Super Moist Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Bread (Easy Quick Bread Loaf)

ByKim Lange
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If you love a cozy bake that makes your whole kitchen smell like a cinnamon‑sugar daydream, this cinnamon swirl buttermilk bread recipe is about to become your new obsession. It’s soft, buttery, and ribboned with warm cinnamon sugar that caramelizes into the prettiest little swirls. No yeast, no fuss — just pure comfort in loaf form.

This is the kind of quick bread you make when you want something homemade without committing to a full baking project. Mix, swirl, bake, slice… and try not to eat half the loaf while it’s still warm.

More delish?  You’ll love this Buttermilk Blueberry Explosion Cake, Raspberry Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake, Blueberry Fritter Loaf and this Apple Cinnamon Bread!

Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf quick bread recipe

Why Quick Breads Like This Are So Popular

Quick breads have a loyal fan club for a reason — they’re fast, forgiving, and taste like you spent all afternoon baking when you absolutely did not.

They’re loved because they:

  • Use simple pantry staples you already have
  • Skip the yeast + rise time (your patience stays intact)
  • Deliver big flavor with minimal effort
  • Work for breakfast, brunch, snacking, gifting — everything
  • Feel nostalgic and cozy, like something straight from grandma’s kitchen

This cinnamon‑swirled beauty checks every box: tender crumb, buttery swirl, warm spice, and that bakery‑style look that makes people think you’re a magician.

Why This Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Bread Works

This loaf is everything you love about a cozy cinnamon‑sugar bake — tender, buttery, and loaded with caramelized cinnamon ribbons. Here’s why it turns out perfect every time:

Buttermilk = moisture + tenderness

  • The acidity softens the crumb and keeps this no yeast cinnamon bread incredibly moist and bakery‑soft.

Cinnamon sugar caramelizes into ribbons

  • Instead of disappearing into the batter, it melts into buttery pockets that swirl beautifully through every slice.

No yeast, no rise time

  • Just mix, swirl, bake, and enjoy. This quick bread comes together fast and rises beautifully without any waiting.

Foolproof for any skill level

  • Whether you’re a seasoned baker or brand‑new, this method is simple, reliable, and always impressive.

Simple ingredients, big flavor

  • A few pantry staples + cinnamon magic = a moist, flavorful loaf you’ll want to double or triple.

Ingredients at a Glance

  • Flour — soft crumb
  • Sugar — sweetness + caramelization
  • Cinnamon — warm, cozy flavor
  • Buttermilk — moisture + lift
  • Egg — structure
  • Oil or butter — richness
  • Baking soda — helps it rise
  • Vanilla — warmth
  • Salt — balances sweetness

Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf quick bread recipe

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Ingredients

Buttermilk Quick Bread Recipe

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl

Vanilla Glaze

Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf quick bread recipe

Instructions How to Make Our Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

  1. In a small bowl, combine 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar and set aside.

Cinnamon  Swirl Quick Bread

  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt together, set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, butter extract (optional) and oil, then add in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Do not overmix.
  3. Spray a 9X5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, line with parchment paper or aluminum foil if desired, and pour half of the batter into the pan.
  4. Sprinkle with ⅔rds of the cinnamon sugar mix on top of the batter and then top with remaining batter.
  5. Sprinkle top of bread loaf with remaining cinnamon sugar and cut through batter with a knife to swirl the cinnamon around into the batter.
  6. Bake in oven at 350 for 50-60 minutes until done in middle using a tester or feel the top with your finger tip to make sure it’s firm and baked through.
  7. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes or more before slicing. Yum! Great warm or room temperature!
  8. Add glaze on cinnamon quick bread either while warm or cooled if you want the cinnamon roll effect.  

To Make The Glaze for Our Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf

  1. Add confectioner’s sugar, milk and vanilla together and whisk together get the consistency you want.  Add extra powdered sugar or milk accordingly and drizzle glaze on top of your loaf.  Let set.

Helpful Tips for Success

Don’t overmix the batter

  • Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing makes quick breads dense instead of tender.

Use fresh cinnamon

  • It gives the swirl stronger flavor and better color.

Spoon and level your flour

  • Too much flour = dry loaf. Lightly spoon it into the cup, then level.

