Best braided homemade cinnamon bread recipe! This simple recipe includes step-by-step pictures so you can make perfect braided cinnamon bread.
It’s no secret that I love cinnamon sugar everything! My family and I can’t get enough monkey bread, cinnamon roll bites, maple cinnamon rolls, and even cinnamon roll poke cake.
This braided cinnamon bread is fun way to get that cinnamon sugar fix. It looks like it’s much more complicated than it is, and with the easy homemade dough, it can be made in less time than it takes for traditional bread dough to rise.
This bread makes a great addition to any breakfast or a lovely homemade gift.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Milk: Anything from skim to whole milk will work. Whole milk will make the dough richer, and skim milk will give you a leaner dough. You could also use nondairy milk, like almond milk, if you prefer.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe.
- Yeast: If you’re using active dry yeast, let the yeast sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy, after step 4. Then, continue with the recipe as-written.
- Flour: I recommend either weighing the flour or aerating, spooning, and leveling the flour. Too much flour will give you a dry, heavy dough.
How to make braided cinnamon bread
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Begin by warming the butter, milk, and sugar to temperature.
Step 2: Add the butter mixture, yeast, and warm water to a mixing bowl.
Step 3: Mix in salt and enough flour to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. The dough should feel a little sticky to the touch but shouldn’t come stick to your finger if you pinch it.
Step 4: Let the dough rest.
Step 5: Divide the dough into two equal pieces.
Step 6: Working one piece at a time, roll out dough into an 8×12 inch rectangle. Keep the other piece of dough covered while you work.
Step 7: Mix the filling ingredients.
Step 8: Sprinkle half of the filling ingredients over each rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
Step 9: Roll up the dough lengthwise and pinch the seal together to seal.
Step 10: Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise, leaving a 1/2-inch section at one end uncut.
Step 11: Twist the sections of the dough over each other and pinch the ends together.
Step 12: Starting at the uncut end, coil the twisted bread around on each other. Tuck the ends under to seal.
Step 13: Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Step 14: Place each piece of dough in a greased cake pan. Cover with a clean dry towel and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 15 minutes.
Step 15: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Step 16: While the bread is baking, stir together the icing ingredients.
Step 17: Drizzle the icing over the warm bread.
Recipe Tips!
- Dough: It’s important to add flour until the dough feels sticky but doesn’t come off on your finger when you pinch it. You may find that you need to use a little more or a little less flour depending on how humid it is where you live.
- Rising: If your kitchen is cool, the bread will rise slowly. You can create a warm spot for the bread to rise by turning your oven on to preheat 350F for exactly 60 seconds. Then, turn your oven off. Place the dough in the warm oven to rise.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! You can omit the icing or use a cream cheese icing if you prefer.
I cut the cinnamon bread into wedges to serve.
You can! The baked and cooled bread will keep well-wrapped in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. I recommend waiting until you’ve thawed the bread to ice it. The icing tends to melt into the bread when frozen and thawed.
Storage
I think the bread is best eaten fresh. However, the bread will keep for 2-3 days if stored covered in an airtight container at room temperature.
More cinnamon bread recipes!
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Braided Cinnamon Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water 105F – 115F
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Icing
- 3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Grease two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, stir milk, sugar, and butter together. Heat over low heat just until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to about 100-105 F.
- Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the yeast and warm water.
- Add 2 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture. Using a dough hook, mix on low speed for about 1 minute.
- With the mixer still going, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Mix about 1 ½ minutes, or until dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl.
- Knead on low speed for about 2 more minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should feel soft and slightly sticky, but it shouldn’t stick to your finger if you pinch it.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning it to grease the top. Cover the dough with a clean, dry dish towel.
- Let it rise in a warm place, free from draft, for about 10 minutes.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and divide dough into two equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a 12×8-inch rectangle.
- Stir filling ingredients together, and spread 1/2 of the filling ingredients over each piece of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
- Roll up lengthwise, pinching seam to seal.
- Cut the dough in half lengthwise, leaving a 1/2-inch uncut section at the end.
- Twist the pieces of dough over each other to form a long twist, and pinch cut ends together.
- Starting at the uncut end, coil the twist around, tucking in the ends.
- Place 1 braid in each pan.
- Cover the pans with the dish towel, and let the dough rise for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.
- While the bread is baking, prepare the frosting.
- To prepare the frosting, whisk powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
- Whisk in enough milk to make desired consistency. I leave the frosting on the thicker side because it melts when it’s drizzled over the warm bread.
- Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Remove bread from pans and place on a wire cooling rack. I put a baking mat or a piece of parchment underneath to catch any drips.
- Drizzle bread with frosting while warm.
