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This BEST cinnamon bread recipe is so soft and delicious! It will be gone in minutes and will become a family favorite in no time.
Cinnamon bread is packed with flavors like our family favorite One Hour Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Roll Cake, and Cinnamon Quick Bread Recipe!
Homemade Cinnamon Bread To Love!
In our family, there are two things my mom makes that we ALL crave and beg for once the weather cools down – cinnamon bread and Homemade Donuts.
This cinnamon bread recipe is especially a favorite during the holidays (and a must-have for Christmas)!
Why we love it:
- Easy. This loaf looks complicated, but comes together easily with only 20 minutes of prep!
- Flavor. My kids eat this bread like it was candy – it practically is!
- Many ways to enjoy. Slice the cinnamon bread and spread it with butter, put it in the toaster, or use it to make French Toast or French Toast Casserole!
- Any time of the day! Cinnamon bread makes a great breakfast, afternoon snack, or late-night treat.
Ingredients
- brown sugar – I use light brown sugar but you can use dark brown sugar. Make your own by thoroughly combining 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses.
- salt
- hot water
- unsalted butter – or use salted butter and reduce the added salt.
- cold water
- rapid rise instant yeast – or an equal amount of dry active yeast
- all-purpose flour – or use an equal amount of bread flour for a more chewy texture.
- white sugar
- ground cinnamon
- large egg
Variations
- Add a cup of raisins. Sprinkle them on after spreading the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough, but before rolling it up.
- Glaze. Many people like to drizzle the top of the bread with a powdered sugar glaze.
How to make cinnamon bread
- WET INGREDIENTS. In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, hot water, and butter. Stir to mix, break up butter chunks, and dissolve the brown sugar a bit (a few butter chunks are okay).
- Add cold water, sprinkle yeast on top, and let sit for 10 minutes. It will not bubble much.
- DRY INGREDIENTS. Add flour 1 cup at a time and stir together with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough for a few minutes to ensure all the flour is well incorporated.
- RISE. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1½ hours.
- PREP. While the bread is rising, grease two 5-x-9-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Make the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Set aside.
- Make the egg wash by whisking the egg and water together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Shape and Bake!
- SHAPE. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and place it onto a lightly floured surface.
- Form a ball and divide it into 2 equal pieces.
- On a well-floured surface, roll one piece at a time into a rectangle of about 7 x 22 inches and about ½ inch thick.
- Brush with half of the egg wash. Spread ⅔ cup cinnamon-sugar mix evenly over the dough, then lightly spray with water.
- Roll the dough up tightly, lightly pulling and tucking in the sides as you roll. Pinch the ends closed and drop them into the prepared loaf pan seam side down.
- Repeat with the second piece of dough and the remaining egg wash and cinnamon-sugar mix.
- 2nd RISE. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
- BAKE. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes. As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, brush the tops with butter. Let cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Tips
- Separating swirls. Sometimes the swirls separate and create a gap when the bread is cut. The egg wash will help keep the cinnamon swirls tight and avoid forming a gap.
- Another factor that can cause a gap is using an extra amount of cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Slicing. Slice cooled bread to avoid smashing the bread or runny cinnamon. Cool in the pan for a few minutes then place it on a rack. Use a bread knife to cut the slices.
- Size of rolled loaf. I typically roll my dough 7×22 inches so that it is ½ inch thick.
Storing Info
- STORE. Place the cooled cinnamon swirl bread in a large resealable plastic bag and store at room temperature for 3–4 days or in the refrigerator for 7 days.
- FREEZE. This bread also freezes well. Wrap each loaf in plastic wrap, then place in a resealable plastic freezer bag, or wrap tightly with aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw at room temperature before warming to your liking.
For More Favorite Bread Recipes:
Cinnamon Bread Recipe
This BEST cinnamon bread recipe is so soft and delicious! It will be gone in minutes and will become a family favorite in no time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1⅔ cups hot water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened and cut into pieces
- 1⅔ cups cold water
- 1 tablespoon rapid rise instant yeast
- 7½-8 cups all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- 1⅓ cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, hot water, and butter. Stir to mix, break up butter chunks and dissolve brown sugar a bit (there will still be a few butter chunks, which is okay).
- Add cold water, then sprinkle yeast on top and let sit for 10 minutes. It will not bubble much.
- Add flour 1 cup at a time and stir together with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough for a few minutes to make sure all the flour is well incorporated. (NOTE: This is a very wet and sticky dough that will stick to your hands. Dipping your hands in flour before kneading may help, but it will still stick). Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1½ hours.
- While the bread is rising, grease two 5-x-9-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
- To make the cinnamon-sugar mixture, mix sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Set aside.
- Make the egg wash by whisking the egg and water together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Form a ball and divide it into 2 equal pieces.
