Cinnamon Swirl Maple Oatmeal Raisin Bread

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I’ve been in a bit of a baking rut lately. For the last couple weeks, I’ve been playing around with a Funfetti recipe that I can’t seem to get just right. I had hoped to share it with you all this week, but I had to pivot when I ran out of sprinkles.

I’m so happy I made the last-minute change because this week’s recipe turned out so much better than I anticipated. On a whim, I smashed together a few of my favorite recipes to create something both familiar and new: cinnamon swirl maple oatmeal raisin bread.

Dessert for Breakfast

Quaker maple and brown sugar oatmeal is a go-to breakfast at my house. The instant oatmeal packets are easy to make on a busy morning, and even my daughter can pop the oats in the microwave anytime she wants.

When brainstorming sweet bread recipes for this week, I wondered if I could turn my favorite breakfast into a bread. I had done a similar maple oatmeal sourdough bread in the past. And just a few weeks ago, I shared a simple honey oatmeal recipe that I absolutely loved. A mix of the two sounded like a winner, but it was missing something to make it stand out. As I sprinkled a few raisins and a bit more cinnamon into my oatmeal, a lightbulb turned on above my head.

Cinnamon swirl maple oatmeal raisin bread may be a mouthful to say, but it makes for an even better mouthful to eat. Like my favorite breakfast, this bread has the perfect blend of flavors and texture. I purposefully made the bread sweet enough to feel like a dessert, but not so sweet that I couldn’t have it for breakfast in the mornings.

The Swirl Is Optional

I love that this bread is reminiscent of my favorite cinnamon roll recipe. With a little extra cinnamon sugar sprinkled over the top or a smidge of cream cheese, this cinnamon swirl maple oat raisin bread makes for a fun, yet indulgent breakfast.

But if you’re a beginning baker (or if you don’t like sweets in the morning), that cinnamon swirl can feel like a bit much.

Fortunately, this bread tastes delicious even without the cinnamon swirl. You can toss the raisins directly into the dough during mixing, if that’s what you prefer. Or, you can leave them out entirely. The maple syrup comes out more strongly when it doesn’t compete with the raisins or cinnamon filling. But swirl or no, this bread is perfect for toasting.

Time

Prep time:  15 Minutes
Rise time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Cook time:  40 Minutes
Total time: 2 Hours 25 Minutes

Ingredients

Cinnamon Swirl Maple Oatmeal Raisin Bread needs the following pantry staples:

• 236 Grams Warm Water (1 Cup)
• 17 Grams Dry Active Yeast (1 Tablespoon)
• 510 Grams All-Purpose Flour (4 1/4 Cups)
• 42 Grams Quick Oats (1/2 Cup)
• 9 Grams Salt (1 1/2 Teaspoons)
• 1 Gram Ground Cinnamon (1/2 Teaspoon)
• 85 Grams Maple Syrup (1/4 Cup)
• 56 Grams Butter, Melted (1/4 Cup)
• 1 Large Egg

If you want to make the cinnamon swirl and raisin filling, don’t forget the following:

• 7 Grams Butter, Melted (1 1/2 Teaspoons)
• 12 Grams Brown Sugar (3 Teaspoons)
• 1.5 Grams Ground Cinnamon (3/4 Teaspoons)
• 50 Grams Raisins (1/4 Cup)

Of course, feel free to add a little bit extra brown sugar and cinnamon if you want a thicker, heavier swirl.

If you like the look of the oat topping, you’ll also need these ingredients:

• 1 Large Egg
• 15 Grams Water (1 Tablespoon)
• 10 Grams Quick Oats (2 Tablespoons)

Both the cinnamon swirl filling and the oat topping are completely optional. This bread is still delicious even without the fun extras.

Additional Equipment

Cinnamon Swirl Maple Oatmeal Raisin Bread may have a lengthy name, but it’s not as complicated as it sounds. You only need a few standard kitchen tools to make this recipe:

• Small and large Mixing Bowls
• Mixing Spoons
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Kitchen Scale
• Cambro Container with Lid
• 9-inch by 5-inch Bread Pan
• Cooling Rack
• Oven Mitts

This recipe also works best when made in a standing mixer. I personally prefer a KitchenAid, but use whatever you have on hand, even if all you have are your hands. Your loaf won’t mind if you make a few substitutions based on what you have in your kitchen.

As a small note: I am an Amazon Associate. I receive a small commission for affiliate links but do not get paid to recommend specific brands or products. I only recommend items I use and enjoy regularly.

Instructions

Cinnamon Swirl Maple Oatmeal Raisin bread is a good recipe for intermediate bakers. It has a simple, straightforward recipe that most can follow, but the cinnamon swirl can be difficult to get right the first time around. If you put in a bit of practice, however, this loaf can easily become a family favorite.

Mix Your Dough

To start, mix your warm water and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer. Stir until all the grains dissolve, and then let it proof for 10 to 15 minutes until foamy.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the flour, oats, salt, and cinnamon together. Turn your mixer to low, and slowly add these dry ingredients to your yeast mixture with a dough hook. Gradually add the maple syrup, butter, and egg.

