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This Swirly Cinnamon Bread recipe is a cakey bread, baked until perfection and then dipped into butter and coated with cinnamon sugar! And if you’re looking for a mini version, look no further than my Cinnamon Muffins!
How To Make Sweet Donut Cinnamon Bread (YUM)
This is a pretty simple loaf to make, you just need to be prepared to get a little messy whilst dipping the whole loaf into melted butter…and then cinnamon and sugar. For full recipe details see the printable recipe card and video down below.
Prep
Preheat oven. Grease light colored loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Make the Batter
In large bowl, mix oil, butter and sugar until well combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gently stir in dry ingredients and buttermilk until uniform batter has formed. Scrape sides to ensure no lumps are present.
Reserve 1/2 Cup of Cinnamon Bread Batter
Reserve 1/2 cup prepared batter from bowl and place into a separate smaller bowl. To that small amount of batter, stir in cinnamon and molasses.
Pour into Pan, Swirl + Bake
Pour half of the prepared batter into the bottom of the loaf pan. Spoon half of the cinnamon batter in small dollops overtop the batter. Pour remaining plain batter over the top. Dot the top with remaining cinnamon batter. Using a butter knife, swirl two batters together.
Bake until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs…about 40-45 minutes.
Prep Coating
While loaf is baking, get coating ready. Pour melted butter into a large shallow dish. Stir sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a separate large shallow dish.
Cool
Cool 10 minutes before loosening edges and removing loaf from pan. The loaf should be very warm, but cool enough to handle with your hands.
Coat Loaf in Butter + Cinnamon Sugar
Dip each side of loaf into melted butter until fully coated. Spoon remaining melted butter over the edges that tend to be more crispy. Transfer buttery loaf to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and press into the sides and top until fully coated. Slice into pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.
Storing Cinnamon Bread
Cinnamon Swirl bread can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock beg at room temperature. This bread will stay fresh for 4-5 days.
To Freeze: Let Cinnamon Bread cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and placing in a freezer safe bag. Bread will stay fresh in the freezer for 3 months.
Can I Make These into Muffins Instead?
Yes! You can totally make this buttery cinnamon bread into muffins. Be sure to grease the muffin tin and fill 2/3 full and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, around 13-15 minutes. Paper liners wouldn’t work here because you would have to coat the whole muffin in butter, then cinnamon sugar. Unless you just dip the top, which could be a great option if you’d rather not bother washing a muffin tin.
More Sweet Cinnamon Recipes To Try:
- Cinnamon Butterscotch Chip Cookie Recipe
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Buttery Monkey Bread Recipe
So, there you have it! A buttery, sweet, delicious cinnamon bread that you are sure to love. Be sure to save this recipe for your next breakfast or brunch gathering! Have a wonderful weekend!
Cinnamon Bread (swirled donut bread)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup canola oil or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon molasses
coating:
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease light colored loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In large bowl, using an electric stand mixer, mix oil, butter and sugar until well combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Gently stir in dry ingredients and buttermilk until uniform batter has formed. Scrape sides to ensure no lumps are present.
- Remove 1/2 cup prepared batter from bowl and place into a separate smaller bowl. To that small amount of batter, stir in ground cinnamon and molasses.
- Pour half of the prepared batter into the bottom of the loaf pan. Spoon half of the cinnamon batter in small dollops overtop the batter. Pour remaining plain batter over the top. Dot the top with remaining cinnamon batter.
- Using a butter knife, swirl two batters together. Bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- While loaf is baking, get coating ready. Pour melted butter into a large shallow dish. Stir sugar, brown sugar and ground cinnamon together in a separate large shallow dish.
- Cool 10 minutes before loosening edges and removing loaf from pan. The loaf should be very warm, but cool enough to handle with your hands.
- Dip each side of the loaf into melted butter until fully coated. Spoon remaining melted butter over the edges that tend to be more crispy.
- Transfer buttery loaf to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and press into the sides and top until fully coated.
- Slice into pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.
I have 3 different sized loaf pans. Which size for this recipe?? Thanks.
This looks delicious! Does the butter need to be salted or unsalted?
Made this twice, IT IS REALLY GOOD. Delicious and then some!
On a different thought, it flabbergasts me to NO END, when people comment on recipes THEY HAVE NOT MADE. PLEASE STOP.
Once one person, who has not made it, comments, it opens a flood gate for non-makers, who drone on about NOTHING pertinent to the RECIPE!
Just stop, you come off as a total tool to everyone else!
Amen!!!!
What is a substitute for molasses?
The best recipe
Thank you for sharing
The best recipe
I made this recipe exactly to the letter and against my better judgement I only greased the light baking pan but did not flour it. The bread stuck everywhere it could. disaster, never again
Just read many comments , asking , what pan size you used? One post of yours said 8.5 and another one, said 8 inches..?? Why the change? As you know , baking is precise ( as opposed to cooking) I know whereof I speak, so to say – am a cooking teacher in boston with rave reviews from all age students. Also, wondering, why you wouldn’t just list the pan size in the recipe?? Every good baker knows to do that – okay, just my two cents.
I wrote this post at least 5 years ago when I didn’t care as much about recipe development and accuracy…plus most people don’t care about precision and having any old loaf pan is good enough for them. This is the loaf pan I used: https://rstyle.me/+o2fxEHdkylgB7XY8hmeWCA .
It is an aluminized steel 1 pound loaf pan, commercial grade and heavy gauge – measures 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inches.
This looks Scrumptious!! I definitely will be making this.
