This homemade Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread is super soft and delicious with a cinnamon sugar spiral that makes it taste like a cinnamon roll!
If you have tried my Oatmeal Bread or White Sandwich Bread, you know how simple and easy, yet so satisfying homemade bread can be. Much like my Overnight Cinnamon Buns and Monkey Bread Muffins, this cinnamon roll bread with (or without!) raisins is an easy and incredibly delicious cinnamon sugary yeast dough recipe that will be loved by all!
When I was a small child, my family would buy bread from a bakery on the way to our piano teacher's house. They had the best cinnamon raisin bread that was extra special because the cinnamon sugar was swirled throughout the bread like a cinnamon roll.
Sadly, the bakery closed down a few years later and we couldn't get that special bread anymore. I really, really loved that bread so of course it was something to recreate myself!
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Alongside my recipe for The BEST Cinnamon Buns with a gooey caramel sauce on the bottom like my grandma makes, this bread is so delicious and holds a very special place in my heart!
⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Texture - This bread is especially incredible toasted with plenty of salted butter.
- Flavor - Cozy and warm cinnamon sugar meets tasty homemade bread with sweet raisins throughout.
- Method - Homemade bread is not as difficult and intimidating as you might think! Follow the step-by-step instructions below in the post to help you make this recipe like a pro!
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make this cinnamon swirl bread with raisins.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour - Regular all-purpose flour works great in this recipe but you could use bread flour if you prefer!
- Yeast - You will need instant yeast (also called quick-rise or rapid-rise yeast) for this bread.
- Raisins - Use whatever kind of raisin you prefer. I use regular black raisins but golden raisins, sultanas, or even dried currants would be great in this recipe. If you don't like raisins, simply omit them completely for a cinnamon swirl loaf sans raisins!
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Stir together 3 cups of flour, salt, and raisins.
Step 2: In another bowl, stir together the warm water, instant yeast, ¼ cup of sugar, and oil just until the yeast dissolves.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until a loose dough comes together.
Step 4: Turn the mixture out onto the countertop and knead for 5-7 minutes, adding up to ¼ cup more flour as needed until a smooth dough forms that is still a little tacky but not sticking to your hands.
Step 5: Place the dough in a bowl that has been greased well with oil, cover loosely, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Step 6: Deflate the dough after rising and roll it out into a tall rectangle about 8 inches wide and 18 tall. Stir together the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and cinnamon.
Step 7: Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the rolled-out dough, leaving one edge clear of cinnamon sugar.
Step 8: Roll the dough up tightly. Pulling the edge of the dough without any cinnamon sugar over and pinching the edge to crimp it to the roll.
Step 9: Place in a greased loaf pan and cover.
Step 10: Let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
Bake in a preheated oven for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Brush with butter as soon as the loaf comes out of the oven for a soft, glossy crust. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling to prevent the loaf from sweating in the pan.
💡 Top Tip
Try to wait until the loaf has cooled down mostly before slicing to allow the cinnamon sugar mixture to set in the loaf and slice into nice, clean slices.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Any kind of raisins would work for this bread including golden, black, sultana, or even dried currants - whichever you like best!
Store the fully cooled-down bread in an airtight container or bread bag for up to 3 days.
Yes, you could definitely omit the raisins completely if you don't prefer them.
Yes! Simply double all the ingredients and make into two loaves instead of just one.
❤️ More Cinnamon Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Cinnamon Raisin Bread or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- measuring cups & spoons
- silicone spatula
- rolling pin
- 9x5-inch loaf pan
- non-stick cooking spray
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 3 - 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup raisins *
- 1 ¼ cups warm water (110℉)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons quick-rise yeast (instant yeast)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
For the Cinnamon Swirl:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together 3 cups of flour and raisins. In another bowl stir together the warm water, sugar, salt, yeast, and canola oil just until the yeast is dissolved. Add it to the flour and raisins and stir with a spatula until a loose dough is formed.
- Turn onto a floured counter and knead for about 10 minutes, adding about ¼ cup more flour to form a smooth, elastic dough. It is okay if the dough is still slightly sticky but it should not be sticking to your hands. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with oil or butter. Once the dough has risen, punch down to deflate all air bubbles.
- On a lightly floured counter, roll out the dough into a long skinny strip, about 18 inches long and 5 inches wide. Spread the cinnamon sugar evenly onto the dough. Roll up the dough tightly, starting at the skinny end, and pinch the seam closed. Place the loaf in the prepared pan, seam side down, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ right before the loaf is done rising. Bake the loaf on the middle rack of the oven for 28-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Brush melted butter on the loaf as soon as it comes out of the oven to give it a glossy look and soften the crust. Let the bread rest in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing it and transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling. Let the bread cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- You could omit the raisins completely if you don't prefer them.
Faith Tucker
My house smells so good from this beautiful bread! Can’t wait to dig in!