Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

This vanilla flavored cinnamon swirl quick bread is moist and soft with a thick ribbon of cinnamon sugar swirled inside. Feel free to turn this recipe into muffins or mini loaves. See recipe notes below.

Ingredients

Cinnamon Swirl

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Bread

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream (or plain yogurt/Greek yogurt), at room temperature*
• 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• optional: vanilla icing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5-inch or 8×4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Cinnamon Swirl: Mix the 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar and 1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon together.
3. Bread: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar together until combined. Whisk in the oil, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk to completely combine. Avoid over-mixing. You will have about 3 cups of batter.
4. Pour/spread half of the batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle almost all of the cinnamon sugar evenly on top (reserve about 2 Tablespoons for topping). It’s a very thick layer of cinnamon sugar. Carefully pour/spread remaining batter evenly on top. The top layer of batter will want to stick to the cinnamon sugar filling, making spreading a little tougher to do, but use a spoon to carefully spread it out as best you can. Sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar. Using a knife, make a large swirl down the loaf pan, as shown in the video tutorial below. Avoid over-swirling, which will mix the layers together too much.
5. Bake the bread for 50-65 minutes, covering loosely with foil about halfway through to prevent the top from over-browning. Bread baked in an 8×4-inch pan takes closer to 65 minutes. Poke the center of the bread with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Bake time varies between ovens. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour. After that, remove the bread from the pan and let it cool directly on a wire rack.
6. Drizzle with icing, if using. Slice and serve. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.