Adapted from my orange cranberry bread, this vanilla-flavored cinnamon swirl quick bread is moist and soft with a thick ribbon of cinnamon-sugar swirled inside. You only need a handful of very basic ingredients and there’s no mixer required. This cake-like bread will remind you of cinnamon rolls, but takes a fraction of the time to prepare!
One reader, Nikki, commented: “I never leave reviews on anything, but this bread is phenomenal! It came together really quick and easy, but looks so impressive! And the flavor is a dream. I cannot recommend this enough! ★★★★★”
Do you ever get the baking itch? (Of course you do, why am I even asking?!) But what about the desire to make something truly warm, cozy, and comforting? Where not only that first bite soothes the soul, but the smell of it baking is satisfying too. My cinnamon swirl quick bread checks all those boxes.
This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
This Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Is:
- Melt-in-your-mouth soft & moist
- Vanilla & cinnamon flavored (even better with vanilla icing on top!)
- Very easy to make, no mixer needed
- Layered with an extra thick cinnamon swirl
- Covered with a crackly cinnamon sugar crust
In terms of texture, it’s not quite as dense as pound cake, but it’s definitely heavier than vanilla cake. I like to compare it to apple cinnamon bread and cinnamon swirl banana bread, only without the apples or bananas.
I used to make a version of this bread with buttermilk, but for today’s recipe, I swapped the 1 cup of buttermilk for sour cream and milk. I wanted a slightly denser crumb, while keeping each bite totally tender and soft. Sour cream is a magical ingredient in cakes, cupcakes, breads, muffins, and more. I found that 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup milk made the bread a little too dry and dense, but 1/3 cup sour cream and 2/3 cup milk was perfect. Brown sugar can weigh down the bread, so I used all regular white sugar. I also increased the vanilla extract and the amount of sugar in the cinnamon swirl. (Thicker swirl!) All of these small changes made a very big difference and you can see similar variations with my orange cranberry bread and peach bread recipes!
Best Ingredients to Use & Why
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this quick bread recipe.
- Salt & Baking Soda: Flavor & rise.
- Vanilla Extract: You’ll appreciate the simple, yet unbeatable flavor of vanilla in the bread itself. If you have homemade vanilla extract on hand, use it here.
- Egg: One egg binds everything together.
- Sugar: You need sugar for both the bread batter and the cinnamon swirl.
- Sour Cream: We use sour cream for moisture and tenderness, but also because its lactic acid helps the baking soda do its job. This powerhouse ingredient plays the same important role in coffee cake, too (which you’ll love just as much as this bread!).
- Milk: Whole milk is best, but you can use a lower fat or nondairy milk in its place.
- Oil: While butter provides unbelievable flavor, nothing beats the moisture that oil provides. We use oil in this quick bread recipe (and others like strawberry bread, pumpkin bread, and lemon poppy seed bread) to produce a moist bread. Plus, the cinnamon sugar swirl and vanilla extract both provide a lot of flavor.
Extra Thick Cinnamon Swirl
To assemble the cinnamon swirl, layer half of the bread batter into your greased loaf pan. Top with almost all of the cinnamon sugar (as noted in the written recipe below, reserve 2 Tablespoons for the topping). Pour and gently spread the remaining batter on top. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tablespoons of cinnamon sugar, then use a knife to swirl.
As you layer in all that cinnamon sugar filling, you’ll question the amount. Really? This much cinnamon sugar? Yes! For an extra thick cinnamon sugar swirl inside, we need an extra amount layered in. There’s A LOT. If you’re looking to spice up the flavor, try using a chai spice blend instead. Check out my white chocolate chai snickerdoodles and use the sugar/chai spice “topping” as the filling here. (Still reserving 2 Tablespoons of it for this bread’s topping.) There are more flavors and variations listed in the recipe notes below.
One of my favorite parts is the cinnamon sugar around the edges. Some of the cinnamon sugar from the center may seep out, creating an irresistible crisp/chewy crust.
Looking for a yeasted cinnamon swirl bread? See my homemade cinnamon swirl bread.
How to Freeze Quick Bread
Freezing quick breads is a lot like how to freeze cakes.
- Step 1: Bake and completely cool quick bread.
- Step 2: Once the bread cools completely, wrap it in Press & Seal or plastic wrap. From one baker to another—Press & Seal is the best product for wrapping baked goods. I find regular plastic wrap too thin, clingy, and frustrating. It definitely works, but Press & Seal is easier to use and I’ve honestly found that it keeps my food fresher. (Not working with this brand, just really love it.)
- Step 3: Write the type of bread and use-by date on a large piece of aluminum foil. For best taste and texture, don’t freeze quick bread for longer than 3 months. You could stretch it to 4 or 5 months, but the sooner you serve it, the fresher it tastes.
