This gluten free cinnamon bread is easily made by swirling some cinnamon and sugar between two layers of vanilla quick bread. There's no yeast to let rise like in traditional gluten free cinnamon rolls but your house will still smell amazing!
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No matter how smoothly things seem to be going on busy mornings, eventually we'll end up having breakfast issues in my house. Once we get into a groove with a make-ahead breakfast that all 3 of my kids like and I feel reasonably good about, well I settled in to that groove.
As my kids got older, maybe I should have just let them just.eat.cereal. I was just never really willing to give up, though. Instead, I've always tried to clear the decks by serving up something nearly too good to reasonably be called breakfast, like this cinnamon swirl gluten free quick bread.
I can almost guarantee that, if you serve it for breakfast with some fruit you'll be like me. Surprise, surprise, there is not one complaint.
How to make all that cinnamon sugar quick bread texture
The layered and then swirled batter doesn't necessarily mean that the cinnamon-sugar mixture makes its way into every single nook and cranny of the quick bread. But it's not meant to.
The swirling makes for a perfectly craggy and nubby top, one that makes the whole business taste like the perfectly tender coffee cake which it basically is, after all. And spreads out the cinnamon-sugar just enough.
It's not nutritious like baked oatmeal cups, but it does remind me and my children alike that I can, in fact, make something that they love for breakfast. Sometimes, you just need a win.
Popular ingredient substitution suggestions
Dairy free
You should be able to replace both the buttermilk and the butter in this recipe. The buttermilk can be replaced with half (by volume) unsweetened nondairy milk (my favorite is almond milk) and half (by volume) unsweetened nondairy plain yogurt.
You can also make this swap with dairy-containing ingredients if you just don't have buttermilk. The butter should be able to be replaced with your favorite vegan butter.
I like Melt and Miyoko's Kitchen brands best. I would avoid Earth's Balance buttery sticks, since they're not my first choice for baking.
Egg free
In place of each of the 2 eggs, you can try using one “chia egg.” Place 1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds in a small bowl, add about 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mix and allow to gel.
Cornstarch
If you can't have corn, try replacing the cornstarch with potato starch or arrowroot. If you're using an all purpose gluten free flour blend like Cup4Cup brand, which already high in starch, don't use the extra cornstarch. Replace it with an equal amount, by weight, Cup4Cup.
FAQs
How do you store the cinnamon bread?
Once the bread has cooled completely store it in a properly sealed container, or ziplock bag. Ideally keep the bread at room temperature as refrigerating the bread can dry it out.
Can I freeze the cinnamon swirl bread?
Yes, you can freeze the bread in slices, which are best stored wrapped individually in foil and frozen separately, or you can freeze the loaf as a whole and defrost it to enjoy in one go.
Can I reheat the bread?
Yes, slices of the cinnamon swirl are delicious when lightly toasted in the oven or toaster.
How to make gluten free cinnamon swirl bread
Gluten Free Cinnamon Bread
Ingredients
For the quick bread
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; please click thru for appropriate blends)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 10 tablespoons (54 g) cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) buttermilk at room temperature
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the cinnamon-sugar mixture
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the (optional) glaze
- 1 cup (115 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk plus more by the 1/4 teaspoonful as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line with unbleached parchment paper a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
Make the quick bread batter.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla, mixing to combine after each addition. The batter will be thick and fluffy.
Make the cinnamon-sugar mixture and assemble.
- In a small bowl, place the granulated sugar and cinnamon, and mix to combine well.
- Scrape half of the quick bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, and spread into an even layer with a wet spatula.
- Place half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top and shake into an even layer.
- Place the remaining batter on top followed by the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture, in the same manner.
- Using a wet butter knife at an angle perpendicular to the bottom of the loaf pan, carefully swirl the batter in all directions. The top of the batter should be craggy and uneven.
Bake the loaf.
- Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
- Lower the oven temperature to 325°F, rotate the loaf pan 180°, and continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached, and the top is light golden brown and firm to the touch (about another 15 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the baking pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze.
- In a small bowl, place the confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix well, until a thick paste forms. Add more milk by the 1/4-teaspoon, mixing to combine well, until the glaze falls off the spoon slowly, in a thick but pourable glaze.
- Add milk very slowly, as it is much easier to thin, than to thicken, the glaze. If you do thin the glaze too much, add more confectioners’ sugar a teaspoon at a time to thicken it.
- Drizzle the glaze in zigzag patterns all over the top of the cooled quick bread. Slice thickly and serve.
