This Cinnamon Raisin Bread is one of the simplest breads you can make at home from scratch, and and it’s loaded with wonderful cinnamon flavor and juicy raisins!

Homemade bread takes a bit of work and time, but to me it’s always worth it.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread - Being Spread with Butter Using a Knife

I’d rather make my own instead of buying one of those 3-week shelf stable loaves that have 50 ingredients in them instead of 5.

What I do to make things easier is have a “bread baking day” from time to time where I’ll bake several different loaves at once, then store them in the freezer. It lasts me quite a while.

To those who read my Apple Pie Panini post, this is my recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread that I used for the sandwich.

This cinnamon raisin bread is adapted from my plain sandwich bread post, and if you’re not a fan of raisins, just feel free to leave them out.

Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread On a wooden Board with Slices Shown

How to Make Cinnamon Raisin Bread:

Start by stirring together milk, butter, yeast, and a little honey, and let it sit for 10 minutes until foamy:

Activated Yeast in a Measuring Cup with Spoon

Add flour, eggs, salt, and raisins to the liquid and knead it in the bowl of a stand mixer for 10 minutes:

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Dough in a Stand Mixer Bowl

Let this soft, sticky dough double in size, which should take an hour or two (and if your kitchen is as cold as mine is right now, it will take two)!

Risen and Puffed Cinnamon Raisin Bread Dough in a Stand Mixer Bowl

It should look all stretchy and strand-like, like this:

Pulling Back the Stretchy Webby Risen Dough from the Bowl

Remove the dough and stretch it out into a rectangle on a lightly floured board:

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Dough Spread Into a Rectangle on Floured Wooden Board

Make the cinnamon filling by mixing together melted butter, brown sugar, and tons of cinnamon:

Melted Butter, Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon in a Glass Bowl

Spread the cinnamon filling all over the rectangle, and roll the rectangle up:

Rolling a Log of Cinnamon raisin Bread Dough Up tightly With the Filling

Pinch the seam shut at the end, and place the bread roll in a standard 9×5 loaf pan:

Rolled Log of Raisin Bread Dough in a Metal Loaf Pan

Cover it with plastic wrap and let the roll rise for about an hour:

Doubled In size and Risen Rolled Log of Raisin Bread Dough in a Metal Loaf Pan

Into the oven it goes until it comes out golden brown:

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread in a Loaf Pan Fully Baked

Now you can slice it up and eat it toasted with butter, or make this glorious Apple Pie Panini with it.

Raisin Toast Being Spread with Butter on a Wooden Board

Pumpkin Muffins are another one of my favorite recipes to bake. Enjoy!

How long does Cinnamon Raisin Bread last? A few days at room temperature, about 10 days in the fridge, or 2 months in the freezer.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Being Spread with Butter Using a Knife

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Servings: 12
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Rise Time: 2 hrs
Total Time: 2 hrs 55 mins
This Cinnamon Raisin Bread is one of the simplest breads you can make at home, and and it's loaded with wonderful cinnamon flavor!
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Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2.25 tsp instant yeast
  • 17.5 ounces by weight all-purpose flour (3.5 cups, measured)*
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • butter for greasing the pan

For the cinnamon filling:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions 

  • Combine the milk, melted butter, and honey in a microwave safe glass.
  • Heat the liquid in the microwave** to 110 to 115 degrees F, then stir in the yeast. Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes, until foamy.
  • Pour the yeast liquid into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the flour, salt, eggs, and raisins.
  • Stir it around with a wooden spoon or the dough hook of the mixer until roughly combined.
  • Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook, and knead for 10 minutes on medium low speed.
  • Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for one to two hours, until doubled in size.
  • Lightly flour your countertop and spread the dough into a rectangle that is the length of your loaf pan (I use a standard 9x5inch pan). It doesn't have to be perfect.
  • Make the cinnamon filling by stirring together the brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and salt.
  • Spread this mixture all over the top of the dough rectangle, then roll the dough up like a cinnamon roll, and pinch the seam shut.
  • Grease a 9x5 loaf pan with butter, and place the bread roll seam side down into the pan.
  • Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and let it rise for 60 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and place a sheet pan on the lowest shelf of the oven. Add enough boiling water to cover the bottom of the sheet pan, then bake the bread on the shelf above the water for 40-50 minutes until the inside registers 190 to 200 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
  • Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing it. Enjoy!
  • Storing: since there are no preservatives, the bread will only keep for a few days at room temperature. I recommend freezing any unused bread.

Notes

*If you want a less dense loaf, do 17.5 oz flour. Do 20 oz for a denser loaf.
**You can also warm the liquid on the stovetop in a small pot.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 44mg, Sodium: 215mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 12g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Joanne Ozug

Post updated in September 2018. Originally published November 2013.