This Cinnamon Swirl Bread is super simple to make, requiring just 10 minutes of prep and a few basic ingredients from your kitchen. This recipe skips the yeast, making it incredibly straightforward and stress-free. The result? A deliciously moist quick bread swirled with the sweet flavors of cinnamon and sugar.
Easy-To-Bake Cinnamon Quick Bread
This homemade Cinnamon Quick Bread recipe mixes basic ingredients into a batter that can immediately be baked—no waiting for the dough to rise, no yeast, and no mixer required. A layer of cinnamon sugar runs through the middle, making a sweet swirl in every slice. The cinnamon sugar topping turns into a crispy coating that seals in all the delicious flavors and creates an irresistible crunchy crust.
Looking for an even easier version – be sure to check out our Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread. This one starts with a cake mix to save you even more time!
What is a quick bread?
A quick bread is a bread that uses leavening agents (baking soda, baking powder, etc.) instead of yeast to make the bread rise. And because it has no yeast, it mixes up into a batter like a cake batter, rather than a stiffer dough like a yeast dough. It can be mixed and immediately baked, whereas a yeast bread needs to be mixed, left alone to rise, deflated, left alone again to rise again and then baked.
Cinnamon Swirl Bread Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Fine sea salt
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar, packed
- Egg
- Buttermilk—If you don’t have any buttermilk, you can measure 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into a glass measuring cup (2-cup capacity). On top of the lemon juice or white vinegar, add enough milk to reach the 2-cup line. Stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes. The liquid should thicken into “buttermilk.”
- Vanilla extract
How to Make the Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Set the bowl aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Mix in the egg. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and combine until there are no dry patches.
- In a small bowl stir together the sugar and cinnamon.
- Pour ½ of the batter to the pan and smooth it out. Sprinkle ⅔ of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
- Cover cinnamon sugar with remaining batter and smooth out the top.
- Add the remaining cinnamon sugar to cover and swirl the top with a butter knife.
- Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes.
Pro Tip: Bread is done baking when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. - Cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Why is there a crack down the middle of my quick bread?
The crack on top happens when top of the loaf “sets” in the heat of the oven before the bread is finished rising. Don’t worry — it’s normal for quick breads. You can drizzle the loaf with icing or dust with confectioners’ sugar to “hide” the crack if it bothers you.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Cool It: Make sure your quick bread has completely cooled before slicing. If you try to slice it warm, the center will sink and it will likely fall apart!
- Line It: Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper makes it easier to lift out of the pan and will keep the cinnamon sugar topping in tact.
- Double It: This recipe can easily be doubled to make two loaves.
- Make Muffins: You can easily make muffins with your batter. Instead of using a loaf pan, simply pour the bread batter into muffin tins. You will make 12-14 muffins, and suggested bake time is 15-18 minutes.
- Add-Ins: Add some raisins, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, walnuts, or pecans to your batter before baking.
- Spice It Up: Make it a spiced bread by adding a pinch of cloves, nutmeg, allspice, or a combination of all three.
Storage Tips
- To Store: You can store your quick bread at room temperature for up to 3 days in an air tight container.
- To Freeze: If freezing quick bread, wrap it very well in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Other Easy Quick Bread Recipes
- Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
- Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
- Zucchini Bread
- Ice Cream Bread
- Cloud Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Cinnamon Roll Bread
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling and topping:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with baking spray, or line it with parchment paper and spray with baking spray, set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until combined, set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 2 minutes until combined. Add the egg and mix it in. Add the buttermilk and vanilla, slowly stir it in until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix it in until just combined, with no dry patches.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- In a small bowl stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Add ½ of the batter to the pan and smooth it out. Add ⅔ of the cinnamon mixture on top evenly. Add the remaining batter, smooth out the top. Add the remaining cinnamon sugar, swirl the top with a butter knife.⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Take the bread out of the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: You can store your quick bread at room temperature for up to 3 days in an air tight container.
- To Freeze: If freezing quick bread, wrap it very well in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Make sure your quick bread has completely cooled before slicing. If you try to slice it warm, the center will sink and it will likely fall apart!
- Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper makes it easier to lift out of the pan and will keep the cinnamon sugar topping in tact.
- This recipe can easily be doubled to make two loaves.
