Cinnamon Bread is an easy, sweet bread that comes together quickly and is swirled with sweet cinnamon butter. This moist loaf is perfect for breakfast, holiday brunch, afternoon snacks, and dessert.
Warm and fragrant cinnamon bread is a classic comfort food. Learn how to make a homemade version with this easy and delicious recipe. I have always loved cinnamon, and this homemade bread is truly a cinnamon lover’s dream come true. Prepare to be wowed. Prepping this loaf and getting it in the oven only takes about twenty-five minutes.
Ingredients Needed
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Leaveners: baking soda and baking powder
- Salt: just a touch to enhance flavor
- Cinnamon: of course, this is cinnamon bread
- Milk: 2% or whole
- Lemon juice: mixed with the milk makes buttermilk
- Vegetable oil: or canola oil
- Vanilla extract: the real thing, please
- Eggs: large ones
- Brown sugar: for the cinnamon swirl
- Butter: unsalted or salted
How to make Cinnamon Bread.
Start by whisking flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Then, mix the milk, lemon juice, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three parts, stirring to combine.
Melt the butter in a microwave-safe measuring cup or small bowl. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring to combine.
Then, pour half of the bread batter into a well-greased loaf pan. Make three lines the length of the pan with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Now, turn the pan horizontally and swirl with the end of a skewer or a toothpick. The best way to swirl is to make S or 8 shapes. Please do not overdo it, or everything will mix together. Add the remaining batter and make three lines the length of the pan with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Now, turn the pan horizontally and swirl with the end of a skewer or toothpick.
Place it in the oven and bake. Finally, allow the loaf to cool for 5-10 minutes and then invert.
Can you freeze it?
Yes, you most certainly can. Cool the loaf completely before freezing. Double-wrap the bread in freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. You can also place the wrapped loaves in a sturdy glad-ware freezer container or in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a single layer of aluminum foil.
When thawing, place the loaf on the counter four to five hours before serving it. You can also freeze individual slices and pull them out as you want them several hours in advance. This bread is delectable when lightly toasted with a pat or two of butter or cream cheese. It’s so incredibly delicious!
Recipe Tips
- Grease and flour the pan, or use nonstick baking spray with flour.
- If you love raisins, add 1/2 cup when stirring in the flour. You can also add a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Stir the dough by hand until it is incorporated. Sweet bread dough can become tough if over-stirred.
- Don’t over-swirl the cinnamon butter.
- Let the loaf cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting. Quick breads can stick if allowed to cool too long in the pan.
- Once cooled, cover with wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To add a glaze, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 1/2-2 tablespoons milk and drizzle over the thoroughly cooled bread.
- Use this tasty bread to make French Toast. You won’t believe how delicious it is!
More Sweet Bread
Cinnamon Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Cinnamon Swirl
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heavily grease and lightly sprinkle with flour a 9 x 5-inch bread pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and lemon juice; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 parts stirring just until incorporated.
- In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon, and melted butter. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the loaf pan. Make 3 lines the length of the pan with the cinnamon butter. Turn the pan horizontally and swirl with the end of a skewer or toothpick. The best way to swirl is to make S or 8 shapes. Do not overdo it, or everything will mix together. Add the rest of the batter and make 3 lines the length of the pan with the cinnamon butter. Now turn the pan horizontally and swirl with the end of a skewer or toothpick.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the loaf to cool for 5 minutes and then invert.
Notes
- Grease and flour the pan, or use nonstick baking spray with flour.
- If you love raisins, add 1/2 cup when stirring in the flour. You can also add a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Stir the dough by hand until it is incorporated. Sweet bread dough can become tough if over-stirred.
- Don’t over-swirl the cinnamon butter.
- Let the loaf cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting. Quick breads can stick if allowed to cool too long in the pan.
- Once cooled, cover with wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To add a glaze, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 1/2-2 tablespoons milk and drizzle over the thoroughly cooled bread.
- Use this tasty bread to make French Toast. You won’t believe how delicious it is!
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
pam
Follow up on my comment. The almond milk did great but the cinnamon mixture was so strong it burnt my mouth. I am wondering did you mean teaspoon instead of tablespoon? The cake was great but cant eat the part with the cinnamon. Next time I will just use a teaspoon.
Beth Pierce
Sorry to hear htat. Maybe I need to rework this recipe because I do not know of any measurement errors.
pam
I am getting ready to take it out of the oven now. Oh, my smells so good. I use almond milk so I’m not sure how that worked? I did add the lemon juice. Like the other lady said the cinnamon mixture was too thick to spread in a line so I just crumbled it and then swirled it. It made a beautiful topping. I will be tasting it soon.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Pam! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Deborah Lanius
Could I substitute buttermilk for the 2% milk? Thank you ( I spelled my last name wrong so am posting with correct spelling)
Beth Pierce
I don’t think that I would. Buttermilk is considerably more acidic compared to regular milk (which is why it’s sour). Baking as a whole is largely applied chemistry, so generally introducing more acid which the recipe is not intended for is likely going to have significant affects on texture in addition to the flavor.
Deborah Lanius
Well I didn’t see your reply and made it today but will taste it tomorrow so I’ll let you know. When I read the directions and you added a tbsp lemon to the milk, I guess I figured you were making buttermilk so it would work. We’ll see. The other thing I wanted to mention as far as the cinnamon mixture goes, I think at least one person said it was hard to make lines. It was thick and hard to do that so I put it in the microwave a few seconds to soften it up and that made it easier to spread. Thank you for your suggestions. I had made it once before with good results but I did use milk and lemon juice that time. Deborah L
Beth Pierce
To be honest with you Deborah, I was so tired that I glanced at that recipe and quickly answered your question. Yes the buttermilk would replace the milk and the lemon juice. Sorry about that!
Deborah Lanius
I tasted the bread this morning (made with buttermilk) and it was great, so I don’t think the buttermilk changed the texture or taste. Thank you for the recipe!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Deborah! Thanks for the tip!
Deborah Lanius
I just have a question about the directions. You say to “turn the pan horizontally”, do you mean just keep it on a counter flat? Why would you need to turn it? That seems strange to me.
I have made the bread a few weeks ago and it turned out well but I didn’t really understand why you would say to turn it horizontally. Thank you
Beth Pierce
It is probably more direction than you need. It is simply to make it easier to do the swirls.
Taylor
Soooo wonderful! Very tasty, the whole family loves it! Thank you for sharing this recipe ❤️
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Taylor! I am so happy that they liked it.