Amish Cinnamon Bread (also known as Amish Friendship bread) is soft, fluffy bread that is packed with sweet cinnamon, sugar taste. It’s definitely a slice of comfort food. With help from buttermilk, there’s no starter needed for this recipe!
Scroll down for the printable recipe card or continue reading for my tips and tricks as you make this bread that is perfect for special occasions!
AMISH CINNAMON BREAD
When it comes to baking, cinnamon sugar is one of my favorite things. I love it on muffins and in coffee cake. If something has cinnamon sugar, I want to try it!
This easy Amish bread recipe uses a homemade sugar mix that you put together yourself which makes it easy to customize if you like a little more spice to it.
Why Is This Called Amish Bread?
Whether or not it is a recipe that has been handed down through the Amish community, it’s a very common bread in the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish communities. You can find it for sale in many of the markets and restaurants in that area.
This quick cinnamon bread recipe is an easy alternative. Amish Friendship bread is made using a sourdough starter that you have to grow on your counter for 10 days.
Thanks to buttermilk, we don’t have to wait 10 days and we can still have a very similar tasting bread.
What is friendship bread?
In the traditional recipe, you spend 10 days growing the starter for the bread. You can to stir it and feed it and put a lot of love into it.
At the end of those 10 days, you’re ready to make the bread and the tradition says you share 2 cups of the starter with two friends while keeping a cup on your counter to grow for your next batch of Amish bread.
It’s all about friendship and sharing!
With this easy recipe, you can share fresh-baked loaves of bread with your friends! They’re great for gifting!
Quick Amish Cinnamon Bread
This recipe makes 2 loaves of bread and takes about 20 minutes to prepare before the 50 minute bake time.
To make this easy quick bread recipe, you’ll need some very basic ingredients. They are all pantry staples! Here’s what you need:
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Cinnamon
Exact measurements of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
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Making Amish Friendship Bread Without Starter
Check out how easy it is to make this recipe without having to grow your own sourdough starter.
Start by heating the oven to 350°F. Spray two loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Then set the dry ingredients aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, eggs, and 2 cups of sugar until creamy.
Add the buttermilk and dry ingredient mixture and fold in until just combined.
In a small separate bowl, combine the remaining ⅔ cup sugar with the cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar mix. Stir it well.
Spread ¼ of the batter in the bottom of each loaf pan.
Sprinkle ¼ of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter in each pan.
Spread the remaining batter over the top of the cinnamon sugar mixture in each pan and top with the remaining mixture.
Bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan until it is cool enough to touch. Then move the loaf to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
Variations of Amish Cinnamon Bread
This is a very versatile recipe. Cinnamon swirl bread has so many possibilities for customizing the flavor and turning the same easy recipe into different kinds of Friendship bread! Here are a few ideas!
- Nuts – Add ½ cup of chopped nuts to the batter. Our favorites are walnuts and pecans.
- Dried Fruit – Add ½ cup of dried fruit to the batter. We like raisins and cranberries. (Cranberries are perfect during the holidays.)
- Chocolate – Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter. You can also try different chips like white chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter. Sometimes I see cinnamon chips around the holidays and I would love to see what they do for this recipe.
How Long is Homemade Cinnamon Bread Good?
Homemade cinnamon bread made with this recipe is good for about 3-4 days when kept on the counter at room temperature.
Be sure to let the bread cool completely then store it in an airtight storage container. Sometimes I put a paper towel in the bottom of the container to help absorb moisture if I know it’s going to take us a few days to eat the bread.
Quick breads can also be frozen for up to three months. Be sure to wrap the loaves in resealable freezer bags so they are protected. When you’re ready to thaw, place them in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Amish Cinnamon Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 2⅔ cup sugar (divided)
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease two loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, eggs, and 2 cups of sugar until creamy.
- Add the buttermilk and dry ingredient mixture. Fold in until combined.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining ⅔ cup sugar with the cinnamon. Stir to mix.
- Spread ¼ of the batter in the bottom of each loaf pan. Sprinkle ¼ of the sugar mixture over the top of the batter in each pan. Spread the remaining batter over the top of the sugar mixture in each pan and top with remaining sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan until cool enough to touch, then transfer the loaf to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
Katherine Snider says
Easy & delicious
Alicia says
Do you use All Purpose Flour or Self-Rising?
Kris says
I read on another version of this recipe to use All Purpose flour.
Ellen says
Yummy!