Are you looking for the perfect easy cinnamon swirl bread recipe? Your journey stops here. This simple homemade bread recipe uses a handful of basic ingredients and a few clever techniques that even beginners can master to produce a gloriously spiraled loaf of fresh cinnamon swirl bread every time.
Though the loaf itself is dairy-free (and egg-free too!), this cinnamon swirl bread is best eaten toasted with butter (I'm partial to my homemade stand mixer butter with a sprinkle of flaky salt!) to really bring out those warm, sweet flavors. But it's equally fantastic plain or turned into French toast! Notes for freezing and defrosting are included at the end of the post.
5-star reader review
“Made this recently for a board game night with friends—it did not survive the night. So delicious, and Rebecca’s instructions make it so easy to get that beautiful swirl!”
—Megan
What Makes This Cinnamon Swirl Bread Unique
I've tried many cinnamon swirl bread recipes in my life. And I've been disappointed in all of them. Truly! Making a cinnamon swirl is a lot harder than you think. Here's just some of the issues you might run into:
- Cinnamon is hydrophobic, which means it repels water. When you roll the cinnamon sugar up inside the dough, the cinnamon prevents the layers of dough from sticking to each other, creating air pockets along the spiral.
- Sugar is hygroscopic, which means it attracts water. The sugar in the spiral absorbs water from the dough during the final rise, causing it to melt and liquify, seeping out of the loaf and leaving a gap behind. That means more air pockets.
- If you have a small kitchen, it's hard to roll your dough long and narrow enough to get a tight spiral, resulting in a wide cinnamon sugar swirl in your finished loaf. This doesn't look great and also means you don't get that cinnamon sugar swirl in every bite.
- If you smush or tuck the ends of a cinnamon swirl loaf together during shaping, you'll ruin the spiral.
- The layers of cinnamon sugar in the dough act as barriers that prevent steam from escaping during baking. This can cause air pockets or your loaf to burst open unpredictably during baking.
So I set out to find a way to make a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread that solved not one, not two, not three — but all of these issues as reliably as possible.
I used my classic soft sandwich bread (dairy-free, egg-free) as a base for this cinnamon swirl bread. And even with a recipe as reliable and simple as that, I still ran into issues getting the perfect swirl at first.
I tested so many different troubleshooting techniques — egg wash, oil, plain dough, dry sugar, wet sugar, white sugar, brown sugar, a butter and cinnamon sugar paste, etc. before I had my eureka! moment. Here are the 5 techniques this recipe uses:
- I've added flour to the cinnamon sugar mixture. The flour will absorb water and begin forming a gluten network between the layers of dough, preventing the sugar from melting out.
- I generously sprayed the dough and cinnamon sugar mixture with water before and after adding the cinnamon sugar mixture on top. This gives the cinnamon time to begin hydrating so that it doesn't repel the moisture of the dough and the sugar. The water mixes with the flour and cinnamon sugar mixture to create a paste that stays put during the final rise.
- I've added cinnamon to the dough so that even if you get a bite without any of the swirl in it, you still get a nice cinnamon flavor. But you shouldn't get a bite without any swirl because...
- ...Eureka! There are actually two cinnamon sugar swirls in this bread! To shape the cinnamon swirl, I divided the dough in half, rolled out two long rectangles, and sandwiched a layer of cinnamon sugar between them. Two layers of dough + two layers of cinnamon sugar = the most spectacular cinnamon swirl of all time!
- I gave the steam an escape route by poking holes down the length of the loaf with a toothpick right before baking.
It's those final two tricks I'm most proud of. The idea of layering two pieces of dough and filling borrows from the lamination technique used to make things like croissant dough, and it's super beginner-friendly too. Here we're using it to create the illusion of one cinnamon sugar spiral when there are actually two!
And the toothpick holes were a last-minute experiment that totally paid off. So simple, but super effective: 4-5 tiny holes poked down the center of the loaf is enough to let the steam out while the loaf bakes so it doesn't get trapped inside.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients that you'll need to make this homemade cinnamon swirl bread recipe! See recipe card (at the end of the blog post) for quantities.
Ground Cinnamon - Cinnamon is such an important flavor in this recipe that I do recommend using a high-quality cinnamon with an intense flavor. I used Burlap & Barrel's Royal Cinnamon here.
Sugar - Plain granulated white sugar is used to make the cinnamon sugar filling. You can also use caster sugar or superfine sugar, but do not use powdered sugar. I also don't recommend using brown sugar; it has too much moisture in it and can create separation between your dough layers during baking.
Jazz it up! You can create a more complex and interesting cinnamon sugar swirl filling by adding a pinch of other warm spices like ground cloves, allspice, cardamom, cayenne, or nutmeg. You can also use pre-existing cinnamon-heavy spice blends like pumpkin spice or apple pie spice to replace some or all of the cinnamon in this recipe.
