This yeast-free Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread is soft, fluffy, and bursting with the cozy goodness of cinnamon sugar! Enjoy a slice for an indulgent breakfast or dessert.
Treat yourself to a slice of my Vegan Pumpkin Bread, Cranberry Orange Bread, and Vegan Banana Bread if you’re craving more vegan quick breads!
If your go-to treat around the holidays is a vegan cinnamon roll or a puffy vegan snickerdoodle, then you’ll have to try this Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread. It’s a surprisingly easy yet indulgent treat with the same warm and comforting flavors as your favorites.
Featuring a moist and fluffy crumb with a ribbon of cinnamon sugar throughout, vegan cinnamon swirl bread is completely irresistible. All you need are classic vegan baking staples to make it—no yeast or kneading required! Just make the batter, layer it with the cinnamon sugar, and bake.
Don’t forget the generous drizzle of vanilla glaze on top. It’s the perfect finishing touch and gives every slice that extra bit of sweetness to take the cinnamon sugar goodness over the top.
Why you’ll love this cinnamon sugar bread
- It tastes like freshly baked cinnamon rolls! This vegan cinnamon swirl bread tastes like a vegan cinnamon roll thanks to its layers of cinnamon sugar and sweet vanilla glaze on top.
- A comforting treat for all of your senses – One taste of its sweet and soul-warming flavors and my taste buds are dancing. And don’t even get me started on the smell! I swear, I could bake this bread just to get those cozy aromas wafting through my home.
- An easy, yeast-free, no-knead bread – That’s the beauty of vegan quick bread recipes! They’re hands-off and incredibly easy to make with simple baking staples.
How to make vegan cinnamon swirl quick bread
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, then set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together until combined. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over top and stir until the wet and dry mixtures just come together. Pour half of the batter into a prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle a thick layer of cinnamon sugar over the batter. Reserve at least 2 tablespoons for the top.
Pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar layer. Use a spoon to carefully spread it into an even layer without stirring the cinnamon sugar layer.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Use a butter knife to make a swirl pattern in the loaf.
Tip: Do not over-swirl the batter or else you’ll miss out on the pretty cinnamon ribbon inside of the bread. One run-through with the knife should be all it takes.
Bake the cinnamon bread until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set it aside to cool.
Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl, then drizzle it over the completely cooled bread. Let it set for 20 minutes, then slice and serve.
Frequently asked questions
I haven’t tried making this recipe with any flour alternatives but a quality gluten-free flour may work in place of the all-purpose flour. Let me know if you try it!
Absolutely. Make the batter as normal, layer it in a lined standard muffin tin with the cinnamon sugar, swirl with a knife, and bake at 350ºF for 20 to 24 minutes.
I recommend eating the bread within 1 or 2 days because the cinnamon sugar will make it soggy over time. If you do plan on saving the leftovers, skip the vanilla glaze on top and wrap the bread or individual slices in plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You should be able to freeze the cinnamon bread without the glaze for up to 3 months. Wrap the loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap to maintain freshness.
Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
Ingredients
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Bread
- 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup melted vegan butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan cream or soy milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a standard metal loaf pan (9×5 inches or 8 1/2x 4 1/2) with parchment paper for easy removal later.
- Cinnamon sugar – In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Bread – In a large bowl, whisk the soy milk, lemon juice, sugar, melted vegan butter and vanilla until well combined. Now add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix with a large spoon until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Pour in pan with cinnamon swirl – Pour/spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar for the top of the bread, and sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter in the pan. Spoon or pour the rest of the batter on top of the cinnamon sugar layer. Carefully spread it out the best you can without stirring the cinnamon sugar layer. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the cinnamon sugar. Using a butter knife, make a large swirl in the loaf. Avoid swirling too much or you won't get that pretty cinnamon swirl throughout the bread.
- Bake – Place in the center rack of the oven and bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean with no wet batter.
- Cool – Cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan using the parchment paper. Transfer to a cooling rack with parchment paper below (to catch the glaze drippings).
- Glaze – In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla together until smooth. Drizzle the bread with the glaze and allow to set for 20 minutes or so if possible. Slice and serve.
Notes
- The glaze is optional, you can leave it out for a less sweet bread.
- For gluten free, you can substitute a quality gluten free flour.
Made this and it turned out so so good. I only used about 2/3 the amount of cinnamon sugar sprinkle and it still was super sweet and full of cinnamon bun goodness.
100% will make this again.
I’m so glad you loved the bread! Thanks for sharing your recipe experience and great feedback! Happy cooking!
Would it taste fine without a glaze? Also is unsweetened applesauce a good substitution for vegan butter?
Yes, the glaze just adds a little extra something to the bread. 😉 Applesauce might work okay, the bread will taste “fat free” if that makes sense, but if it doesn’t bother you I’m sure it will work okay.
This came out so good, it tastes just like a cinnamon roll but even better!
Hi! Can this be made from the day before? And if so, how should it be stored until eaten? Thank you!! Love your recipes!
Yes, it can. Store it covered at room temperature. Thanks for loving my recipes!
Can I substitute canola oil for the butter?
Yes, you can.
Made this for a little dinner party and all my friends loved it!! Thanks for always producing great recipes.
Hi Maha. Thanks for your wonderful words about my recipes! They mean a lot to me! I’m thrilled that you love the bread! I appreciate you using my recipes! Happy cooking to you!
This Cinnamon Swirl Bread was scrumptious and so easy to make! Mine turned out looking just like your picture too, which looked so delicious, that’s why I decided to make it. And it was perfect for a Autumn day, with a little cooler temperatures, but could be made anytime of the year, of course.
I liked that there were no eggs, and no mixer needed, just mixed by hand, with a spoon or spatula.
Some little additions I made, because of the taste I was looking for: instead of the lemon juice and vanilla, I used 1 Tbsp of pure Orange extract, and also added half cup of soaked raisins (in hot water for 10 minutes to soften them), to the cake batter. And Orange extract to the glaze as well, instead of vanilla. It turned out very delicious, as I imagined it would. Also, the original recipe would have been very delicious too, I’m sure.
The cake texture was very nice, moist and soft. This is a recipe I will make often, as it is simple, yet delectable to the taste buds and has a wonderful texture, with the crunchy topping also!
Another addition I may try next time is chopped apples added to the batter, which would be lovely too, like an apple fritter cake!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe, Nora, it was the first recipe I’ve tried of yours, but will certainly try others in the future!
This is delicious!! My husband and I couldn’t wait to try this and dug in before I could get to the glaze part lol next time I’ll have the patience to make the glaze. Thank you Nora! I haven’t made a recipe I haven’t liked, you’re the best!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you!!
Hi Nora,
I love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one. One quick question— can a neutral oil be substituted for the melted vegan butter? Thanks!
Sure! I actually had my daughter recipe testing for me and she used canola oil one time. It worked just fine!
Can I use almond milk instead of soy for this recipe? Thanks
Yes, you can.