An easy Cinnamon Bread Recipe that is perfect for breakfast, snacks and gifting to friends, neighbors and co-workers! This Christmas bread makes a beautiful gift wrapped into inexpensive giftable loaf pans.
How to Make Cinnamon Bread
How to Gift Christmas Bread
I find inspiration virtually everywhere and when I was shopping at Michael’s for something for Adalyn, I came across ceramic loaf pans for just $1. They’re perfect for gifting my cinnamon bread – the quintessential Christmas bread.  Year after year they offer shades of red and green and a great standard, white! You can also now find white year round. It makes perfectly delicious little giftable loaves every time!
These adorable little loaves make great neighbor and teacher gifts – as well as breakfast for yourself. Enjoy alone or with a little butter. You definitely want to save a loaf for yourself!
You’ll Also Love these Giftable Christmas Bread Recipes
Cinnamon Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 c sugar
- 4 c flour
- 2 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 c milk
- 2/3 c vegetable oil
TOPPING:
- 1 Tbsp & 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2/3 c sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine sugar, flour, baking powder & salt. Set aside.
- Beat eggs, milk & oil.
- Gradually add dry mixture to wet until just moist.
- Grease baking dishes & pour mixture an inch below to the top to compensate for rise.
- Combine topping, spoon on each loaf and swirl in with a knife, leaving some on top.
- Bake 40 minutes.
Recipe Notes
You'll also love these easy no yeast Christmas bread recipes
I don’t think I’ve had cinnamon bread before but I am a huge cinnamon fan,..and come to think of it I’m a huge bread (any carbs really) fan as well. I’m sure this would be great. Love the little dishes!
Confession: 5 loaves are being gifted, 1 has been eaten.
lol – perfect
In the instructions it said 4c of sugar….is that really right?
This bread sounds so good!
Thanks for posting….
Carol
4 c flour – 2 cups sugar, plus another 2/3 for the cinnamon mixture. It’s so moist-even a few days later.
I knew I was going to bake bread for presants this year, thanks for the great ideas.
Don’t forget to bake a loaf for yourself as well!
Christmas gift ideas easy cinnamon bread. Know all about it
Great idea!! I’m totally doing these for next Christmas as gifts to all of my neighbors. Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful ideas!
– Debra Carlson
Debra, we make this all the time for breakfast because it’s easy and delicious!
Might you know how I could turn this into a pumpkin bread recipe? I made this a few times now and it is delicious! I’ve been wanting a “tried-and-true” bread recipe that I can turn into a delicious pumpkin bread recipe somehow.
I wish I did, however, I’m not a fan of pumpkin, so have never tried. I’m so glad you love this recipe as much as we do!
No worries! I found something online that said to replace each egg with 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin puree, and use the equivalent of oil (so 2/3 cup of canned pumpkin for the 2/3 cup of oil). So it’d be 1 & 1/6 cup of pumpkin puree in place of the eggs and oil, or 1 cup, 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp. I’m going to try it today!!
Let me know how it is!
I am far from a domestic diva so this may be a silly question…but is there a reason you didn’t just add the cinnamon/sugar combo to the dough itself instead of just sprinkling a layer of it in the middle when you put it in the pan? I’m thinking of making this for holiday gifts and giving it with a little jar of homemade apple butter đ
Mindy, you could just mix it in, but it’s more flavorful in “stripes” from being swirled in. You will LOVE this!
I love this recipe! I just made 4 loaves for my coworkers and 1 large one for my family – all turned out amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, I am so happy to have found this!
Thanks for sharing, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Happy holidays!
Great idea for a Xmas Gift or a gift for anytime. A gift from the heart made by your hand full of “Love, Awesome and most of all Scrumptious”
just wondered what size pans you used to make these loaves of bread?
Thanks for any info!
H
I’ve never seen a size on them, but they’re at Michael’s again this year. They’re about 6″ long. Enjoy!
I was wondering if you could mail these loafs in the pan if you wrap them real good with a cling wrap. i would like to send some to my kids.
I would wrap them in bubble wrap, inside a Priority USPS box. That’s what I use when shipping baked goods. Add in peanuts to fill the box so it doesn’t move during transport.
Does it freeze well? I’m planning on making some for gifts (I’ve got plans for at least 2, but I can create a list of more) and I may want to freeze the loaves after they are baked before I gift them. And then if I can freeze them, what is the reheating temps?
It does, but I would just let them thaw, warm them & serve them with butter. I’ll be honest, they don’t last long around our house! It melts in your mouth!
I’d love to make this and never do anything baking but am already confused with the instructions. Why are there two separate sugar portions – one for 2 cups and the other for 2/3 cups. Am I missing something? thank you!
I’m sorry, Ann! If you don’t bake often, this is a GREAT recipe! It’s a no fail…the second sugar is for the cinnamon sugar topping. You could easily put it all in together, I just love having the crunchy topping. Enjoy!
Thank you for answering my question i will try and mail these some day. Does it make a difference what kind of milk you use fat free,skim milk or whole milk ?
