are slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice to help prevent browning. Set aside. For the rest of the filling in this step, make sure you don’t prepare it too far in advance because the butter will solidify and spreading onto the dough will be difficult. Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter in a medium heatproof bowl in the microwave (or use the stove). Stir in brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract until crumbly and combined. Stir in the egg white. Set aside.
- Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Shape the dough: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a 12×16-inch rectangle. Carefully and slowly spread the cinnamon filling mixture on top. (The dough is quite soft underneath and you don’t want to tear it.) Add the apples in a single layer. Using floured hands, tightly roll up the dough to form a 16-inch long log. If any parts of the dough feel soft as you roll it up, add a sprinkle of flour as I do in the video above. Place the log on its seam. Fold in half, then twist it to form a figure 8. Pinch the ends together. Use the video tutorial and photos above as a visual. Place in prepared loaf pan.
- 2nd Rise: Cover shaped babka with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until it’s puffy and nearly reaches the top of the loaf pan, about 1–1.5 hours.
- Towards the end of rise time, you can prepare the crumble topping: Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Add the cold butter and using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut butter into the brown sugar mixture until pea-size crumbles form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Place a baking sheet on a lower oven rack to catch any juices or crumbles that may drip/drop down. (Has only happened to me once!)
- Carefully brush the surface of the babka with last remaining egg white. Using a toothpick, poke 10–12 holes all over the top of the loaf. This allows steam to escape from inside the loaf so the layers don’t separate. Sprinkle with crumble topping.
- Bake: Bake for 60–65 minutes or until golden brown on top. If you gently tap on the loaf, it should sound hollow. If you notice the top browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. (I usually add aluminum foil over the loaf around the 25-minute mark.) Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. For neat slices as pictured above, I recommend cooling completely before slicing. A serrated knife is best for slicing.
- Cover leftover babka tightly and store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Baked babka freezes wonderfully. Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw wrapped loaf overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm to your liking. You can also freeze the dough. After punching down the dough in step 7, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then punch the dough down again to release any air bubbles. Continue with the rest of step 7.
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare the dough through step 3. Place into a greased bowl (use nonstick spray to grease). Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to come to room temperature, then let it rise until doubled in size, about 3 hours. Continue with step 5. I don’t recommend shaping the bread the night before as it will puff up too much overnight.
- Yeast: Platinum Yeast from Red Star is an instant yeast. Any instant yeast works. You can use a 1:1 substitution of active dry yeast instead with no changes to the recipe. Rise times will be slightly longer if using active dry yeast. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Apples: Use your favorite variety of apple. I typically use Granny Smith, Fuji, or Honeycrisp.
Keywords: apple cinnamon babka, apple bread
Failure. Waste of my time and money for ingredients. Everything was fine until I rolled it and all the filling oozed out the end. Couldn’t seal so I had to throw away
★
Hi Carolyn! Was your cinnamon filling particularly gooey or too wet? If you ever try the recipe again, don’t toss it! You could unroll it, and (with floured hands) try to get some of the filling back onto the dough. It’s messy but it works if you can get it all into the loaf pan!
Dough is very soft and ripped with the addition of the filling and apples. It almost seems like cookie dough in texture. It smells nice and I’m looking forward to trying it, but I think I’ll stick to a different dough recipe that has performed better for me.
★★★
Hi Kathleen! Yes, the dough is very soft and almost creamy-like in texture and feel. If you ever try this dough again, feel free to add a little more flour.
I tried this and it was absolutely delicious. The bread was so soft and the crumble on top provided a distinct texture. So good, I’ll definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
Unfortunately I couldn’t even get it off the countertop! I will tackle this again though. I always turn to your site for recipes and enjoy your helpful video tutorials. Every recipe I make from your site usually rocks. Operator error!!
Mine came out amazing it was so tasty!! Thank you
★★★★★
I made this for breakfast this morning and it was delicious (and really fun to make)! I will definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
Great recipe! Decided to try this last night and had a slice this morning for breakfast – it’s delicious. While it was baking, the house smelt like apple cinnamon goodness.
I didn’t have a 9″x5″ bread pan on hand but I really wanted to try this recipe. So I divided the dough (and filling and crumble topping) in half and used the two 8.5″x4.5″ pans that I had – and it worked! Two delectable apple cinnamon babkas? Yes, please 🙂
I also sprinkled some chopped toasted walnuts after I layered the apples on one of the babkas – added a nice crunch.
