What makes a house smell more like fall than a pan of something cinnamony warming in the oven? Cinnamon can make almost anything taste good, whether you’re talking about sweet breakfast breads, apple treats, or cookies with frosting.
The following recipes offer ideas for a slow, lazy brunch, an after-school snack, or dessert for a large group, and all of them will send the best smell of the season wafting through your home. Get out the cinnamon and turn on that oven!
14. Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake
Three is the magic number for the amount of cinnamon in this coffee cake, and there’s no doubt about it! A thick line of cinnamon winds its way through a tender sour cream cake, topped with a rich, buttery streusel crumb topping. The melted butter helps that crumb topping stand tall instead of sinking into the cake as it bakes. Add some luscious cinnamon icing and brew a fresh pot of coffee.
Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add the sour cream and stir until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the cinnamon across the batter evenly. Then pour the remaining batter on top and smooth.
- Make the crumble: Combine all dry ingredients and whisk together in a bowl. Using a fork or just your fingers, work the melted butter into the mixture. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the batter.
- Bake 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, make the glaze: Whisk all ingredients together in a liquid measuring cup. Then drizzle over the cooled coffee cake.
13. Cinnamon Zucchini Bread with Pecans
Don’t let the zucchini scare you away though, because you won’t taste it in this comforting, quick bread. The cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped pecans give it that warm, carrot cake flavor and the grated zucchini makes it incredibly moist. This is dairy free and easily gluten free as well. The recipe makes two loaves, so you have one to enjoy right now and one to freeze or gift to a neighbor.
Cinnamon Zucchini Bread with Pecans
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar.
- In a separate bowl combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold in nuts.
- Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour.
12. Cinnamon Scones with Maple Glaze
The flakiness of these cinnamon chip scones is amplified by the use of both cinnamon and cinnamon chips. Ground cinnamon is added to the dough for extra spice, while cinnamon chips add another layer of cinnamon flavor. Cinnamon chips and ground cinnamon give these scones double the cinnamon.
A food processor makes quick work of incorporating the butter, and chilling the dough before baking keeps the wedges from spreading too much. No eggs needed here. Drizzle the maple syrup glaze over the top and pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea.
The BEST Cinnamon Scones Recipe with Maple Glaze
Ingredients
Method
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, white sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon chips and ground cinnamon together until just combined. Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the flour mixture. Pulse until the pieces of butter are the size of peas. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl.
- Take 2 tbsp. of heavy cream out of the 1 cup and set aside. Pour the remaining cream into the bowl and mix together until a very shaggy dough starts to form. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it comes together. It will be quite dry.
- Form the dough into a large disc that is 1 inch thick. Slice the disc into 8 wedges. Place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze on the baking sheet for 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the scones from the freezer and brush the scones with the reserved 2 Tbsp. of heavy cream. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. Bake 25-27 minutes, until scones are golden brown on the bottom. Cool on the baking sheet before glazing.
- To make the glaze, whisk all ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle onto the scones.
11. Monkey Bread Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar
The best parts of classic monkey bread, all wrapped up in a grab-and-go muffin shape. Take some pre-made biscuit dough, cut it up, coat it in cinnamon sugar, and tuck it into a greased muffin pan.
Then pour some melted butter and brown sugar over the top. Once baked, drizzle with a simple vanilla glaze. These muffins are a hit with the kids, as they love peeling them apart, one sticky sweet bite at a time.
Easy Monkey Bread Muffins Recipe with Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a standard size muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.
- Cut each biscuit into 6 smaller pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and coat in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 7-8 biscuit pieces in each muffin cup.
- Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Pour the melted butter mixture over the tops of the muffins evenly, coating each piece of dough as much as possible.
- Bake 25-28 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely before gently removing from the muffin tin.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle over cooled monkey bread muffins.
10. Apple Cinnamon Ice Cream Pie
A simple apple dessert that only requires a few minutes in the oven. The graham cracker crust is baked briefly and then filled with a no-churn cinnamon ice cream made from heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk.
Cinnamon apples simmered in syrup are added on top just before serving. No ice cream maker needed, and the whole pie can be made ahead and kept frozen.
Best Apple Cinnamon Ice Cream Pie (No Churn Recipe)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray at 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Process the graham crackers in a food processor until fine. Melt butter in a microwave safe dish. With the motor running on low speed, pour the melted butter through the feed tube until incorporated.
