Cinnamon Sugar Bread โ This brown sugar cinnamon bread is light and fluffy in the middle, with a crusty cinnamon-sugar exterior thatโs reminiscent of a streusel topping! The ribbon of cinnamon sugar that runs through the middle is a perfect touch! Easy, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe!!
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Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Recipe
This brown sugar cinnamon bread is so fast and easy to make and comes together in 5 minutes with a whisk, in one bowl. I love it when I donโt have to drag out my mixer because it would seem to defeat the purpose of calling a bread a โquick breadโ if the ingredients need to be creamed, creating more dishes. Nothing quick about that!
The same cinnamon-sugar mixture thatโs sprinkled on top before baking is also sprinkled into the batter, creating a cinnamon-sugar swirl in the middle of the loaf. The only way to create that thick, delectable, wall of sweet crust on top is to sprinkle cinnamon-sugar generously over the surface before baking.
Not all of it adheres to the bread and youโll have to remind your kids and husband to โPlease, eat over your plate.โ And remind yourself, too, so that youโre not recreating a sandy beach on your kitchen floor with the stray cinnamon-sugar granules.
The ribbon of cinnamon-sugar that floats through the interior provides another pop of flavor. The cinnamon flavor is present and notable, but itโs not overwhelming. Feel free to add more if youโre a true fiend.
The bread is flavorful enough that it doesnโt need butter, but if youโre so inclined toasting it and smearing liberally with butter takes it from really good to gobble-the-whole-loaf supremely good. Our toaster got a workout and has the cinnamon-sugar bits stuck in the crumb tray to show for it.
Such an easy bread to make with great results, no kneading and no fuss. From start to finish, this should go from cupboard and into your mouth in under an hour.
Cinnamon Sugar Bread Ingredients
For this cinnamon sugar quick bread recipe, youโll need:
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Canola oil
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk
- All-purpose flour
- Ground nutmeg
- Baking soda
- Salt
Can I Use a Buttermilk Substitute?
If you donโt normally keep buttermilk on hand, you can cheat and make some with regular milk by adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk and waiting for about 10 minutes.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Bread
This cinnamon swirl quick bread is super simple to make! Hereโs a look at how the bread is prepared:
- In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla, followed by the buttermilk.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Turn HALF the bread batter into a greased 9ร5-inch loaf pan and sprinkle three-quarters of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over top. Top with the remaining batter and sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over top.
- Bake your cinnamon swirl bread until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Tips for Making Cinnamon Sugar Quick Bread
When making the quick bread batter, itโs important that you give the melted butter a couple minutes to cool down before mixing it in with the other wet ingredients. If you mix everything together all at once, you might wind up accidentally scrambling the egg with the hot butter.
The cinnamon bread batter will be a little lumpy, and thatโs totally normal. Donโt try to stir out all the lumps, otherwise youโll over work the batter and your bread wonโt be as fluffy once baked.
Lastly, for easier cleanup I recommend inverting the bread over your kitchen sink or a paper towel since some of the cinnamon-sugar topping will fall off when you remove the loaf from the pan.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Use a Smaller Loaf Pan?
No, an 8ร4-inch loaf pan will be too small for this cinnamon quick bread recipe. You must use a 9ร5-inch pan for this recipe.
Can I Freeze This Bread?
Yes, cinnamon sugar bread freezes really well. Let it cool to room temperature, then pop it into a freezer bag or wrap it in multiple layers of plastic wrap. When youโre ready to eat the frozen loaf, set it on the counter overnight to thaw.
Can I Add Mix-Ins to the Batter?
Most likely, yes! Raisins or chopped nuts would both be great in this cinnamon swirl bread. Youโd only want to add about 3/4 cup of mix-ins total, otherwise your bread will overflow in the oven.
Can I Make This Recipe Into Muffins?
Yes, Iโve made this into muffins before and they turned out beautifully! Youโll want to check your muffins around the 18-minute mark and bake a minute or two more at a time until you figure out the exact amount of time they should be in the oven. Youโll know your muffins are done baking when theyโre golden and springy to the touch.
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Swirled Cinnamon Sugar Bread
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar
- โ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Bread
- ยผ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ยผ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ยพ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside (donโt use an 8-by-4-inch pan; itโs too small)
- In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar with the cinnamon and stir to incorporate; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute. After the butter has cooled momentarily (so you donโt scramble the egg), add the egg, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, and whisk to combine. Add the buttermilk and whisk to incorporate.
- Add the flour, nutmeg, baking soda, optional salt, and stir until just combined; donโt overmix. Batter will be thick and lumpy. Donโt try to stir the lumps smooth.
- Pour half the batter into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula. Sprinkle three-fourths (75%) of the cinnamon-sugar mixture (just eyeball it), distributed evenly over the surface of the batter. This creates the cinnamon ribbon.
- Top with remaining half of the batter, smoothing it lightly with a spatula. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture, distributed evenly over the top. It looks like a lot, but itโs necessary to form the crust, and not all of it aheres.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes (mine took 50), or until top is set and firm, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before inverting.
- Invert bread over the sink or a paper towel to catch some of the non-adhered cinnamon-sugar and sprinkle it back on the bread. Place bread on wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cinnamon Sugar Desserts:
Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Twists โ Baked in a muffin pan and made with refrigerated dough to save time, youโre going to LOVE how FAST and EASY these finger-lickinโ sweet pretzel bites are!
Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread โ Super soft, tender, moist pumpkin bread with a slightly crunchy cinnamon sugar topping!
Snickerdoodle Bread โ Between the cinnamon-sugar on top, cinnamon in the batter, and the cinnamon chips, the bread is full of wonderful and prominent cinnamon flavor without being overpowering.
Cinnamon Coffee Cake โ Between the cinnamon-sugar crust AND the cinnamon-sugar swirled through the center, this EASY coffee cake is IRRESISTIBLE!! Soft, fluffy, light, and of course itโs perfect with coffee!!
Honey Bun Cake โ Tastes like a Honey Bun in cake form!! Sweet, rich, decadent, and reminds me of the Honey Buns I used to eat as a kid! Fast and EASY!!
Glazed Cinnamon Roll Cake โ The flavor of cinnamon rolls in a soft, tender, EASY cake!! One bowl, no mixer, and youโre going to love the tangy-sweet GLAZE!!
Originally published April 24, 2013 and republished October 2, 2020 with updated text.
I come back to this recipe time and time again. Making it again today!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Sabah, and Iโm glad to hear this is a longtime favorite of yours and youโre making it again today!
great