Notes
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Juli says
Hello! Question about the cornstarch. How do I know if my Cup4Cup is high in it? I’m using King Arthur Measure for Measure. It has both potato and tapioca starches but I’m not sure if that’s enough to omit the 10 tablespoons of cornstarch. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Yum!
Thanks you.- Juli
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Juli, Cup4Cup is a brand name of an all purpose gluten free flour blend. I’m only referring to that particular blend, and not any others, when I refernece replacing the 10 tablespoons of cornstarch with more Cup4Cup. Keep in mind that you aren’t ever going to just eliminate an ingredient unless that ingredient is xanthan gum and the recipe states to elimiate xanthan gum if your blend already contains it. I’m afraid that I recommend against King Arthur Flour’s gluten free blends as they’re inconsistent in quality, tend to have gritty rice flour, and are not properly balanced to perform well in my recipes that call for an all purpose gluten free flour blend. You can read more about my recommended blends on the all purpose gluten free flour blends page that is linked in this recipe card and every recipe that calls for that as an ingredient.
Juli says
Great I will try one of the recommended ones. Thanks so much for the information!
Holly Gordon says
Thank you so much for taking the time to develop this recipe! I used it for my first attempt at making a gluten-free treat and it was a delightful success! Your recipe seemed like the most professional of all the recipes I researched, and for good reason. In the massive sea of substandard recipes, I’m grateful I found yours. Your instructions are such that there’s no excuse to get anything wrong unless some fundamental baking principles aren’t understood.
Nicole Hunn says
That’s so kind of you to say, Holly! I always feel like my recipes aren’t for everyone because if you aren’t willing to be precise, it’s honestly not worth it. And that’s okay! I’m glad you appreciate the precision.
Kris Williams says
I have made this bread twice now, and it turned out beautifully each time! I actually lessened the amount of sugar in the sugar/cinnamon mixture as I don’t love a lot of sugar, and it is a perfect “sweet” treat for me. Friends who are NOT gluten free love it too. Thanks for the recipe!
Julie Mast says
Could I just use almond milk without yogurt in place of the buttermilk?
Nicole Hunn says
No, Julie. That isn’t an appropriate buttermilk substitute.
Yvette says
Hi Nicole,
I love your recipes and thought I would trial this one as I’d like to make it for Christmas morning. I measured out 8 fluid ounces of milk and it looked like a lot so I measured out a cup measuring cup full which was significantly less (maybe you should check it too?)
The batter was still quite runny, more like pancake batter, and definitely more portable than something you would scrape. It’s in the oven now, so fingers crossed!
Nicole Hunn says
Yvette, I’m afraid I’m really not following your comment about the buttermilk measurement. 1 cup is equal to 8 fluid ounces. That’s not my designation. That’s the very definition of liquid volume and isn’t debatable. My guess is that you didn’t use one of my recommended flour blends, and/or didn’t measure the dry ingredients by weight. If you measure dry ingredients, especially flour, by volume, it’s almost impossible to get an accurate measurement.
Sherry says
I did not like this “bread” because the texture was more light and spongy like a cake. I was looking for something that was more dense like an AP flour/gluten filled pumpkin or banana bread. This reminded me of vanilla cake with cinnamon swirled in it. If it was titled vanilla cake with cinnamon swirl, it would be an okay recipe, but since it is listed as a bread, I was disappointed. Silver lining, the recipe without the cinnamon would make a decent vanilla cake. (NOTE: I used Cup-4-Cup multipurpose flour because it’s what was available.)
Nicole Hunn says
It’s a “Quick Bread,” Sherry. It’s right there in the title. A quick bread is muffin-like. No one ever intended it to be a bread that you could make a sandwich on. There’s no yeast, and there are tons of photos showing the same. There’s even a how-to video!
CB says
Mine is in the oven! I loved how this recipe doesn’t use any fancy ingredient and I could make it with what I had in my pantry!
Nicole Hunn says
So glad, CB!
Leah Flora says
I am so glad I came across your site, what with almost all my favorite food I can make it myself, applying your gluten-free recipes. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes, it is very much appreciated.
I am still looking around for Xanthan gum in the supermarkets here. I can buy gluten free all purpose flour only, but there is none with xanthan gum mixed in it. So this is my concern the reason why I haven’t started baking your recipes. But I am really getting excited and hope I will finally produce what I like, soft and fine textured bread and tasty. I think Xanthan gum plays a big role in making the texture soft, am I correct? I will give you a feedback once I tried baking one of my favorite using your recipe. Keep up and greetings. By the way, I am based in Europe.
Nicole Hunn says
You shouldn’t have a problem ordering xanthan gum online, Leah. You must use it in the recipes that call for it, including all of my all purpose gluten free flour blends. Thanks for the note!