- Transfer the mixture to the springform pan and press down, moving some of the crumbs up the sides of the pan. Press until firm. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream, 3 Tbsp. sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold in the sweetened condensed milk and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon.
- Pour into the cooled crust. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 2 hours.
- Cook the apples, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until thickened.
- Once most of the liquid is absorbed, reduce to low heat and stir in the lemon juice. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Prior to serving, spread apple mixture on top of the ice cream pie. Slice and serve.
9. Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites
They taste just like the warm cinnamon sugar pretzel bites from the mall pretzel stand, only you make them at home. The secret is to use pre-made pizza dough from the grocery store. It gets dipped in a baking soda bath, which gives it the chewy pretzel texture.
And then you toss them in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Don’t forget the cream cheese dipping sauce! Because if you don’t have that you’ll never be able to stop eating these.
Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
Method
- Place refrigerated pizza dough in a buttered bowl covered with plastic wrap and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the dough onto a cutting board and divide it into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a long, thin rope.
- Cut each dough rope into equal pieces, about 1 inch long.
- In a shallow bowl, dissolve the baking soda in 2 cups of boiling water. Dunk the dough bites into the water. Remove them and place them in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Melt butter in a microwave save dish. Coat the warm pretzel bites in melted butter and rest them on a wire rack for 2 minutes.
- Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Toss the pretzel bites in the cinnamon sugar coating.
- To make the dipping sauce, beat the cream cheese and butter together using an electric hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk and beat on low speed to combine.
8. Gingerbread Monkey Bread
This warm pull-apart bread brings cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves together. Toss bits of store-bought biscuit dough in the spice blend, stack them in a bundt pan, cover with brown sugar butter, then bake. Make it ahead and bake it in the morning. Drizzle with vanilla icing for a festive holiday breakfast.
Gingerbread Monkey Bread using Grands Biscuits
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a bundt pan thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves in a medium bowl. (Alternatively, place the mixture into a large plastic food-storage bag.)
- Cut each biscuit into quarters and roll each piece into a ball. Coat the dough balls in the gingerbread spice and arrange in the bundt pan. (Alternatively, place the biscuit pieces into the plastic food bag, seal and shake gently to coat.)
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Pour melted butter evenly over the biscuit dough.
- Bake for 1 hour, until top is golden brown. Cool completely before inverting onto a serving dish.
- Before serving, make the vanilla glaze: Whisk sugar, milk and vanilla together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the monkey bread.
7. Cinnamon Apple Crisp
Serve it up warm and drizzle some maple syrup on top. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream. Believe it or not there are no oats in this recipe. The crumbly topping is made with melted butter, brown sugar and flour.
Tender apples are mixed with sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice and are baked till bubbly under the crumb topping. You can make ahead, cover and refrigerate. Bake just prior to serving.
Cinnamon Apple Crisp (No Oats Recipe)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss to coat the apples in the mixture.
- Pour the apple filling into the prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt. Sprinkle evenly over the apple mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Cool in the baking dish for at least 20 minutes before serving.
6. Apple Butter Cookies with Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting
Apple butter and twice as much brown sugar as white keep these huge cookies soft, chewy and almost cake-like. Each cookie gets an extra-thick swirl of cinnamon frosting, made with real vanilla bean paste. It doesn’t harden, so you’ll have that soft texture all the way through each cookie. You can use store-bought apple butter if it’s simpler for you.
Apple Butter Cookies with Cinnamon Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
Method
- Beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and apple butter.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Stir the flour mixture into the apple butter mixture until combined. Cover the dough and chill at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 3 Tbsp. cookie scoop, place cookie dough 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: Beat the butter until fluffy. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the confectioner's sugar, vanilla bean paste and cinnamon. Store at room temperature.
5. Snickerdoodle Cookies
Don’t waste your time waiting in the Crumbl line. Make these giant copycat Snickerdoodles at home instead. Roll each large ball of dough in cinnamon sugar, then flatten it before baking so they bake up with a soft, chewy middle.
A layer of cream cheese frosting and an extra dusting of cinnamon sugar take them over the top. The cookies remain soft for days and the dough can be frozen for easy prep later.
Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (Crumbl Copycat)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Beat into the dry ingredients.
- Take a few spoonfuls of the cinnamon sugar mixture and set aside. Place the rest into a small bowl.
