Light, soft, puffy homemade babka is rolled into layers of sliced apples and a gooey cinnamon filling. The classic fall flavors with spicy cinnamon and sweet apples are in every bite — a seasonal produce take on a holiday classic. But we like to make this one year round! 

With holiday breaks from school coming up, we’re looking forward to spending time with our kids in the kitchen. It’s our favorite way to create more in-depth recipes while also making memories with our families.

We also love introducing our kids to delicious recipes that celebrate other holiday traditions. Apple cinnamon babka is a sweet, braided Jewish bread that originated in Europe. 

 Apple cinnamon babka is sponsored by SugarBee® Apple.

Simply roll out a yeast dough, then spread the apple cinnamon filling, tightly roll it up, braid it, and bake it. 

Even though it requires a bit of time to let the dough rise to perfection —  but it’s totally worth the effort!

So, let’s get started. 

What Is Babka?

Babka is a rich, sweet yeast dough pastry that originated in Eastern Europe, particularly among Jewish communities.

The dough is typically swirled with chocolate or cinnamon filling, then braided or twisted into a loaf shape and baked to golden perfection. 

Its name, which means “grandmother” in Polish, is thought to reflect its homey, comforting nature. Enjoy babka as a dessert or even breakfast. The tender, slightly buttery crumb contrasts wonderfully with the sweet, flavorful swirls inside. 

Though traditionally baked for holidays and special occasions, it has become a popular treat worldwide, with various regional variations adding different fillings like fruit or nuts.

Seasonal Apple Cinnamon Babka Ingredients

You’ll need the basic bread ingredients like flour, yeast, milk, eggs, and lots of butter for flaky, decadent layers. But there are two additional ingredients that give this babka recipe a seasonal fall twist — apples and cinnamon.

Apples

We use SugarBee® apples because they’re crispy, juicy, sweet, and delicious. Plus, they hold their shape nicely during the baking process. The natural notes of honey, caramel, and molasses are the perfect pairing with cinnamon. You only need two beautiful red apples that you’ll peel and slice into thin bite-size pieces before laying in a single layer on your rolled-out dough. 

Did You Know? SugarBee® owes its unique origin story to a very special honeybee. One sunny spring day, a honeybee collected pollen from an unknown apple blossom and then landed on a Honeycrisp blossom. Mother nature did her part and SugarBee® apple was born!

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Apples

Cinnamon

What’s better than an apple and cinnamon pairing in the fall? When you make your apple cinnamon babka filling on the stovetop, you’ll add a couple of tablespoons of cinnamon for the perfect spicy-sweet flavor combo that gets rolled into the layers of your babka bread. 

How to Make Soft Apple Cinnamon Babka Dough

We wanted to make sure that you master your cinnamon babka on the first try, so we’ve included all of our tips and tricks to make it as easy as possible for you. Don’t let the number of steps keep you from making this mouth-watering recipe. It’s basically a bit of mixing, kneading, and rising. Nothing too difficult! 

When you take your first bite of flaky babka fresh out of the oven, you’ll see it’s totally worth the effort every time — promise!

1. Whisk the milk, yeast, and one tablespoon of sugar together in a large bowl. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes. The room-temperature milk activates the yeast so the bread becomes soft as it bakes.

2. Add the remaining sugar, butter, egg yolks, salt, and one cup of flour. Beat it with a hand mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

3. Add one cup of flour and beat it on medium speed until combined (there may still be some chunks of butter). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula again to make sure everything gets mixed. 

4. Add half a cup of flour and beat on medium speed until the dough is very soft with a creamy feel. If the dough is too wet, add two to four tablespoons of flour and mix until combined. 

5. We like to use the hand mixer to knead the dough for 6-8 minutes for a hands-off option. You can also knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface for the same amount of time. It’s ready when it feels soft and when it slowly bounces back after gently poking it.

Sticky dough? Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time while kneading. You want to keep the dough slightly tacky but not so much that it sticks to your hands. 

6. Place the dough in a large lightly oiled bowl, gently tossing to coat the dough. Cover it with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place (like the oven) for three to four hours. It will double in size. 

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Babka Filling

Towards the end of the first rise, you’ll prepare the apple cinnamon filling. Be sure not to start too early because the butter will solidify and become difficult to spread onto the raw dough before baking. 

Here’s how to make your filling:

1. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples and stir for about 3 minutes, until slightly softened. 

2. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the lemon juice to prevent browning and set the skillet aside.

3. Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a different skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract until the texture becomes crumbly. Stir in the egg white and set that skillet aside as well.

Now, it’s time to start working with your dough.

Shape the Apple Babka Bread 

Next, you’ll layer, roll, and braid your dough before baking it in the oven. Your cinnamon babka is almost done!

1. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. When the dough is ready, gently and quickly punch the dough once with your fist. Flour your hands and your work space so the dough doesn’t stick as you roll it out. 

3. Roll the dough out into a 12×16-inch rectangle.

4. Slowly pour the cinnamon filling over the rolled-out dough, using the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly. Place the diced apples in a single layer on top of the gooey cinnamon sugar.

5. Tightly roll up the dough to form a long log and place it seam side down. Fold the log in half lengthwise and twist it to form a figure 8. Pinch the ends together with your fingers and place it in the oiled loaf pan.

6. Cover the babka with a kitchen towel, and let it rise a second time for about an hour — until the dough becomes puffy towards the top of the pan.

Just a few more steps to go, and then you can indulge in your delicious cinnamon babka bread.

Bake Your Apple Cinnamon Babka

Preheat the oven to 350°F. As the dough rises for the second time, make the crumble topping. Then it’s time to bake your babka in the oven. 

1. Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. 
2. Add the cold butter and use a fork to firmly press the butter into the cinnamon sugar mixture until crumbly pieces form. Next, refrigerate the mixture while the dough is rising.
3. Use a pastry brush to coat the surface of the babka with the last egg white.
4. Use a toothpick to poke 10–12 holes in the top of the loaf. This releases the steam from inside the loaf so the layers stay together. 
5. Sprinkle your cinnamon babka with the crumble topping from the fridge.
6. Bake for 60–65 minutes or until golden brown on top. When you gently tap on the bread, it should sound hollow. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Looking too golden? Loosely create a tent with foil over the bread pan. This prevents browning and keeps your babka soft and tender. 

Why We Love SugarBee® Apples

Besides the taste, we love the origin story of the SugarBee®. It is the only apple created by bees with notes of honey, caramel and molasses. They are crisp, juicy and sweet which make them perfect for on-the-go snacking or mouth-watering recipes at home. 

You can spot a SugarBee® apple by its bi-colored red and yellow attributes and the bee seal of approval – a unique honeycomb sticker. 

More Cultural-Inspired Apple Recipes 

• Bakery Style Apple Slices
• Apple Tortellini Pasta Salad
• Jewish Apple Cake
• Mexican Apple Salad