Cinnamon Swirl Bread

5 from 2 votes

A simple yet decadent loaf of Cinnamon Swirl Bread is the best recipe for a holiday breakfast, a special brunch, or a grab-and-go snack!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword cinnamon bread, cinnamon quick bread, cinnamon swirl bread, cinnamon swirl quick bread

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Cooling Time 2

Total Time 3 30

Servings slices (1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves)

Calories 341kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a large 9 x 5-inch loaf pan (or two smaller loaf pans); set aside. See my note below regarding the size of your loaf pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, granulated sugar, brown sugar and pecans. Set aside.

Use an electric mixer to cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract; mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
While the mixer is running on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined – do not overmix.
Spread half of the batter in an even layer at the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon streusel on top. Spread remaining batter in an even layer on top, then sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
Bake the bread for 1 hour (for a single loaf), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you're baking the batter in two smaller loaves, the baking time will be much shorter, so start checking the bread at about 45 minutes. Tent the top of the bread loosely with foil if it starts to get too dark before the center is cooked through.
Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely.

Use a large loaf pan (at least 9 x 5-inches) or two smaller loaf pans. This recipe yields a lot of batter, so it will likely overflow if you try to bake the entire loaf in one 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch pan. If you prefer smaller loaves of bread, Chandra divides her batter between two disposable foil loaf pans (like these), which tend to be a bit smaller (typically 8 x 3 ¾ inches).
Be careful not to over-mix the batter. You want it to come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in a dry, dense loaf.
The total baking time will vary depending on the type and size of the loaf pan(s) that you use. A dark metal, nonstick pan cooks the bread faster. By contrast, a lighter metal pan, a glass pan, or a ceramic pan might take longer than 1 hour. Also, if you're dividing the batter between two smaller pans, it will definitely cook faster. Just keep an eye on it! You can tell that your loaf is cooked through when you insert a toothpick or long stick deep into the center of the loaf and it comes out clean.
Let the bread cool completely before slicing, otherwise the bread may crumble or tear when you cut into it. A long serrated knife is great for slicing through that cinnamon crunch topping!