- Step 4: Wrap the bread in the aluminum foil and place in the freezer. You could place the wrapped bread in a freezer container or freezer-friendly zipped top bag, but I often just freeze it after wrapping in aluminum foil.
- Step 5: Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer the frozen bread to the refrigerator one day before serving. Sometimes I forget and just let the bread thaw at room temperature for several hours, but it’s better to thaw at a slower rate in the refrigerator. Make sure you thaw bread while it’s still in the wrapping. Don’t unwrap before thawing.
Baker’s Tip: Two layers of wrap is key! The first layer keeps the bread fresh and the aluminum foil ensures no condensation will seep in. Double layer = maximum freshness and no freezer burn. Moisture is the enemy, so don’t be afraid to add another layer of Press & Seal or aluminum foil.
Print
Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This vanilla-flavored cinnamon swirl quick bread is moist and soft with a thick ribbon of cinnamon-sugar swirled inside. Feel free to turn this recipe into muffins or mini loaves. See recipe Notes below. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Bread
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
- 1/3 cup (75g/80ml) vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup (80g) full-fat sour cream (or plain yogurt/Greek yogurt), at room temperature*
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- optional: vanilla icing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5-inch or 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
- For the Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Make the Bread: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, milk, oil, sour cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk just until combined. Avoid over-mixing. The batter should be thick and creamy.
- Pour/spread about half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle almost all of the cinnamon-sugar evenly on top (reserve about 2 Tablespoons for topping). It’s a very thick layer of cinnamon-sugar. Carefully pour/spread the remaining batter evenly on top. The top layer of batter will try to stick to the cinnamon-sugar filling, making spreading a little more difficult, but use a spoon to carefully spread it out as best you can. Sprinkle the remaining 2 Tablespoons of cinnamon-sugar on top. Using a knife, make a large swirl down the loaf pan, as shown in the video tutorial. Avoid over-swirling, which will mix the layers together too much.
- Bake the bread for 50–65 minutes, tenting loosely with foil about halfway through to prevent the top from over-browning. Bread baked in an 8×4-inch pan takes closer to 65 minutes. Poke the center of the bread with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. After that, remove the bread from the pan and let it finish cooling directly on the rack.
- Drizzle with icing, if using. Slice and serve. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, you can freeze the glazed or unglazed bread for up to 3 months. See details above the recipe. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before glazing (if needed) and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan or 8×4-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Sour Cream & Milk: I use a mix of sour cream and whole milk here. The crumb is tighter and more tender—you’ll love it. Using all milk creates a thinner batter that can overflow and take much longer to bake. That being said, feel free to use 1 cup of buttermilk instead of the sour cream and whole milk option here. You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 cup. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the bread won’t taste as rich and moist.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Optional Additional Flavors: Feel free to use the chai spice swirl noted above. Or add 1 cup of peeled, chopped apples to the bread batter or even 1 cup of raisins, chopped walnuts or pecans, or dried/fresh/frozen (do not thaw) cranberries. You can also add 1 Tablespoon of fresh orange zest to the bread batter OR cinnamon sugar swirl. Also, the orange glaze from this cranberry bread would be delicious on this bread.
- Muffins: Grease a 12-count muffin pan or line with liners. You will need a 2nd pan for 2 additional muffins as this recipe yields around 14. (Or bake in batches.) Prepare cinnamon swirl and batter in steps 2 + 3. Spoon batter evenly into liners, filling each halfway. Sprinkle each with a heaping spoonful of cinnamon sugar. Top with more batter, filling to the top. Sprinkle each with a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Use a knife to swirl the batter/cinnamon sugar in each. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-22 minutes, give or take. Cool muffins for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Makes 14 muffins.
- Mini Loaves: Grease a mini loaf pan. Prepare cinnamon swirl and batter in steps 2 + 3. Spoon batter evenly into greased cups, filling each halfway. Sprinkle each with a heaping spoonful of cinnamon sugar. Top with more batter, filling to the top. Sprinkle each with a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Use a knife to swirl the batter/cinnamon sugar in each. Bake at 350°F (177°C) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake time and yield depends on the size of your mini loaf pan.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This bread was so quick and easy to make and turned out so good. I received lots of compliments on it!
Forgot to add 5 stars!
Lovely recipe. I’ve made it twice in the last week and really enjoyed it, as did a couple of friends.
Very good! Another keeper!
This might be better than cinnamon rolls! It’s a hearty bread and super moist. We had it for dessert. My husband loves this recipe.
So delicious! I felt like making a bread and came by this. I ate so much of it and it was worth every second making it!
I saw this recipe yesterday morning and was inspired to make it immediately. We are huge cinnamon lovers. The bread truly delivers on cinnamon flavir. Absolutely delicious. I was pleasantly surprised by the bread’s cake-like texture…not too dense. And the vanilla flavor! Looking forward to making again, probs with the apples as suggested. Thank you!
