Glazed Cinnamon Roll Bread (Quick Bread)
Soft and fluffy cinnamon roll bread with delicious cinnamon sugar swirls and a cream cheese glaze!
Watch me make this cinnamon roll bread from start to finish!
Out of the 21 years I’ve been married, I’ve never decorated our house for Christmas. We’ve actually never really celebrated the holiday in a semi-traditional way until this year.
My youngest son said, “I think I want to do a tree this year,” it all took off from there. Slowly but surely, my living room morphed into a Christmas wonderland.
What started as just a tree turned into a fully decorated fireplace with name initial stockings, Christmas-themed throw pillows, cozy blankets on the sectional, two Christmas trees, Christmas wall art, bows on the stair railings, candles, snow globes, fresh-cut ruby nandinas, and seasonal hot chocolate bar.
Who would have thought a Christmas fanatic was hiding in me all along?! My husband and sons give me serious side eyes with my obsessive decorating, but I think they enjoy it because they have been hanging out in the living room a lot.
I don’t want to drive them too crazy, so I’m saving the all-day Christmas music for Christmas Day, but baking has been in full swing! They haven’t minded that part at all!
I went to my blog to get this cinnamon roll bread recipe and realized I had never even posted it! That happens a lot, by the way.
So this was my Friday night homework! To record this delicious bread for you guys! Add this bread to the list if you like gifting baked treats for the holidays. It’s so easy and delicious!
What is cinnamon roll bread?
Cinnamon roll bread combines the cozy flavor of cinnamon rolls with the ease of a quick bread! It’s cakey, moist, and doesn’t require yeast.
I believe it’s originally called cinnamon swirl bread or cinnamon swirl quick bread, but with its gooey cinnamon streaks and cream cheese glaze, we call it “that cinnamon roll bread.”
I think you’ll agree that it’s the perfect name once you taste it! It starts with a basic buttermilk vanilla quick bread batter. A sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon creates delicious ribbons throughout the batter, and it’s finished off with a silky cream cheese glaze.
It’s quick, simple and delicious! Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Why I LOVE this cinnamon roll bread
1. One Bowl. The batter for this quick bread comes together in one bowl with I love. Although you do have to mix the cinnamon and brown sugar in a separate bowl, it’s no biggy. It comes together quickly, and there is no need to break out the stand mixer.
2. Delicious. This bread is sinfully good! And when it’s served hot, the glaze and that cinnamon-sugar mixture are so gooey. It’s a quick way to get that cinnamon roll fix!
3. Quick and easy. The ease of this bread makes it a great food gift! I used to love gifting cinnamon rolls, but this bread is quickly becoming my new favorite food gift.
Tip for making the BEST Cinnamon Roll Bread
- Don’t over-mix the batter: When mixing the batter, be careful not to over-mix it. Over mixing can lead to a denser, drier texture. Mix gently until the ingredients are combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Watch the baking time: Total time will vary, so keep an eye on the bread as it bakes. I usually check it after the 30-minute mark, but for my oven, 46 minutes is the golden baking time. Use a toothpick to check for doneness – if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the bread is ready. Overbaking can result in bread that is crumbly instead of moist.
- Serve warm: To get the ultimate gooey cinnamon roll affect, serve this bread warm.
Perfect for Gifting
This cinnamon roll bread is one of my favorite quick bread recipes to gift! Here are a few tips for giving this wonderful bread.
- Make sure the glaze has hardened before wrapping. You can stick it in the fridge to speed up this process.
- Wrap the entire loaf in a couple layers of plastic wrap to keep it fresh.
- Make it festive by cutting a strip of kraft paper to wrap around the middle and attaching a festive ribbon and tag. The name of the bread and warming/storing instructions would be great to put on the tag.
How to make Cinnamon Roll Bread
INGREDIENTS: (Full recipe at the bottom of post)
BATTER
- All-purpose flour: Give structure to the bread.
- Baking powder: Leavening to help the bread rise.
- Sea salt: Enhanced the other flavors and supports the gluten in the flour.
- Granulated sugar: Provides sweetness and texture.
- Buttermilk- Provides moisture and texture to the bread.
- Egg– Add richness, moisture and acts as a binding agent.
- Canola oil- Add moisture and help give the bread a fluffy crumb.
- Vanilla extract– Enhances the flavor.
- Brown sugar- Add a rich flavor to the cinnamon swirls.
