Tender and sweet Cinnamon Bread is a moist quick bread that’s simple to make and a hit with everyone who tries it! This bread has a thick swirl of cinnamon sugar in the center as well as a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping. What’s not to love?!
Try some of our other favorite quick bread recipes like this Apple Cinnamon Bread, Zucchini Bread, or Pumpkin Bread!
The Best Cinnamon Bread Recipe
This recipe for Cinnamon Bread is incredible. The recipe calls for Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and delivers an ultr- moist texture. Then we add in plenty of brown sugar for sweetness and just the right amount of cinnamon. Plus, we’ve got cinnamon spice in the bread batter as well as the cinnamon swirl. It’s divine!
Not only is this bread so tasty with just the right texture, but it’s easy and quick to prepare. I firmly believe that quick breads should actually be quick! And this Cinnamon Bread recipe is no exception. We use one bowl for the batter and one for the cinnamon-swirl filling. Everything gets mixed with a wooden spoon and whisk–no need to pull out the stand or hand mixer.
And as if this all wasn’t enough–this soft Cinnamon Bread recipe keeps well for a few days and freezes beautifully. You’re going to want to add this bread to your recipe file!
Quick Tip
Love cinnamon-sugar desserts? You’ll love our Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread, our famous no-knead Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe, or this ridiculously simple Cinnamon Roll Cake!
What Is Cinnamon Bread Made Of?
Cinnamon Bread combines Greek yogurt, oil, milk, eggs, brown sugar, baking agents, and flour to make up the base of the bread. The cinnamon swirl is made up of flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Below are a few ingredient-specific notes:
- Greek yogurt. Our favorite yogurt to use in this bread is Honey Vanilla Greek Yogurt (made by Greek Gods®). Not only does the yogurt add a wonderful moisture and softness to the bread, it also contributes flavor. Using a flavored Greek yogurt (like honey vanilla) contributes a richer flavor with no additional ingredients needed on your end. Be sure to use a full-fat Greek yogurt here. While this isn’t necessarily a healthy cinnamon bread, the Greek yogurt is a great addition of protein and probiotics! And if you don’t have or want to use yogurt, full-fat sour cream also works well.
- Baking agents. Make sure the baking soda and baking powder are fresh — here’s a way to quickly test if you aren’t sure.
- Milk. We use (and recommend) whole milk for the most flavor and the moistest crumb. That said, 2% or 1% milk will also work. Stay away from skim milk or plant-based milk alternatives– they aren’t quite thick enough.
Quick Bread Tips
- To keep this Cinnamon Bread recipe easy, we use a wooden spoon and whisk to mix the batter. However, ease aside, a hand mixer or using a stand mixer actually introduces too much air into the batter. This can cause bread to rise and fall or sink during baking.
- Stop mixing when no dry streaks of flour remain.
- Measure every cup or spoon to heaping/overfilled then level off the top with the back of a table knife for the perfect measurements.
- Don’t skip lining the pan–there are few things as frustrating as trying to invert a loaf of bread and having it fall apart or stick to the bottom.
What Is Good On Cinnamon Bread?
This bread is amazing on its own — it’s moist, tender, and sweet. If you’d like more of a cinnamon roll style of recipe, add some cream cheese frosting or a quick vanilla glaze on top of the bread.
If you love a buttered piece of bread, you may enjoy a slather of this honey butter on top.
Alternatively, if you’d like to make a cinnamon raisin bread, toss 1 cup raisins in 1 tablespoon flour and mix into the batter.
Cinnamon Bread FAQs
Why does Cinnamon Bread separate?
Separation can happen if sugar isn’t mixed with flour or another ingredient to keep it from melting and seeping out when heated.
How to make Cinnamon Raisin Bread?
To make Cinnamon Raisin Bread using your existing Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe, simply add 3/4 cup of raisins to the dry ingredients.
Storage
How Long Does Cinnamon Bread Last?
Stored at room temperature, this bread should stay fresh and perfectly delicious for 2 days. (We like it even better the second day!). After day 2-3, the bread begins to lose texture (becoming too moist). After day 2, store any leftover slices, individually and tightly wrapped in plastic, in an airtight container in the fridge.
Freezing
- Let the bread cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
- Wrap the uncut loaf with plastic wrap and place it into a freezer bag. Seal the bag, squeezing out excess air.
- Thaw and enjoy the bread within 3 months.
Quick Tip
Use the correct size of bread pan! This Cinnamon Bread recipe won’t bake up properly in other loaf pan sizes. Be sure to use a 9×5-inch (1 pound) pan. By the way, here’s our favorite loaf pan!
More Cinnamon Goodness:
- Cinnamon Roll Cookies with cream cheese frosting
- Caramel Snickerdoodles snickerdoodles with Rolos stuffed inside!
- Cinnamon Roll Popcorn with white chocolate
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with cinnamon
- Cinnamon Banana Bread with a streusel topping
Cinnamon Bread
Equipment
- 9×5-inch (1 pound) pan (Note 1)
Ingredients
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 tablespoons white, all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups white, all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 large egg, at room temperature (Note 2)
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/3 cup vegetable (or canola) oil
- 1/3 cup full-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream), at room temperature
- 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
Topping
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Optional: add a glaze! (Note 3)
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease and lightly flour (or line with parchment paper) a 9x5-inch bread pan. Set aside.
- CINNAMON SWIRL: Combine the cinnamon swirl ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
- BREAD: In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients until integrated.
- BREAD CONT.: In a separate large bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Briskly whisk (with a whisk; don't use a hand/stand mixer) until well combined and completely smooth. Once smooth, pour wet into dry and gently mix with a wooden spoon, scraping the sides with a spatula as needed until completely integrated and no white streaks remain. Once you've got a nice smooth batter, stop mixing.
- TOPPING: Stir topping ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- ASSEMBLE: Spread half of the bread batter into prepared pan pressing batter to the very edges of the pan. Add cinnamon-swirl mixture in an even layer on top. Spread remaining half of bread batter on top and smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon into an even layer that touches the edge of the pan (this will take some gentle coaxing to not pull up the cinnamon sugar layer). Sprinkle topping ingredients evenly on top (don't press into bread).
- BAKE: Place bread in oven and bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Remove and let cool inthe pan or 15 minutes before inverting and letting fully cool on a cooling rack. Wait for 1 hour to cut into the loaf; then use a very sharp serrated knife to cut into slices. If desired, add a glaze (Note 3) to completely cooled bread.
- STORAGE: We like to finish this bread within 1-2 days of being made. (It's even more moist and flavorful on day 2!) After the second day, it begins to lose texture (becomes too moist). It can, however, last up to a week stored in an airtight container and tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. After the second day, I recommend storing it in the fridge. Wrap each slice tightly and place in an airtight container.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
