In this article
Snickerdoodle bread is what I bake on a gray Monday morning, when the house is cold and everybody needs a reason to come downstairs. It is the cinnamon sugar cookie that every American child knows, turned into a loaf: a soft, buttery batter made tender with sour cream, a thick ribbon of cinnamon sugar running through the middle, and more cinnamon sugar thrown over the top so it bakes into the same crackly crust the cookie has.
It is a quick bread, so there is no yeast, no kneading and no waiting for dough to rise. The two things people struggle with are both about the cinnamon sugar. Either the swirl sinks and ends up as a wet streak along the bottom of the loaf, or the top bakes smooth and soft instead of crackly. Both are easy to fix once you know why they happen, and this recipe shows exactly how to keep the swirl in the middle and get that crackly sugar top every time.
Cut it while it is still a little warm. The ribbon runs right through every slice, and a pat of butter on top melts straight into it.
Why this snickerdoodle bread works
- Sour cream in the batter. It makes the crumb soft and tender and keeps the loaf moist for days.
- Creamed butter and sugar. Beating them until pale gives the loaf its light, cake-like lift.
- A thick batter. The batter is stiff enough to hold the cinnamon sugar in place instead of letting it sink.
- Half, sugar, half. Layering the batter in two parts puts the swirl exactly in the middle.
- Sugar on top, then a long bake. Coarse cinnamon sugar on raw batter dries and cracks into a crisp crust as the loaf rises.
Ingredients
Makes one 9 by 5 inch loaf, about 10 thick slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the loaf
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup sour cream (240g), at room temperature
For the cinnamon sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (65g)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, for the very top (optional)
Cream of tartar is what gives a snickerdoodle its slight tang, so keep it in. Full-fat sour cream gives the softest crumb. Room temperature eggs and sour cream blend smoothly into the butter instead of curdling it.
How to make snickerdoodle bread
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment that hangs over the long sides.
- Stir the sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar together in a small bowl.
- Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar with a mixer for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Add half the flour mixture and mix on low, then the sour cream, then the rest of the flour. Mix only until no dry flour shows. The batter will be thick.
- Spread half the batter in the pan. Sprinkle two thirds of the cinnamon sugar evenly over it, keeping a small border clear at the edges.
- Drop the rest of the batter over the top in spoonfuls and spread it gently with an offset spatula to cover the cinnamon sugar. Do not stir.
- Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar and the coarse sugar over the top. Run a knife once down the center, about half an inch deep, for an even crack.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it for the last 15 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift the loaf out by the parchment and cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes more before slicing.
Tips that make the difference
- Keep the cinnamon sugar away from the sides of the pan. Sugar against the hot metal turns sticky and pulls the loaf apart when you take it out.
- Spread the top layer of batter gently. If you press hard, the cinnamon sugar pushes up into streaks instead of staying a ribbon.
- Do not open the oven for the first 40 minutes. The loaf needs steady heat to rise and crack.
- Slice with a serrated knife and a light sawing motion so the crackly top does not shatter.
Variations
- Muffins. Layer the batter in a lined muffin tin and bake for 20 to 24 minutes. You will get about 14.
- Brown butter. Brown the butter, cool it until it sets again, then cream it with the sugar for a nutty loaf.
- Glazed. Drizzle a simple glaze of powdered sugar, milk and a pinch of cinnamon over the cooled loaf. You lose the crackle but gain a bakery look.
- Pecan. Add a half cup of chopped toasted pecans to the cinnamon sugar layer.
Storage and make-ahead
Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature for up to 4 days. The top softens a little after the first day.
Freeze slices between sheets of parchment in a freezer bag for up to 3 months, and toast them straight from frozen.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my cinnamon swirl sink to the bottom?
The batter was too thin or the cinnamon sugar went in as one thick pile. Keep the batter thick, sprinkle the sugar in an even layer and spread the top batter on gently.
Why is my top not crackly?
The cinnamon sugar needs to sit on raw batter and bake for the full time. Underbaking, or covering the loaf with foil too early, keeps the top soft.
Can I leave out the cream of tartar?
You can, and the loaf will still be good, but it will taste like a cinnamon cake rather than a snickerdoodle. The tang comes from the cream of tartar.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Yes, plain full-fat Greek yogurt works one for one. The crumb is just as moist and very slightly tangier.
Bake it on a cold Monday morning and watch how fast the end slices go.
Snickerdoodle Bread (Cinnamon Swirl in the Middle, Crackly Sugar Top)
Snickerdoodle bread is the cinnamon sugar cookie baked as a loaf: a soft buttery sour cream quick bread with a ribbon of cinnamon sugar through the middle and a crackly sugar crust on top.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup sour cream (240g), at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, for the very top
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment that hangs over the long sides.
- Stir the sugar and cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar together in a small bowl.
- Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar with a mixer for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Add half the flour mixture and mix on low, then the sour cream, then the rest of the flour. Mix only until no dry flour shows. The batter will be thick.
- Spread half the batter in the pan. Sprinkle two thirds of the cinnamon sugar evenly over it, keeping a small border clear at the edges.
- Drop the rest of the batter over the top in spoonfuls and spread it gently with an offset spatula to cover the cinnamon sugar. Do not stir.
- Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar and the coarse sugar over the top. Run a knife once down the center, about half an inch deep, for an even crack.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it for the last 15 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift the loaf out by the parchment and cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes more before slicing.
