Authentic Amish Cinnamon Bread (2024)

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This easy one bowl recipe for Amish Cinnamon Bread is a delicious no knead quick bread that is amazing when served with butter or a cup of hot coffee! A simple, old fashioned recipe that is sure to delight tastebuds and satisfy your sweet tooth.

This warm and comforting Amish Cinnamon Bread is a favorite in my home. Both my toddler and my husband give it 5 stars, and I think it's even more popular than my Sourdough Banana Bread, which is really saying something!

This easy recipe is a simple, everyday recipe that can be made with pantry staples. In fact, chances are you have everything you need right in your pantry and fridge! And while this recipe calls for buttermilk (of which I'm sure there is ample supply of on the traditional Amish farm), you can easily use a buttermilk substitute if needed.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's an authentic Amish recipe that is easily made with simple ingredients and uses just one bowl!
No Amish friendship bread starter needed - this Amish Cinnamon Bread recipe is made with everyday pantry basics.
Filled with delicious cinnamon sugar flavor with a slightly crisp topping. Perfect for serving with a hot cup of coffee or tea!
Freezes great, making it perfect for gifting or stashing away for when the sweet tooth hits (or guests arrive).

Ingredients

Butter: You'll need both softened and melted butter for this easy Amish recipe. The softened butter if for making the batter, and the melted butter for pouring on top. Everything is better with butter!
Flour: Just a standard all purpose flour will work perfectly. No fuss necessary!
Buttermilk: You can use real buttermilk, or a buttermilk substitute if you don't have any on hand. The classic tang of buttermilk gives it that farmhouse fresh taste.
Sugar: A combination of white cane sugar and brown sugar provides the perfect balance of sweetness and caramel-y flavor.
Cinnamon: You can't have cinnamon bread without it, after all! A delicate cinnamon sugar is swirled into the batter in two layers, making for a delicious and fragrant quick bread.
Baking basics: Like vanilla extract, baking soda, and a single large egg.

How to Make Amish Cinnamon Bread

Before you get started, make sure to preheat your oven to 350ºF and set the baking rack to the bottom ⅓ of the oven. Grease a 9X5 glass loaf pan with butter or a small amount of oil and set aside.

Add your softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Mix together on medium speed, creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This should take 2-3 minutes.

Once the butter and sugars have been creamed, add in a large egg and vanilla extract. Mix well on medium speed until incorporated.

Add in the buttermilk, and mix until combined. You may see what looks like "curdling" but it's just the texture of the buttermilk. Once the dry ingredients are added, everything with smooth out.

Sift the flour and baking soda into the bowl of combined wet ingredients. Then, fold it in gently until completely combined.

Once the flour has been folded in and no large lumps of flour remain, pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Set aside.

Combine ⅓ cup of granulated sugar with 1 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon and stir together to combine.

Creating a Cinnamon Swirl

Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the batter in the loaf pan, then use a butter knife to "swirl" it into the batter. Use side-to-side motions, as well as up and down.

Top the loaf with the remaining batter and smooth it out with the back of a silicone spatula.

Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top of the loaf, and swirl it in with a butter knife, using side-to-side and up-and-down motions.

Baking the Loaf

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-70 minutes, or until a toothpick (or cake tester) comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before running a butter knife around the edge and releasing the loaf from the pan.

Cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. Serve as is, or with some butter or a cup of coffee. It's a delicious sweet treat that holds its own when it comes to flavor!

Tips for Success

Make sure to use softened butter to make your Amish Cinnamon Bread. It creams together perfectly with the sugars and makes for a moist, perfectly flavored loaf. If you have not thought ahead and set your butter out to soften, you can use melted and cooled butter, but your loaf will be less moist.
Sifting the flour and baking soda together ensures that it is evenly distributed into the batter. If you don't have a sifter you can use a fine mesh sieve, or whisk the flour and baking soda together in a separate bowl before adding it to the wet ingredients.
Take care to swirl the cinnamon sugar into the bread, rather than mix it in. This is done by using a butter knife and swirling it side-to-side and up-and-down. Cinnamon impacts the rise of bread, which is why you often see it incorporated into a swirl rather than mixed into the batter itself.

Storing Your Bread

At room temperature: Wrap your loaf in a triple layer of plastic wrap. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days, keeping it tightly wrapped. Your Amish Cinnamon Bread will stay much more moist when stored on the counter, but will store for a longer time in the fridge or freezer.

In the fridge: Wrap the loaf in a triple layer of plastic wrap. Store for up to 5 days in the fridge, keeping the loaf intact and slicing as needed. Take care to rewrap the loaf each time.

In the freezer: For extended storage (2-3 months), wrap your loaf in a triple layer of plastic wrap, then add to a large freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and label. Store for 2-3 months, and thaw your loaf at room temperature when you're ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make quick breads moist?

The easiest way to make quick breads moist is to use softened butter (or oil, if your recipe calls for it). Using melted butter will reduce the moisture, and cold butter simply won't work. Another way is to keep the quick bread tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature, as this will keep it moist compared to storing it in the refrigerator.

Should quick breads be refrigerated?

Quick breads can be refrigerated for extended storage, but they tend to store better at room temperature. They can be stored at room temperature (tightly wrapped) for 2-3 days, but can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

More Old Fashioned Recipes

Easy Mayonnaise Rolls
Chicken Divine Casserole
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls
Snowflake Rolls

📖 Recipe

Amish Cinnamon Bread

This one bowl recipe for Amish Cinnamon Bread is easy to make, filled with cinnamon flavor, and perfect for serving with a hot cup of coffee.

4.47 from 127 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breads

Keyword: amish recipes, authentic amish recipes, cinnamon bread, cinnamon loaf, desserts, quick bread, quick breads

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 Slices

Calories: 261kcal

Author: Dolly {Little Home in the Making}

Ingredients

▢ ½ cup softened butter salted
▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar
▢ ¼ cup packed brown sugar
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1 cup buttermilk
▢ 2 cups all purpose flour
▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda

Cinnamon Sugar Filling and Topping

▢ ⅓ cup sugar
▢ 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
▢ 2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9X5 loaf pan with butter or oil.
Add the softened butter to a large bowl with a hand mixer, OR a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add in granulated sugar and brown sugar to the butter and mix on medium-high speed until the butter and sugars have creamed and are light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg, vanilla and buttermilk and mix until fully incorporated.
Sift the flour and baking soda into the bowl and mix just until it starts to come together. Use a silicone spatula to fold everything together until the flour is absorbed and no large lumps remain.
Stir together ⅓ cup of sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon and set aside.
Add half of the batter to the prepared loaf pan, and add half of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on top of the batter. Use a butter knife to swirl it into the batter.
Add the remaining half of the batter on top, smoothing it out evenly.
Add the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture and swirl it into the top layer of batter using a butter knife.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter on top of the loaf.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-70 minutes, or until a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean when inserted into the center.
Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, and then gently coax it out of the loaf pan and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool to room temperature before wrapping and storing.

Video

Notes

Storing: Wrap your loaf in a triple layer of plastic wrap. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for 5 days. For longer storage, add the wrapped loaf to a freezer bag and label. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Softened Butter: It's important that you use softened butter, otherwise it will be very difficult to cream the butter and sugars together. In a pinch melted butter can work, but it will make for a less moist loaf.

Nutrition

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