Julie Clark
Updated:
Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
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With a brown sugar cinnamon swirl and a sweet glaze on top, Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread is a really fun and quick bread to put together.
You know how much we love cinnamon rolls (have you gotten a copy of our cookbook?) and sharing today an easy cinnamon swirl quick bread recipe.
Whether you are looking for breakfast, brunch, dessert or afternoon sweet snack, this cinnamon swirl quick bread will be a sure hit.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
- pantry staple ingredients
- only 10 minutes to the oven
- no waiting for it to rise!
- cinnamon swirl inside
- glazed cinnamon sugar topping
What is quick bread?
Quick bread can refer to a wide range of baked goods. It is called “quick” because you need to quickly put the bread in the oven after mixing your batter together.
The term quick bread can refer to biscuits or scones, as well as banana bread or zucchini bread. Quick bread is not like your typical yeast bread. It uses baking soda or baking powder to rise instead of yeast.
Ingredients for Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Eggs. Large eggs are standard for baking.
- Milk: I used whole milk in this recipe but you can use 2% milk as well.
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil. You can also use coconut oil, canola oil or even butter. Butter will give your bread a slightly different texture though and may not seem quite as moist.
- All-purpose flour.
- Baking powder.
- Salt.
- Brown sugar: You can substitute the brown sugar for granulated sugar if you would like. I prefer the slight caramel taste that the brown sugar brings to this cinnamon swirl quick bread.
- Cinnamon. Saigon cinnamon is the best cinnamon for baking. We buy it in bulk from Amazon.
- Powdered sugar.
How to Make Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
- Prepare. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9×4″ inch loaf pan. Line with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, and oil.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add in flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Overmixing quick bread can cause it to be dry and tough. Just as with homemade pancakes, it is ok if there are just a few little lumps.
- Mix the cinnamon sugar. In a separate small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Assemble the bread. Pour in ⅓ of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle in ⅓ of the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with another ⅓ of the batter and cinnamon sugar. Pour the remaining batter on top.
- Swirl the batter. Run a knife through the bread to create a marbling effect. Then sprinkle the top with the last of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake the bread. Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let bread cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze. Make glaze by combined powdered sugar with 1 ½ teaspoons milk. Stir until combined. If the glaze is too thick to easily drizzle, add in another ½ teaspoon of milk. Adjust milk or powdered sugar until you have reached a syrup-like consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread.
Wrap the cinnamon swirl quick bread in parchment paper and tie with a ribbon. It makes a great gift during the Christmas season!
Recipe Variations:
There are a variety of ingredients you can add that will compliment your cinnamon roll bread. Some of these can include:
- raisins
- dried cranberries
- chocolate chips
- walnuts
- chopped pecans
Note that you may need to adjust the cooking times just slightly depending on how many additions you make to the bread. I recommend adding 1- 1 ½ cups of as whatever you choose to add into this bread.
And if you want a thicker frosting for the top, try our vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Storage Instructions
Cinnamon swirl quick bread can be stored for up to 3-5 days at room temperature as long as it is stored in an airtight container.
This bread also freezes really well. Wrap in plastic wrap, then place in another airtight container or wrap in foil. It can be frozen for up to three months for best quality. Thaw the bread fully before opening it to retain moisture.
Other Cinnamon Recipes to Love
Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
With a brown sugar cinnamon swirl and a sweet glaze on top, Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread is a really fun and quick bread to put together.
Servings 10
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk 6 ounces
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 10 grams
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2.6 ounces
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260 grams
- 1 tablespoon baking powder 14 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt 2 grams
For the cinnamon swirl:
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar 70 grams
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 5 grams
For the glaze:
- ¼ cup powdered sugar 33 grams
- 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons whole milk (or heavy cream)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9×4" inch loaf pan. Line with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, and oil. 2 large eggs, ¾ cup whole milk, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- Add in flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. It is okay if there are some lumps in the batter. 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Pour in ⅓ of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle in ⅓ of the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with another ⅓ of the batter and cinnamon sugar. Pour the last of the batter on top.
- Run a knife through the bread to create a marbling effect. Then sprinkle the top with the last of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let bread cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make glaze by combined powdered sugar with 1 ½ teaspoons milk. Stir until combined. If the glaze is too thick to easily drizzle, add in another ½ teaspoon of milk. Adjust milk or powdered sugar until you have reached a syrup-like consistency. ¼ cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons whole milk
- Drizzle glaze over the cooled bread. Then slice and serve.
Notes
- You can use a slightly different size loaf pan if you’d like, but please know that the baking time will be different. Watch the bread closely.
Nutrition
Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg
I’m questioning the amount of baking powder. 1 TBLSP is quite a bit for one load of bread. And, the bread is overflowing out of the pan onto the cookie sheet! It’s only been in the oven 25 minutes! Doesn’t change the flavor, just really messy!
HELP!