Can you use fat free milk or do you have to use whole milk ? Thank you so much for answering me before i am going to make up some of these for my older children.
It doesn’t really, fuller milk has a hint more flavor. I just shared how to mail cookies – you may enjoy that post as well! Happy Holidays!
Wondering if I should bake them in the pans I boughtĂ
You won’t be disappointed! Let me know if I can help!
Do you think it would work as well in those little decorative “bake in the pan” cardboard type loaf pans?? I believe they are about 6″ or so. Thanks!
Absolutely! Just watch for baking time…it tends to go a little quicker in those, so I’d check on them 10 minutes early. Happy Holidays, Vivian!
Thank you….Happy Holidays to you, as well!
Julie,
You are such an inspiration! I made these today for my children’s teachers as a holiday gift and they turned out super cute. I actually got 10 out of 1 recipe! Thank you for the wonderful ideas!
Thanks, Sylvia! Glad you enjoyed them! I hope you kept a loaf for yourself!
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but the middle of my loafs are still gooey
If you’re using larger loaf pans, you’ll need to increase your baking time. You may also need to adjust based on your oven. This bread is very moist, but not dough-like, when removed from the oven.
I can’t seem to find these loaf pans at Michael’s or on their website. Can someone help? Looking to do something similar for my sister’s baby shower as a favor.
They used to carry them year round & now I believe it’s just seasonally. Target & Michael’s should have paper loaf pans year round.
Hi Julie, I just happen to have about 20 of these little ceramic loaf pans that I bought at Michaels last year after Christmas for about 25 cents each. This is perfect timing for me to use your recipes. My question is about gifting them. Are you letting them cool completely in the ceramic pans and just leaving them in the pans for gifts, or are you removing them to cool, washing your pans again and the putting the loaves back in. I just have a fear that, “what if the receiver” can,t get the loaf out of the pan? What would you do or suggest?
It’s not an issue at all, just let them cool, add cellophane and/or a ribbon and it’s ready to gift! I grease as j do any baking dish. PS, I’m envious of the steal you purchased them for.
This is probably a silly question, but I am not much of a cook. Are you baking all 6 loaves at one time or each loaf for 40 minutes? If you do all 6 at once, do line them up side by side in the oven? Thanks for your help!
At the same time. You can put them directly on the oven rack or line them up on a cookie sheet. Enjoy!
Do I use all purpose flour or self rising? Thank you!
I always use all purpose. Enjoy!
I would like to bake 1 large loaf of cinnamon bread … would this be possible?
I don’t have the ceramic loaf pans, I’m going shopping for them as soon as I can.
thank you for your recipes!!
????
Hi Tina! Any size and type of loaf pan will do. If you use a large loaf pan, it will yield one and you’ll need to increase the baking time. Enjoy!
The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of baking powder, is this correct?
Yes!Enjoy!
I cut the recipe in half because I didn’t want to make a lot, is it supposed to make a rather dense batter?
You had me at “Cinnamon”! Love it!! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Your presentation is beautiful.
Thank you, Celia! It’s great to see you! Have a beautiful weekend.
This recipe looks delicious and just what I was searching for! Looking for Christmas gifts for the teachers in our life, I found some gourmet hot chocolate at Home Goods and thought to pair it with a homemade cinnamon bread. Thank you for posting this, albeit so many years ago! I love the internet. đ
I am wondering about something, though… Have you ever made this using butter instead of the oil? If so, did you use a 1-to-1 ratio of oil to melted butter or did you perhaps use a smudge more melted butter? How did it turn out? Thank you in advance!
I haven’t – I always make it with oil, but I would think it would be delicious with butter {see my meltaway muffins}. Unfortunately, I haven’t tested it.
I wanted to let you know that I ended up making the recipe, only substituting the melted butter for the oil, and it turned out wonderfully! Very moist, dense but still crumbly. Delicious! I’m so happy to have this recipe – thank you. Fwiw, I used 3/4 cup of melted butter to compensate a bit for the loss of fat from not using oil. As a result I used room-temperature eggs and warm milk so the butter would not solidify when added to the wet mixture. âş
That’s great to hear, Karen! Thanks for sharing. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Do you know if Michael’s still has these ceramic loaf pans? They are too cute!
They do!
i have a question…How do you know when the loaves are done? Do you use the toothpick test? I can’t wait to try the recipe!
I do! Enjoy!
Im wondering if you can replace the oil with applesauce. For a much healthier version. Any ideas on that?/
I haven’t tested it, but if you try it, let me know!
Can you add nuts to this recipe?
Of course! Enjoy!
Hi julie,
This recipe looks so good, I’m gotta try It this weekend. I just want to clarify is it plain flour or self raising. Thank you.
I always use all purpose flour. Enjoy!
I am not much of a baker, but I have made these so many times I have the recipe memorized. My fiance loves them, and when I bring them to work they are gone within an hour. They are so easy and SO delicious. For those that are interested, I mix it up a smidge by ising Turbinado Cane sugar for the cinnamon/sugar topping, and I add vanilla to the batter. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thanks for sharing, I’m so glad you enjoy it as well! Have a beautiful week!
