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!
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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
Would this recipe work with bread flour instead of AP?
Hi Riley, you can use bread flour instead, it may just be a little sturdier and chewier. But it should work fine!
Thank you for including weights in grams!
Oh my goodness!!!! This is the best Food product I have ever consumed!!!! Don’t walk, RUN to make this fantastic giant apple doughnut bread. I mean BABKA, it’s babka.
★★★★★
BTW I am a new bread maker and I made this recipe completely by hand. I refuse to buy a cumbersome stand mixer.
A bakery that used to be in our town always made the most delicious cheese babka around Easter. Although I have found recipes online (for both ricotta and cream cheese versions), I don’t trust anyone else’s recipes as much as I trust those on this website (indeed, *all* of this year’s Christmas cookies had Sally’s name attached to them!). If you take requests, I’m sure I’m not the only one who would love for you and your team to come up with the perfect cheese babka recipe!
Can I use 2% milk instead of whole milk?
Hi Sarah, that will work in a pinch, but the bread may not be as soft and rich.
I use almond milk, so no milk at all, and it is still very fluffy and flaky so long as I rise it properly!
Hi Sally, I am just wondering if I can use the dough part in a breadmaker. I tried this recipe and even though it was OK to eat, it was not quite right. I have never made a yeast bread of any kind. It intimidates me.
Thank you
Hi Donna, we haven’t tested this recipe in a bread machine, but we can’t see why not. Is there something particular we can help troubleshoot from your first batch? You may find this Baking with Yeast Guide helpful, too.
Hi! I want to make this recipe, but I don’t have a kitchen aid stand mixer. Do you think it would still be doable?
Hi Nicole, absolutely! 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.
Just tried making it with my hand mixer and dough hook attachment! The dough unfortunately came out very tough 🙁
Mid bake right now…although there seemed to be a great deal of fruit juice at the bottom of the pan while rising, hoping it carmelizes…looking forward to the outcome. I doubled the recipe and tried two ways…one, exactly as written and two, as a more traditional babka where the dough is split down the middle and then braided. Rated it a 5 because the concept is wonderful and honestly smells amazing right now!!
★★★★★
I made this recipe and it was AMAZING! Definitely a keeper. My pan was a bit small (the one called for in the recipe), it worked but it was tight for the topping. Maybe a shorter first rise ( I did 3.25 hours).
★★★★★
Curious if anyone has sped up the rising time using the yogurt setting on a IP.
We do this for cinnamon rolls and pizza dough. Dough rises in about a half hour.
Hi Rose, we haven’t tested that but let us know how it goes it you do!
I use a proofing box (that I also use for yoghurt), and I try to get the ambient temperature around 78-80F in the box. When I rise the dough at that temperature, it still takes the full time, but tasted light and fluffy!
The flavor of this was amazing and it was easy to make. My only issue, and it probably was an error on my end, was my bread was too big for the loaf pan. It just barely fit in before the 2nd rise so when I went to bake it the bread overflowed the pan. My pan was the size stated in the recipe so next time I’m going to go for a shorter rise time. I did 3 hours for the 1st rise and 1 hour for the 2nd. Next time I’m going to try 2.5 and 1.
I may also put more apples in next time. Just a personal preference but I felt like the apples were barely noticeable in the loaf. I used 2.5cups of granny smith apples.
★★★★
Hi, how big is your loaf pan? When making Babka, I tend to find my loaf pans are too small. Thank you.
Hi Lesann, We use a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
Hi Sally I love your site and I’ve made several of your recipes which have been absolutely delicious. However the successfully baked babka as you have it pictured (which I have tried my hand at several times) still eludes me. I can’t seem to figure out why it comes out so very puffy every time? I feel like I must be doing something wrong but I haven’t been able to put my finger on it. Any thoughts on this? I want to bake some for gifts for the upcoming Jewish holidays so hoping we can get to the bottom of this! thank you so much
★★★★
Hi Miriam! I wonder if your dough is rising too much during either (or both) of the rise times. Try reducing either or both, and you could also try slightly reducing the yeast down to 2 teaspoons. I think all of this will help for next time. I hope you can try it again and thank you for using my website!
I’m so excited to make this recipe for the high holidays! Can I make this parve? Almond mild and margarine?
Hi Candice, A non dairy milk like almond milk should work. We do not recommend margarine as it has very different baking properties, but you could try a non dairy butter such as the Earth Balance brand. We have not tested this combination though, so let us know if you give it a try!
I’m lactose intolerant and modified it to be dairy free with almond milk and earth balance. It came out fantastic! But definitely have to rise it for a loooooong time in a really warm space. Your rise times but at 78F ish. It worked out fantastic and so light and fluffy.
Loved this recipe!! I used brown butter in the dough, filled it with frangipane and sliced fresh pears, and added a touch of nutmeg to the topping. Everyone LOVED it SO MUCH!! Thanks again for another OUTSTANDING recipe!!
