Cinnamon Bread — A Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Loaf

Why I Keep Coming Back to This One

I made this bread for the first time a few years ago, back when I needed a whole string of homemade gifts around the holidays. Teachers, neighbors, a friend who’d done something kind — you know how that season goes. And here’s the thing I loved most about it: I didn’t need all those gifts on the same day. I needed them over a week or two. So every morning I could stir up two or three loaves, however many I needed that day, and have them out the door in no time at all.

It’s inexpensive to make, too. There’s nothing in it you have to go hunting for. Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, oil, an egg, a little vanilla, and cinnamon. That’s it. No special equipment, no mixer to drag out and wash.

I have never forgotten about this bread, and every time I make it I remember why. Jump on in and make it with me.

The Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time: 45–50 minutes Cool time: 10 minutes in the pan, then cool completely Yield: 1 loaf (9×5), about 10 slices

Ingredients

For the cinnamon sugar layer:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the bread:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour works too)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Heat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5 loaf pan. Cooking spray is fine, but shortening or oil works just as well — don’t skip this step, or you’ll have a hard time getting your bread out later.
2. Make the cinnamon sugar. In a small bowl, stir together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon until the cinnamon is spread all the way through and you don’t see any light streaks. Set that aside — you’ll come back to it.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Measure your flour carefully using the dip-level-pour method so you don’t end up with too much packed into the cup. Give it all a good whisk before you add anything wet. This breaks up any lumps in the flour ahead of time, and it saves you fighting with them later.
4. Add the wet ingredients. Pour in the milk and the vegetable oil, then add the vanilla. If you don’t want to dirty a measuring spoon, the lid of your vanilla bottle holds just about a teaspoon. Beat your egg in a separate little bowl first, then add it in — it mixes into the batter much more evenly that way.
5. Mix it up. Stir everything together with a spoon or a spatula until it’s smooth. I like a spatula because it helps me scrape every bit of that batter out into the pan.
6. Layer the pan. Pour a little less than half the batter into the bottom of your greased loaf pan and spread it so it covers the bottom well. Sprinkle most of your cinnamon sugar right over the middle — hold back just a couple of teaspoons, no more than a tablespoon, for the top. Then pour the rest of the batter over and smooth it out.
7. Sprinkle the top. Take that reserved cinnamon sugar in your hand and lightly sprinkle it over the top. You really do want just a light dusting here. Any more than that and it won’t soak into the bread — it’ll just sit up there as loose sugar.
8. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 45–50 minutes. Your oven might run a little different from mine, so start checking around 45.
9. Cool before you cut. Let it cool in the pan for at least ten minutes. Then run a knife gently around the edges to loosen it, and turn it out. I know it’s tempting, but it slices so much better once it’s cooled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need yeast for this bread? No. This is a quick bread, leavened with baking powder. There’s no rising time and no kneading — you mix it, pour it, and bake it.

Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose? Yes. Either one works here. All-purpose is what most of us have on hand, but if bread flour is what’s in your pantry, use it.

Why doesn’t the cinnamon stay in a neat layer? That’s exactly what it’s supposed to do. As the bread rises in the oven, that middle layer of cinnamon sugar shifts and moves around in the batter. You’ll see it running through the crumb in darker streaks rather than one tidy line — every slice looks a little different, and that’s part of the charm.

Can I make this ahead of time? This one is actually better on the second day. Let it cool completely, wrap it up well, and let it sit overnight. It gets more moist as it rests. That’s what makes it such a good gift bread — you can bake it a day ahead without a bit of worry.

How do I store it? Wrapped tightly at room temperature for 3–4 days. If you want to keep it longer, wrap it well and freeze it.

Can I double the recipe? Yes, and this is where it really shines. Mix up a batch or two at a time and bake two or three loaves. That’s exactly how I used it when I was making holiday gifts.

Do I have to grease the pan? Yes — don’t skip it. Cooking spray, shortening, or oil all work fine.

What can I serve this with? A slice is lovely with a cup of coffee in the evening, wonderful as an afternoon snack, and it makes a special breakfast without any extra work. If you like this one, you’ll probably like my coffee cake recipe too — they’re cousins.

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Bread

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A soft, tender quick bread with a layer of cinnamon sugar baked down into the middle and a light crisp sugar crust on top. No yeast, no mixer, and nine pantry staples — mix it in one bowl and it’s oven-ready in about ten minutes.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Serving Size 8 slices

Equipment

• 9×5 loaf pan
• Large mixing bowl
• Small bowl (for cinnamon sugar)
• Small bowl (for beating the egg)
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

Cinnamon Sugar Layer

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Bread

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg beaten

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray, shortening, or oil.
• In a small bowl, stir together 1/3 cup sugar and the cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Measure the flour using the dip-level-pour method so it isn’t packed into the cup. Whisking the dry ingredients first breaks up any lumps in the flour.
• Add the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients.
• Beat the egg in a separate small bowl, then add it to the batter. Beating it first helps it blend in evenly.
• Stir with a spoon or spatula until the batter is smooth.
• Pour a little less than half the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread to cover the bottom.
• Sprinkle most of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter, reserving about 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon for the top.
• Pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar layer and smooth the surface.
• Lightly sprinkle the reserved cinnamon sugar over the top. Use a light hand — too much will sit on the surface instead of soaking into the bread.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Ovens vary, so begin checking at 45 minutes.
• Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Run a knife gently around the edges to loosen, then turn the loaf out and cool completely before slicing.

Video

Notes

• Bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour.
• This bread is even better on the second day. Cool completely, wrap well, and let it rest overnight — it becomes more moist as it sits, which makes it an excellent make-ahead gift.
• Store wrapped at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, or wrap well and freeze.
• The cinnamon layer shifts and moves around as the loaf bakes, showing up as darker streaks through the crumb rather than one tidy line. Every slice looks a little different.

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