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This Cinnamon Quick bread is packed with cinnamon and sugar swirled into a moist, delicious no-yeast bread!!

If you love Snickerdoodles, this Cinnamon Quick Bread is for you! It’s as tender and delicious as our Snickerdoodle Bread and as full of flavor as our Snickerdoodle Bars.

Sliced cinnamon quick bread on a cooling rack.


No Yeast Cinnamon Bread

Cinnamon toast was one of my all-time favorite snacks as a kid!

To this day, the combination of cinnamon and sugar brings back warm memories of after-school snacks and cozy winter days. The aroma of this delicious Cinnamon Quick Bread baking is nothing short of delightful and brings back all that childhood nostalgia.

This Cinnamon Sugar Quick Bread is super simple to make. Unlike a regular yeast bread, this quick bread requires no yeast or rising time.

It’s super moist, much like a Coffee Cake, and with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar, it will also remind you of Snickerdoodle cookies!

A slice of this Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread is perfect for enjoying for breakfast, or a yummy afternoon snack. Wrap up and pack in your kids’ lunch boxes for a fun surprise, or enjoy warm right out of the oven.

Ingredients for cinnamon quick bread laid out.

making cinnamon quick bread

PREP. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×5″ loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

DRY INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk egg and oil.

WET INGREDIENTS. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup sugar with the cinnamon.

LAYER. Spread ½ of the batter into the bottom of the loaf pan. Sprinkle ½ of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter. Layer on the remaining batter over the cinnamon mixture.

SWIRL. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon mixture over the top of the batter. Using a knife, cut through the batter to swirl.

BAKE. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Test with a toothpick – when inserted, the toothpick should come out clean and crumb-free.

COOL. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the bread out of the pan. Let cool completely.

Variations + Side SUggestions

Make Muffins. One of the easiest variations for this recipe is to make muffins instead of a loaf of bread. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mini Muffins will take about 12-15 minutes. Regular Muffins will take 22-25 minutes and Jumbo Muffins will take about 25-30 minutes. (Times may be different according to your oven temperature).

Add ingredients. Some other easy adjustments that you can do to change this recipe up a bit include: 

  • Adding chopped walnuts or pecans
  • Mix in raisins
  • Drizzle Glaze over the tops
  • Use ¾ brown sugar and ¾ white sugar
  • Add in milk chocolate or white chocolate chips

A slice of the cinnamon bread makes a snack or pair it with some breakfast items for a delicious start to the day. 

Layering ingredients for cinnamon quick bread in a loaf pan.

recipe tips

  • Room temperature. Use room temperature ingredients—the eggs and buttermilk will incorporate better with the other ingredients.
  • Add moisture. To add a little extra moisture, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of applesauce. 
  • Don’t over mix. You often don’t even need to use an electric mixer. Stirring by hand until the wet and dry ingredients are combined is sufficient. 
  • Cracks. It is normal for the bread to develop a crack on the top. It happens when the crust sets before the bread is finished rising.
  • To check for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean, or with just a couple cooked crumbs, then the bread is done. 
  • If the bread is browning too quickly on top before the center is done, then tent a piece of tinfoil over the top for the remainder of the bake time. 
Freshly baked cinnamon quick bread on a cutting board.

Quick bread faq

What is quick bread and how does it rise? Traditional bread uses yeast to help it rise. The process can take several hours. Quick breads use baking powder, baking soda and sometimes cream of tartar instead of yeast; neither of those leavening agents need proofing time.

Mix up the batter and put it directly into oven. Most quick bread can be made in less than an hour. It is important to note that leavening agents are fresh, otherwise they won’t activate properly and the bread won’t rise as expected.

Quick breads also use the Muffin Method. This makes sense because quick breads are really just muffins in loaf form. The muffin method is important because it helps create a fluffier texture.  

The muffin method: Combine the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Once the ingredients in each bowl are mixed, you can pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Stir until combined. Over mixing can cause a tougher chewier texture.

How to store? Store this bread in a Ziploc, wrapped in plastic wrap, or placed in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for 3-4 days.

How to freeze? For longer storage you can freeze the bread. Wrap each loaf with plastic wrap and again with foil. Label and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Two slices of cinnamon quick bread on a white plate.

for even more quick bread recipes, check out:

4.76 from 25 votes

Cinnamon Quick Bread Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
This Cinnamon Quick bread is packed with cinnamon and sugar swirled into a moist, delicious no-yeast bread!!
Servings: 12
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 55 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar divided
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×5″ loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk egg and oil. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
  • In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup sugar with the cinnamon.
  • Spread ½ of the batter into the bottom of the loaf pan. Sprinkle ½ of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter. Layer on the remaining batter over the cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon mixture over the top of the batter. Using a knife, cut through the batter back and forth just 1 inch into the batter to swirl.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Test with a toothpick – when inserted, the toothpick should come out clean and crumb-free.
  • Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the bread out of the pan. Let cool completely.

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 228mg, Potassium: 54mg, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 55IU, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
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Thank you Erin from DelightfulE Made.



About Lil Luna

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Recipe Rating




38 Comments

  1. 3 stars
    I followed the recipe and found the bread to be a little oily on the outside, might cut the oil down next time. I also cut the sugar down a bit(1/4 cup overall) and the bread was still plenty sweet. using the measurements for the cinnamon/sugar mixture in the middle and top of the bread left a bit too much loose sugar on the top(like in the picture-very pretty, but I didn’t want the sugar to go all over so I dumped it off.) Overall a nice quick snack bread and I’ll probably make it again.