Studded with plump raisins and swirls of cinnamon, this Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread is perfect for toasting and spreading with butter.
This post was originally published on October 25, 2019 and has been updated with an entirely reimagined recipe, new pictures, plenty of new information, and a video.
Some of the items linked in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission.
When was the last time you had a piece of cinnamon raisin toast? A while you say? Me, too. Well, until now that is. I remember buying loaves of cinnamon raisin bread for my son when he was a middle schooler. Somehow, even though the loaves were sealed in plastic and then in a plastic bread bag, the waft of cinnamon yeasty goodness would still get through. You know what I mean? Do you ever go down the bread aisle at the grocery store and just smell all that yeasty bread? It's like the bread is baking right there, that's how overwhelming it is sometimes.
That can be agony for those of us who can't have gluten anymore. But it doesn't have to be. Because now we can say we'll make our own, and it will better than anything we could have ever bought at a store, gluten filled or not! That's how this bread is. It's soft and pillowy, filled with raisins throughout, and has a modern cinnamon raisin swirl that's as beautiful as it is tasty.
the ingredients you'll need to make this bread
The dough for this bread is a riff on my gluten free sweet dough with a few minor changes, but the ingredients are mostly the same:
- Kim's gluten free bread flour blend -- please don't try to make this bread with anything but my bread flour blend. You won't be happy with the results.
- Eggs and egg whites -- I wish I could tell you this bread works with an egg substitute, but I really don't think it will. The eggs and extra egg whites really contribute to the texture of this bread.
- Psyllium husks -- I always use whole psyllium husks because I feel like they add a sort of "wheaty" taste to my breads, but you can also use psyllium husk powder. You'll need to follow the directions for changing the amounts within the recipe card.
- Sugar -- another very crucial ingredient that is massively responsibly for the soft texture of this bread. Reduce it or eliminate it and you WON'T get the same results. I'm sorry. I wish things were different, but with many gluten free enriched breads, sugar is not mainly used for sweetness. It's used as a food for the yeast AND as a dough tenderizer.
prefer to watch?
how to make gluten free cinnamon raisin bread
- Make the dough. Put the milk, eggs, and egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar, flour blend, baking powder, yeast, psyllium husks (if using), and salt. Begin mixing using the dough hook and slowly add the butter. Turn up the mixer speed to medium and continue to knead for 5 minutes. Cover and allow to proof for 2 hours, or until doubled in volume. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Measure out raisins in a small bowl and set aside.
- Knead dough on well-floured surface until smooth.
- Roll out the dough into a large rectangle that's roughly ¼-inch thick.
- Brush egg wash all over the dough (one egg mixed with one tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt).
- Sprinkle brown sugar cinnamon mixture over the dough, pressing the mixture onto the egg wash to adhere as best you can. Follow with the raisins.
- Roll the dough up as tightly as possible until the seam is on the bottom.
- Cut in half horizontally.
- Make an X with the two pieces of rolled dough to where one roll is on top of the other at the center point.
- Slightly twist the ends together.
- Place it in a loaf pan lined with parchment and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm, draft-free area until nearly doubled in size (it should rise over the top of the pan).
- Brush with leftover egg wash.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cover the loaf with tin foil, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue to bake until a thermometer poked directly into the center registers 190-200 F, about 45-60 minutes more.
gluten free cinnamon raisin bread fAQs
No, there is enough enrichment in the bread to keep it for 2-3 days at room temperature in a ziptop bag. Longer than that, it would be recommended to slice it and freeze the slices.
The egg wash is the only thing that will allow the brown sugar cinnamon to adhere to the dough.
No, soaking the raisins will only make the bread soggy everywhere the raisins are touching the dough.
more gluten free breakfast recipes
- The Ultimate Overnight Gluten Free Monkey Bread
- The Best Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Knots
- Ultimate Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Homemade Gluten Free Bagels
- Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
- Gluten Free Orange Rolls
- Gluten Free Babka
Slice it, toast it, slather it with butter, make french toast out of it. I don't care! Whatever you do with it, just MAKE this gluten free cinnamon raisin bread because it's the real deal and you won't believe it's gluten free.
Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Ingredients
Enriched Dough
- 1¼ cups (300ml) whole milk (see notes below for modifications if not using psyllium husks)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 large (60ml) egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp plus 1½ teaspoon (24g) instant yeast
- 2 tbsp (10g) whole psyllium husks (optional) (see notes below for eliminating psyllium husks or using psyllium husk powder)
- 1 tablespoon gluten free dough conditioner optional
- 3½ cups (490g) Kim's gluten free bread flour blend
- 1¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks or 169g) butter, very soft or melted
- 1 large egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
- ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar
- 4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup (160g) raisins
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (see below for stand mixer alternatives), pour in the milk, followed by the eggs, egg whites, yeast, psyllium husks, and sugar. Add the dough conditioner (if using), flour blend, baking powder, and salt. Using the dough hook, turn the mixer on to low speed and add the butter. Crank up the speed to medium and allow the dough to knead for 5 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and place in a warm, draft-free area to proof for 2 hours, or until doubled in volume. Refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Assemble the Loaf/Loaves
- Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and knead it on a well-floured surface until smooth and all air bubbles are released. Divide it in half. If you have the space, you can roll both out at the same time, or leave one half covered in the bowl while working on the other half.
- Roll out each half into a large rectangle about ¼-inch thick (size of rectangle doesn't matter, as long as the thickness is roughly ¼-inch thick). Brush all over with egg wash (one egg whisked with one tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt). Sprinkle with brown sugar cinnamon mixture and raisins, pressing lightly to adhere.
- Roll up jelly roll style as tightly as possible and pinch seam to seal. Cut roll in half width wise so you are left with two equal-sized rolls. Arrange rolls in a large "X" on counter, and then overlap the ends to twist slightly. Carefully place twisted loaf in prepared loaf pan. Repeat with the other half of dough.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise in warm, draft-free area until nearly doubled in size and risen over the top of the pans, about one hour (it could take longer depending on the ambient temperature).
- Bake at 400° F for 15 minutes. Cover the loaves with foil and reduce the temperature to 350° F and continue to bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center registers at 190-200° F.
- Cool on wire rack in loaf pans. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Store well wrapped at room temperature for a few days, or cut into slices, flash freeze in single layer on baking sheet (to keep slices from sticking together), and store in freezer bag or plastic wrap for up to three months.
Judi says
Hi Kim. We have just one GF person. For the cinnamon bread recipe can I freeze the second loaf dough? If yes- is it best to freeze after the first proof or after shaping?
Thanks Judi
Kim says
After the first proof.
Melanie Tanionos says
For my first baking of anything GF, I am pretty happy so thank you for creating this recipe. I did notice my dough did not raise as well as I would have liked. The proof went ok (in an oven that had been used an hour prior) but I don't think I got 50% increase. The second proof also ok (in an oven warmed to 170 and turned off for a while). But after it baked (just above the rim), it collapsed (so the bread took up about 85% of the pan, not over the rim after the oven).
Any recommendations before I work with the refrigerated dough set aside?
Kim says
Three things that might help, 1) remember that this dough is starting from cold, unlike most gluten-filled doughs. So it will always take longer to rise. Don't be surprised if it takes hours for bulk fermentation, 2) if there was no oven spring after the second proof, you most likely overproofed it, 3)if there was good oven spring, you didn't bake it long enough. If you try to correct these things, you should get better results.
Alona says
Hi, Kim. Have been using some of your recipes for quite a while. You do incredible work!
I`m a fan of your all purpose gluten free flour blend. Have you tried to make this updated cinnamon raisin bread with your AP flour blend? Thanks.
Kim says
I have not. I find that the yeast breads in particular do much better using the bread flour blend.
Diane says
Can whey be substituted with anything?
Kim says
Read the blog post for the flour blend please.
