I don’t even know how to describe this gluten free cinnamon swirl bread to you, other than it’s ridiculously amazing.
This bread is so moist, so tender, and so incredibly delicious… you would think it was cake. It’s also loaded with mini chocolate chips, making this cinnamon swirl bread extra special.
One of the ingredients I’ve been experimenting with lately is cornstarch. Most of the time, my quick breads turn out either too moist, too dense, or too dry. I had read a lot about substituting a small amount of flour with cornstarch to help soften the harsh proteins in the flour, making a softer and more tender crumb. Let me tell you… this works really well with gluten free flour!
A little more on the ingredients:
I used buttermilk for my liquid of choice in this recipe. Buttermilk really helps tenderize the batter, and makes for a really moist bread (as I said, it’s almost like cake). Because of the baking soda in this recipe, you need something acidic in the batter. So if you are dairy free, try making this dairy-free buttermilk with coconut milk instead! You could also try using plain yogurt, but your bread may be too dense and I haven’t tested it yet.
You will also notice I use a little brown sugar instead of all granulated. The molasses in brown sugar helps add a little extra moisture to this batter. You can use either light or dark brown sugar, but I always use light.
Once you make the batter and layer it with the cinnamon sugar mixture, insert a knife down toward the bottom of your loaf pan and swirl away! After all, it is cinnamon swirl bread. The amount you swirl is totally up to you, but I like my cinnamon sugar scattered all throughout my bread rather than just in one line. If you have any extra mini chocolate chips, you could also sprinkle a little extra on top… because why not?!
Oh, and see that glaze?? The glaze is completely optional, but it’s definitely delicious!
If you are interested in trying out some healthier substitutions, you could definitely try them out with this recipe! Try using dairy-free buttermilk, coconut sugar instead of regular sugar (may need to modify the amount used), or any other substitution you can think of. I haven’t tried any of these yet, but if you do let me know how it turns out! However you decide, this gluten free cinnamon swirl bread is truly a crowdpleaser and will go fast.
Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ingredients
Bread:
- 1 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour
- 4 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, liquid or melted
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup gluten free semisweet mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl:
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
Optional Vanilla Icing:
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk of choice
- 1/4 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Bread:
- Preheat oven to 325℉. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with oil or nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar for the cinnamon sugar swirl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar and chocolate chips. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until everything is combined and smooth. The batter will be fairly thick but still pourable.
- Pour half of the batter into your prepared loaf pan, and top with 3/4 of your cinnamon-sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Using a knife, carefully insert the tip deep down into the batter and swirl a few times in every direction (all across the loaf!).
- Bake on the center oven rack for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A few moist crumbs are ok. Remove from the oven and let cool.
To Make the Glaze:
- Combined the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the top of the cooled bread and serve!
Notes
- I only use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free baking flour, which already contains xanthan gum, so I cannot guarantee that your bread will turn out the same if using a different flour mixture. If using a gluten free all purpose flour mix that does not contain xanthan gum, I recommend adding some xanthan gum to your dry ingredients (I would try 1 tsp)
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Note: Some of the links above are affiliate links. I only link to products I truly love and recommend. I receive a small commission from any purchases made through these links, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
I subbed the buttermilk for cashew milk w/ 1 Tbsp of lemon juice and the coconut oil for a vegetable oil and it turned out really nicely!
So happy to hear you loved it, Emma!