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Brown Butter Apple Cider Quick Bread

Brown butter apple cider quick bread with a moist crumb and warm spiced flavor—made with nutty browned butter and apple cider for a fall-style loaf. Easy quick-bread method: mix dry, whisk wet, fold, bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

dry ingredients
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp salt
wet ingredients
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 0.75 cup apple cider
  • 0.75 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep the oven and pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a thin coating so the loaf releases cleanly after baking.
Brown the butter
  1. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until golden brown and nutty smelling, about 5–6 minutes.
  2. Let the browned butter cool slightly before using so it won’t scramble the eggs.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined with no visible streaks.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Whisk the browned butter, apple cider, packed brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully blended.
Combine and bake
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry flour remains.
  2. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top so it bakes evenly.
  3. Bake for 50–55 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with no wet batter clinging.
  4. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing so the loaf firms up and slices cleanly.

Notes

For best texture, cool the browned butter slightly before whisking with the eggs, and fold just until combined to avoid a tough crumb. Store the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze slices for up to 2 months. To make it dairy-free, use a 1:1 plant-butter substitute that browns well.