Amish Cinnamon Bread is a soft buttermilk quick bread with a ribbon of cinnamon sugar swirled through the middle and a crackly cinnamon-sugar top. It needs no yeast, no kneading and no starter: cream butter and sugar, stir in the buttermilk and flour, layer the batter with cinnamon sugar and bake one 9×5-inch loaf at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes. It makes 10 servings.
How to make it: Cream softened butter with sugar, then beat in an egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in two turns. Spread half the batter in the pan, sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar and swirl with a knife, then add the rest of the batter and top with more cinnamon sugar. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Why You’ll Love It
- Same-day bread: mixed and baked in about an hour, with no starter to feed.
- A real swirl: a cinnamon-sugar ribbon in the middle and a sugary crust on top.
- Pantry ingredients: butter, sugar, an egg, buttermilk, flour and cinnamon.
- Easy to share: double it for two loaves, one to keep and one to give.
Ingredient Notes
Butter: 1/2 cup, softened to room temperature so it creams with the sugar.
Granulated sugar: 1 cup for the batter and 1/2 cup for the cinnamon sugar.
Egg and vanilla: 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Buttermilk: 1 cup. No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and let it sit a few minutes.
Flour, baking soda and salt: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. The baking soda works with the buttermilk to lift the loaf.
Ground cinnamon: 2 teaspoons, mixed with the 1/2 cup sugar for the swirl and topping.
Ingredients
For the bread
- 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice and left a few minutes)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the cinnamon sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
How to Make Amish Cinnamon Bread
1. Heat the oven and prep the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Use a mixer to cream the softened butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
3. Add the flour and buttermilk. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk to the mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Add the rest of the flour mixture and the rest of the buttermilk and mix until combined, without over-mixing.
4. Mix the cinnamon sugar. In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.
5. Layer and swirl. Spoon about half of the batter into the prepared pan and level it with a spatula. Sprinkle two-thirds of the cinnamon sugar over the batter, then use a butter knife to swirl it through the batter.
6. Add the top layer. Spoon the remaining batter on top and smooth it over the cinnamon layer with a spatula. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar over the top.
7. Bake. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move it to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Is Amish Cinnamon Bread the Same as Amish Friendship Bread?
No. They share the cinnamon, but they’re made very differently:
- Amish cinnamon bread is a quick bread. You mix it and bake it the same day, with baking soda and buttermilk for lift. No yeast, no kneading, no starter.
- Amish friendship bread starts from a sourdough-style starter that’s fed and “mushed” over about 10 days, then split into portions to pass along to friends. The final batter often includes oil, eggs and instant pudding mix, and makes two loaves.
This loaf gives you the cinnamon-sugar flavor without the 10-day wait.
Tips for a Tender Loaf and a Clear Swirl
- Soften the butter. Room-temperature butter creams with the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Don’t overmix. Stir the flour and buttermilk in just until combined; mixing too much makes the bread tough.
- Swirl, don’t stir. The cinnamon sugar goes in as a layer and gets dragged through with a butter knife, side to side and up and down. Stirring it into the batter loses the ribbon.
- No mixer? With soft butter, a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula works; it just takes a little more effort.
- Test with a toothpick. It should come out clean, or with just a few crumbs clinging.
- Loosen the edges. Sugary loaves can stick. After 10 minutes in the pan, run a butter knife around the sides before turning it out. Lining the pan with parchment helps too.
- Slice when cool. Let it cool to room temperature on the rack for clean slices.
Variations
- Mix-ins: fold about 1/2 cup of raisins, chopped nuts or chocolate chips into the batter. Don’t go overboard.
- Brown sugar: use 3/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup packed brown sugar in the batter for a caramel note.
- Butter drizzle: drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the top before it goes in the oven.
- Cardamom: add a teaspoon of ground cardamom to the cinnamon sugar.
- Two loaves: double everything and bake in two 9×5-inch pans.
Storage
Room temperature: Let the loaf cool completely, then keep it in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days. It stays moister on the counter than in the fridge.
Refrigerator: Wrap it well in plastic wrap and keep it up to 5 days. Keep the loaf whole and slice as you go.
Freezer: Wrap slices or the whole loaf in plastic wrap and foil, or use a freezer bag with the air pressed out, for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread at room temperature.
What to Serve With It
Toast a slice and spread it with butter or cream cheese, or serve it like a coffee cake with coffee, tea or hot cocoa. For a breakfast spread, add slow cooker Amish blueberry oatmeal or cinnamon roll French toast rolls. Leftover slices also make good cinnamon French toast or a quick parfait with yogurt and fruit.
More loaves and cinnamon bakes: Amish apple fritter bread, salted caramel banana bread, easy cinnamon roll coffee cake and easy cinnamon apple cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Amish cinnamon bread the same as Amish friendship bread?
No. This is a same-day quick bread with no starter. Friendship bread is made from a starter that’s fed over about 10 days.
What makes Amish cinnamon bread unique?
The buttermilk batter and the cinnamon-sugar layer swirled through the middle, plus a sugary crust on top.
Can I make it without buttermilk?
Yes. Mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit a few minutes.
How do I know when it’s done?
It’s golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, after 45 to 50 minutes.
Can I freeze Amish cinnamon bread?
Yes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and foil and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Final Notes
Soft butter, a light hand with the mixing and a proper swirl are all it takes. If you add chocolate chips or raisins, tell me in the comments how you liked it.
Easy Amish Cinnamon Bread
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice and left a few minutes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for the cinnamon sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Use a mixer to cream the softened butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk to the mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Add the rest of the flour mixture and the rest of the buttermilk and mix until combined, without over-mixing.
- In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.
- Spoon about half of the batter into the prepared pan and level it with a spatula. Sprinkle two-thirds of the cinnamon sugar over the batter, then use a butter knife to swirl it through the batter.
- Spoon the remaining batter on top and smooth it over the cinnamon layer with a spatula. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar over the top.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move it to a wire rack to finish cooling.