Notes
- Milk: Anything from skim to whole milk will work. Whole milk will make the dough richer, and skim milk will give you a leaner dough. You could also use nondairy milk, like almond milk, if you prefer.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe.
- Yeast: If you’re using active dry yeast, let the yeast sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy, after step 4. Then, continue with the recipe as-written.
- Flour: I recommend either weighing the flour or aerating, spooning, and leveling the flour. Too much flour will give you a dry, heavy dough.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Monica says
I love this recipe! It’s so quick and absolutely delicious. I had a package of sweetened cranberry almond salad topper and sprinkled some of that in with the cinnamon sugar mixture and oh was that good.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Ruth says
I’ve made this recipe twice so far. The first time was great (a little dry) and wowed my family. The second time it was fantastic! The directions are perfect and the photos make it easy too. I think the second time I just knew what I was doing and it came together perfectly. Made it for Easter Brunch. The presentation is beautiful.
Bobbi says
I was wondering if adding chopped apple bits with the filling would affect the bread? Would the juices from the apples make the bread soggy?
Or maybe some raisins? Thoughts? Would I have to cook it lower but longer?
Kate says
Hi! I think dried fruit like raisins should be fine. I’m not sure about the chopped apple, though. I bought a loaf of Dutch apple bread recently, and they had pre-cooked the apple before adding it to the bread. Maybe that would help?
Also, cooking the bread for longer at a lower temperature may dry it out.
Linda says
Love your web site and recipes. This just came across and I knew this would be one recipe to make and share with the neighbors. I make cinnamon rolls all the time, but on this recipe you have the butter, sugar and cinnamon mixed together. Can I do that step like I do with my cinnamon rolls, of which I use brown sugar not granulated. Doing gift baking next week and look forward to your answer. Keep those good recipes coming. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Ruth says
I made this today. I was unsure how it would turn out as it did not seem to raise during the first proof. It did not raise prior to being put in the oven. Afterwards I realized I used active yeast instead of instant yeast. It rose in the oven and was a beautiful and delicious contribution to my daughters brunch. My sister thought I bought them. Great recipe that was easy to follow. This is the first recipe I have tried from this site…but not my last.
Kate says
I’m so glad that you liked it! I hope you find more recipes that you enjoy!
Lexi says
Just made this and it was SO good. Definitely going to make it again for the holidays!
Kate says
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad that you liked it!
Marla santi says
Can I leave it overnight to bake in morning?
Kate says
I haven’t tried refrigerating the dough and baking in the morning. It would absolutely overrise if left out at room temperature, though.
janet shagam says
I plan on making this bread with my granddaughters. The proofing times do seem very short. Comments? Anyone using a longer proof?
Kate says
Hi! If you’re looking for comments from people who have made the recipe, you can find those directly underneath the recipe. The proofing time is shorter than many traditional recipes, and I developed the recipe to be made in a shorter amount of time. If you proof the dough with traditional rising times (about 1-1 and 1/2 hours), the dough will be overproofed. I hope that helps!
Marilena says
So easy and the most delicious!
Kate says
Thank you!
Sheila Strong says
Can this be frozen without changing the integrity of the bread?
Kate says
I haven’t tried to freeze this bread. However, I’ve frozen similar recipes, and it has worked well. I would recommend waiting to ice the bread until after it has been thawed because it may melt into the bread when it thaws.
Heather Gottfried says
Today I wanted to make a few loaves of cinnamon bread. I had a recipe id made before that utilizes the bread machine for the dough but I didn’t have enough load pans to double the recipe. I search online for a recipe that didn’t use a loaf pan and your recipe came up. It was easy to put together in the mixer. I was a bit skeptical about the lengths of proofing time, they seemed very short. But I can’t express enough how wonderful these breads are. My granddaughters love to bake( 11 and 13)
They asked for the recipe as soon as they took one bite! Thanks for sharing a great recipe. We will make it often I’m sure.
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m glad that it was a hit!
Caitlin says
This sounds delicious!!
Kate says
Thank you!
Jackie says
Made this today and it’s amazing!
Kate says
Thank you!
Jessica says
Just made this. Amazing!!! I will be making this again
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it! =)
Linda Brickley says
I dont have a mixer with a paddle. Can I hand kneed this dough?
Kate says
Absolutely! You’ll just need to add additional mixing time.
Lizabeth says
I love this bread!!! Tastes great and came together much quicker than expected. I will definitely make this again and again.
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad! Thank you for commenting. =)
Kelsey says
I’m a so so baker but this bread was easy enough for me to make. I felt like a rockstar when I took this to a work party. Everyone asked which bakery I bought it from.
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad! Thank you for coming back to comment! =)