Thank you for a great recipe! Adding this one to the recipe binder 🙂
★★★★★
I’ve made this twice now and they’ve turned out delicious, but both times I end up with nice swirls and the apples are spaced nicely, but the cinnamon/sugar filling is all gathered at the bottom, as well as some minor leakage.
Is this an issue of not rolling the dough tight enough?
★★★★★
Hi Patrick, that could very well be the culprit. The filling can seep out of the dough a bit, but it shouldn’t pool all at the bottom. Try rolling the dough up as tight as you can. You may want to slightly reduce the 2nd rise time too– perhaps it starts to warm up and pool during that time too.
This bread is delicious! I’m wondering if I didn’t let it rise enough on the second proof- the dough was at the top of the bread pan like the recipe suggested, but didn’t seem to puff very much when it baked. Not sure what I did wrong but it still tasted amazing with all of that crunchy cinnamon goodness sprinkled on the top! I’ll have to try it again or another one of your bread recipes… I love your recipes and always come to your site for wonderful dessert ideas!
★★★★★
Great recipe. I followed the instructions exactly and it turned out really well!
★★★★★
Ok I really wanted to love this but my loaf was rising like crazy! Two parts of it burst open during the second proof and it was bursting out of the loaf pan. I baked it and it turned out so messy. I tasted some bits and pieces that fell off from the loaf and it was delicious so I’m going to try the recipe again.
★★★★
The bones are there but I’m wondering if something needs to be adjusted in the recipe? Mine pretty much exploded in the oven. It would not stop rising. But it made the house smell wonderful.
★★★
My loaf pan is 8.5×4.5 instead of 9×5, will I need to reduce the recipe or do you think I will be ok? Thanks in advance!
Hi Marisa, unfortunately that pan is too small for the recipe as written.
Great tutorial and recipe. Really enjoyed making, and eating, this today.
★★★★★
As I type, mine is in the oven. My boyfriend is from New York and loves the raisin babka up there, but in the south you won’t find it. I replaced the apples with raisins and braided the bread. Omg, it smells so good!!! I’m not a big fan of raisins but I will be trying this. The steps were so simple. Thank you for a great recipe.
★★★★★
This recipe is absolutely fantastic. My husband has been requesting I try to make babka for a long time now and when this recipe was added to the site, I knew I had to give it a try! This babka is incredible! The dough is so soft and the apple cinnamon filling is just delicious. Thank you so much Sally for making this recipe so detailed and incredibly easy to execute. This is definitely going to be part of our rotation going forward!
★★★★★
This was delicious! I did make 2 seperate batches, and baked them at the same time. I over proofed them a bit, but they were so yummy they didn’t last long. Thank you for the tip! I am so happy to be baking again and I love your recipes!
★★★★★
i made this recipe for the Yom Kippur meal and it was a hit. your instructions are spot on, the dough is just sweet enough , moist and rose with ease. I used the dough hook attachment on the blender with your times and it was perfect. The babka blows away any store bought items Thank you for thus delicious recipe, it will become family tradition.
I keep trying to come up with a word to describe this utterly amazing apple cinnamon babka! Definitely a combination of sweet roll and apple pie!
Scrumpdelyisish! Can a person have an apple cinnamon babka addiction? This my first time either making or tasting babka, oh my oh my oh myI enjoyed the challenge and the process and the EATI NG!!!
I plan on making babkas as Christmas gifts to a few family members.
Thank you Sally for your directions and pictures that made this so easy to follow!
★★★★★
Could I make this in another pan, such as a bundt pan? I don’t have any loaf pans.
I wish we could help, but we’ve never baked this out of a loaf pan before. You can certainly try it if you’d like. Let us know if you do!
Made this twice this weekend (the first one sadly got gobbled up by the dog when she snuck onto the counter). However, I had issues with both. The first time I misread the directions and definitely let it overprove during the second rise. When it baked, it puffed up massively and bits of the top slid down the side. The second time I followed the directions exactly but the same thing (to a lesser extent) happened. The babka rose in the oven but then slid down the sides so that it was, once again, flat. Tasted great and I’ll definitely give it one more go, but ah!
★★★★
Sally, your baking addiction fuels my lifelong passion for baking.
This Apple-Cinnamon Babka was delicious and beyond! The instructions were so easy to follow and the result was outstanding! My best advice is: DO NOT SKIP THE TOPPING! This is dessert extraordinaire. Cannot say enough about this fabulous recipe, and so many others I’ve made from your blog. Cheers
★★★★★
Delicious! Instead of the cinnamon rolls I make for Christmas gifts, thinking I might make this instead this year. The dough was so fluffy and the crumble on top was heaven. The one issue I had was that it rose so high on the second proof that it spilled over when baked and didn’t make the prettiest looking babka haha any recommendations for keeping it from spilling over my loaf pan? Split it into two? Proof for less time in pan?