★★★★★
I’ve tried this recipe a couple of times now with modified filling. I’ve been looking for a pumpkin babka, so instead of the cinnamon spread & apples, I mixed 1 c. of pumpkin puree, 1 t. of pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 c. sugar, one egg white, and a T or two of flour and spread that inside before shaping and baking. OMG! It was everything I dreamed it would be! I’d love to see Sally make a pumpkin version too. (hint! hint!)
★★★★★
Amazingly delicious. Made this for the first time as a Canada Day weekend treat (we used Canadian apples that we picked ! ). It’s a new family favourite. It’s so delicious that it was hard to stop with one slice! Served it with some French vanilla ice cream, but would have definitely stood alone as an amazing treat. The only difference was I made it into two logs to twist.
Will make again when we have company! Thank you!
★★★★★
AMAZING! I have baked a lot of Sally recipes – but this one is MY FAVORITE. It was honestly super easy and the taste, consistency, etc was INCREDIBLE. LOVED and will make again (and again and again).
★★★★★
Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Meagan — we’re thrilled this is a favorite for you!
Will freezing the bread change it’s flavor or texture? I’d like to make it a few days ahead of serving.
Hi Marion, depending on when you’re serving this, it will stay in the refrigerator for about a week. If longer than that, 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.
I made this last nigh, and it came out Perfecto mundo! I used the foil trick and the topping was perfect.
Great web site. Thanks!
Hi Sally! You are my go to baking guru! I made the babka but the top and middle rose beautifully . However the cinnamon mixture turned very soupy. What did I do wrong?
★★★
Hi Cindy, did you use 2 Tbs butter to cook the apples and 2 Tbs butter in the filling mixture? If you use 4 Tbs butter in the filling mixture, it would end up too thin. The step by step photos in the post above show what the filling should look like. Thank you for giving this recipe a try – it’s a favorite!
Hi! Was wondering If I could double the filling in this recipe and use it with the dough from the nutella babka recipe ( since it makes two loaves). The nutella babka was a smashing success. Thanks!
Hi Melanie, Sure can!
Thank you for the super speedy response. It’s always appreciated! Can’t wait to try this filling out!
I made this today and my family loved it! Super clear instructions, and a terrific result! So delicious! New to your website and excited to try more of your recipes.
★★★★★
I love your site. I’m always on it. But with the new ads playing, it sucks. Now I don’t read it I just print the recipes.
Awesome recipe as always! Deliciousness!! What a workout though, I’d like to make four at a time, would it be possible to just quadruple everything?
★★★★★
Hi Jo, We are so happy you enjoyed this recipe! For best taste and texture, we recommend making separate batches for each loaf.
Hi Sally, I tried the Babka and the taste was good, however the outer crust got burnt a bit and was hard. Any suggestions?
★★★★
Hi Shabana! Did you add aluminum foil part-way through baking as suggested in step 12? That’s the best way to prevent excess browning of the crust!
Sally, when I have made his before, the bottom stuck to the loaf pan when I took it out. so this time I lined it with parchment paper. It made it very easy to take out. However I noticed that a lot of the filling had pooled in the bottom of the pan. Is this normal?
★★★★★
Hi! I made this recipe last night exactly as directed and it was delicious! However I did find that there was a lot of liquid at the bottom of the pan while baking, which made the bottom of the loaf fairly soggy. Any advice on how to prevent this?
Hi Taylor, during the 2nd rise, was the loaf placed somewhere quite warm? It’s likely the liquid from the filling seeping out and melting.
This was so delicious. It was the first time i made it and i can definitely improve on my technique but the flavor was great! One question i had has to do with the filling. I followed it exactly, but mine was barely spreadable. It was very very thick. Any suggestions on what consistency i am looking for and how to adjust to get there? Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Leigh, we’re so glad you enjoyed this babka! The butter in the filling can start to solidify pretty quickly, so working fast to spread is key here. If you need, you can try popping the mixture back in the microwave for a few seconds to help warm it up again. Hope this helps for next time!
Hi, if I were to double this recipe to make 2 loaves, would it need twice the yeast (I’ve noticed most 2-loaf recipes still just use 1 packet of yeast)? Thanks!
Hi Regina! For best taste and texture, we recommend making two separate batches.
Hello, Sally! First, I’d like to tell you that I love, love everything that I bake from your website! I have a question about what AP flour you use when baking a heavier bread like this babka? The AP flour I use is around 9-10% protein. Would a higher protein AP flour be more suitable here?
Hi Brandybh, Typically all purpose flour has protein content anywhere between 9-11%. Any brand of all purpose flour would be fine. You could also use bread flour if you wanted to try that. The dough would likely be a little sturdier which isn’t a bad thing when you are shaping it. Let us know how it turns out!