Is there a better aroma in the kitchen than the smell of homemade gluten free cinnamon raisin bread baking? I can close my eyes and smell it now, can’t you?
A reader recently sent a photo of the gluten free cinnamon raisin bread she had made from my gfJules Bread Mix and I thought it was such a stroke of brilliance that I needed to figure a recipe out for myself.
My kids love, love, love cinnamon raisin bread, so I knew I’d have a hit if I could get the technique just right.
Well, many many loaves later, my house smelled amazing, and I had WAY too many loaves of gluten free cinnamon raisin bread (gluten free French Toast, anyone!?), but I had successfully made this yummy bread in the oven and I had even developed a gluten free cinnamon raisin bread machine recipe!
The directions below include a scratch recipe if you don’t have my gfJules Bread Mix, but if you do have my mix, it’s even easier! Once you’ve made this gluten free cinnamon raisin bread recipe bread yourself, you may decide you want even more cinnamon and sugar or raisins … go for it!
(And if you want to go full-on Pepperidge Farm style {gluten free} Cinnamon Swirl Bread, you MUST try my new Gluten Free Cinnamon Bread Recipe!)
The easy way to get that pretty “smile” in your gluten free cinnamon raisin bread is to layer the batter when you are putting it in the pan.
Rather than integrating the cinnamon and sugar ingredients into the batter/dough, you instead put half of the batter into the pan … then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and cut into the batter with a knife in a criss-cross pattern to cut the mixture into the batter a bit …
Cut into the sprinkled cinnamon-sugar mixture with a knife to distribute into the dough. Be sure not to skip this step! If you just sprinkle copious amounts of cinnamon and sugar and don’t integrate it by cutting it into the dough it all, the dough will separate at this seam and will cause a rift in the bread (still tasty, but harder to eat).
… then spread the rest of the batter on top.
It’s the same principle if you were to make a marbled (mock) rye, for example. (Speaking of which, have you checked out my gluten free pumpernickel recipe yet?).
If you mix the cinnamon-sugar into the dough a lot, you’ll get more of a marbled appearance, as above. If you do less, you’ll wind up with more threads throughout, as below. Add tons more raisins if you prefer, and you can even call this a gluten free raisin bread recipe! Or use dried cranberries instead — so yum!
You can also repeat the layering process a couple times, as I did in this loaf pictured below.
That’s the beautiful thing about this recipe and this process: you’ll get a different result and a different, no less beautiful, no less delicious, loaf every time!
It’s so fun to cut into each loaf to see what you’ll find!
I’d love to hear from you if you do try this recipe, did you make any changes and add more mix-ins? Do you prefer baking it in a bread machine or oven?
Making the Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread Bread Machine Recipe
After a few years of making this gluten free cinnamon raisin bread bread, I decided we all deserved a gluten free cinnamon raisin bread machine recipe! Having the flavors integrated throughout is delicious, but I wanted that swirl!
I decided to scour the internet and see if anyone had figured out a way to get that pretty smile, er … I mean, swirl of cinnamon and sugar through the bread when they used a bread machine.
Seemed like a reasonable question, right? But I didn’t find any answers!
So what do you do when no one else has forged a path before you? Make one yourself, of course!
Many many loaves later (again, French Toast, anyone?!), I’ve discovered a method for getting that marbled thread of cinnamon in your gluten free cinnamon raisin bread, even in a bread machine!
For the exact how-to on making this gluten free cinnamon bread machine recipe (with or without the raisins), click on my video. The basic idea is that you’ll use your bread machine’s mixing action to incorporate the cinnamon-sugar mixture at the very last minute.
Each bread machine has an add-in function after the main mixing cycle right before the rising cycle; you’ll want to add the cinnamon-sugar at the tail end of this add-in cycle. For the T-fal Bread Machine, for example, this cycle is just about 5 minutes long, so you’ll add the cinnamon-sugar around 1:41 on the cycle clock (about the 4th out of 5 minutes after the add-in buzzer).
If you have my UPDATED gfJules Gluten Free Bread Mix (with pink label on the front “Stays Softer Longer”) made after December 2022, follow the directions in the NOTES of the recipe card below.
However you decide to make this yummy bread, don’t wait any longer — it’s so delicious! You’ll wonder (like I did) where this gluten free cinnamon raisin bread has been all your life!
Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread Recipe
Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread Recipe
It's hard to beat fresh baked yeast bread, but gluten free cinnamon raisin bread is probably it! The aroma, the sweet taste, the soft crumb ... no need for butter or anything else (unless you want it) -- the delicious bread is amazing on its own!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
OR FROM SCRATCH
- 3 cups gfJules® All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
- 1/4 cup flax seed meal (or gfJules Gluten Free Multigrain Baking Flour
- 1/4 cup dry milk powder, dairy or non-dairy (e.g. Coconut Milk Powder)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. sea salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tbs.* maple syrup, OR honey, agave nectar, or coconut palm nectar (*if using gfJules Bread Mix, use 4 Tbs. syrup/honey ingredient)
- 1 1/4 cup room temperature liquid: EITHER sparkling water, club soda, ginger ale or gluten free beer, or milk (not skim)
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs (OR for vegan use 2 Tbs. flax seed meal steeped for 5 minutes in 6 Tbs. hot water)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbs. rapid rise or bread machine yeast, gluten-free (like Red Star Quick Rise® -- yeast packet included with gfJules® Bread Mix
- 1/2 cup raisins
Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture
- 3 Tbs. brown sugar or coconut palm sugar
- 1 Tbs. cinnamon
Instructions
Oven Directions:
- If not using gfJules bread mix, whisk these dry ingredients together in a large bowl: GF flours, milk powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the wet ingredients: honey, liquid of choice (club soda/milk etc.), apple cider vinegar, oil, egg or replacer and vanilla extract. Gradually add the dry ingredient mix in with the wet by pouring slowly into the wet bowl while mixing with the paddle attachment.
