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
Made this recipe today, followed recipe to the letter and it was freaking awesome. Put a little icing and it was a hit. Can always count on Sally for a great bake.
YOU are a baking savior! I have enjoyed so many of your recipes. Please don’t ever stop!I am trying this in the morning, and if it is anything like other breakfast things i have tried, we are all in for a new treat!
Is there a substitute for sour cream? I have made cookies with and without sour cream and prefer the ones without sour cream. Thanks!
Hi Michelle, plain or Greek yogurt will work in place of the sour cream. Hope you enjoy the bread!
I have to be honest: for me and my grandlings, this bread was just ok. Given that every other recipe from this site that I’ve tried has been exceptional, I’m deciding the problem was me and not Sally!
Thanks for giving it a try, John!
Our family didn’t “love” this bread, but it’s not stopping me from trying others! Love your OBE BOWL recipes.
Unlike most of Sally’s recipes this one was a fail. I am an experienced baker and I followed the recipe exactly. It was gummy with a pronounced baking soda flavor. I will not make t again
I’ve tried this bread several times and there’s always a distinct baking soda flavor in my opinion. I want to like this bread, but no matter how fresh the soda is, the taste is always there.
Hi Jamie, that can be disappointing. If you care to try the recipe again as written, try sifting the baking soda before using. Or, and I have not tested this, you can try reducing the amount to 1/2 teaspoon and adding 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.
This came out bland and dry for me 🙁
Thanks for reporting back, Karen. Did you change anything about the recipe or accidentally leave out an ingredient? This is supposed to be quite moist, and there’s quite a bit of cinnamon and sugar. Happy to help troubleshoot.
do you know the estimated calorie count for the whole loaf?
Hi Sam, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Love this, very easy to make.
I used bread flour because I had lots, also use heavy whipping cream because I was low on my 2%.
I will definitely be make this again.
Thank you
Just made this recipe, still in the oven. Although my batter/dough came out much thicker than the one in the video. Hope it turns out fine, regardless. Smells and looks delicious. Can’t wait to taste!
This was gone in 2 days! Highly recommended. I’ve made the pumpkin bread, carrot cake cupcakes, and last week lemon poppy bread. This cinnamon one was the favorite yesterday. love the detail and thought you’ve put in.
I love this recipe! I made it for my fiancé and I and it was delicious! Makes for a great pairing with a coffee or tea
I love this recipe! I would recommend swirling more than stated, I do once back and forth (double shown in video) and then once down the middle. It makes a really nice design on top and great all around swirl.
Hello! I’m looking to ship baked goods for a birthday and I’m wondering if this recipe (minus the drizzle) would ship well?
Hi Ana, this bread is good at room temperature for up to 2 days, so if you can ship it in that in amount of time, it should work well. Make sure the loaf is wrapped tightly and well padded in the box!
Do you have a zucchini quick bread cinnamon swirl recipe!?
Hi Judy, we don’t, but you could try adding the cinnamon swirl from this batter to our zucchini bread. Let us know if you try it!
Just took the one I made out of the oven…..♡
I tried the bread and it came out just fine. I just made the muffins and although they came out ok it was the process that didn’t work so well. I filled the muffins tins half way and put the cinnamon and sugar on and then I only had enough batter to top off 7 muffins. I had to make another batch to finish the job. I filled the batter to the top pretty much as it states and that seemed to be too much because they came out too top heavy spilling over on the pan. Don’t know how you got 14 muffins when a loaf doesn’t even slice into 14 average pieces. The muffins tasted good but if I want to make these again I would have to double the recipe. I ended up with 18 muffins when I was finished. Of course I followed the recipe because my bread came out real good. I will do these again but only fill the muffins 3/4 the way up and bake less time.
This was easy, fast and absolutely delicious! I love the surprising crunch on the top! I posted a reel on my instagram and tagged you Sally. Thanks again!
I followed this recipe to the letter, and ended up with a gummy, not quite sweet but not quite sour tasting loaf that had a cracking cinnamon layer on top. For the 1st search result for cinnamon quick bread recipes, I am honestly so disappointed
what would change if I didn’t add sour cream or plain yogurt to this recipe?