- Working with one piece at a time on a well-floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle to about 7 x 22 inches and about ½ inch thick. Brush with half of the egg wash to help the cinnamon-sugar mixture stick better. Spread ⅔ cup cinnamon-sugar mix evenly over the dough, then lightly spray with water.
- Roll the dough up tightly, lightly pulling as well as tucking in the sides as you roll. Pinch ends closed and drop into the prepared loaf pan seam side down. Repeat with the second piece of dough and the remaining egg wash and cinnamon-sugar mix. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes. As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, brush the tops with butter. Let cool completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
Make Ahead: Place the cooled loaves in a large resealable plastic bag and store at room temperature for 3–4 days or in the refrigerator for 7 days. This bread also freezes well. Wrap each loaf in plastic wrap, then place in a resealable plastic freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before warming to your liking.
Use It Up: This Cinnamon Bread is perfect on its own, but can also be used to make some of our other recipes even better. Try cutting it up and using it to make French Toast or our French Toast Bake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1loaf, Calories: 4743kcal, Carbohydrates: 993g, Protein: 105g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 142mg, Sodium: 3596mg, Potassium: 1285mg, Fiber: 31g, Sugar: 243g, Vitamin A: 842IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 353mg, Iron: 47mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you think there’s any chance you could post the measurements for 2 loaves of bread? I’m a little intimidated by trying to figure out what 2/5 of a lb of brown sugar is without a food scale! (along with other measurements) I’d love to make this for my husband, so any help you can offer would be much appreciated.
What size tins do you use, 2lb or 3lb. And do you use all purpose flour or bread flour. Many thanks, can’t wait to try it.
I am making this right now and my butter isn’t really dissolving in the hot water mixture. Should I have melted it before adding it? Is it supposed to dissolve all the way? Thanks! I’m super excited to taste the outcome 😉
Wow, I came across this recipe on Pinterest, and made it tonight. This bread is so amazing, yummy, scrumptious. Better than cinnamon rolls, sweet and delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I look forward to following your blog to get future inspiration in the kitchen. Yumm!
Thanks for the sweet comment, Jenny! SO glad you made it and loved it. I don’t know if people believe me when I say it tastes like Candy and that 5 loaves is never enough, lol!! Have a great Sunday. 🙂
Have you ever added raisins? If I did, would it hurt anything? I have never made bread before.
I, personally, have never added raisins but I think my mom has. If I remember correctly it didn’t change anything for the recipe. I would just put them on after your sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar mixture. 🙂
Ok come on I cook all the time what is a “cube” of butter a pound with 17 cups of flour or what. Why don’t you tell us ounces or something.
One cube of butter is one stick of butter. 🙂
So I am making the bread now and first of all, 17 C. of flour and you only get 5 loaves? Not sure about that. Also you really only use 1 cube of margarine? (and you people who don’t know what a cube of butter is…… really? 1 pound of butter is 4 cubes) Anyhow so I bake ALL the time and I ended up using at least 25 C. of flour and maybe more, I quit counting. Anyway it is now in the process of raising (which by the way, 2 tbsp. of yeast is all you use for that large a recipe?) I finished it out cause I hated wasting all of those ingredients, and only time will tell. I am hoping for the best cause the picture looks amazing and I love cinnamon bread. Also, I love the idea about spraying the dough with water before you add the filling. I will let you know how it turns out. 🙂
Please let me know how it turns out. I have watched my mom make this recipe countless times, and yes 17 cups is flour is what she uses… maybe 1/2 – 1 cup more max, as well as the 2 TB of yeast and 1 stick of margarine. It always makes 5 loaves in regular bread pans. Not sure how many yours made, but I promise she has done this EVERY time and every time it comes out the most HEAVENLY bread ever! Hope yours does too. 🙂
Dear Lil’ Luna,
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!! I will never doubt again. This is absolutley amazing! I may eat one entire loaf by myself tonight. Sorry I doubted you. Still don’t know why I had to use so much more flour but, oh well. IK am now headed to cut another slice. Thank you so much!
Janelle – your comment made my weekend! SO glad you liked it!! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know how you liked it. 🙂
That bread looks to die for! It would be great for breakfast or a snack or in bread pudding. It looks heavenly and has so few ingredients. I love simple, classic breads like this 🙂
I have been having problems for months with the emails you sent. They seem to have imbeded links which cause my MS Outlook problems. It has to connect at least 3 times with assets.penierest.com/images before I can scroll through the devotion. I thought it was in the photos but find it also near any links. If I switch to another email & go back it starts all over again. I must say this is becoming distraction & slows everything down! Sometimes i can’t get anything to open and then my whole screen gets faded and i have trouble getting back to outlook. I hope this is something that can get fixed on your end? I have tried 2 different computers and both do the same thing . So sorry…..do not want to unsubscibe since i get so much from your notes. You are such an inspiration to me….and so many! Tammy
I love cinnamon bread! It screams comfort. This is beautiful.
That cinnamon bread looks divine! Yum