This vegan cinnamon swirl bread is soft and pillowy with an aromatic sweet cinnamon center. Perfect for beginners, this yeasted loaf bread makes a delicious breakfast when topped with a generous smear of dairy-free butter.
📝 Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Taste: Warm bread with a mild yeasted flavor and pops of warm sweetness from the cinnamon swirl. Kind of like a cinnamon roll but without the excess richness from butter in the filling and sweetness from the icing.
- Texture: So soft, tender and pillowy. There’s nothing quite like a fresh baked loaf of bread!
- Difficulty: This recipe uses store-bought active dry yeast, so it’s fairly beginner friendly. The hardest part is shaping the loaf to get the characteristic swirl- this can take a few tries!
- Time: About 2 hours and 30 minutes start to finish. Most of this is rising time for the dough.
- Why We Love This Cinnamon Swirl Bread: When Autumn rolls around there’s a certain crisp smell in the air and it always reminds me of one of my favorite breakfasts…cinnamon swirl bread. Finding a good dairy free version in the store is tough, but this homemade version is even better with a super soft dough and a sweet cinnamon center. I’ve made this bread 4 or 5 times in the past few weeks… we just can’t get enough of it.
Ingredients:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour: I used King Arthur’s All Purpose Flour which has about 11% protein content. You can also use bread flour. I don’t recommend using flours which have less than 11% protein because it will affect the texture of the bread.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: This is totally optional! It adds just a touch of flavor to the bread dough.
- Oat Milk: This is my dairy free milk of choice for this recipe since it adds a layer of richness to the dough. I’ve also used almond milk when testing this bread and it still turns out lovely.
- Oil: I prefer to use a neutral oil like vegetable oil. Other neutral oils like canola oil or avocado oil will also work. You can also use melted vegan butter. However, I have noticed that vegan butter causes the crust of the bread to brown more than when I use vegetable oil.
- Light Brown Sugar: This is definitely necessary for the cinnamon swirl! It can be subbed for dark brown sugar which will create a richer, more molasses-like flavor. You can also use coconut sugar for a more caramel like flavor.
- Active Dry Yeast: This helps leaven the bread. I haven’t tested this recipe with instant yeast, so I can’t guarantee results if you use it instead.
Helpful Equipment
Here are a few tools that will make creating this recipe extra easy:
- Digital Scale: To measure out the ingredients, especially the flour.
- Large Mixing Bowl: For making the dough.
- Rubber or Silicone Spatula: For mixing.
- 8×4” Loaf Pan: For baking the loaf bread.
- Stand Mixer: This is optional. I haven’t tested this recipe with a stand mixer or dough hook, so I can’t recommend kneading times. Generally though, if a recipe calls for kneading the dough by hand for about 10 minutes, then you only need to knead with a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes on medium speed.
Step-by-Step Instructions
🍞 *Ingredient Quantities are in the Recipe Card Below!*
STEP 1: Dissolve the granulated sugar in warm dairy free milk. Add the yeast and let it froth up for 2-3 mins.
STEP 2: Meanwhile, add flour and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix and make well in the center.
STEP 3: Add the oat milk and yeast mixture, plus the oil and vanilla extract to the well in the center of the dry ingredients.
STEP 4: Mix with a spatula to form a scraggly dough ball. Knead the dough ball in the bowl with your hands for 8-10 minutes until it is smooth and no longer super sticky. Incrementally add 1 tbsp of flour (up to ¼ cup) as needed while kneading.
📌 TIP: Lightly coat the dough ball with 1-2 teaspoons of oil towards the end of kneading. This prevents the dough from sticking without requiring extra flour, which can make the bread less soft.
STEP 5: Shape the dough into a smooth ball. Oil the bowl, then cover with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 mins-1 hour or until doubled in size.
📌 TIP: Rising time will vary based on the ambient temperature of your kitchen and the time of year. Always go based on how the dough looks, not on the amount of time that has passed. In colder conditions or during winter, doubling in size may take longer than 1 hour.
STEP 6: Lightly flour a clean surface. Gently punch down the dough and turn out onto the surface. Shape into a rectangle about 7” wide by 14-16” long.
STEP 7: Mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle onto the dough. Leave about a ½” border on the sides.
STEP 8: Tightly roll the dough from the short edge and shape into a loaf. Place in a non-stick loaf pan with the seam side down.
STEP 9: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cover the loaf pan with a damp cloth and let rise for about 30-45 minutes or until it has risen above the top of the loaf pan.
📌 TIP: I like to let the bread rise in the pan on top of the oven while it’s preheating. This helps it rise a bit faster since the oventop is nice and warm.
