Apple Cinnamon Babka with Pecan Streusel

This Apple Cinnamon Babka is soft, buttery and filled with cinnamon-spiced apples, then finished with a crunchy pecan streusel.

It's basically apple pie meets babka — layers of rich yeasted bread, warm cinnamon apples and buttery pecans twisted together into one very impressive-looking loaf.

Don't let the twists fool you though. Once you break it down, babka is surprisingly manageable.

I love babkas—sweet-salty brioche bread filled with something delicious, like chocolate or, in this case, cooked apples with cinnamon. The first time I made this apple babka, I was stingy with apples, and I immediately regretted that. When it comes to babkas, more is still less.

You want to get that warm apple and cinnamon filling in every bite. When you pull the babka apart, you should get those buttery layers in your hand. It's like apple pie but in babka form.

This is the coziest recipe I have on my site. I make this when it's cold outside, and I want to sit around with my family, reading and sipping my coffee.

The pecan, cinnamon, and brown sugar topping is delicious and crunchy. You can leave it out if you can't be bothered, but it adds another contrasting texture to the babka.

The recipe is tweaked from my original viral recipe of chocolate babka. I also make a similar babka with nutella.

Why You'll Love This Apple Cinnamon Babka

• Soft, buttery enriched dough
• Cinnamon-spiced apple filling
• Crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel
• Can be prepared overnight
• Makes two loaves
• Perfect for fall baking, Thanksgiving breakfast or Christmas brunch
• Looks impressive without needing complicated decorating

Apple Pie Meets Babka

This recipe has all the flavors I love in apple pie — tart apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter — wrapped inside a soft, twisted babka dough.

The pecan streusel on top gives it that extra buttery crunch and makes it feel somewhere between apple pie, coffee cake and babka.

Ingredients Apple Cinnamon Babka

You will need the usual suspects - flour, eggs, sugar, and yeast. In this babka, we have a filling plus a crispy streusel topping.

Here are some notes and substitutions on the ingredients.

Apple - Best Apples for Babka

I usually use Granny Smith apples because they are tart and hold their shape well after cooking.

Other good options are:

• Honeycrisp – sweeter but still firm
• Pink Lady – sweet-tart with good texture
• Braeburn – great for baking and doesn't turn mushy quickly

Avoid very soft apples because they can break down too much and make the filling watery.

Pecans- You need to chop these up finely. You can use almonds or walnuts also.

Butter—We use a fair amount of butter, both for the dough and filling. The dough should be cold and cubed, just like pie crust. You will melt butter for the filling and topping. Both salted and unsalted work.

Yeast -Use fresh dry active yeast. I have used fast-acting active yeast and the regular active dry yeast with equal success. Just remember to check expiry before using.

Cinnamon - We need powdered ground cinnamon. You can also use pumpkin spice instead.

How to make Apple Cinnamon Pecan Babka

Let me take you through the steps to make this Apple Cinnamon Babka.

Prepare your loaf pan by lining it with parchment or baking paper.

Step 1 Make the Dough

You can do this the easy way—in a stand mixer or by hand. Both ways will yield the same result.

Stand mixer - Add the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar to the bowl of the stand mixer. Using the hook attachment, Give it a whizz to mix it up. Add cold butter and mix it for another 30 seconds. Add the Eggs, one at a time. Add ¾ cup of milk.

Let the hook attachment work for 5-6 minutes. This will develop gluten and make your bread soft. If the dough is too hard, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time.

By hand -In a large bowl, add flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Mix it up with your hand. Add cold butter cubes, pinch, and rub the flour and butter to get a clumpy consistency. This should take 1-2 minutes.

Add the eggs and half of the milk and mix well to form the dough. If the dough is dry, add more milk little by little. If the dough is too sticky, add flour, and if it's too tough, add more milk. The dough might feel sticky at first. It will become smoother the more you knead it.

Knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes, stretching and folding it repeatedly to develop Gluten. When kneading by hand, you need to do it for longer because kneading by hand is a slower process.

Step 2:First rise

Cover the dough with a damp cloth or cling film and keep it on the counter for 1-2 hours. Let the yeast do its business till it rises and doubles in size.

Make sure the dough is well covered, otherwise you will end up with some not to nice bits of dry dough.

Step 3:Cooking the apples

Add the chopped apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a pan.Cover and cook till the apples are soft.

