Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This homemade vegan Cinnamon Raisin Bread is a serious treat. It is super easy and so delicious. Dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free it is safe for most major allergens, and comes together with just 5 minutes of hands-on time. With no overnight rise needed, you can have this quick bread ready in under 6 hours.

WARNING: If you have pets, you may already know that raisins are toxic to dogs and cats. Keep this bread far out of their reach!!! 

I was fully aware of this fact before I made this bread, but I was NOT aware that this bread would smell so good to my senior pitbull that she would suddenly learn to counter-surf after never having done so in the 7 years since I rescued her. 

One frantic ride to the vet later, she is fine, and I can cross “counting the number of raisins in my dog’s vomit” off my pet-owner experience list…TMI?

Perhaps the best compliment of all for this bread, though, is that every vet and vet tech that worked on my dog that day asked me for the recipe because even her vomit smelled THAT good. So do with that information what you will…lol.

Below: Picture of the guilty party feeling not at all guilty. 100% would do it again. 

For more delicious vegan homemade bread recipes (that do not contain pet-toxic ingredients), check out this Vegan Rye Bread or Easy Vegan Banana Bread.

For more dishes with cinnamon as the star of the show, try these Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, or Vegan Candied Almonds.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No knead – As far as breads go, this no-knead cinnamon raisin bread is super low effort. It takes about 2 minutes to mix the initial dough, then another 3 minutes to perform the inclusions (fancy word for mixing things into the dough). You don’t have to knead this dough in any special way, and you’ll still get the perfect crumb and cinnamon-raisin combo every time.
• Same day – This cinnamon raisin loaf needs only two relatively short resting periods to rise before it can be baked. The first rise is 3 hours, and the second is only 1 hour. In the bread dough world, this is pretty short. It is nice to be able to make this bread the same day and on relatively short notice.
• Customizable – This homemade cinnamon raisin bread is an adaptation of my Homemade Rye Bread, and the possibilities do not end there. You can change up your inclusions to whatever you’d like with this basic recipe to create something totally unique and delicious.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – I prefer all-purpose flour for my baking simply because I always have it on hand. I have not tried this recipe with bread flour, but I’m sure it would work with a few possible tweaks.
• Instant yeast – Instant or active dry yeast works the same for this recipe.
• Salt – Just 1 tsp of salt for this dough helps bring out the flavors.
• Brown Sugar – Helps feed the yeast and sweeten the dough slightly. If you prefer unrefined sugars, you can swap for equal parts maple syrup or coconut sugar. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can use white sugar instead. 
• Cinnamon & Raisins – These are mixed with brown sugar and used as the inclusions in the dough. Don’t be intimidated, ‘inclusions’ is just a fancy term for mixing things into the dough. It is a super easy process. Once again, raisins are toxic to dogs and cats, just FYI!

Wet Ingredients

• Water – I use warm water for this dough, but you could substitute for any non-dairy milk (such as almond milk or soy milk) as long as it is heated to the correct temperature.
• Optional: You can use 2 tbsp of melted vegan butter to add a lovely, rich flavor to the cinnamon sugar mixture before performing the inclusions if desired. If you aren’t a fan of vegan butter, you could use equal parts melted coconut oil.

Helpful Equipment

​In addition to measuring cups and spoons, the following equipment is helpful for this recipe:

• Large bowl
• Plastic wrap or kitchen towel
• Bread pan

After the first rise, the dough will have at least doubled as pictured above. Next, you will punch down the dough a little bit to release any air pockets and turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured working surface (or silicone baking mat).

Perform the Inclusions

To perform the cinnamon-raisin-sugar inclusions, first, you will mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon, and 1/3 cup raisins in a small mixing bowl. If you are using vegan butter or coconut oil for the inclusions, melt it and add it now. 

Next, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, stretch it until it forms a rough rectangle. Stretch it until it is evenly about 1.5 inches thick. Using about 3/4 of the inclusion mixture, spread the filling all over the rectangle.

Next, you will fold the dough in thirds “hotdog-style” or length-wise. This will form a rough-looking skinnier rectangle. Spread the remaining inclusions on top of this rectangle.

Next, roll up the rectangle into a loaf shape as though you are rolling up a sleeping bag.

Second Dough Rise

Place the loaf into a lightly oiled or parchment-lined bread pan and let the bread rise for 1 more hour.

After about 45 minutes, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit so that you can bake the dough immediately after the 1-hour rise time.

Time to Bake

Place the loaf in the oven and let bake at 375 F for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temperature is at least 207 degrees Fahrenheit. The outside should be evenly golden brown. 

Remove the bread from the oven and remove the loaf from the bread pan. Allow the loaf to cool on a wire cooling rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

That’s it! Slice, serve, and enjoy!

How to Store

• Room Temp: Let the loaf cool completely before storing it in a bread bag or plastic bag closed only 90% of the way. If the bread is still warm, it will continue to give off moisture that will be trapped in the bag and cause the bread to spoil sooner. 
• Freeze: Freeze fully-cooled individual slices separated by parchment paper in freezer safe containers or bags for up to 3 months.

More Tips

• Not Vegan? You can swap the water in the dough for milk. The temperature rules still apply for the milk activating the yeast, so be sure to warm it first. Or, I’m certain this cinnamon bread would make an amazing french toast if you eat eggs!
• Gluten-free? I have not attempted this recipe with gluten-free flour yet. I don’t think it would work with something like almond flour. A better bet would be a 1:1 gluten-free bread flour replacement. If you try this, let me know how it works out!
• Mix it up! If you want different inclusions, feel free to mix up the flavor combos. Add chocolate chips or dried blueberries instead for a twist on this bread.