Soft, sweet Cinnamon Bread is a tasty treat for breakfast or as a snack. And since this effortless recipe yields multiple loaves, it’s also perfect for holiday (or anytime) gift giving!

‘Tis the season for homemade food gifts, and today I’ve got another good one for ya! Cinnamon Bread is an easy-to-make quick bread swirled with cinnamon-sugar and topped with even more. It’s tender yet moist, sweet yet delicately spiced. A thick slab of it is delicious with coffee, tea, or hot cocoa as a morning breakfast treat, but it also makes a special afternoon snack.

But what I particularly love about this recipe is that it’s sized for sharing! Why make one loaf of Cinnamon Bread when you can exert the same amount of effort and make more than one…some to keep, and some to give away? This recipe will yield two large loaves, three medium loaves (think standard-sized disposable bread pans), or five to six mini loaves. The key, of course, is to watch the baking time closely the first time you make this recipe and pull your bread out of the oven when a toothpick tests just done.

My 2-year-old is all about cinnamon lately, fondly requesting “sim-sim” on her apple slices each day, so she’s been particularly enamored with this batch of Cinnamon Bread. But the truth is, so has everybody else! The center of the bread is tender while the exterior has a slight crunch from the cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top and used to coat the pans. There’s really nothing fancy about it, but simplicity is why this bread is so good!

I think a loaf of freshly baked quick bread makes a welcome gift just about any time of year. In the spring, citrus cravings call for Orange Pound Cake Mini Loaves. Summer is all about Chocolate Zucchini Bread. During the fall, I bake more loaves of my very favorite Pumpkin Bread than I can count. But in winter? This Cinnamon Bread has always been my go-to recipe for the holiday season. It’s easy to make and absolutely scrumptious, like a pan of cinnamon rolls but in quick bread form!

Whether you’re wanting to treat your friends, neighbors, teachers, or mailman to a homemade food gift this holiday season, this Cinnamon Bread is sure to be well-received. And if you decide to dress it up for gift giving? Well, I’ve even got some cute, free printable gift tags for you to download and print (be sure to scroll down for both Christmas and holiday versions)!

So do you like to bake for friends and family around the holidays? What are your go-to recipes for giving homemade food gifts? I’m pretty sure that if you give this Cinnamon Bread a try, it has a good chance of ending up on your permanent baking roster. Because sim-sim? Well, who doesn’t love that? Enjoy, friends!

Print Cinnamon Bread {No-Yeast Quick Bread}

Yield: 2 standard-sized loaves, 3 medium-sized loaves, or 5 to 6 mini loaves

Soft, sweet Cinnamon Bread is a tasty treat for breakfast or as a snack. And since this effortless recipe yields multiple loaves, it's also perfect for holiday (or anytime) gift giving!

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
For Cinnamon Sugar Swirl/Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Additional Cinnamon Sugar will be needed for "flouring" the pans.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 full-sized loaf pans (or 3 medium-sized loaf pans or 5 to 6 mini loaf pans) with softened butter (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) and generously sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Turn pans to coat sides and then hold pans upside down while tapping to remove excess cinnamon-sugar.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, blend together buttermilk, oil, and sugar until well-incorporated. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla. Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon. Set aside.
Evenly divide half of the batter between the prepared pans. Distribute 2/3 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture by sprinkling it on top of the batter in each loaf pan. Divide remaining batter between pans, adding it on top of the cinnamon-sugar. Use a butter knife to swirl through the batter in each pan and distribute the cinnamon-sugar through the bread. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar on top of the loaves.
Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean (50 to 60 minutes for large loaf pans, 40 to 50 minutes for medium loaf pans, and 30 to 40 minutes for mini loaf pans).
When bread tests done, remove from oven and cool in pans for 5 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of each pan to make sure bread is loosened and carefully turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

Tips, Tricks, & Variations

If you don't have any buttermilk on hand, you may measure 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar into a (2-cup capacity) glass measuring cup. On top of the lemon juice or white vinegar, add enough milk to reach the 2-cup line. Stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes, after which it should have thickened into "buttermilk."

Sizes of loaf pans can vary, but each pan should be 2/3 to 3/4 full of batter before baking. The first time you make this recipe, I recommend setting pans over a foil-lined baking sheet (to catch any possible overflow).

The first time you make this recipe, test for doneness early and watch the baking time closely since it will be dictated by the specific sizes of your loaf pans.

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To download Printable CHRISTMAS Gift Tags <<< click here!

To download Printable HOLIDAY Gift Tags <<< click here!

These gift tags print four to a page. Print on cardstock for heavier tags, cut out, and punch a hole at the top. Please be patient if these take a moment to load. For personal use only, please. Enjoy!