Gingerbread Cinnamon Swirl Bread bakes up soft, spiced, and beautifully swirled with a sweet cinnamon filling. It makes two loaves—perfect for gifting, freezing, or enjoying throughout the holiday season.
There’s nothing quite like the smell of gingerbread baking, and this Gingerbread Cinnamon Swirl Bread brings together everything you love about the classic flavor in soft, sliceable yeast loaves. The dough is flavored with molasses and warm spices, and each loaf is rolled up with a generous cinnamon-sugar swirl throughout.
This recipe makes two full loaves so you can enjoy one now and save the second for later. It’s freezer-friendly and perfect for gifting. Serve it warm with butter, toast it for breakfast, or use it to level up French toast during the holiday season.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Rapid rise yeast: Rapid rise yeast is specifically formulated to give a short first rise. If using a different type of yeast, you may need to adjust the rising time accordingly.
- Milk: I recommend using whole milk for the softest, richest bread.
- Flour: It’s important not to add too much flour to the dough. Too much flour will give you a dry, heavy loaf of bread. It’s better to leave the dough a little stickier and knead in enough flour than to put too much flour in the dough.
- Molasses: I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses as it can be bitter.
How to make gingerbread cinnamon swirl bread
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Add the yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 2: Combine water, milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 15 second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch (about 115°F. Butter won’t melt completely).
Step 3: Pour the milk mixture into the yeast mixture, and stir to combine. Let the yeast proof for 5-10 minutes or until foamy.
Step 4: Stir in molasses.
Step 5: Add 2 cups flour, salt, ginger, and cinnamon, and stir until blended. Mix 2 minutes at medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.
Step 6: Add 1 cup flour; mix 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally.
Step 7: Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball. It should feel sticky when pinched, but shouldn’t come off on your fingers.
Step 8: Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 9: Cover with a towel; let rest for 10 minutes.
Step 10: Cut dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 12 x 7-inch rectangle using a rolling pin.
Step 11: Mix together cinnamon and sugar for the filling. Brush 2 tablespoons oil onto surface of dough. Sprinkle each piece of dough with half cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Step 12: Beginning at short end of each rectangle, roll up tightly. Pinch seams and ends to seal.
Step 13: Place, seam sides down, in greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan. Repeat with remaining piece dough.
Step 14: Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. If you don’t have a warm spot for the bread to rise, the bread will have a longer rising time.
Step 15: Toward the end of the rising time, move your oven rack to the lower middle position, and preheat oven to 400ºF.
Step 16: Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans by running a knife around the edges and invert onto wire rack to cool before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips!
- Mixing: You can mix the dough by hand if you prefer.
- Freezing: You can freeze slices of the bread or the entire loaf. To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 1 month.
- Serving suggestions: The bread is perfect slathered butter, toasted, or used as a base for festive French toast.
Storage
Store any leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature. The bread will keep for 2-3 days when properly stored.
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Gingerbread Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Equipment
- 8×4-inch loaf pans
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 packets rapid rise yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar divided
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup molasses not blackstrap
- 5 ½ -6 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Filling
- ¼ cup neutral oil divided
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add the yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.2 packets rapid rise yeast
- Combine water, milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 15 second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch (about 115°F. Butter won’t melt completely).½ cup water, ½ cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons salted butter
- Pour the milk mixture into the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Let the yeast proof for 5-10 minutes or until foamy.
- Stir in molasses and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.1 cup molasses
- Add 2 cups flour, salt, ginger, and cinnamon, and stir until blended.1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Mix 2 minutes at medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.
- Add 1 cup flour; mix 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally.
- Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball. It should feel sticky when pinched, but shouldn’t come off on your fingers.
- Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6-8 minutes.
- Cover with a towel; let rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut dough into 2 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a 12 x 7-inch rectangle using a rolling pin.
- Mix together cinnamon and sugar for the filling.3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Brush 2 tablespoons oil onto surface of dough.
- Sprinkle each piece of dough with half cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Beginning at short end of each rectangle, roll up tightly.
- Pinch seams and ends to seal.
- Place, seam sides down, in greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan.
- Repeat with remaining piece dough.
- Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Toward the end of the rising time, move your oven rack to the lower middle position, and preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans by running a knife around the edges and invert onto wire rack to cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Rapid rise yeast: Rapid rise yeast is specifically formulated to give a short first rise. If using a different type of yeast, you may need to adjust the rising time accordingly.
- Milk: I recommend using whole milk for the softest, richest bread.
- Flour: It’s important not to add too much flour to the dough. Too much flour will give you a dry, heavy loaf of bread. It’s better to leave the dough a little stickier and knead in enough flour than to put too much flour in the dough.
- Molasses: I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses as it can be bitter.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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