Mix up a Super Simple Cinnamon Bread Dough
This is your standard bread dough process.
- Whisk the dry ingredients — flour, salt, yeast, cinnamon — together.
- Add the wet ingredients — water, oil, honey — to the dry ingredients.
- Mix with a dough hook until the dough comes together in one mass on the hook.
- Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Psst! If you want more detailed step-by-step photos and troubleshooting for this dough (like the difference between mixing and kneading or how to knead it by hand), check out my soft sandwich bread recipe post! It's exactly the same base dough recipe, plus a bit of cinnamon.
Cover the bowl (I use these plastic hair processing caps as bowl covers) and place it in the fridge to rise for one hour.
The cold temperature of the fridge will slow down the yeast a bit, but there's enough yeast in this dough that it will still rise. It just may not dramatically double in size since the cinnamon in the dough also slows the yeast activity. Cold dough is easier to shape and handle, so doing this first rise in the fridge will make it easier to shape the cinnamon swirl roll.
The dough will be fine in the fridge for up to 2 or even 3 hours, so don't worry if you don't get to it exactly an hour later.
A Bit of Flour in the Cinnamon Sugar Filling Makes A Big Difference
This is the easiest step of all. Whisk the cinnamon, flour, and sugar together in a small bowl. Set it aside until you need it!
The flour is crucial to the cinnamon sugar filling — when you spray the filling with water later on, the flour will begin forming a gluten network and stick to the layers of dough, keeping the sugar from melting out.
Use My Best Tricks for Shaping Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Alright. Your dough is made. Your cinnamon sugar is mixed. Your counter is clear and has plenty of room to move and work. If you have a small counter, I recommend having a sheet pan set aside to put the piece of dough you're not currently working with.
Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Gently nudge and press it into a square shape.
Use a bench scraper to divide the square of dough down the middle so you have two narrow rectangular pieces of dough.
Roll each piece of dough into a long rectangle. Keep them at least an inch less wide than the length of the loaf pan.
Generously spray one of the dough rectangles with water to help the cinnamon sugar stick to the dough.
Sprinkle the wet dough generously with half the cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges.
Spray the top of the cinnamon sugar mixture generously with water. This begins hydrating the cinnamon so it sticks.
Carefully lift the other sheet of dough and lay it on top of the cinnamon sugar. Pinch the edges all the way around the border to seal the cinnamon sugar inside.
Repeat the same process: Spray the top of the dough, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar (this time to the edges), then spray again with water.
Roll the dough up into a tight log, using your hands on either end of the log to guide the ends in a straight line so the log is evenly thick across.
Place the log of dough in a lightly greased 9x4" Pullman pan. It won't fill out the length of the pan just yet. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1-1.5 hours.
When the dough has doubled in size and filled out the length of the pan, it's ready to bake. In a small Pullman pan, the dough will be about an inch below the top rim.
Immediately before baking, use a toothpick to poke 5 deep holes down the middle length of the loaf. This allows steam to escape during baking.
Bake the cinnamon swirl bread until golden brown on top. You're looking for an internal temperature of 195°-200°F.
Remove the cinnamon swirl bread from the oven and immediately (caution: it's hot!) turn it out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. This prevents steam from getting trapped in the pan so the bread doesn't get soggy and prevents the cinnamon sugar from hardening in the pan.
I know it's tempting to cut a slice of freshly baked cinnamon swirl bread while it's still hot, but resist that urge! If you slice the bread before it's cooled and the starches haven't set yet, the steam still inside the bread will turn the starches to mush. And the cinnamon sugar mixture will leak out everywhere. No one wants leaky, mushy bread!
Use a 9x4" Pullman Pan for Best Results
This recipe is scaled to bake in a 9x4" small Pullman loaf pan. A Pullman pan has straight, vertical sides that keep the spiral shape supported and prevent it from spreading out as it rises.
As always, I recommend using a metal pan rather than glass, ceramic, silicone, or stoneware. If you're using a glass pan, you may need to adjust the baking time and temperature!
USA PAN Small Pullman Loaf Pan
Dimensions: 9"x4". Straight-sided baking pan made from aluminized steel with a rippled texture for increased airflow.
If you don't have a Pullman pan, a 9x5" or 8x4" loaf pan will also work, the dough may just rise a little more unevenly. When it's ready to bake, it will reach or slightly crown over the rim of the pan.
Storage Notes & Freezing
This cinnamon swirl bread is best eaten within the first 3 days after baking, though you can store it in an airtight bag or bread bag at room temperature for up to a week. I usually store it in a large resealable plastic bag with as much air pressed out as possible.
For best results, toast your cinnamon swirl bread slices before eating! This really wakes up the cinnamon sugar flavors.