★★★★★
Hi Beth, I’m glad to hear that you loved this apple cinnamon babka so much! My recommendation for next time is to reduce the amount of time it rises (after shaping) in the pan. No need to divide between two loaf pans, but definitely make sure yours is a 9×5 inch pan, no smaller. Keep a sheet pan on the rack below just in case.
If I use the warm oven trick for the 1st rise, do I still need to wait for 3-4 hour?
It looks ready in 2 hours.
Once the dough looks about doubled in size, it’s ready. (Even if that only takes yours 2 hours!)
I am going to try this recipe very soon! Looks so delicious!! Just ordered the platinum yeast on Amazon (couldn’t find it in a couple of stores). Like you mentioned in the recipe summary, I am also a bit intimidated baking with yeast. I have decided to make it my goal for the Minnesota fall/winter months to work on mastering my yeast expertise. Hoping the yeast I ordered from Amazon is good (and not outdated product).
Have to say to you Sally, your website is my “go to” for so many recipes. I actually just made two batches of the Lightened Chicken Soup last week (one for my son and his family). I make many of the muffin recipes and my granddaughters love them!! Well, I could go on because there just isn’t a bad recipe. Love your videos too!
Laurie
I am confused about the amount of flour. the ingredient list says 2 and 2/3 cup flour, but in the instructions it says mix in 1 cup , then 1/2 cup, and then add by tablespoons…….
I have successfully followed many of your recipes including cinnamon rolls and blueberry pastry braid but for some reason I can’t make sense of this.
thanks for your help and inspiration!
Hi Lynne! Step 2 instructs to add 1 cup of flour, mix, then another cup, mix, then 1/2 cup. Then after that– only a couple more Tablespoons to get to the right dough consistency. This is usually around 2 and 2/3 cups total.
thank you so much! sorry i misread the instructions! thanks again for your support and inspiration
★★★★★
Are the egg whites necessary? My daughter is allergic to eggs. She can have them baked into things, so the yolks in the bread itself is fine. However she would not be able to tolerate the egg whites in the filling and brushed on top. Can I just leave them out? Or should I substitute with something else?
Hi Elisa, though I haven’t tested this, you can try replacing the egg white in the filling with 2-3 Tablespoons of milk and the topping with 2 Tablespoons of milk.
Honestly my new favorite recipe. I can’t stress how unbelievably good this is. And relatively easy, too! After I rolled the dough up, I was able to give it a gentle stretch so the log had a bit more length, which in turn meant an extra twist in the loaf when I put it in the pan. My family doesn’t often ask me to make particular things, but they haven’t been able to stop talking about this babka!
★★★★★
Oh my gosh, this is THE BEST bread I have ever made! The dough is so soft, and the filling!!! This is one of those recipes that I wanted to challenge myself with, as I was a little intimidated by it, but your directions were so clear and easy to follow. I will definitely be making this again, and I can’t wait to try your Nutella babka now!
★★★★★
I made this for my BF in celebrating Rosh Hashannah. I loved the fact that there was no wasted egg in this recipe. Both the whites & yolks would be used – yeah! When I first read the recipe, I said to myself – when separating the eggs, you better put each egg white in a different bowl (1 is used in the filling and the other to brush on the outside). Of course, I put both egg whites in one container and added them both to the filling! The extra egg white made the filling thinner and when rolling the dough, filling was oozing out everywhere. It also meant I didn’t have any egg white to brush on the outside. The end result didn’t look as pretty as yours, but it sure did taste good 🙂
★★★★
Just made this for Rosh Hashanah on Friday and it was such a hit that everyone fought to bring home slices!
I was able to cut the first rise time to 90 min by placing the dough in my greased Instant Pot on the yogurt setting at normal (medium) for 90 minutes with the glass lid (or substitute for a dinner plate). Worked like a charm!
★★★★★
In terms of taste it’s DELICIOUS! I had fun trying a different type of dough. My only complaint was that a lot of the filling leaked out the bottom causing the bread to split and stick to the bottom when trying to remove it from the pan. I’m not sure which part I may have miffed, but I’ll certainly be trying this again before apple season is over!
★★★★
I plan to try parchment next time for the bottom. Mine stuck terribly too.