Snickerdoodle Bread
Snickerdoodle Bread is a cinnamon lover’s dream. This quick bread has a crunchy, crackly cinnamon sugar crust on the outside and TWO cinnamon ripples on the inside.
Table of contents
About this recipe
Do you love Snickerdoodles? Since you’re reading this, I’ll bet you’re a fan of those wonderful, old-fashioned cinnamon-coated cookies. But there is more to the classic cookie than the cinnamon sugar coating.
The dough for a good snickerdoodle cookie includes cream of tartar and baking soda instead of baking powder. Why? Because the cream of tartar (an acidic by-product of wine making) gives snickerdoodles their special, subtly tangy flavor.
Because I wanted to make snickerdoodle bread, not just cinnamon bread, I knew I had to use cream of tartar in the batter. Of course the loaf would also be gloriously coated in lots of cinnamon sugar.
Recipe Testing
So, how to create a recipe from there? I searched my own catalog to find a good starting point for this new quick bread.
I used one of my favorite muffin recipes as the base. Muffins and quick-breads are often made with the same type of simple, oil-based batter.
From there I tweaked the ingredients to get the best texture and flavor. I tested and baked this recipe 5 times before calling it blog-worthy.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- All Purpose Flour: Medium-protein all-purpose flour gives the bread enough structure to support the batter under the cinnamon layers, while also keeping the crumb tender.
- Sugar: The first test loaf of snickerdoodle bread was great the day it was baked, but the next day it seemed a little dry. To improve the keeping quality of the bread, I increased the amount of sugar in the batter. Because sugar is hygroscopic, a little extra sugar helps the bread stay moist for days.
- Buttermilk: Acidic buttermilk tenderizes and flavors the crumb. If you don’t have fresh buttermilk, buttermilk powder is the best substitute — mix it according to the package directions before adding it to the batter.
- Oil: I tested the recipe using both oil and butter and preferred the softer texture and extra moisture in the bread made with oil.
- Cream of tartar and baking soda: This combination is what creates the lift in the bread, but also the distinctive, snickerdoodley flavor.
- Cinnamon: Crucial for a true snickerdoodle flavor.
Process Photos
Here’s what the recipe process looks like at each stage. Refer to the recipe card below for measurements and exact instructions.
- Line the pan with a parchment “sling”.
- Layer 1/3 of the batter into the pan then top with 3 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar.
Parchment Sling
Lining the pan in one direction with a piece of parchment paper forms a “sling” that you can use to safely remove the soft bread from the pan after baking. If you don’t have parchment paper, generously butter and flour the pan. Allow the bread to cool completely before trying to turn it out of the pan.
- Continue layering the batter and the cinnamon sugar.
- Finish with a final layer of cinnamon sugar, then bake on the bottom rack of the oven. See the baking tip for more information.
Baking Tip
Because the cinnamon ripples weigh down the batter a bit, the lower part of the loaf can take a little longer to bake than expected. Use a long skewer to check the center of the loaf to make sure it’s baked all the way through.
Storage
Snickerdoodle bread will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days. Do not refrigerate the loaf, it will stale faster in the refrigerator. The entire loaf or individually wrapped slices can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Hey cinnamon lover, you might also like these recipes: Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Sourdough Cinnamon Buns, Apple Cinnamon Galette, Pear Upside Down Gingerbread Cake, Date & Spice Scones.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a star rating and a quick comment. Ratings and comments help my recipes show in search results. Thanks!
Snickerdoodle Bread
Ingredients
Topping
- 4 oz granulated sugar (½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Batter
- 11 ¼ oz all purpose flour (2 ¼ cups, see note)
- 6 oz granulated sugar (¾ cup)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 large eggs
- 8 oz buttermilk (1 cup)
- 5 oz vegetable oil (⅔ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan, or butter the pan and line with parchment paper in one direction.
- In a small bowl, combine 4 oz granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for the topping and set it aside while you mix the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl combine 11 ¼ oz all purpose flour, 6 oz granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar and ½ teaspoon table salt. Whisk the dry ingredients to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 8 oz buttermilk, 5 oz vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients all at once. Stir just until the flour is incorporated.
- Pour a third of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth to an even layer. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar over the batter. Add half the remaining batter, smooth to an even layer and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar over the batter. Add the remaining batter, smooth the batter and top with the rest of the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake on the bottom rack of the oven until a skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 55 minutes. (see note) Carefully check the center of the loaf because the top of this loaf often bakes before the center is done.
- Cool the bread for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature before slicing.
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fun and tasty
What can be used to replaced cream of tartar?
The cream of tartar gives the bread the characteristic flavor. It would be possible to use baking powder (2 tsp) instead of baking soda and cream of tartar. The flavor would not be the same, but it should work ok.
How many calories does this have
It looks so yummy. Mouth-watering. 🙂
Superb! I always like your recipes.
Thanks!