This cinnamon swirl bread freezes beautifully.
- Whole: Freeze the whole loaf, in a bag with as much air pressed out as possible. Defrost it at room temperature, then pop it in a 325°F oven for 20 minutes before slicing. Toast the slices to eat.
- Sliced: Slice the loaf and place the sliced loaf in a plastic bag with as much air pressed out as possible. Bonus: Slide a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper between each slice to make them easy to separate later. Simply break off a slice of frozen cinnamon swirl bread, pop it in a toaster oven, and it'll be ready to eat.
Do not refrigerate bread; the cool temperature makes it go stale even faster.
Practical Tips and Recipe Notes
- When you're rolling out your dough rectangles, you want the width of them to be 1-2 inches shorter than the length of your pan. So if you have a 9 inch long pan, roll the dough 7-8 inches wide. If you have an 8 inch long pan, roll the dough 6-7 inches wide.
- The width of the dough rectangles matters more than the length — I found I was usually able to roll mine about 14" long. If your dough rolls a bit longer or a bit shorter that's okay. Just make sure they're at least 10" long so you have plenty of length to get a nice spiral!
- If it's very cold where you live, your shaped cinnamon swirl loaf may rise more slowly; it's okay if it needs an additional 15-45 minutes to rise before baking. I've been using a seed starting heat mat (less than $15!) to keep my bread dough nice and cozy while it rises.
- For a shiny top to your cinnamon swirl bread, brush it all over with a well-beaten egg before poking the holes in the top and baking.
- If you don't have a spray bottle for the water you can use a pastry brush to brush the surface of the plain dough with water. But this won't give you a way to spray the cinnamon sugar mixture before placing the second sheet of dough down and before rolling the dough up into a spiral. I really do recommend picking up a cheap misting spray bottle — they sell them at dollar stores and sometimes in the travel section at drug stores or Target!
TL;DR — Recipe Summary
- Mix the dough ingredients together until a sticky, cohesive dough forms.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
- Let the dough rise in the fridge for 1 hour.
- While the dough rises, make the cinnamon sugar filling mixture.
- Press the dough into a thick square. Cut the dough in half down the middle into two long rectangular pieces.
- Roll both pieces of dough into rectangles about ¼" thick.
- Spray one piece of dough generously with water. Top it with half the cinnamon sugar mixture in an even layer leaving a clear border around the edges. Spray the top of the cinnamon sugar mixture with water.
- Lay the clean piece of dough on top of the other, pinching the edges to seal the two pieces of dough together.
- Spray again with water, top with cinnamon sugar (this time to the edges) and spray with water to saturate the cinnamon sugar.
- Roll the dough into a tight log and place in a lightly greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise at room temperature or somewhere warm for 1 hour.
- Poke a line of 5 holes down the center of the loaf and bake.
- Immediately turn the loaf onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.
📖 Recipe
Soft Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Equipment
- small pullman loaf pan (or a standard loaf pan)
Ingredients
- 400 grams all-purpose flour
- 8 grams diamond crystal kosher salt
- 7 grams instant yeast (see recipe notes for active dry yeast)
- 3 grams ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- 236 grams warm water (90°F)
- 20 grams olive oil
- 8 grams honey
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 132 grams sugar (⅔ cup)
- 16 grams ground cinnamon (2 tablespoons)
- 14 grams all-purpose flour (1 tablespoon, tightly packed)
Instructions
- Mix. Mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add warm water, honey, and olive oil. Mix with the dough hook, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass on the dough hook and clears the sides of the bowl.
- Knead. Increase the speed to low-medium and knead for 3-5 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic. The dough may cling slightly to the walls of the bowl but should pull away cleanly.
- Rise. Tuck the edges of the dough under to create a ball of dough with a smooth top. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rise in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Cinnamon Sugar Filling. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press it loosely into a square shape. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough in half so you have two long rectangles. Roll each rectangle out so that they're approximately 7x14 inches. Spritz the surface of one rectangle with water, then sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving a ½ inch border around the edges clear. Spritz the top of the cinnamon sugar mixture, then place the second dough rectangle on top of the other, sandwiching the filling in between them. Carefully lift the dough around the edges to release any air bubbles inside, then pinch the edges of the two layers of dough together. Spritz the surface of the dough with water again, and sprinkle all over with the remaining cinnamon sugar, this time going all the way to the edges.
- Roll it up. Roll the rectangle up into a tight spiral log, trying to keep the edges even using the sides of your hands to guide the dough as you roll.
- Rise again. Place the rolled-up log of dough in a lightly greased small pullman loaf pan with the seam side on the bottom. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let rise somewhere warm for 1 hour until the dough doubles in size.
