Julie Clark
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Cinnamon Raisin Bread
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Cinnamon raisin bread is one of those bakery classics that feels familiar in the best way. Soft slices with ribbons of cinnamon sugar, and sweet raisins in every bite. And the vanilla glaze will melt in your mouth!
This homemade cinnamon raisin bread starts with a simple white bread dough, same as our cinnamon swirl bread. It’s the kind of bread that makes a regular morning feel a little more special, especially when it’s toasted and topped with cinnamon butter. This bread is also egg free!
The Old-Fashioned Trick That Makes Cinnamon Raisin Bread So Good
Cinnamon raisin bread has always felt like a close cousin to cinnamon swirl bread, and for good reason. Growing up, it was one of those breads that felt like a treat but still passed as breakfast when made into toast or French toast.
When I started working on this recipe variation of my mom’s homemade bread, I knew I wanted it to stay soft and sliceable, with raisins that actually added something instead of drying out the bread.
The old fashioned trick to the perfect cinnamon raisin filling is to soak the raisins in warm water 30 minutes before shaping the dough. This plumps the raisins, adding soft, chewy texture rather than ending up with dry, tough raisins that can steal moisture from the bread. I do this for our oatmeal raisin cookies, too.
Love raisins? Try them in our cinnamon roll recipe, and then try our raisin bran muffins, raisin popcorn bars, chai baked oatmeal and hearty oatmeal with raisins, too!
Looking for quick bread? Try our buttermilk banana bread and carrot cake bread.
Enjoy, -Julie
Ingredients
Bread Dough: It’s sturdy enough to hold the filling but still bakes up tender and soft. Be careful not to add too much flour or the bread dough will be dry.
Raisins: Regular or golden raisins work perfectly here. This would work with craisins, too!
Egg: Egg white brushed on the rolled dough helps the cinnamon filling stick and melt into the bread as it bakes.
Powdered Sugar: Used in the filling for a smooth, cohesive swirl. No gritty sugar!
Cinnamon & Vanilla: These give cinnamon raisin bread its signature flavor without overpowering the dough itself.
For complete ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.
Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Cinnamon raisin bread is one of those bakery classics that feels familiar in the best way. Soft slices with ribbons of cinnamon sugar, and sweet raisins in every bite. And the vanilla glaze will melt in your mouth!
Servings 10 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water about 110-115ºF
- 3/4 cup 2% milk about 110-115ºF
- 1 packet instant yeast or active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 1/3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Cinnamon Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups raisins chopped in food processor
- 2 cups water for soaking the raisins
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg white whisked
Frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon salted butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Pour the warm water and milk in a stand mixer bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and give it about 3 minutes to become a frothy. ½ cup warm water, ¾ cup 2% milk, 1 packet instant yeast½ cup warm water, ¾ cup 2% milk, 1 packet instant yeast
- Add the butter, sugar, flour and salt to the mixing bowl. With the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients until they are combined. Then take off the paddle attachment and replace it with the dough hook. Knead the dough on medium speed for about 5-7 minutes. 2 tablespoons salted butter, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 3 ⅓ cups bread flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt2 tablespoons salted butter, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 3 ⅓ cups bread flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Let it rise in a warm space for about 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising, soak the chopped raisins in the 2 cups of warm water. Let this rest for at least 30 minutes. Then drain liquid well and press lightly to get rid of excess water. 1 ½ cups raisins, 2 cups water
- Take the dough ball and roll it out in a rectangle on a floured surface. The rectangle should measure about 9" (or the length of your loaf pan) by about 18".
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Using a pastry brush, brush the whisked egg white over the rolled out dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar powder mixture on top of the dough. Then sprinkle the drained raisins over the rectangle. Roll the dough starting at the 9" end. ¾ cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg white¾ cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg white
- Place the dough roll in a greased 9×5 bread loaf pan seam side down. Cover the pan and allow the bread to rise for another 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes, then let cool on a wire rack.
- While the bread is cooling, prepare the frosting. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla and cream. Whisk together until smooth, adding more cream if you'd like. Once the bread is mostly cool, spread or drizzle the frosting on the top of the bread. 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon salted butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon salted butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Notes
- Chopping the raisins into smaller bits help prevent air pockets form forming between the swirls of the bread.
- If you want a thicker glaze that sits on top, wait until the bread has cooled. If you like a glaze that melts and runs down the sides, spoon it on while the bread is still warm.
- If you want clean slices that hold their shape, let the loaf cool before cutting. The bread firms up slightly as it cools, making it much easier to slice neatly. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the bread.
- Once the cinnamon raisin bread has cooled completely, store it tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap the loaf or individual slices well and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm slices gently before serving.
- Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks. The calories shown are based on the bread being cut into 10 slices, with 1 serving being 1 slice of bread. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Serving: 117g | Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg
How to Make Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Confession Time. 98% of the time I use my bread machine to make yeast bread dough. It’s just too easy! But if you don’t have a bread maker, it’s ok. This cinnamon raisin bread dough is easy to make in a stand mixer, or simply to knead by hand. I’ll feature the stand mixer method since that’s what most of the home bakers I hear from use.
Make the dough. Pour the warm water and warm milk in a stand mixer bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and give it about 3 minutes to become a frothy. Instant yeast doesn’t need to activate, but I like to let it froth a little just to ensure it I can see yeast growth.
Add the butter, sugar, flour and salt to the mixing bowl. With the paddle attachment, stir the ingredients on low speed until they are combined. Then take off the paddle attachment and replace it with the dough hook. Knead the dough on medium speed for about 5-7 minutes. The dough should be slightly tacky to the touch. You don’t want a dry, stiff dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let the dough bulk rise in a warm space for about 30-45 minutes.
Shape the dough. Once the dough is mixed and ready, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle the width of your loaf pan. For a standard 9×5-inch pan, aim for about 9 inches wide and roughly 15–18 inches long.
Brush the surface with egg white, then sprinkle the cinnamon and powdered sugar mixture evenly over the surface of the dough. Scatter the soaked and drained raisins over the filling, pressing them in gently so they stay in place when rolled. Add chopped walnuts if you’d like, too!
Roll and rise. Roll the dough up tightly starting from the short end, then place it seam-side down in a greased bread pan. Cover and let the bread rise for about 30 minutes.
Bake. Bake the cinnamon raisin bread in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown on top, then let cool on a wire rack.
Make the frosting. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla and cream. Whisk together until smooth, adding more cream if you’d like. Once the bread is mostly cool, spread or drizzle the frosting on the top of the cinnamon raisin bread.
