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This cinnamon sugar bread is fluffy and moist, swirled with thick ribbons of buttery cinnamon sugar streusel throughout. It’s an easy quick bread recipe made with just a handful of pantry staples.
If you love homemade quick bread like my moist banana bread recipe, you’ll love this cinnamon swirl bread that tastes just like a freshly baked coffee cake!
Easy Cinnamon Sugar Quick Bread
This cinnamon sugar bread rarely lasts long in this house. What’s not to love? It’s moist and tender, even days later. The swirls of cinnamon and sugar throughout the loaf are just as irresistible and buttery as the crunchy streusel on top. T
he cinnamon and vanilla flavors are reminiscent of homemade coffee cake, baked into a fluffy quick bread. You’re going to love it!
The best part is, it’s so dang simple. You only need two bowls to prepare the batter. You don’t even need a mixer. And if you want to take this cinnamon sugar bread over the top, drizzle over a simple vanilla glaze. No regrets!
Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Sugar Bread Recipe
- Gorgeous cinnamon swirls. There’s plenty of buttery cinnamon streusel layered inside and on top of this moist quick bread. The warm spice plays off of the soft vanilla flavors and makes for one ultra-cozy bread slice.
- Quick to make. Known as a quick bread recipe, this cake-like bread requires no yeast or rising time. It’s straight from the mixing bowl to the oven. Have yourself a slice of warm cinnamon sugar bread in about an hour.
- Great for any occasion. This easy cinnamon sugar bread is perfect to serve for breakfast or even dessert with coffee or tea, but I also love making this bread to gift to friends and neighbors.
Ingredients and Notes
Just a handful of basic pantry ingredients are all you need to make this fluffy quick bread. I’ve included some notes on the key ingredients below. Scroll to the recipe card for the full amounts, recipe details, and instructions.
For the Bread
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder and Salt – Since this recipe is made without yeast, it relies on baking powder for leavening. We’ll also add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Eggs– It’s best if the eggs are at room temperature.
- Vegetable Oil – Eggs offer richness and structure. Meanwhile, using vegetable oil in place of butter gives this quick bread the most moist and tender crumb ever.
- Sour Cream – Just like my sour cream coffee cake, adding sour cream to this cinnamon sugar bread brings loads of moisture and flavor. If you don’t have sour cream, use plain Greek yogurt instead.
- Milk– Any type of milk will work, and it’s best at room temperature.
- Pure Vanilla Extract –
For the Cinnamon Streusel
- All-Purpose Flour
- Sugar – I use a combination of white and light brown sugar. Feel free to use all white sugar or all brown sugar if you prefer.
- Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon adds delicious cozy spice. You can also use another spice, like nutmeg, chai spice, or even pumpkin pie spice for a fall-inspired twist.
- Butter– Be sure the butter is cold.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Bread
Two bowls are all you need: one bowl for the bread batter and another for the streusel. You can use a mixer to make the batter or you can whisk everything together by hand, just be sure it’s well mixed.
- Combine the dry ingredients. First, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients. Next, you’ll beat in the eggs, oil, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until the batter is well combined.
- Make the cinnamon streusel. Combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a new bowl, then cut in the cold butter. You can use your hands, a fork, or a pastry cutter to press the ingredients together into a crumble.
- Assemble. Layer half of your prepared batter in a greased and lined loaf pan. Top this with half the cinnamon streusel. To create the swirl in the bread, gently swirl the streusel through the batter using a knife or skewer. Finally, add the remaining batter to the pan followed by the last of the streusel, but don’t swirl this time. Make sure that the top of the bread is evenly covered.
Bake. Bake your bread at 350ºF for 45-50 minutes. Afterward, leave the loaf to cool on the counter for at least an hour before slicing.
Tips and Variation Ideas
Quick breads are super approachable and also customizable. It’s no wonder they’re so popular! Here are some final tips along with easy variation ideas for this cinnamon sugar bread recipe:
- Measure the ingredients correctly. If you struggle with quick bread and baked goods that don’t bake up as moist and fluffy as they should, it could be that you’re over- or under-measuring certain ingredients. Make sure that you measure your flour correctly using a kitchen scale, or the spoon and level method (see my tutorial on how to measure flour).
- Don’t overmix the batter. Make sure to only mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the batter is combined, and don’t overmix. Too much mixing can yield a dense bread loaf that won’t rise properly.
- Add fresh apples: This recipe can be adapted into cinnamon apple bread for a fun fall twist during apple season.
- Add your favorite mixins. Try stirring in chocolate chips, or chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
- Drizzle with vanilla icing. Make a quick vanilla icing from powdered sugar and milk (see my recipe for sugar cookie icing). Or, borrow the maple brown butter glaze from my pumpkin bundt cake.
Can I Make This Recipe In Another Pan?
While I think this cinnamon swirl bread recipe is best as a loaf, you can also make this batter into muffins or even a cake:
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- Muffins: You should have enough batter to make 12-14 standard-sized muffins. Add the batter to a greased muffin tin, sprinkle over the streusel, and bake for about 15-18 minutes.
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- Cake: Add the batter to a greased and lined 8-inch square pan. Add the streusel and bake for 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean.
How to Store
- To Store. Keep this cinnamon sugar bread stored airtight on the counter at room temperature. This loaf will stay moist for up to 4-5 days, but it’s at its best within two days of baking.
- Freezer. Allow the loaf to cool completely, then double-wrap the bread in plastic wrap or store the wrapped bread in a freezer bag. Freeze it for up to 2-3 months, and defrost the bread on the counter before serving.
More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
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Cinnamon Sugar Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 48 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 3 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
This moist and fluffy cinnamon sugar bread is an easy vanilla-flavored quick bread recipe swirled with thick ribbons of buttery cinnamon streusel.
Ingredients
For the bread
- 1 1/4 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (143g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons (7.5g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (118ml) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) milk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) pure vanilla extract
For the Streusel:
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (41g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons (24g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (7.5g) cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs, oil, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat all the ingredients together until well combined. Set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients for the streusel and whisk to combine. Next, add the cold butter. Using a fork or pastry cutter, press the butter together with the dry ingredients until it’s well combined. The mixture should be crumbly but stick together when pressed between your fingers.
- In the loaf pan, layer half the batter in the pan, then add half the streusel and gently swirl. Add the remaining batter on top and finally, the remaining streusel.
- Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
- Sour cream substitute: If you don’t have sour cream, you can use plain or Greek yogurt instead.
- Storage: Keep the bread stored in an airtight container in a cool and dry place.
- Make ahead: This loaf will stay moist for a few days, but it’s best when served within 2 days of preparing.
- Freezing instructions: Cool the loaf completely and then double-wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