Let the loaf cool before slicing

  • The swirl sets as it cools, giving you those pretty, defined ribbons.

Line your loaf pan

  • A parchment sling makes lifting the bread out super easy.

Check for doneness early

  • Every oven runs differently — start checking around the 45–50 minute mark.

Variations for Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

  • Cinnamon‑Pecan — add chopped pecans for a little crunch‑crunch magic.
  • Apple Cinnamon — fold in tiny apple bits for instant fall‑vibes.
  • Chocolate‑Cinnamon — mini chocolate chips = dessert‑for‑breakfast energy.
  • Maple Cinnamon — swap in maple sugar for a warm, woodsy sweetness.

Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Bread Troubleshooting 

  • Dense loaf — usually from overmixing or old baking soda
  • Swirl sank — batter was too thin or the swirl was dragged too deep
  • Dry edges — loaf baked a little too long; start checking early
  • Cracked top — totally normal for quick breads (and honestly kinda cute)
  • Swirl disappeared — cinnamon layer wasn’t thick enough; be generous next time

Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf quick bread recipe

Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Bread Storage

  • Room temperature — keeps 3–4 days in an airtight container
  • Refrigerator — stays fresh up to 1 week
  • Freezer — freeze slices or the whole loaf for up to 3 months
  • Reheat — warm a slice in the microwave for 10–15 seconds for that fresh‑baked vibe

Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf quick bread recipe

Serving Ideas for Your Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Bread

  • Warm with butter — simple, melty perfection
  • Toasted — brings out the cinnamon‑sugar swirl
  • With coffee or tea — the ultimate cozy pairing
  • As breakfast or brunch — slice it thick and let it shine
  • With a scoop of vanilla ice cream — dessert‑vibes unlocked
  • On a brunch board — adds a sweet, bakery‑style touch

FAQ

  • Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk? — yes, but the loaf won’t be quite as tender; homemade buttermilk works great
  • Can I double the recipe? — absolutely; bake in two loaf pans
  • Can I make this ahead? — yes, it stays moist for days and freezes beautifully
  • Can I skip the glaze? — totally; the cinnamon swirl is sweet enough on its own
  • Why is my loaf dense? — usually from overmixing or too much flour
  • Can I add nuts or fruit? — yes! Pecans, apples, or mini chocolate chips all work

Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf quick bread recipe

Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Bread Conclusion

This Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf is the kind of bake that turns an ordinary day into a cozy one — soft, buttery, and swirled with warm cinnamon sugar that tastes like a hug. Whether you slice it for breakfast, brunch, or a late‑afternoon treat, it never disappoints.

If you love cozy quick breads, you may also want to check out my Super Easy Banana Bread — but for now, let’s get to this much‑loved buttermilk cinnamon loaf. Enjoy every slice!

Follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for new recipes, baking tips, and plenty of sweet inspiration.

More Cinnamon Baking Recipes!

Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf

Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf

Kim Lange
Super moist Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf infused with caramelized cinnamon sugar swirls that will make your head spin! (In a good way!)
4.13 from 431 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 366 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cinnamon Swirl

Quick Bread

Vanilla Glaze

Instructions
 

Cinnamon Swirl

  • In a small bowl, combine 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar and set aside.

Quick Bread

  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt together, set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, butter extract (optional) and oil, then add in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Do not overmix.
  • Spray with non-stick spray a 9X5 loaf pan and pour in half of the batter.
  • Sprinkle with 2/3rds of the cinnamon sugar mix on top of the batter and then top with remaining batter.
  • Sprinkle top of bread loaf with remaining cinnamon sugar and cut through batter with a knife to swirl the cinnamon around into the batter. This is a quick bread, so mix it up and bake it away quickly after mixing it up and adding it to your pan to get the best rise.
  • Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes until done in middle using a tester or feel the top with your finger tip to make sure it's firm and baked through.
  • Let cool on a baker's rack for 20 minutes or more before slicing. Yum! Great warm or room temperature!

Vanilla Glaze

  • Add glaze on either while warm or cooled if you want the cinnamon roll effect.  
  • To make glaze, add confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla together and whisk together get the consistency you want.  Add extra powdered sugar or milk accordingly and drizzle glaze on top of your loaf.  Let set.