MaryAnn says
Hi Kim,
Just baked my bread and have to tell you that I didn’t know that the dough was to be divided in half. I have a mega loaf! Goodness, I learned a lesson about reading your tutorials before starting. I usually just print out and read your recipes and don’t watch your videos.
It wasn’t until I finished twisting the dough and putting it in the pan that I decided I should watch your video to see if I did it right. Since I already had the dough in the pan rising I decided to just go with it and see how it turned out. Even though I tented it, the crust is rather brown because of the extended bake time.
After closer examination I saw in the servings section of the recipe that you do say 2-loaves. I admit, I rarely read that part.
Would you consider revising your printed recipe to say that the dough should be divided in half? Other things you mention in the tutorial but aren’t printed out are the pinch of salt to the egg wash, the egg wash being brushed on the risen loaf, and the internal temperature being 190-200 degrees, not the 150-160 listed. Also, is the filling amount enough for the two loaves?
I appreciate all you do to create these recipes and share them with us, I was just a bit confused by this one.
Thanks!
Kim says
Oh my gosh, MaryAnn. I'm so sorry that it is so confusing. I just went back through it and read it myself and you are absolutely right. It is very confusing and I don't mention separating the dough in the recipe at all! I am going back through and correcting this right now.
Thank you for alerting me and, again, I apologize for the confusion.
JB says
Wanting to make the raisin bread dough this afternoon, I researched several websites, and most agree that 190 degrees is the best temp for bread, that anything higher will make the bread too dry and too "crusty." Using 190 degrees (instead of anything higher), and the bread will also be more moist for a couple of days longer. So 190 degrees it is.
JB says
The recipe narrative/photos (before the recipe) indicate "until a thermometer poked directly into the center registers 190-200 F, about 45-60 minutes more." However, the recipe (for printing) indicates, "continue to bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center registers at 150-160° F." Quite a difference. Which would be the needed temp?
Terry Call says
Would love to make this in my bread machine on the GF cycle.
Brian Weiss says
I found it easier to cut the rolled-out flat dough in half after spreading the cinnamon sugar, and then rolling up the two halves separately. That way my hands can support the entire (half) width as I roll it up.
Still working on high-altitude adjustments (I'm at 7000 feet). I cut the yeast to 20g but the dough was still pretty "poofy." My wife and I LOVE eating the experiments!
Mary says
Hi Kim,
Thank you for sharing your recipes. This might be a dumb question-- but can I make your breadflour mix in a big batch ahead of time then put it in a container to use it when needed?
Kathy Taylor says
I make a lot of bready-things with her blend. I store it in a large plastic container and it lasts about 6 weeks.
Brian Weiss says
This is the first (of MANY) Kim recipes that didn't work perfectly for me on the first try. The dough was overly wet and pretty much impossible to handle. I'm at 7000 feet altitude, so perhaps that was a contributing factor. Maybe I need to cut back slightly on the liquid. The initial rise was great and I could practically taste the result, but it was downhill once I chilled it and rolled it out. I wound up tossing it all into a square pan and am waiting for the final rise. I'll bake it off and hope there's something eatable there.
Kim says
I'm sorry you're having problems with this recipe. I don't get these problems you're talking about, so I'm guessing your altitude is a huge reason why. I wish I knew what to tell you about baking at high altitude, but being that I am on the coast at sea level (actually below sea level), I've never had to bake at high altitude so I don't know anything about it. I do know that some followers are at high altitude and have had to alter ingredients and/or directions to get things to work just right, but that is something that is beyond my expertise unfortunately. I know there are sites that you can Google for how to change recipes for high altitude baking, such as this one: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
Brian Weiss says
I put the unruly dough into a square pan and baked it off. It wasn't pretty, but it was VERY good anyway, and disappeared in our two-person household in a couple of days.
