Amish Friendship Bread without starter is a sweet, cinnamon-swirled quick bread that gives you the soft, tender texture of the classic recipe without waiting through a 10-day starter cycle.
Traditional Amish Friendship Bread is made with a sweet starter that is fed, divided, and shared with friends, but our shortcut version uses buttermilk to keep things simple.
We were so excited when we learned we could make this favorite without a starter because it is easy, dependable, and still full of cinnamon sugar flavor. Butter and buttermilk keep the loaves soft and moist, while the cinnamon sugar layered through the middle and over the top gives every slice plenty of sweetness.
This recipe makes two loaves, which is perfect for the Friendship Bread tradition. We usually keep one for breakfast or after-school snacks and share the other with a friend, neighbor, or teacher. It also freezes well, which makes it an easy make-ahead bread for holidays and gifting.
For more easy homemade bread favorites, try our Cinnamon Bread, Banana Bread, Pumpkin Bread, and Zucchini Bread.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- No Starter Needed. You get the sweet cinnamon flavor of Friendship Bread without waiting through the traditional 10-day starter cycle.
- Makes Two Loaves. Keep one for your family and share the second with a friend, neighbor, or teacher.
- Soft + Moist. Buttermilk and butter keep every slice tender without needing instant pudding.
- Cinnamon Sugar Layers. Cinnamon sugar in the middle and on top gives every slice plenty of sweet cinnamon flavor.
- Buttermilk Does the Work. Its acidity reacts with the baking soda to help the loaves rise while keeping the crumb soft.
Amish Bread Ingredients
Bread
- Sugar (2 cups): Sweetens the bread while helping create a soft texture.
- Butter (1 cup, softened): Adds rich flavor and keeps the bread moist and tender.
- Eggs (2): Provides structure and help bind the batter together.
- Buttermilk (2 cups): Creates a soft, tender crumb while adding a slight tang that balances the sweetness.
- All-Purpose Flour (4 cups): Gives the bread structure while maintaining a tender texture.
- Baking Soda (2 teaspoons): Reacts with the buttermilk to help the bread rise and bake evenly.
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- Sugar (⅔ cup): Creates sweet layers throughout the bread and a lightly crisp topping.
- Cinnamon (3 teaspoons): Adds warm cinnamon flavor that makes every bite delicious.
How to Make Amish Friendship Bread
TOPPING. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
MIX + DIVIDE. In another bowl or in a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, and eggs, and then add the buttermilk, flour, and baking soda. Divide 1/2 of the batter into two greased loaf pans (in other words, 1/4 of the mix in each pan). (I used two 5″ x 9″ metal loaf pans that are 3″ deep.)
LAYER. Sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the batter in each pan, reserving about 1/4 to sprinkle on the tops. Evenly add the remaining batter to your two pans, and then sprinkle on the rest of your cinnamon topping.
BAKE. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until baked through. Cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Enjoy!
TIP: Altitude, weather, oven, and even the type of pan can all affect the bake time. If you find that your bread is taking longer to cook in the middle, use a piece of tin foil to tent over the top to keep the crust from getting too dark and crisp.
Traditional Amish Friendship Bread Starter
Traditional Amish Friendship Bread starts with a sweet fermented starter that is fed over 10 days, divided, and shared with friends. You do not need this starter for our shortcut recipe above, but here is a simple traditional starter if you want to try the classic method.
Starter Ingredients + Instructions
- 1 (¼-ounce) package active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water, about 110°F
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it stand for about 10 minutes.
In a large glass, plastic, or ceramic container, whisk together the flour and sugar. Slowly stir in the milk and dissolved yeast mixture until combined.
Cover loosely and let the mixture sit at room temperature until bubbly. This is Day 1 of the traditional 10-day cycle.
10-Day Starter Schedule
- Day 1: Make or receive the starter. Let it sit at room temperature.
- Days 2-5: Stir the starter once each day, or gently mash the bag if storing it in a zip-top bag.
- Day 6: Feed the starter with 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Mix well.
- Days 7-9: Stir or gently mash the starter once each day.
- Day 10: Pour the starter into a nonmetal bowl. Feed it again with 1½ cups flour, 1½ cups sugar, and 1½ cups milk. Mix well.
Measure the starter into 1-cup portions. Keep one for yourself, share extras with friends, or freeze portions for later.