I’d like to know if anyone has doubled this recipe and used it as a sheet cake?
Can I prepare it in the loaf pan at night, store in fridge and bake it the next morning? Would it mess with the rising?
For best taste, texture, and rising, I recommend baking it right after preparing the batter.
can you use 1:1 flour to make it gluten free?
Hi Misty, We do not have much experience using gluten free flour. Although some readers report using an all purpose 1:1 gluten free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results. Here are all of our naturally gluten free recipes.
Do you think I could mix in some chopped apples with the cinnamon sugar – I have a lot to use up! Thank you
Hi Margaret, See recipe notes – we recommend adding 1 cup of peeled, chopped apples to the bread batter. Or you may love our apple cinnamon bread recipe!
Hi, thanks for your reply. Apologies I didmreadmthemrecipemnotes, butmAFTER I’d sent the question. Will definitely try the Apple Cinnamon recipe.
This looks amazing! If I wring out zucchini very well do you think I could add some to this batter? Would you suggest 1 1/2 cups like your zucchini bread recipe?
Hi Whitney, that would require some testing. Instead, I recommend using my zucchini bread recipe and adding the same cinnamon swirl to that instead.
Really easy and tasty recipe! It took more like 65 minutes to fully cook in my oven, but it came out divine. I made the spiced chai flavor variation!
This is an insanely easy to follow recipe with everything in logical order. Not sure you are reviewing the correct recipe!
Hi I made this cake many times, my family loves it, can you share recipe for honey almond cake
Hi Vinny, we’re so glad your family enjoys this cake! We don’t have a honey almond cake at this time, but we’ll keep it in mind for the future.
My go to recipe for cinnamon bread! With 3 kids this never lasts more than a day!
Could I double this recipe for two loaves? Thanks
Absolutely. Double each ingredient then divide between 2 loaf pans.
I can confirm that doubling and dividing between two 9×5 tins works great. Made it for the first time tonight. One loaf for home, one for work.
It’s baking as I write. My batter was also much thicker than in the video. I measured my flour exactly as I’ve been taught for baking, for manny years. Fingers crossed!
My wife made this for me today and used the batter in molds for 12 small Bundt cakes. They were fantastic!
This recipe needs baking powder
Hi Cole, it’s actually not necessary here. The baking soda provides plenty of leavener. Feel free to play around with the recipe, if you feel it needs it.
Cole I’m not sure if I’m too late posting & you won’t see this..but in case I’m not too late.
Did you make the recipe? It truly isn’t needing anything more than what the recipe includes. Seriously so,so yummy…it baked up perfectly !
Give it a go just as Sally & her team has it written. And, it’s very easy to follow !
Lisa
Can I use avocado oil, olive oil, etc so it’s healthier than vegetable oil?
Hi Michelle, you can use another oil, but the flavor will change. We prefer to bake with neutral-tasting oils.
This is a great recipe! Can I use bread flour?
Hi Sue, this quick bread is best with all-purpose.
I was looking for an easy receipe with cinnamon and found yours. I followed your instructions. It was really easy to make and turned out delicious. Thank you
I made this exactly as your recipe…. Perfection!!! I made a cream cheese drizzle with butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla too.
Will add this to your orange cranberry recipe as a regular in our home.
I love this recipe. I have made this bread 3 times, and gave away 2 of the 3 loaves that the recipe makes. Everyone always asks when I am making it again! The only thing I changed is I add more raisins.
Hi there! If I froze this, could I thaw in the fridge and eat over several days still? Or would you suggest freezing it in slices and thawing the slices individually before eating?
Hi Maddy, you can really do either! Frozen and thawed bread will keep in the refrigerator for a few days after thawing. If you’d like to have it for longer than that, we’d recommend freezing the individual slices instead. Enjoy!
This recipe is very easy and turned out great. I’ve baked three so far… two of them I did the Icing and one without which I prefer better. I really appreciate listing the main ingredients in grams which helps lower my newbie baker anxiety. Thank You!!
I loved the recipe, however I used all the ingredients your recipe called for, except I used 2%milk. My batter was very thick, not at all like yours. Could it be because I didn’t use whole milk? Thank you
Hi Dianne! 2% milk shouldn’t be an issue. A very thick batter could be caused by too much flour – How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Thank you Sally. I think I may have used the wrong measuring cup, as I did spoon the flour. I read your tips & I think that is where I went wrong. Thank you so much.
Delicious! I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and unsweetened soy milk instead of dairy milk. I made it the night before—and after letting it cool completely—wrapped it in foil and put it in a plastic bag, to bring to a morning meeting. It was great! It’ll definitely go into my quick bread recipe rotation… (I love a recipe where I’ll pretty much always have all the ingredients on hand. I also love not having to let butter soften or pull out a mixer!)
Hi. Can I use light sour cream instead of regular sour cream?
Hi Rachel, light sour cream should work just fine.