If I add a cup of honey crisp apples, can I reduce the amount of sugar? If so, by how much?
Hi Shannon, See recipe notes – we recommend adding 1 cup of peeled, chopped apples to the bread batter (no need to reduce the sugar). Or you may love our apple cinnamon bread recipe!
This is the recipe I’ve been waiting for! It’s like coffee cake in a bread only much easier! I made it gluten free and put orange zest in the filling and the batter. Moist and tender. It is to die for! I can’t thank you enough!
Delicious quick bread. I baked my bread in a blue glass 9×5 loaf pan. It took about 55 minutes.
I did add about 1/4 c or so of left over chocolate chips which worked out good.
I didn’t add the icing. I think next time I will cut down on the sugar overall just a bit, and also remember to grease the pan more heavily.
Can I double this recipe to make two loaves? Thanks!
Absolutely. Double each ingredient then divide between 2 loaf pans.
If I double the recipe would it fit in a regular sized Bundt pan?
Hi Sally, you can double the recipe for a 9-12 cup Bundt pan. We’re unsure of the best bake time though. Enjoy!
Thanks Sally. I loved the recipe.
This recipe was great! My family loved it! It didn’t even last three days!
I like this recipe, but I modified it to suit my needs. I used melted coconut oil (doftfri) instead of veg oil, turkish yogurt instead of sour cream, I only used 1 tsp of vanilla, and for the cinnamon/sugar filling I used about a tablespoon less sugar. I baked it in a loaf pan that is 11×4 for 30 minutes uncovered, then 20 more minutes with a light foil covering (not wrapped tightly) and it came out perfectly. Very soft, moist, and tasty. It was perfect for fika and I will be serving it again.
I just made this again, and this time I used a mild olive oil for the oil, and I replaced the cinnamon with ground ginger. Amazing! Highly recommend! It does not taste like olive oil, by the way. Just ginger perfection (All the other details I mentioned above I did the same)
This time I made the buttermilk version. It was just as good and took the same amount of time to bake.
Could this be made in a bread machine? If so, are there any adjustments you’d recommend?
Hi Tamra, quick breads typically do not translate well to bread machines. It’s best to bake them in an oven.
There are so baking blogs out there – it feels like thousands – but yours is one of a few that I know I can always trust to provide great recipes, tips, techniques, and information. So thank you for your wonderful blog!
I hope you’ll forgive the fact that I altered this recipe based on ingredients that I had and didn’t have. To use up some rolled oats, I substituted oats for 1/2 cup of flour; also swapped 1/4 cup of sugar with brown sugar. I used olive oil (regular, not EVOO) because I’m out of vegetable oil. Also added 1/4 cup of applesauce (to get rid of the last of one of those individual portion-sized cups) and about 3/4 cup of golden raisins since I had them. I didn’t make the middle layer of cinnamon sugar thick enough, so I had 2 tablespoons left over, but there was still plenty of cinnamon sugar flavor to be found throughout. If I was following the recipe as is, I would most definitely make that first cinnamon sugar layer *thick.* The bread turned out yummy – like oatmeal raisin cookies in bread form. I just wish I’d had some chopped pecans to add to it. Thank you for a really great recipe!
I karen did you omit anything when you added the applesauce? Ir was it just an add on. Your recipe sounds yummy too!
What If I’m using a Convection Oven?
Hi Patrick, We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
I love this recipe and use it often when my sister comes to visit, it’s become a special tradition.
This time I’m thinking of adding raisins to the swirl or the dough. Do you have any suggestions?
Please know you have become my go to place for baking recipes- Thank you!
Hi Cathy, you can add raisins directly to the bread batter. Thank you so much for making our recipes!
I had always enjoyed your baking recipes when living in Florida. But since moving to Colorado, and a 5,300 elevation. My recipes, including this one, always come out dry. I just now found a FB group that offers baking recipes at high altitudes. Hopefully I will learn how to adjust recipes to begin creating baked goods that I am proud to share with friends and family.
Hi Carolann, we wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html