The usual corrections needed for altitude are a bit more water (usually a tablespoon or so/cup of recipe liquid) a bit less sugar (about a TBS less per cup called for), and a decrease of 1/8tsp baking powder per teaspoon (doughs expand more easily at lower pressure) . Maybe the tablespoon of water I added pushed it over. I'll definitely try again. And most high altitude recipes call for adding about 25 degrees to the "standard" recipe, which I did not do—but my problem was pre-baking handling.
Lori Cantelo says
Hi, so I just saw this recipe the other day. Looks great. Question.......GF dough conditioner?? Could you elaborate on that please?
I think I have everything else to try this recipe but that. Not getting much help researching it especially for gluten free. Maybe add some info on this in the notes for the recipe, thanks!
Ry says
many of the dough improvers and enhancers I looked up had either wheat or whey. I found this one that is both dairy and gluten free and will try it https://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Foods-Dough-Enhancer-Ounce/dp/B00EFFP966/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2TYWKAZ4K63ZS&keywords=dough+improver&qid=1690244957&s=grocery&sprefix=dough+imporver%2Cgrocery%2C82&sr=1-9#customerReviews
Kim says
I have tried the Authentic Foods one and don't recommend it myself. It didn't seem to do much of anything for my bread.
Kim says
Lori, I apologize for not giving more info on that. I was supposed to have the dough conditioner set up as a link directly to Amazon, where you can purchase it and it gives a detailed description of how it works. However, for some reason I must have missed that particular one. It is there now, so if you click or tap on the dough conditioner link, you should be able to get all of your questions answered. It's a totally optional ingredient, but I do find it seems to make the bread a little bit softer and last longer. I've researched so many bread making methods from master bread bakers and found that this is what they use, especially commercial bakeries, to help bread have a longer shelf life. Hope this helps!
Brian Weiss says
I would also note that the recipe as written never calls for inclusion of the dough conditioner. I assumed it went into the dough mix with the flour, sugar, etc. but unless I'm missing it, the addition is never specifically called for.
Kim says
This has been fixed. Thank you for alerting me!
Candice Merrill says
I would like to add really fruit like chopped apples. Would this work it I mixed in with the raisin, sugar, and cinnamon? What adjustments would I need to do?
Kim says
I really have no idea without testing it myself. My guess is it might make the dough slightly wet, but without testing it I really don't know. I'm sorry!
Candice says
Kim,
I tried it out! Your recipe was enough for two just like you mentioned in the video, so I made one per recipe and another I added raw diced apples after I added the Rasins. The exact as I can be recipe version is a drier bread just like the Rasin cinnamon bread you would buy at the store. Perfect for French toast and when you add apples just makes it a bit moister almost like a baked apple fritter donates you by at the local store, which is my next cooking adventure.
Thank you again for your GF cooking tips. Allways good.
Have a blessed day and a terrific week.,
Candice
Candice says
Sorry TYPO "Donuts" not "donates". oops HA HA HA
Ry says
Didn't have an 8x4 baking pan so I used a 7x4" glass pan and it came out great. Dairy free too (pea protein + almond milk)
Eileen says
I'm curious as to using psyllium husk powder vs whole psyllium husk?
How much powder would be substituted for whole husks?
I love trying your recipes!!! 😍😍
Kim says
I'm sorry, Eileen! I thought I put that in the recipe when I first released it, but I realize now that I didn't do that so I've gone back and put that info in the notes section. It is 1 1/2 tbsp of psyllium husk powder in substitution for the whole psyllium husks.
leah says
I am a huge fan of your sourdough bread recipe, so I decided to apply your instructions for making any bread with sourdough starter to this loaf. Unfortunately, my results were a bit of a flop. My batter rose pretty minimally during the first rise time, and almost not at all in the fridge. When I tried to knead it, it was so sticky I added almost 100g of flour trying to make a smooth ball, but it was still too sticky. I ended up having to mix the cinnamon and raisins into the dough, because it would not roll out. The half dough recipe filled up my loaf pan 1/4 of the way and did not rise at all during the next rise time. I would really love your advice if you have any, because I love your sourdough and would love to get this recipe to work! Thank you so much!