I do have a question. I only have dark coloured loaf pans. Is it okay to use it? Do need to adjust cooking time or anything to use the darker loaf pan?
Thank you for sharing.
ps…are you on Instagram to follow?
Thanks again!
My only concern with darker colored loaf pans are the edges getting crispy and dark before the center is cooked. You are welcome to try, though! It still will work, the edges will just be darker. Be generous with your butter in soaking the edges 🙂
The flavors were good, but this took forever to bake through in the center, leaving the outside and edges very dry.
FYI – I used a glass loaf pan.
Can you substitute almond milk for the buttermilk?
Absolutely delicious. My only issue was when I went to dip it in the butter, the loaf started falling apart in my hands. I tried to dip it when I took it out of the pan – it was still warm. I guess maybe it’s better to wait until it’s cool so it’s firmer? Will make again, so good.
I have tried may similar recipes to this but this is absolutely the best. I have been baking for more than 50 years and give it five star hands down. It is sooooo good.
I used honey and it was amazing!
Hi!
Do you recommend using one of those to go aluminum 8×4 pans loaf pans? Or a bigger glass loaf pan? Any degree / time differences?
[…] Recipes adapted from Lauren’s Latest […]
Really love it! Thanks for sharing.
Mine seemed to be browning too quickly around the edges at about the 25-30 min. mark & the center wasn’t quite done, so I turned the oven off-let it bake about 5 min. longer, then opened the oven door slightly for the last 10ish or so min., then the center set and it came out about perfect………….loved this; donut bread is the perfect description!
This is SO GOOD………….smeared w/ butter while still warm…MMMMMM……..then ate more ALL day…….w/butter….w/out butter….scraped up every crumb, every time………gave ONE piece to my mother to take home………about 1/2 left……probably will be gone by tomorrow nite………….mmmmmmmmmmmm
Do you think I could omit the cinnamon/sugar coating & just use a vanilla or cinnamon glaze on it? Thank you!
Sure!
I’ve made this three times. It’s so hard to get the center done in a loaf pan. I’ve baked it 20 minutes+ longer.
What are the dimensions of your loaf pan? Are you baking in the lower 1/3rd of your oven? Does your oven run hot? cold?
This recipe was so easy and just so darn delicious. I want to eat it all. Thank you Lauren. 😋😋😋
This recipe looks fantastic! Will be making this. Is it possible to add the picture to the recipe? The picture would be very motivating at a glance. Thanks for sharing your recipes..
[…] This article and recipe adapted from this site […]
My daughters love this bread. We’ve been making it at least twice a month
This is definitely going on my fall baking list!! Love so many of your recipes. My husband asks me to make the Salted Browned Butter Choc Chip cookies at least once a week!
My kids love this treat!
This recipe has been open on my phone for months because I need to make it! It looks sooo good and I love anything cinnamon!
This is the best bread!! My whole family loved it! Can’t wait to make it again. Yum!
Excellent. I used 9×5 pan and it took me
exactly 50 minutes. Next time though I will
just melt 1/2 stick butter and brush cake several times rather than roll cake into the melted butter because my cake almost broke. I also had a lot of leftover sugar mixture so I may also
cut it in half. Thanks.
Excellent! My family and I loved this!
I need to make this ahead of time and freeze. Should I dip in the butter/cinnamon sugar before I freeze or right before I serve. I’ll be serving a room temp. They can heat in the microwave if they choose. Thank you.
[…] Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread […]
Can you use glass loaf pan?
Yes!
Looks so good. Could I make this in a donut pan?
I’ve never tried, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work 🙂
This bread is so deliciously wonderful. I make it about once a week. Took it to work for St. Patrick’s Day and used green food in the swirl. It was a huge hit! Definitely 5 stars!!
Does this bread need to be refrigerated? And, how long does it “keep” I give cinnamon bread as gifts but wanted to try something different. I put my bread in plastic bread bags with a wire tie, and it lasts about 1 week like this. Would your cinnamon bread do the same?
Thanks!
Gini Dryden
I would refrigerate to make sure it stays as fresh as possible. I would say it lasts 4-5 days. Of course you can eat it beyond that, but it won’t taste as good 🙂
[…] banana isn’t your thing, you may want to try my Low Fat Lemon Poppyseed Bread, my Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread or my Homemade White Bread. All non-banana-but-still-delicious […]
This may be the best thing I’ve ever put into my mouth! OMGosh! I was looking for something different to bake and holiday gifts and this is it. I added 1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts to the cinnamon batter, but changed nothing else. So many sweet loaf breads are heavy, you can even see it in the photos. This one is light and airy. I think maybe because most use 1/2 cup butter, where this recipe calls for 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup canola oil. The butter and cinnamon sugar on the outside is a MUST – do NOT skip these final two steps! Excellent! Thanks for posting!!
I just made this. Can’t wait to try it. Unfortunately, I made it in a larger loaf pan. Will correct that next time. Very easy to make.
[…] Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread […]
[…] Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread […]
[…] Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread […]
[…] Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread has taken the internet by storm, much to my prediction (and delight), so with the chillier temps […]
I cant wait to try this recipe for the Fall Season.
The absolute most delicious thing I have ever had! If you are questioning whether you should make it, the answer is YES. Just do it. It is really that good!
What type of molasses do u use ?
When I use buttermilk in a recipe, I use Baking soda instead of baking powder. Also, for more “donut” flavor, I think I will use some nutmeg in it. It really sounds good and looks good too.
I love baking this bread just like this but I also love kicking it up a bit with different nuts it’s good with a cup of coffee
Awesome
Thanks