Easy Cinnamon Bread

This bread is just like the famous Cinnamon Bread at Dollywood. Pillowy loaves of bread are coated with melted butter and rolled in a sweet cinnamon sugar mixture. And, in case that’s not enough sweetness for you, there’s a delicious icing to drizzle over the top of the bread at the end, too!

Fluffy Pull Apart Cinnamon Bread

Cinnamon sugar has long been a weakness of mine. I will never turn down a churro, cinnamon rolls, or a serving of monkey bread. It just won’t happen.

Here’s the thing, though. I don’t always have time to fry a bunch of churros or whip up cinnamon rolls from scratch. That’s where this pull apart Cinnamon Bread comes in real handy. It only takes 10 minutes to prep, it has 1 hour of rise time, and then all I have to do is bake it!

Cinnamon sugar bread is all of the sweetness and stickiness of a classic cinnamon roll breakfast, with a lot less of the work. I don’t know about you, but that’s a breakfast win in my book – especially since my kids love, love, love it. I serve it on holidays, low-key Saturday mornings, and even weekdays if I need a sugary start to the day.

These pull apart bread loaves are so fluffy and soft. They’re slathered with butter, coated with cinnamon and sugar, and then topped off with a simple vanilla icing.

If you’re a big fan of dessert for breakfast, this is a recipe you don’t want to miss!

What You’ll Need

Not much at all, really! We’re keeping the shopping list short this week.

Here’s what you’ll need to prepare this addictively sweet breakfast:

• Frozen Bread – I used Rhodes frozen bake and serve loaves.
• Milk – You can use cream as well for a richer frosting.
• Butter – Melted, so that the cinnamon and sugar stick to the loaf.
• Granulated Sugar – You might not need the whole two cups, just make sure you have enough to roll the loaves in and stuff the cuts with.
• Ground Cinnamon – If you reduce the amount of sugar, also reduce the amount of cinnamon proportionally.
• Powdered Sugar – This will be the base for your vanilla icing.
• Vanilla Extract – To get that sweet vanilla flavor!

How to Make this Cinnamon Bread

Cinnamon bread takes a little more effort than a bowl of cereal does, it’s true, but that effort is worth it! Plus, most of the extra time required to make this breakfast (or dessert, if you’d rather) is made up of waiting for the bread to rise or bake. I.e. staring at the oven door as the smell of sweet cinnamon bread fills the kitchen…

This is how you’ll put this easy pull apart bread recipe together:

Thaw the Frozen Bread: Place frozen loaves on a tray and thaw at room temperature. This may take 3 to 4 hours. You can also thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Prepare Bread Pans: Spray 8-inch bread pans with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Slice the Loaves: Cut 4 deep slices into each loaf of bread, nearly all the way through, leaving just a small piece still connected at the bottom.

Brush the Bread with Butter: Coat bread completely with the melted butter, making sure to coat the inside of each cut very well.

Coat the Bread with Cinnamon Sugar: Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a wide dish and roll the bread gently in the cinnamon sugar. Make a thick coat and stuff each cut with lots of cinnamon sugar.

Let the Bread Rise: Place a loaf of bread in each pan and cover with a light tea towel. Allow bread to rise in a warm area, until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

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Preheat the Oven to 350°F: Then bake the bread for 20 to 25 minutes. Loaves will be golden brown and, when thumped on the bottom, should sound hollow. Remove bread from oven and allow bread to cool for about 10 minutes.

Prepare the Icing: While the bread is cooling, mix up the icing. Combine the powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk and whisk until smooth. Add extra milk as needed, until desired consistency. Drizzle icing on top of warm bread and serve!

Tips For Success

So there you have it! A simple sweet bread recipe for a treat-yourself-breakfast.

Here are a couple of tips that help me get the best results with my cinnamon bread every time I make it:

• Making One Loaf: This recipe makes 3-5 loaves, but you can do one loaf at a time if you want to. Just reduce the amount of butter and sugar mixture. The bake time will be the same.
• Make Deep Slices in the Bread: Cut nearly through the bread for best results. This allows the butter and sugar to coat the entire slice, rather than just the top.
• Use Lots of Butter! Coat every slice with lots of butter so that the cinnamon sugar will stick.
• Cinnamon Sugar Tip: Use a lot! It will melt in the bottom and make a delicious syrup that you can save, or pour back over the top of the bread.
• How to See If the Bread is Done: To check for doneness, you can tap on the bottom of the bread pan and if it sounds hollow, it’s done.
• Cool a Bit Before Icing: This will help ensure that the icing sticks to the bread without removing all of the cinnamon sugar.
• For Added Goodness: You can spoon a cup of apple or peach pie filling over the
• bread before adding the icing!

How to Store Homemade Bread

Cinnamon bread is best served fresh and warm, but you can store it covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can enjoy it again at room temperature, or reheat it in a toaster oven/regular oven until warmed through.

Can I Freeze This?

Absolutely! Wait for the bread to cool, and then store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also store it in a tightly-sealed plastic bag, with all the air pushed out of it.

Make sure to thaw your cinnamon bread in the fridge overnight before you reheat it!

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More Easy Dessert Ideas

Want to try some more easy dessert recipes? Here are some of my favorites:

• Brown Sugar Banana Bread
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
• No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
• Summer Berry Icebox Cake
• The Best Rice Krispie Treats
• Cinnamon Baked Apples

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