- Scoop large balls of cookie dough and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place them onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten each cookie using a spatula until they are about 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake 15-17 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Make the frosting: beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
- Fill a piping bag with frosting. Pipe frosting in a circular pattern onto the top of the cookies. Sprinkle with reserved cinnamon-sugar.
4. Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Here’s a deliciously spiced take on monkey bread with a fall-inspired twist. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves are stirred together to make your own spice blend that adds tons of pumpkin spice flavor to every bite.
Butter and brown sugar bake to a sweet and sticky topping, while a touch of cream cheese frosting crowns everything off. Pumpkin spice just got a lot more exciting!
Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a bundt pan thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a medium bowl. (Alternatively, place the mixture into a large plastic bag and shake vigorously.)
- Cut each biscuit into quarters and roll each piece into a ball. Coat the dough balls in the pumpkin spice and arrange in the prepared bundt pan. (Alternatively, place the biscuit pieces into the plastic food bag, seal and shake gently to coat.)
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Pour melted butter evenly over the biscuit dough.
- Place the bundt pan on the middle rack of the oven with a baking sheet under it on the lower rack to catch any spills. Do not skip this step!
- Bake for 1 hour, until top is golden brown. For best results, cool completely before inverting onto a serving plate.
- Before serving, make the cream cheese frosting: Combine the softened cream cheese and butter together in a small bowl. Whisk in the sugar, milk and vanilla. Drizzle over cooled monkey bread.
3. Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Bake
What could be better than a lazy Sunday morning with warm breakfast baked with sweet, cinnamon-y flavor? This breakfast bake does it all. The store-bought cinnamon raisin bread takes care of everything, with a layer of cream cheese filling on top and the whole thing soaked in a delicious cinnamon and maple custard.
It’s best to prepare the night before, then let the oven do the rest of the work. Your kitchen will smell heavenly! Top with more maple syrup and a bit of cinnamon just before serving.
Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Bake
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon and maple syrup together. Butter the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Spread cream cheese onto each slice of bread. Arrange the slices in a single layer into the baking dish, tearing up the slices to make them fit. Repeat this process to form 2 layers. Pour egg mixture evenly over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and weigh it down with another baking dish or heavy pan. Chill in the refrigerator 1 hour or up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove baking dish from refrigerator and bake for 55-60 minutes, until custard is set. Drizzle with additional maple syrup and sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired.
2. Cinnamon Banana Bread
Banana bread is always a treat, but this version actually has real cinnamon chips instead of a cinnamon swirl that will make each bite taste like a cinnamon roll. Using ripe bananas along with a scoop of sour cream helps to make the bread incredibly moist.
Use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend and you won’t even know the difference. Slice the bread up and spread on some butter for a delicious fall breakfast.
Cinnamon Banana Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, vanilla and sugar with a handheld electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. (Alternatively, do this step in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.)
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, mash bananas and sour cream together.
- Using a wooden spoon, blend flour mixture into the creamed mixture alternately with the mashed bananas. Fold in the cinnamon chips.
- Pour into the prepared loaf pan. If desired, sprinkled extra cinnamon chips over the top of the bread.
- Bake for 1hr 10min or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool to room temperature on a wire rack before removing from pan.
1. Classic Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Frosting
These homemade cinnamon rolls are so soft and warm and slathered in vanilla frosting. They taste like the mall giant rolls! The dough is brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, then rolled up and sliced into 15 rolls. Give them a little room in the pan, because they puff up and push against each other as they bake.
Classic Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
Method
- Combine the yeast, 1/2 tsp. of sugar and warm water in a small bowl. Stir and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs. Stir in the yeast mixture. Gradually add the flour, one cup at a time, and beat until a sticky dough forms.
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 5-7 minutes, until smooth. Place in a buttered bowl and cover loosely with a damp towel. Turn the oven off. Place the bowl in the warm oven for 45 minutes, until the dough is doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Combine the cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar and melt 1/2 stick of butter.
- Punch the dough down and roll out on a floured surface. Form a rectangle measuring 13×19 inches. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Start rolling from the long end, jellyroll style. Cut into 15 pieces.
- Melt the other 1/2 stick of butter pour into a 9×13 baking dish. Coat well. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Place the rolls in the pan, making sure there is a little space between them. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking, combine all frosting ingredients except for the water in a small bowl. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Spread frosting over warm rolls.
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