During the final 30 minutes of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake. Right before baking, take a toothpick or a long cake tester and poke 4-5 holes down the center of the loaf to allow steam to escape. Bake the cinnamon swirl bread in the center of a 350°F oven for 40-45 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 195° for doneness.
- Cool. Carefully turn the baked loaf out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. For best results, toast your cinnamon swirl bread slices before eating! This really wakes up the cinnamon sugar flavors.
RECIPE NOTES
- If you're using active dry yeast, mix it with the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes to become foamy before adding the water to the dough.
- If it's very humid where you live, I recommend holding back about 25 grams of water to start. If it looks or feels like the dough needs it, drizzle it in 1 teaspoon at a time during the mixing stage.
- If it's very cold where you live, your dough may rise more slowly; it's okay if it needs an extra 15-45 minutes to rise.
- For a shiny top, brush the loaf with a lightly beaten egg before scoring and baking.
- If you have a smaller loaf pan (8x4"), I recommend scaling the recipe down by about 20%.
- This cinnamon swirl bread is best eaten within the first 3 days after baking, though you can store it in an airtight bag or bread bag at room temperature for up to a week. I usually store it in a large resealable plastic bag with as much air pressed out as possible. For best results, toast your cinnamon swirl bread slices before eating! This really wakes up the cinnamon sugar flavors.
- Freeze the Whole Loaf: Freeze the whole loaf, in a bag with as much air pressed out as possible. Defrost it at room temperature, then pop it in a 325°F oven for 20 minutes before slicing. Toast the slices to eat.
- Freeze the Sliced Loaf: Slice the loaf and place the sliced loaf in a plastic bag with as much air pressed out as possible. Bonus: Slide a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper between each slice to make them easy to separate later. Simply break off a slice of frozen cinnamon swirl bread, pop it in a toaster oven, and it'll be ready to eat.
Cheryl Dexter says
I love your recipes and I enjoy trying your different types of bread. Would this recipe work with the addition of raisins?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Adding raisins would be tricky — you usually need to rehydrate them in some way before adding them in. You can definitely give it a try, adding them to the cinnamon sugar swirl, but I haven't personally tried it yet so can't say how it will affect the final loaf! if you give it a try please let me know how it turns out!
Nandini says
Did you try it with raisins coz I want to try as well!! Please let me know ☺️
Shelley says
Would a regular 9” loaf pan work? Thanks for all your fantastic recipes!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Yep! The spiral might spread a little wider since it doesn't have the perfectly vertical sides to support the sides of the loaf but a 9" pan will work just fine.
Cheryl Dexter says
I have not tried adding raisins. The bread is so delicious, I didn't want to chance ruining it by adding a "tricky" process.
Brenna says
I couldn't being myself to wait to try this recipe. I made it without a scale or a spray bottle and had to use a glass loaf pan. It came out looking a little funky, but tasted delicious. I can't wait to make it again with all the correct equipment. Yum!
Megan says
Made this recently for a board game night with friends—it did not survive the night. So delicious, and Rebecca’s instructions make it so easy to get that beautiful swirl!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Hooray for the perfect swirl! So glad you and your friends liked it!
Samantha Franceschi says
Absolutely lovely cinnamon swirl bread! I really appreciate how simple yet detailed your recipes are. The only minor adjustment I made was using pumpkin pie spice because that’s what I had on hand as opposed to just cinnamon.
Josephine says
I love the cinnamon swirl loaf in the bread aisle so I was eager to try my hand at this one…thank you for simple directions and a delish recipe! I used a regular loaf pan (but just ordered a pullman pan) and it turned out great. The cinnamon sugar filling is just the right amount of sweet. This will be a repeat bake!
Jenbowd says
I am a klutz at fussy baking, and past attempts at bread were failures. This recipe absolutely solved the problems for me! The recipe is clear, concise and easy to follow, and the photos were very helpful visual cues. I am grateful the measurements are given by weight rather than volume, and the specific temp to verify doneness was key. I did not have any trouble along the way. The loaf is beautiful, perfectly cooked, and delicious! I feel a cinnamon loaf coming up in my near future!
Leann says
I just made this for the first time, and it came out great! I know that there were a few small errors on my part (such as not using up enough of the cinnamon sugar on the first layer of my spiral), and I ran into some sticking while trying to get the shaping right, but the bread was still magnificent and tasty! I'm sure that my future attempts will be even better, and there will definitely be future attempts.
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and persevered through the sticky dough! Next time try dusting down a tiny bit of flour first (but not too much or it won't roll out at all)!
Natalie says
Have made this several times and it's so delicious
Marilyn says
Loved this!! It was so easy to follow! My house smelled like cinnamon and it just felt so nice to know what’s in my bread! Also can I say I’m team scale!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, and thank you as always for being part of Team Kitchen Scale!