This Easy Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread is so delicious! It’s super moist with a perfect cinnamon swirl and a crunchy, buttery cinnamon top.
Meet your new favorite quick bread recipe! Simple vanilla quick bread dough gets a special makeover with sweet cinnamon ribbons (and don’t even get me started on the cinnamon crunch topping!).
Why we love this quick bread recipe
This Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread is exceptionally delicious. Everyone is excited! I think it has something to do with the lovely cinnamon ribbon that cuts straight down the center of the bread. Oh, and the buttery cinnamon top!
Here are a few reasons why this bread is worth making:
- Bread is easy to make. The batter is a one-bowl recipe that can be mixed by hand.
- Creating the perfect cinnamon swirl is quick and possible by following the simple instructions in the recipe.
- Baked Cinnamon Swirl Bread will stay soft and moist for days.
- The recipe can be easily doubled. (Instructions for baking in a mini loaf pan are in the notes section.)
Important Ingredient Notes
As mentioned above, this recipe is not complicated. It comes together so quickly! Below are some ingredient notes. To make sure your bread comes out perfect:
- Granulated Sugar: This is used in the dough and the cinnamon/sugar mixture that is mixed together for the cinnamon swirl and topping.
- milk: I recommend using 2% milk in this recipe, and at least 1%, 2%, or whole milk, and no skim milk.
- cream: For optimal texture and moistness of the bread, we recommend using full-fat sour cream.
- oil: Vegetable oil or canola oil (or another neutral-flavored oil) works best for this recipe.
- egg: Believe it or not, the size of the egg matters. Use large eggs (they should weigh 50g in the shell). Using eggs that are too large or too small can affect the outcome of your bread.
- flour: I use unbleached all-purpose flour in this recipe. Adding different types of flour (bread flour, whole wheat flour) may affect the overall texture/softness of the bread.
- butter: A little bit of butter sprinkled over the bread before baking makes a big difference and helps caramelize the crunchy cinnamon topping.
substitution: you can replace 1 cup buttermilk instead 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup sour cream. The crumb is a little firmer due to the milk/sour cream, but the bread is very moist and delicious either way.
How to Get the Perfect Cinnamon Swirl
It’s important to be careful not to over-stir the dough! Doing so may cause the cinnamon mixture to sink to the bottom or create cinnamon specks throughout the loaf rather than cinnamon swirls.
To get the perfect cinnamon swirl:
- Layer half of the dough, then fold in 1/4 cup of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Spread the remaining batter over the cinnamon and sugar.
- Sprinkle remaining cinnamon and sugar over dough.
- Using a butter knife, draw three diagonal lines starting from the top left corner of the dough.
- Repeat the pattern starting from the lower left corner (so the lines cross each other).
Don’t overthink the swirl! If the pattern doesn’t make sense, just make a few smooth slashes all over the dough and call it good.
A few final notes
Keep in mind that this bread is not domed like other quick breads. It stays relatively flat and the top is layered with bubbles and swirls of crunchy cinnamon topping.
Because the top of the bread has a crunchy feel. Use a sharp serrated knife to make clean cuts. Then, gently cut off the edges of the corners of the bread and run the knife across them to cut each slice completely.
I’ve made this bread several times over the past few weeks for various gatherings and it’s been a slam dunk hit every time. This is a great quick bread if you need a classic banana bread, pumpkin bread, or a different (and delicious!) flavor twist on a more common quick bread recipe.
One bite and you will understand its appeal. The crumb is perfectly moist, lightly sweet, and absolutely delicious with a contrasting sweet cinnamon swirl and crunch. I hope you love it!
Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
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equipment
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8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan
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wire whisk
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Double-sided measuring spoon
ingredient
Bread dough:
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup Milk (preferably not skim milk – I use 2% milk)
- ½ cup Sour cream (see notes)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 large in size egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Sugar + Toppings:
- 6 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
guideline
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 1/2-X4 1/2 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Optional: Line pan with parchment paper and grease parchment paper.
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For dough, In a large bowl, combine sugar (3/4 cup), milk, sour cream, oil, egg, and vanilla. Mix well.
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Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until no dry streaks remain (do not overmix).
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For cinnamon and sugar, In a small bowl, mix granulated sugar (6 tablespoons) and cinnamon until well combined.
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To assemble: Spread half of the dough into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cinnamon/sugar mixture over the dough.
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Spoon remaining batter over cinnamon and sugar. Spread evenly.
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Sprinkle remaining cinnamon and sugar (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) evenly over dough.
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Starting at one corner, draw a butter knife across the dough in three diagonal lines in a down-up-down pattern, then repeat the pattern once more on the opposite corner, making sure the lines cross each other (see photo in post for a visual). Do not over-stir the dough. A few slashes are needed for an optimal cinnamon and sugar swirl.
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Spread melted butter on the top of the bread.
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optional: Batter fills an 8 1/2-X4 1/2 inch pan about 2/3 full. If you live at altitude or are worried about the cinnamon topping dripping into the oven while baking, place the loaf pan on a sheet pan and bake. Note: I live at 2,500 feet above sea level and my oven doesn’t overflow or drip.
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Bake the bread for 50-55 minutes. The bread may not be as domed as other quick breads and may have a relatively flat top, but a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with clean or moist crumbs. Add more time if necessary.
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Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes, then gently lift it out (or lift the parchment to remove it) and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
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The top of the bread will be slightly crunchy, so for clean slices, use a sharp serrated knife, gently cutting around the edges of the corners of the bread, then cutting across the knife into each slice completely.
memo
Mini loaf pan: Baking this bread in mini loaf pans is a bit tricky. This is because there is too much batter for 2 standard mini loaf pans and not enough batter for 3 mini loaf pans. If you want to bake in mini loaf pans, we recommend using 3 pans (baked loaves will not be as tall as other mini loaf pans). For 3 mini loaf pans, use about 260 grams of batter per pan (divided in half to allow for the cinnamon/sugar layer) and about 1 1/4 tablespoons of the cinnamon/sugar mixture per pan (divided between the middle layer and top). Drizzle about a teaspoon of butter over each mini loaf before baking.
nutrition
Recipe Source: At Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
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