Important: This traditional starter is not used in the no-starter bread recipe above. It is included for anyone who wants to follow the classic Friendship Bread tradition.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Softened butter and room-temperature eggs mix more smoothly into the batter.
- Do not overmix. Once the flour and buttermilk are added, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make quick bread dense.
- Use the right loaf pans. We use two 5 x 9-inch metal loaf pans that are about 3 inches deep. A different pan size or material may change the bake time.
- Check the center. Insert a toothpick into the center of each loaf. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Tent if needed. If the top is getting dark before the center is finished, loosely cover the loaf with foil and continue baking.
- Make one to keep and one to share. Since this recipe makes two loaves, it is an easy homemade gift for neighbors, teachers, friends, or family.
Amish Friendship Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Bread
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- ⅔ cups sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Set aside
- Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs. Add buttermilk, flour, and baking soda. Divide ½ of the batter into two greased loaf pans (¼ in each pan). Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the batter in each pan, reserving about ¼ to sprinkle on the top.
- Evenly add remaining batter to your two pans; sprinkle the rest of your cinnamon topping.
- Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes or until baked through.
- Cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature butter and eggs so the batter mixes together smoothly.
- Mix the batter just until combined to keep the bread soft and tender.
- Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of each loaf.
- Let the bread cool for 20 minutes before removing it from the pans to prevent breaking.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
Traditional Amish Friendship Bread does, but our version does not. The traditional bread uses a sweet fermented starter that is maintained over a 10-day cycle. Our shortcut recipe uses buttermilk and baking soda instead, so you can make the bread right away.
The bread recipe on this page was specifically tested as a no-starter version using buttermilk. A traditional starter changes the moisture and structure of the batter, so we would use a separate tested traditional Friendship Bread recipe rather than adding starter to this formula.
Store: Store Amish Friendship Bread at room temperature in an airtight container, zip-top bag, or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or foil for 2-3 days.
Freeze: Once completely cooled, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap and again in foil. Freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw at room temperature before slicing
As mentioned, one of the reasons this is called friendship bread is that you pass on a baggie of the starter to friends so they can make their own. We love to gift a loaf instead. Simply wrap the loaf with parchment paper, tie it with raffia, twine, or string, then add a cute gift tag and even the recipe so they can make their own.
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Adapted from Red Fly Creations.
What size pans do you use? Can this be made in the mini pans? If so, how much time ? Thank you.
I had everything except for the eggs so I substitute 1/2 of cinnamon applesauce for the 2 eggs. It still turned out really good and added a hint of an apple flavor. Because I added applesauce it needed to be cooked about 10 minutes longer so at the 50 minute mark I covered the loafs in foil to prevent it getting too crisp and drying out.
That sounds like a delicious swap and great tip about covering the loaves with foil too!
I made my Amish Friendship bread tonight!! It is absolutely delicious!! I followed the recipe exactly as written. It is perfect for coffee!! My Family absolutely loves it!! Keeper Recipe
I am so happy to hear it turned out perfectly and that your family loved it. Enjoy every slice with your coffee!
This is an amazing bread! I made it with GF flour (walmart brand) and it was wonderful! You can not tell at all that it is GF. I added more cinnamon & added vanilla.
That is wonderful to hear and I am glad it turned out so well with GF flour.
I made this and my family loved it. The bread has just the right texture and sweetness.
The recipe is so simple and I already had the ingredients in my pantry and fridge.
Thanks for sharing!
I love that it uses simple pantry ingredients too, thanks so much for sharing!
WOW, WOW, and WOW SOME MORE!!!!! I made this yesterday and my husband and daughter almost ate the first loaf by themselves. They were going to eat all of it without saving me a bite! I quickly went and froze the second loaf without them knowing. That will fix that for a while. I have three loaves of the pumpkin bread already in the freezer. How do you think buttermilk would fair in that bread? Their taste tests tell me both types of bread are their favorites. This weekend I fed a loaf of the pumpkin to company; they told me it was the best they had EVER eaten!
That’s amazing to hear! I love that your family enjoyed it so much. I haven’t tried using buttermilk in this recipe, but it should work well and might make the bread even more tender. Let me know if you try it!
What pumpkin bread recipe are you using?
I used the pumpkin bread recipe on page 78 of Lil’ Luna’s cookbook. I also tried it with buttermilk, but use the recipe as published. There is no way to improve on it!!!!! It is divine!