Hello!!
I made dough and saved some for the next day to cook another 8 inch loaf and I noticed cooking the bread the next day really turned out differently? Took longer to cook and consistency different? Is this dough not meant to be refrigerated over night?
~April
To be honest, I don’t recommend refrigerating dough. It can change the consistency of the dough and it’s no longer at room temperature. I hope you enjoyed the initial loaf – it’s one of our favorites!
Also, I added a layer of cinnamon in the middle of the bread. Maybe that effected the cooking? After 45 minutes one half of one side of the loaf was raw dough?
That wouldnât – but it does depend on the size loaf pan you use – if you adjust loaf pan size, you have to adjust bake time and use the toothpick trick.
I just  purchased these cardboard loaf pans they are safe to bake at 250 your recipe temperature is 350 can I still use them? They are 7in 3.4in 1.81in
Would you know how long they would take to bake? Do you still grease them.
Youâll likely need to reduce the temperature and bake time. Iâd still grease them. Are there instructions on the package you bought?
Hi there! Can you take these out of the loaf pan or will they be too moist?
You absolutely can! Enjoy!
Do you suggest taking them out of the pans for cooling so they don’t steam and become soggy? I’m using the aluminum mini loaf pans 5 3/4 x 3 1/4 x 2 (in the oven right now sms smells wonderful!) and I only got five loaves from this recipe even though I filled them as directed. I’ll just have to make another batch to get one for the sixth neighbor which will leave extra for me!
You win Christmas! Sorry about that, any change in loaf pan size changes the yield, but the upside is that it uses staple ingredients and you have bonus loaves! I wouldn’t remove them from pans to cool. They don’t become soggy, but remain really moist and delicious. Enjoy!
Can you use sour cream in place of the milk?Â
I havenât tested it, but let me know if you do!
I just made these loaves to give as gifts. This recipe is delicious! If I am not gifting them for a couple days, should I store them in the fridge? Or will they be ok at room temperature? I planned to wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in gallon bags.
Thanks!
They keep well in just seran wrap. Merry Christmas!
I’ve made this bread several times now – it’s so good!
This bread is so easy, it’s become a weekend staple.
This has been my go to gift recipe three years in a row now!
This bread is SO good! I will be making this for food gifts!
Has anyone tried using less sugar? My kids loved this bread but I’m worried about that much sugar!
We enjoy it as is, but you can adapt in any way you choose!
I made this,this morning. Yummy!!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share and rate it, I truly appreciate it!
I’m a firm believer food is love, and giving something like this for the holiday’s is my jam! Thank you for the idea!
What a delicious neighbor gift idea!
So cute! I’ll have to check out my Michael’s!
What a wonderful gift!! It looks SO delicious!!!
Great idea! Cinnamon bread is so yummy!
I would love to get this delicious treat as a gift!
This literally looks like the best recipe ever. It would be perfect for the holidays and itâs totally going down in my house.Â
Everyone raved about this bread! I’ll definitely be making it again to gift to teachers next month!
This cinnamon bread was so easy! I haven’t baked a lot of breads and was nervous, but it came out perfect.
Such a classic recipe and the perfect neighbor gift! I have made these for the last few years and these little mini loaves are a big hit!
Simple, delicious, and festive! Thank you!
This bread is amazingly good and soo easy!
It looks amazing and I love the presentation. It looks simple which is my best kind of baking.
I might just have to keep all the loaves to myself. đ But seriously, I can’t wait to make these as gifts!
I love this bread. However I know it as French Tea Cake
Iâve never heard it called that! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Julie…I was wondering if you’ve ever put the loaves into cellophane bags? I was in Michaelâs today and the girl said theirs (4x2x9.5â) wouldnât fit. So, not sure where youâd get them. I wonder if bulk barn would have them? Iâm not sure what size one would need?
Yes and I actually buy them from Michaelâs. They have several near the cake and candy decorating section with 5â wide ones that fit perfect. I think I have a photo in my almond bread post of them wrapped in cellophane. I also have linked in several of my bread posts the ones I purchase from amazon. Enjoy!
Hi Julie, I did a test batch last night. First problem, I overfilled the pans (I thought I left an inch but I guess I was off) so they overflowed and I have a nice mess in my oven. My fault! Anyway, my question is, I had a hard time swirling in the sugar mixture — the dough is thick and the pans are small. It kind of just swirled on top but not throughout the bread. Where are the stripes supposed to be — on top or throughout the bread? I didn’t get stripes. It was delicious nonetheless and I will be making next week for hostess gifts!
I’m so sorry! I stick a knife into the bread until it reaches the bottom and zigzag it, but if you prefer to blend the mixture in, you can do that, too and just sprinkle a little on top to garnish for a glisten. Enjoy!
Mini loaves wrapped & ready to give as party favors. These are really, really good and easy to make.
It’s good!
This was a hit with the family! With a big family we decided to do group family gifts. We made âChristmas morning â baskets. This bread with homemade apple butter. Will do again.
I added cinnamon to the batter before baking and it turned out well