Video

Notes

Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Bread Storage

  • Room temperature — keeps 3–4 days in an airtight container
  • Refrigerator — stays fresh up to 1 week
  • Freezer — freeze slices or the whole loaf for up to 3 months
  • Reheat — warm a slice in the microwave for 10–15 seconds for that fresh‑baked vibe

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 5gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 324mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 1gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 84IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg
Keyword buttermilk, cinnamon, cinnamon bread, quick bread
Tried This Recipe?Let us know how it was by commenting below!

 

Hi! I'm Kim! As you may know, I'm cookie, brownie and chocolate obsessed! You'll find hundreds of decadent and healthy dessert recipes to choose from here! So, let's bake something easy and never forget the chocolate!

82 Comments

  2. Very good bread. I added 1/3 cup chopped pecans to center cinnamon filling. Next time I need to swirl the cinnamon and batter with a knife a little more. Also, bake for only 45 minutes or until bread measures 190.

  3. I haven’t tried it but if I was making it vegan, I would use one of these options: a flax or chia egg (Combine 1 tablespoon flax meal or whole chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until gelatinous), 1/4 cup applesauce, 1/2 cup mashed banana or whisk 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of water and 2 teaspoons of baking powder together to replace the egg. Might also be able to use 1/4 cup Greek yogurt. Hope this helps somewhat? I hope it works out for you!!

  4. I want to make this for a friend who loves cinnamon, but does not eat eggs. would this work with an egg substitute?

  5. Hi Madison! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I love the substitution with the maple extract, yum! I’m so happy you love it! Happy holidays!

  6. Absolutely amazing! I’ve made this a few times and it always comes out perfect. My mother-in-law does not like sweet desserts, and absolutely loves this bread! It’s the perfect balance between the cinnamon sugar and buttermilk.

    A few notes: I couldn’t find butter extract, so subbed for Maple extract. Just 1 tsp per loaf, plus 1 tsp of vanilla extract too. The overpowering smell of maple in the batter scared me at first, but it was delicious and very mild once baked! I may even do 2 tsps of maple next time!

    Additionally, I live in higher altitudes (5,400ft) and 60 minutes at 350* was perfection.

    Thank you so so much for this recipe, it will be a staple for years to come!

  10. I love this recipe, I always make it and it is perfect for xmas gifts with all the cinnamon!!

  11. This recipe was delicious!! I am on WW and substituted a few items however it came out beautifully!! So delicious with the glaze on top also. Thank you for the recipe!!

  13. You can do either. Frozen glaze should be thawed in the fridge because of the milk if you do. Ideally, the best option would be to glaze it afterwards in my opinion. Hope you love it Lindsey!! Happy New Year!

  14. This looks great and I have extra buttermilk to use. I plan on freezing this, do you suggest freezing without the glaze and make once I thaw or can I glaze freeze with the loaf glazed?

    Thanks!

  16. Delicious and easy.! It doesn’t get any better than that! Have made it a 1/2 dozen times. First time, I forgot to make the glaze, second time I added it, absolutely does not need it. Thanks for a great recipe!

  18. Kim this Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf sounds and looks PHENOMENAL! I love how moist and fluffy that texture is! Pinning this!

  20. This looks amazing and planning to make today for my kids for tomorrow’s breakfast. They are nuts for cinnamon and brown sugar – have you ever tried doing 11/2 the amount of cinnamon swirl? Thank you! Jenn

  21. Theresa I’m so glad you tried it! I agree, this is a bread that is definitely awesome to give to some friends. It’s perfect for that. Thank you for your kind comment and rating. I appreciate it so much! xo

  22. This was a fantastic, moist quick bread. I’ve made lots and lots of various quick breads over the years and this one is now one of our favorites. I did add the butter flavor extract, and took your advice and wrapped it tightly in foil (non-stick) and kept in refrigerator. Excellent. Will definitely make this many more times. Would be great to give as a thank you to some friends.

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  25. I used vegetable oil instead of canola and vanilla instead of the butter extract and it came out great! Thank you for the recipe.

  27. OMG!! This is absolutely delicious. I did put baking powder by mistake. When I realized it, I added about 1/4 tsp. of baking soda. Was worried I screwed it up, but NO!! So good!

  28. This worked perfectly for you! I’m so happy to hear that Emily! xo Thank you for sharing your experience and comments!