- Once incorporated, add the yeast granules and raisins; beat well for 1 – 2 more minutes.
- Scoop one quarter of the dough into an oiled bread pan (use a dark metal pan if you like a darker crust on your bread; lighter, shiny metal or glass if you like a light crust). Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture across the middle of the dough - try not to sprinkle to the edges of the pan. Cut through the cinnamon-sugar mixture with a knife to distribute the layer deeper into the dough (pictured above recipe card).
- Spread remaining dough on top and smooth with a rubber spatula.
- Cover with an oiled piece of wax paper or parchment. Set the pan aside for at least 30 minutes in a warm place like an oven warming drawer or an oven preheated to 200º F then turned off.
- Remove the cover from the raised dough and transfer to a preheated convection oven set to 325º F or a preheated static oven set to 350º F. Bake on the lowest oven rack.
- Cook for approximately 55 minutes, or until the crust is browning nicely and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean (internal temperature should reach 205º F). Remove to a cooling rack. When cooled for 15 minutes, gently remove from the loaf pan to finish cooling before slicing.
Gluten Free Bread Machine Directions:
- Baking bread in a breadmaker is simple. There are 3 steps: liquids first; then dry ingredients; then yeast. Read more tips on breadmakers and gluten free breads in my article on using breadmachines.
- Bring all liquids to room temperature before adding to the machine, if possible. Whisk together the yolks and whites before adding to the bread machine with the other liquids; alternatively, allow the flax seed meal to steep in water for 10 minutes before adding.
- Whisk together dry ingredients and add on top of liquids in the pan. Make a small well with your finger in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the yeast.
- Select either the gluten-free bread setting on your machine, or the setting with only one rise cycle and no punch-down (2 lb loaf setting). Close the lid to the breadmaker and let it do the rest!
- You may want to check on the dough during the mix cycle to make sure the flour around the edges is incorporated. If it has not been mixed well, use a rubber spatula to help the edges and corners of the pan mix more thoroughly.
- Approximately five minutes prior to the end of the mixing cycle, a buzzer should sound on your machine, signaling that it is time to add any mix-ins like raisins.
- Sprinkle the raisins into the pan at this time. Each bread machine's cycle is slightly different, but you'll want to add the cinnamon-sugar mixture at the tail end of this add-in cycle. For the T-fal Bread Machine, for example, this cycle is just about 5 minutes long, so you'll add the cinnamon-sugar around 1:41 on the cycle clock (about the 4th out of 5 minutes after the add-in buzzer). The paddle will integrate this mixture into the bread, but the idea is that if it's added at the "last minute," it shouldn't mix it entirely into the bread, but leave a thread of cinnamon-sugar instead.
- (See the video for exact instructions for how to add cinnamon-sugar to get the best marbled look using a bread machine).
- Once the bake cycle is complete, test the temperature of the interior of the loaf before removing from the pan with a bread baking thermometer – it should have reached approximately 200-205º F. If it hasn’t yet reached that temperature, either add time to your bread machine as another bake cycle of 5-10 minutes, or simply put the pan into a regular oven at 350º F (static), testing the temperature again at five minute intervals.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 24 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 97Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 16mgSodium 199mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 1gSugar 9gProtein 2g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
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Based on 13 Review(s)
So if we have the newly packaged bread mix with the pink label we just follow all the directions on the bag and add the vanilla, cinnamon and sugar, and raisins as stated in the notes and don’t add the other ingredients like the ginger ale, etc?
That’s correct, Sabrina! Just follow the package directions to make the dough, but you’ll be adding vanilla to make the dough a little sweeter, then add the cinnamon and sugar for the swirl! Enjoy!
~jules
Thank you! I did that and I have to say this was absolutely DELICIOUS!! The bread is sooo soft and yummy. I made it for french toast. Sooooo good.
Fantastic!! So happy it turned out so deliciously for you! And French Toast … MMMmmmmmmmmm!
~jules
Jules,
which Zo bread maker did you use for the gluten free cinnamon bread ? I have the older CeC20 that does not have a GF setting.
thanks,
Diane
Hi Diane, check out my article on baking gluten free bread in a bread machine for more info on my Zo as well as info on how to program a Zojirushi for gluten free! Hopefully yours isn’t so old that you can’t still program it for gluten free baking success!
~jules
I have the same CEC20.. probably 20 years old. just now trying the bread in it. will let you know. used your 20-60-60 min. settings for Homemade.
Diane
Hi Jules, I made this bread last night for Christmas Eve. It took longer than recommended in the oven, it did not come up to 205 degrees, but was done. It turned out flavorful but hard and dense. I was hoping for light and airy as with yeast bread (not gluten free). Did I mix it too long with the kitchen aid? I would love your thoughts.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Felicia
Hi Felicia, what flour did you use? With my gfJules Flour, the bread should be very light, especially if you use a bubbly liquid in the recipe. Check out this article on gluten free breads for more tips which might help!
~jules