- Ground cinnamon- Add the main flavor to the bread.
GLAZE
- Cream cheese- Provides a tangy flavor to the glaze.
- Powdered sugar- Gives sweetness to the glaze.
- Whole milk- Helps to thin out the glaze and give creaminess.
- Vanilla extract- Enhances the flavor
- Salt- Balances out the sweetness.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350.F. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar until combined.
- Make a large well in the center of the bowl.
- Into the well, stir in buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla extract until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture into the well, stirring gently just until the ingredients are mixed together. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Add a third of the batter to the prepared pan and smooth out.
- Sprinkle a third of the cinnamon sugar mixture and repeat two more times.
- Gently run a knife through the batter a few times. This will create swirls, but don’t overdo it.
- Tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles and even out the top.
- Bake on the middle rack for about 45 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Place on a wire rack until the pan is cool enough to touch. (You can brush the loaf with melted unsalted butter if desired)
- Slide a knife along the edges of the bread to loosen it from the pan and remove the bread from the pan.
- Mix together glaze ingredients until silky and then drizzle glaze over the bread. (Place a sheet of parchment paper under the wire rack for easy cleanup.)
- Allow the glaze to harden a bit if desired.
- Slice and serve warm.
Common Questions
Can you freeze cinnamon roll bread? Yes, you can. I prefer to freeze it without the glaze. Simple wrap it in plastic wrap several times and place it in a freezer bag. You could also wrap the slices individually if desired. When ready to eat, let it thaw at room temperature.
Can I add other ingredients to the batter? Sure can, nuts, raisins, or even bits of fresh apple would be great additions.
Can I substitute the buttermilk? I’ve never substituted the buttermilk in this particular recipe, but I’m sure yogurt or sour cream would work.
Does this recipe need active dry yeast? No, since this is a quick bread, it does not require yeast to rise.
Want more quick bread recipes? Check these out!
Get the Recipe: Glazed Cinnamon Roll Bread (Quick Bread)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, (can add an extra 1/4 cup to make it sweeter if desired)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2½ teaspoons cinnamon
GLAZE
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- salt, pinch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.F. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until combined.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Make a large well in the center of the bowl.
- Into the well, stir in buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla extract until combined.1 cup buttermilk, 1 large egg, ¼ cup canola oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gradually add the flour mixture into the well, stirring gently just until the ingredients are mixed together. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon.½ cup brown sugar, packed, 2½ teaspoons cinnamon
- Add a third of the batter to the prepared pan and smooth out with an offset spatula.
- Sprinkle a third of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top and repeat layers two more times, ending with the cinnamon sugar.
- Gently run a knife through the batter 3-4 times. This will create swirls, but don't overdo it.
- Tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles and even out the top.
- Bake on the middle rack for about 45-50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Place on a wire rack until the pan is cool enough to touch. (You can brush the loaf with melted unsalted butter if desired)
- Slide a knife along the edges of the bread to loosen it from the pan and remove the bread from the pan.
- MIx together glaze ingredients until silky and then drizzle glaze over the bread, while the bread is still warm (Place a sheet of parchment paper under the wire rack for easy cleanup.)2 oz cream cheese, softened, 1½ cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, salt, pinch
- Allow the glaze to harden a bit if desired.
- Slice and serve warm.
I have two of these baking in the oven right now. It’s the first time I’ve ever made cinnamon bread. My little grandsons and I are really looking forward to it. Thank you
Very good! Not too sweet without the glaze.
How could I make this more cake-like? More oil and sugar?
Made this recipe today and it did not disappoint! It took my oven a little over 10 minutes longer to bake, at 45 min it was still almost raw in the middle. We’re in a new place and I’m still figuring out the oven. Everyone loved it. My husband doesn’t like sweet so I left the frosting of his slice. Absolute perfection!
Would be more helpful to of posted proper measurements of each ingredients as most cooks do. I’ll try another recipe thanks anyway.
The recipe is at the bottom of the post.
This was so delicious. I made it this morning and the family loved it.
Ok, this is Christmas morning and this bread is in the oven. I just looked at the recipe earlier and whipped it up immediately. I had the buttermilk and a small amount of cream cheese leftover so this was perfect. I’m not sure of the final taste yet but the smell is really making the kitchen smell nice. I’ll know in a couple of hours, not sure why I was compelled to make this because I have been eating sweet stuff nonstop for a few days.