L S Wittig says
Great - you supply a recipe BUT DON'T LIST "HOW MUCH OF EACH INGREDIENT!"
Kim says
Yes, I do. The cinnamon roll dough is the basis for this recipe, so if you click on the pink cinnamon roll dough link, you'll find all the ingredient amounts. It's just that simple!
Andrea says
I just made this and it's amazing! I have really enjoyed all your recipes that I've tried so far.
Susan Zorzi says
I just found instructions for only 1/2 c of raisins per loaf. I think I have my answer and will try with 2nd loaf.
Susan Zorzi says
I just found instructions for only 1/2 c of raisins per loaf. I think I have my answer and will try with 2nd loaf.
Eileen Donegan says
I am confused about the amount of instant, fast-acting yeast to use. In the notes, you say to use the same amount of yeast. Each yeast package contains 1/4 oz or 2 1/4tsp. How many packages should I use?
Kim says
Sorry, Eileen! I just read my notes and you're right. It is very confusing the way I worded it. I will change that right away. What I meant is to heat the milk and add all the yeast to the milk, along with 1 tsp of the sugar. I buy my yeast in bulk so I don't use the little packets, but you'll need 7 1/2 tsp.
Gabriella says
The recipe was perfect, like they always are with your gluten free bread flour recipes. I made this for a picky eater so no raisins, and used brushed on butter instead of canola oil spray. Great results, obviously denser and less tightly coiled but fantastic.
I made a few little changes, including an egg wash and dousing it in raw sugar to make a crunchy crust. I also subbed whey protein for albumen protein, not because I didn’t have whey, but because I read a polish academic study involving the different replacement proteins in gluten free goods and the conclusion of the study indicated people reacted best to albumen protein, out of albumen, whey, soy, pea, and one other I can’t immediately recall. I’ve tried this dough with whey protein too for the doughnuts and it was fantastic, the best gluten free doughnuts I’ve ever made. But I always get a strange aftertaste with whey, especially after the pastries cool down. Albumen doesn’t seem to have that for me.
Next time I’ll try it with soy protein and see how that compares. I’m always in search of the perfect gluten free texture for the coeliac people in my life, (I am not gluten free) and your recipes are in the top 3 closest to gluten containing recipes in terms of texture and taste I’ve ever tried. Out of many, many cookbooks, and many, many blogs.
Kim says
Thank you so much, Gabriella!! I think I've either gotten used to the flavor of whey or just don't taste the difference, but I know that some do have an aversion to it.
Gillie says
I had trouble with the flavor of whey myself. I bought several brands, all landed in the trash as they taste chemically and not nice. Finally found an organic brand that smells of milk and has a pleasant flavor.
iris says
Can you please share the name/brand of the organic brand that smells of milk and has a pleasant flavor? I have highly sensitive taste buds and am always looking for alternates to some of the offensive ingredients in recipes. I'd just as soon trash a finished product than eat it if it tastes funky. Thanks, I'll look for your reply.
Nita Hopkins says
I have a hard time with the grams instead of cups. I would like to have the flour blends In cups and spoons.
Kim says
I'm sorry, Nita. I just can't do the flour blends in cups. This is from my flour blends page:
WHY ARE THESE BLENDS IN GRAMS AND NOT CUPS?
I developed my blends in grams because it’s so much more precise AND unbelievably easy to weigh ingredients than to measure by volume. My blends don’t translate very well to cups. I sure don’t have an 18th of a cup measurement, do you? I strongly suggest you invest in a scale (they’re very cheap) and weigh your ingredients–you’d be surprised at how easy it is and you’ll most likely never switch back.
iris says
I wholeheartedly agree with how you weigh ingredients as opposed to using cups. I did an experiment a few years ago with just how much a cup holds vs weight, and found a significant difference depending on which 1 cup measure I used. I've baked for over 52 yrs, always using standard measurements, and then about 8 yrs ago, when I learned I had to follow a gluten-free lifestyle, I bought a scale, started weighing everything. What a difference! I always run a whisk through my GF flour blends before baking. Taught our daughter to do the same, when she learned that she has Celiac disease. A good scale is not that expensive, shop around, and take good care of it. Thank you for sharing your recipes, etc.! I greatly appreciate it. Being 75 now, and with health issues that challenge my energy, I need videos like yours that SHOW what to do, and recipes that WORK!