If there is a lot of liquid left, cook the apples uncovered.Make Sure the Apple Filling is Thick

The apple mixture should be thick and mostly dry before you spread it over the dough.

If there is still a lot of liquid in the pan, cook the apples uncovered for a few more minutes.

Too much moisture can make the babka harder to twist and may leave the center of the loaf gummy.

Let the filling cool completely before adding it to the dough.

Step 4: Shaping the Babka

Divide the dough into two equal portions. You can make two babka breads with this amount. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle(or something resembling a rectangle).

Mix together the butter, cinnamon and sugar. Add any liquid from the cooked apples if any. Spread it on the rolled dough. Top it with the cooked apples.

You should leave about an inch of space on the outside so that the seams can be closed.

After spreading the filling over the rolled dough, roll it tightly into a log from the long side.

Slice the log lengthwise down the middle to expose the layers.

Place the two pieces cut-side up and twist them around each other.

Don't worry if some of the filling escapes — babka is supposed to look a little rustic.

Transfer the twisted loaf to the prepared pan and add the pecan streusel before the final rise.

Even if it doesn't look great right now, it will look great in one hour after your second rise. I promise! And it will look even more amazing once you bake it.

Trust me..this is a very forgiving recipe! As long as your yeast is good, you are good to go!

Step 4: Second Rise

After shaping, let the babka rise for the second time. This time it will fill up the loaf pan you have used. Again, the time it takes depends on how hot your kitchen is. At 25 degrees Celsius, it takes about 1-2 hours.

Mix the ingredients listed under the crumb topping.Add it to the top of the babka.

Preheat the oven at the end of one hour to 350 F or 180 Degree C.

Step 5:Bake

Place it on the middle rack and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Check around the 20-minute mark. If you see the babka browning too much, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking.

Remove from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before you take it out from the baking tin.

Can I Make Babka Ahead?

Yes — and I actually prefer making the dough the night before.

After the first rise, cover the dough and refrigerate it for 8–10 hours or overnight.

Cold babka dough is easier to roll, fill and twist, so this works especially well if you're making the bread for Thanksgiving breakfast or Christmas brunch.

The next morning, roll out the cold dough, add the apple and cinnamon filling, shape the babka and continue with the second rise before baking.

This is one of my favorite breads for Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas morning or holiday brunch because most of the work can be done the day before.

Make the dough and apple filling at night, then shape and bake the babka the next morning so the house smells like cinnamon, apples and butter before everyone is even properly awake.

Babka Troubleshooting

Why is my babka dough sticky?

Babka dough is naturally soft because it contains butter, eggs and milk.

Avoid adding too much extra flour. A slightly sticky dough will give you a much softer loaf once baked.

Chilling the dough overnight also makes it much easier to handle.

Why is my apple filling leaking out?

The apple filling may have been too wet or still warm when it was added.

Cook the apples until most of the liquid has evaporated and let them cool completely before assembling the babka.

Why is my babka raw in the middle?

Babka is a thick, filled bread, so the outside can look ready before the center is fully baked.

If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil and continue baking.

How do I know when babka is done?

The top should be deep golden brown and the loaf should feel firm rather than soft or wet in the center.

If you use an instant-read thermometer, the center of an enriched bread like babka should generally reach around 190°F/88°C.

How to Store Apple Babka

Keep the babka tightly wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days.

For longer storage, refrigerate it or freeze individual slices.

To freeze, wrap slices well and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag.

Warm a slice briefly before serving and it tastes almost freshly baked again.

More Fall recipes

If you love the combination of apples and cinnamon, my Warm Apple Cinnamon Cake with Caramel Glaze is another cozy fall bake.

For something quicker, these Air Fryer Apple Turnovers have the same warm apple-cinnamon flavors with crisp puff pastry.

My French Apple Cake is another easy way to use baking apples and is especially good served warm.

If you're making this babka for a cold weekend or holiday brunch, serve it with a mug of Homemade Spiced Apple Cider.

Cinnamon lovers should also try my Eggless Cinnamon Cake, which has layers of cinnamon sugar running through the cake.

For Christmas baking, my Lemon Cranberry Pound Cake is another make-ahead cake that works beautifully on a holiday dessert table.

And for a proper winter evening, my Mulled Wine is made with apple, cranberry, orange and warming spices.

If you love making babka, try my Chocolate Babka or Nutella Babka next.

---