STEP 10: Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until it is golden brown and slightly hard on top. Immediately remove from the loaf pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Serving Ideas
After the bread is baked, I recommend letting it cool for about 30 minutes before slicing. Once it’s cooled, you can slice with a sharp bread knife and enjoy!
Really nothing beats a warm slice of freshly baked bread. You can also toast the bread (this makes it especially good on the second or third day) and spread a bit of dairy free butter on top.
⭐️ I have an entire article where I rank the best vegan butters based on taste and other factors. You can read it here!
This cinnamon swirl bread tastes so much better than the store-bought version and like a slightly lighter version of my cinnamon raisin rolls (without the raisins of course).
It is so tasty on an early fall or winter morning with a cup of coffee, an iced espresso or a cup of matcha. Now that I think about it…this bread would also be so delicious on Christmas morning!
Storage
To maintain moisture, I recommend slicing the bread as needed rather than all at once.
For short-term storage, tightly wrap the loaf in plastic or foil and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days.
For longer storage, slice the entire loaf and place the slices in a freezer bag. Frozen bread stays fresh for up to 3 months.
Helpful Tips For The Best Cinnamon Swirl Bread
❶ Let the Yeast Activate: Make sure the yeast is active by letting it froth up in the warm milk before adding it to the dry ingredients. If the milk is too hot, it can ‘kill’ the yeast.
❷ Knead the Dough Well: Knead the dough by hand for at least 8 minutes to help activate the gluten. The dough should pass the windowpane test.
❸ Avoid Adding Excess Flour: Too much flour will prevent the dough from being soft and pillowy. Use a digital scale to measure the flour and only add 1 tablespoon at a time while kneading.
❹ Let the Dough Double in Size: Judge whether the dough is ready based on how it looks vs. time that has passed. Kitchen temperatures vary, so it may take longer for the dough to double in size in a cold environment.
More Delicious Vegan Baked Goods:
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Classic Vegan Pound Cake
- Vegan Maple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Vegan Pull Apart Hot Cross Bun Loaf
- Soft Vegan Brioche Buns
- Banana Gingerbread Loaf
Did you make this Easy Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Bread Recipe?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Equipment
- 8×4" Loaf Pan
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat milk - warmed to about 110-115F, or other dairy-free milk
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar - 40g
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast - 8g
- 3 cups all-purpose flour - 360g, plus more for kneading (about ¼ cup)
- 1 tsp salt - 5g
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract - 12g, optional
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil - 25g, or melted vegan butter (plus extra for kneading)
Cinnamon Swirl Filling:
- ¼ cup light brown sugar - 60g
- 1 ¾ tsp ground cinnamon - 7g
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm oat milk. Add the yeast and let it froth up for 2-3 minutes.1 cup oat milk, 3 tbsp granulated sugar, 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- Meanwhile add the flour and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix and make well in the center.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt
- Add the oat milk and yeast mixture, plus the oil and vanilla extract to the well in the center of the dry ingredients.1 tbsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Mix with a spatula to form a scraggly dough ball.
- Knead the dough ball in the bowl with your hands for 8-10 minutes until it is smooth and no longer super sticky. Incrementally add 1 tbsp of flour (up to ¼ cup) as needed while kneading. *Lightly coat the dough ball during the last 1-2 minutes of kneading with 1-2 teaspoons of oil. This prevents the dough from sticking without requiring extra flour, which can make the bread less soft.
Proofing & Shaping the Dough:
- Shape the dough into a smooth ball. Oil the bowl, then cover with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 mins-1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Lightly flour a clean surface. Gently punch down the dough and turn out onto the surface. Shape into a rectangle about 7” wide by 14-16” long.
- Mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar and gently pat into the dough. Leave about a ½” border on the sides.¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- Tightly roll the dough from the short edge into a log and shape into a loaf. Place in a non-stick 8×4” loaf pan with the seam side down.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the loaf pan with a damp cloth and let rise for about 30-45 minutes or until it has risen above the top of the loaf pan.
- Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until it is golden brown and slightly hard on top.
- Immediately remove the baked loaf from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool before slicing.
Notes
- If your yeast doesn’t froth up in step 1, it’s likely ‘dead’ which means your bread won’t rise. This can happen if the milk is too hot or if the yeast is old/expired.
- Rising time will vary based on the ambient temperature of your kitchen and the time of year. Always go based on how the dough looks, not on the amount of time that has passed. If it’s winter or your kitchen is cold, it could take longer than 1 hour to double in size.
- For the second rise, I like to let the bread rise in the pan on top of the oven while it’s preheating. This helps it rise a bit faster since the oven top is nice and warm.
Nutrition
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