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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, and gluten free cinnamon swirl bread but your house will still smell amazing!
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.
Video
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Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! So I wanted to make this bread, but I need it to be dairy free and I looked up at the notes on top, and it said you can use df milk and yogurt, in place for the buttermilk. I don’t have any yogurt though, do you think I can just use dairy free milk and no yogurt? Thanks!
I’m afraid I don’t recommend that, no, Rachel. You could also supplement with a little dairy free sour cream, if you have it? Otherwise, I really recommend that you wait until you’ve replenished your ingredients.
Just baked it and realized I forgot the cornstarch…it’s delicious but a bit gooey. I’m assuming the cornstarch make the bread less gooey? I made it with bobs red mill 1 to 1 for reference because that’s what I had on hand
Blake, if you forgot the cornstarch, you were missing an ingredient which helps give the bread structure. Plus, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 is one I only recommend with reservations on the all purpose gluten free flour blends page which you must reference, as it’s linked in the recipe, and always requires more xanthan gum.
So do you think I could make this in my bread maker?
I’ve never made a quick bread in a bread maker, April, and I don’t think I’d recommend it.
How long do you cook for if using an 8×4 bread loaf pan?
That’s such a small difference that the baking time shouldn’t be significantly changed, Hannah. Baking times are always approximate because of the difference in ovens anyway, so I would go by the doneness test ultimately anyway.
J’ ai fait le pain à la cannelle tourbillon sans gluten.Facile à faire et très bon.Merci Nicole.
Je suis ravi de l’entendre, Rolande. De rien! (J’ai utilisé Google Traduction pour cela)
I wish you added to your recipes whether or not they can be made without cows milk. A lot of GF people have other allergy issues as well. I never know whether I should even try the recipes with a plant based milk substitute. Thanks!
Every recipe post has a “substitutions” section in the text of the post, including this one, Barb. Please see that heading and the subheading “Dairy free”
Fairly easy to put together, and very delicious!
I made this in a 8″ round pan. It was delicious! I used an all purpose sorghum flour (my favorite gluten free flour). I also used almond milk ranther than buttermilk and dairy free margarine. I cannot have gluten and one of my sons cannot have dairy. My whole family LOVED it!
This bread was so delicious! The texture was excellent. I appreciated all the instructions/tips on gluten free flour blends.
One question (I am not a baking expert)- how should I add the butter to the batter? It says room temperature, not melted. I just cut the butter in small pieces and rubbed it in the dry mixture with my fingers. Did I do it correctly or is there a better way?