This cinnamon swirl donut bread is a moist, tender quick bread infused with warm cinnamon and vanilla flavors. The magic happens when we dip it in melted butter and coat it generously with a layer of cinnamon sugar. Whether you enjoy it for breakfast, as an afternoon treat, or even dessert, this recipe is sure to satisfy your cravings!
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🍞A Quick Bread for Winter
This bread has all the components you will find in a cinnamon donut! It has a cinnamon and molasses swirl throughout the bread, and the whole bread is covered with cinnamon sugar. The bread itself is tender and moist. A great snack, dessert, or breakfasts!
I love sweet breads and have a few recipes on this website now: Triple Chocolate Pecan Loaf, Gingerbread Latte Loaf, and Banana Bread. Check them out!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Unsalted butter - Salted butter can be substituted. Leave out the extra salt in the recipe.
- Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar can be used in this recipe. I used light brown sugar.
- Buttermilk - Buttermilk can be substituted with milk and lemon juice or vinegar. Add 1 ¼ teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup. Add milk until it reaches the ½ cup mark on the side of the measuring cup. Stir and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before using.
🔪Instructions
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
To make the bread, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, combine unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Beat until they are well combined, about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and sour cream and combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Next add eggs and vanilla and combine.
Add half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in all the buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined.
Remove ¼ cup of batter and place into a small bowl. Add cinnamon and molasses and mix together.
Pour half of the main batter into a loaf pan that has been greased and the bottom lined with parchment paper. Spoon cinnamon batter on top. Then add in remaining batter on top. Use a knife and drag it through the batter a few times to create swirls. Do not overmix.
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Let cool on a wire rack in the pan for 20 minutes, and then turn out to cool completely.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
Make the coating by mixing granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Brush melted butter over the sides and top of the loaf. Press cinnamon sugar mixture all over the sides and top of loaf.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For more step-by-step photos and instructions see the web story for cinnamon swirl donut bread!
✔️Expert tips
- Buttermilk can be substituted with milk and lemon juice or vinegar. Add 1 ¼ teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup. Add milk until it reaches the ½ cup mark on the side of the measuring cup. Stir and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before using.
- Swirl the batter enough that you get the swirls, but not too much that the batter becomes one.
- The cinnamon sugar coating makes this sweet bread donut like. If you don't want to use the coating, the bread is still really good!
💭FAQs
This bread can be made a day ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
The bread can be frozen without the cinnamon sugar coating on it. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature overnight. Add the cinnamon sugar coating and serve.
🔖Related recipes
📋 Recipe
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Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread
Equipment
- one 9x5" loaf pan
Ingredients
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon molasses
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper, and grease the sides.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine butter and granulated sugar. Beat until they are well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add brown sugar and sour cream and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla and combine.
- Add half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in all the buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined.
- Remove ¼ cup of batter and place into a small bowl. Add cinnamon and molasses and mix together. Set aside.
- Pour half of the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spoon cinnamon/molasses batter on top. Then scoop the remaining bread batter on top of the cinnamon/molasses batter carefully.
- Use a knife and drag it through the batter a few times to swirl the batters together. Do not overmix.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Let cool on a wire rack in the pan for 20 minutes, and then turn out to cool completely.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Brush melted butter over the sides and top of the loaf. Press cinnamon sugar mixture all over the sides and top of the loaf.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Beth Swartz
Still not clear. Where does it say to put cinnamon mix on top. It says inside. I am an avid cook. I never have this problem with recipes. Read it again.
Nina
Press the cinnamon mixture all over the sides and top of the bread.
Beth
Where does the molasses go? When do u add melted butter. Very confusing recipe.
Nina
I'm sorry for the confusion and I've updated the recipe. The molasses gets mixed into the reserved batter with the cinnamon. The melted butter gets brushed on the top and sides of the baked bread so that the cinnamon sugar mixture will stick to the bread.