Continue to mix the dough until it pulls away from and cleans the sides of the mixing bowl. The dough should feel tacky, but not sticky. If it feels too dry, add a tablespoon of water. If it feels too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour until it’s the right consistency.

Let It Rise

After mixing, knead your dough a couple of times and shape into a round. Place the dough in a lightly greased container and cover with a lid (or plastic wrap) so it doesn’t dry out.

Let your dough rise until doubled in size and puffy. On average, the dough only needs about an hour until it’s ready to work with.

My kitchen temperature tends to be about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (XX Celsius), so if your kitchen is colder you may need to let your dough rise a little longer. Similarly, if you have a warmer kitchen, your dough may rise faster. Adjust your rise time as needed.

Shape and Swirl

After your dough has risen, turn it out onto. A lightly greased surface. Using your bread pan as a guide, flatten and dimple your dough into a rectangle that is slightly narrower than the width of your pan. Keep in mind that when you roll your dough, it will try to widen as you go. Furthermore, your dough will need room to expand in the pan as it rises a second time.

In a small container, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Brush the dough with the melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mix and the raisins over the top.

Starting with the narrower, shorter side, roll the dough toward the opposite end. You want to roll the dough tight enough that it sticks to itself as it rises to create a tight swirl – but not so tight that the raisins tear the dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased 9-inch by 5-inch bread pan. Cover and let the dough rise for another 35 to 45 minutes.

The dough will reach above the lip of the pan, and it will spring back slowly if poked. If the dough springs back quickly, it may need to rise a bit longer. If it collapses, the dough has risen too long.

Bake Your Bread

When your dough has finished rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). As it preheats, beat the egg and water together to create an egg wash.

Brush the egg wash over the top of the dough. Don’t use all of the wash. You only need enough to moisten the crust and give the oat topping something to stick to. If you’re not a fan of the oat topping, you can skip the egg wash entirely – though the egg wash does give the bread a beautiful sheen and color.

Sprinkle the oats over the top of the bread. Feel free to use as many, or as few, oats are you wish. Keep in mind that a few oats may fall off during baking and when you later remove the bread from the pan.

Bake your bread for 40 to 45 minutes. The top of the Cinnamon Roll Maple Oatmeal Raisin Bread will have a rich, dark brown color. The bottom of the loaf will sound hollow when thumped. If you have a probe thermometer, the internal temperature should read between 195 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit (90 and 93 degrees Celsius).

Turn the bread out onto a wire cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing and serving. If you cut into the loaf too soon, it will have a gummier texture.

When stored at room temperature in an airtight bag, your cinnamon swirl maple oatmeal raisin bread will stay fresh for about 3 to 5 days. The bread may be a bit dry the following day, but it will freshen up nicely when toasted.

Just the Basics

Secrets to Success

Cinnamon Swirl Maple Oatmeal Raisin Bread is a fairly simple and straightforward recipe. If you understand basic bread baking principles like knowing how long to let your dough rise or when to stop kneading your dough, you should have no problem making this bread.

However, it does have one step that can give beginning bakers a little trouble: making the swirl.

If you roll that swirl too tight, your dough won’t have room to expand during its rise and your loaf will turn out dense in the middle. if you roll your dough too loose, the bread will collapse during baking. If you put too much cinnamon sugar, your dough won’t stick to itself. Too little, and it might as well not be there at all.

Although making a good swirl takes practice, I do have one tip for making the job a little easier. Use your bread pan as a guide when shaping that initial rectangle. The dough should not reach end to end.

Why?

Because when you roll dough for cinnamon swirl maple oatmeal raisin bread, you naturally want to press in on the dough so it sticks to itself. The more you press in on your swirl as you roll, the flatter and wider your loaf will become. By the time you reach the end of your roll, your loaf might be too big to fit easily into your pan, let alone have room to rise even further.

If you feel like your dough is too thick as you shape that initial rectangle, feel free to roll it out longer rather than wider. A longer rectangle will ultimately make a taller loaf, which is more ideal when you bake it later.

Nutritional Information

Cinnamon Swirl Maple Raisin Oatmeal Bread has a lot of healthy ingredients: oats for fiber, eggs for protein, and raisins for a little extra iron. But this loaf is a far cry from a diet-friendly food. If you’re watching your weight, keep in mind the calories per slice.

I calculated the nutritional information based on a 12 slices per loaf. If your slices are thicker or thinner than mine, your calories per serving will vary.

Did You Try It?

I had a lot of fun putting my favorite recipes into one ultimate loaf. From the slightly sweet swirl to the chewy texture from the oats, this bread makes for a tasty breakfast, snack, or dessert anytime.

But I’m always open to feedback. If you have suggestions for improving my cinnamon swirl maple oatmeal raisin bread recipe, please feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Similarly, if you enjoyed my bread, don’t forget to leave a start rating or share this post so that other people can have fun baking, too.