Kathy Taylor says
You can get a cheap kitchen scale on Amazon. I use mine all the time (including for stamps). My baked items always taste and act exactly the same.
Sarah says
This was seriously amazing! Worth all the effort to get the special flours and all the time to proof, rest, and proof again! such a great texture and chew. We couldn't wait to cut into it and had a slice when it was still warm...heaven. Thank you so, so, so much! Trying to decide what to make with the other half of the dough! So many options.
Kim says
Aww, yay!!! I'm so glad you liked the bread! It's one of our favorites 🙂
Krista says
Hiya -- I was super excited to try this recipe... so I went all over hither and yon to find all the essential ingredients for my bread dough...I'm not exactly "wowed" by my dough not really rising-- it took nearly 4 hours yesterday to get it to (maybe) double in size. Now I've got it sitting in a warm (turned off) oven on the second hour of waiting for it to rise again. Could it be because I used organic sugar instead of granulated? I've used everything else in the recipe to a T. I'm a bread-baking newbie, and this inspired me to learn how to use my KitchenAid mixer that has been sitting on my kitchen counter, gathering dust for over 4+ years. Any suggestions are appreciated. ~Thank you!
Kim says
Oh no! One of the things I've learned with baking gluten free is that it seems to take longer for things to rise than with traditional gluten-filled flours. What I do if the dough doesn't seem to be rising (and it can depend so much on your environment) is turn my oven on to about 200 degrees F. When it's preheated, I turn it off and mix my dough for 5 minutes. By then the temperature is just warm enough for the dough to rise properly. It will almost seem like it's too hot, but not for gluten free dough. i don't think using organic sugar would make a bit of difference in the dough rising, but changing the amount of sugar certainly would. Did you use the right yeast? It needs to be fast acting, also known as rapid rise or bread machine or instant yeast. If you use active dry yeast, you must activate the yeast in warm water with a little bit of the sugar before putting it into the other ingredients. That will make a HUGE difference in whether the dough rises or not.
Andrea says
If I only have dry yeast how much should I use? And how much water/ sugar ratio?
Kim says
Check out this website for info on substituting the yeast: https://www.thespruceeats.com/baking-yeast-dry-and-fresh-yeast-measurements-1446706#:~:text=To%20use%20active%20dry%20yeast,4%20teaspoons%20active%20dry%20yeast.&text=1%20package%20instant%20yeast%20(2,teaspoons%20or%20almost%209%20grams).
Angela says
I am so overwhelmed by all of your fantastic recipes. I have this list going of everything I want to make and I am running out of freezer space to store the baked goodies!!!!! But I guess this is a good problem to have! I want to just keep making all of these new delicious looking recipes but then I have to tell myself I need to eat up what is in the freezer first.
Kim says
Haha! Too funny!!
What might help is making several different things from one dough. I do it all the time. I'll make my sweet dough (cinnamon roll dough) and divide it in half, make cinnamon rolls with half and Hawaiian rolls with the other half. Or English muffins with one half of a recipe and Italian bread with the other half.
Brandi says
This looks really good! I’m sure tempted to make this. I’ll let you know if it turns out!
Kim says
Yes, please do 🙂 Thank you, Brandi!
Kimberly Calhoun says
Does Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice flour work for the batch of flour you make? It’s the first thing I found in my area that was rice flour. Thank you!
Kim says
It will change the texture of the bread and it won't be quite as tender and light as it should be. I used to use Bob's Red Mill rice flour back when I was first starting out and never got the texture I was longing for in gluten free breads. If you can't get the superfine flour on Amazon, you could try adding about 1/4 to 1/2 cup more milk to the recipe, but I can't say you'll get the same texture.