  29. I had buttermilk to use up (god forbid I waste it!) so I looked up a recipe and landed here. I didn’t have a loaf pan handy, so I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9×13, same bake temp and time, it is AMAZING!!! I added about 2 + tsp of vanilla just because, and totally forgot the icing, but still delicious! Def a keeper!!

  33. I had to come to the comments to say this will be the fourth time (only found it a couple months ago) I’m about to make this recipe. I absolutely love it and so does my family. I never made any sort of bread before and absolutely love that it’s turned out delicious every time! Finally got the butter extract to add in this time. I cannot wait to taste the difference 🙂

  34. This is the correct recipe for the bread Terri. I think oil always makes quick breads and cakes moister more than butter, it’s just a preference and baking powder will give it a little more fluffy texture. 🙂

  35. I was comparing your recipe to the Taste of Home recipe you adapted yours from. You left out the baking powder completely and doubled the amount of baking soda. I just want to make sure that’s correct before I make your version as yours looks much moister. I see you used oil in place of butter too.

  37. The recipe calls for one egg in the ingredient list but in the directions section it states to combine buttermilk, eggs….
    Is it one egg or two? Confused…

  39. I want to give these at gifts at a party but that means they’d be out of the fridge for a day at least… would that be ok? Do they need to stay refrigerated or would be ok at room temp?

  40. I love this bread too and want to make it this weekend. 🙂 Thank you so much for your nice comment and review Maxine and so happy it worked out for you and you’re making more! Woot!Woot! xo

  41. I made this Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf yesterday and it was wonderful! I found it when looking for some new recipes that used Buttermilk. I still have some Buttermilk left, so I’m making two more loaves tonight to freeze for later. Everyone in the house enjoyed it and said this recipe was definitely a “keeper”!

    PS: Recipe calls for Butter Extract. I did not have that on hand, so I substituted approx. 1/2 tsp Vanilla instead…..turned out great!

  42. I would think 3 three 5-3/4-in. x 3-in. x 2-in. loaf pans., but not positive. Bake at 350º for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy! xo

  43. can this be made into mini loaves? If so, how many would it make and how long would you bake for? Thanks so much!

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  47. Hi and thanks for the recipe,I was thinking of making it in a bund pan,how long would I cook it for.?thanks

  49. This is the best quick bread recipe ever. My husband said he likes this loaf better than cinnamon buns. It’s so good I immediately made a second loaf after tasting it. I used melted butter instead of oil and it was delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this fantastic recipe.

  50. Excellent recipe. I substituted oil with butter (unsalted). Took the oaf to work with huge raves and asking for the recipe left and right. Thanks for this delicious treat!!

    Claudia

  52. Hi, your ingredients for the cinnamon swirl are different in the ingredient column and in the recipe. Which one has the right mesaurements? Thanks

  54. When you mention “flour” what type are you implying? Bleached unbleached, and brand? As bakers we know consistency is key but so many brands have varying % of protein in them. Thanks so much!!

  56. I’m a sucker for buttermilk in baked goods. This loaf looks amazingly tender and those swirls of cinnamon sugar looks so pretty. I love the idea of using brown sugar for a stronger caramelized note too.

  57. Country Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Loaf for the win!! What a fun breakfast or dessert! I love cinnamon any time of year so I’m happy you shared this in June! Pinning!

  62. Mmmm….no yeast makes this a quick way to get my cinnamon bread fix! Love all those delicious swirls!!!

  65. Oh wow! This looks so so amazing _ ill be making it this weekend for sure! Thanks for the recipe! I love all t he cinnamon and brown sugar! Looks so easy!

  73. I made this quick break this morning and have been snacking on it throughout the day. It’s soooooooo good! Very moist too.

    BTW, thank you for adding me to you your site!!!

  75. Teresa,
    Try again, if it doesn’t work, can you let me know? I can try to put it manually in. I just hit 10K subscribers and I had to upgrade my email service. 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!

  76. I’m looking forward to trying this bread over the weekend!!!!

    I tried to sign up for your blog but I keep getting an error message saying “Oops! It looks like there was an error: There was an error with your submission: There was an error saving the data to ActiveCampaign. List ID 0 does not exist.”

4.13 from 431 votes (417 ratings without comment)

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