Cinnamon Toast Pancake Bread Recipe With French Crunch

Everything you love about a pancake in quick bread form — a moist, tender bread with lots of cinnamon-y goodness, hints of maple flavor, and a cinnamon sugar coating — all topped off with a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar. Yum!

Hi to all you awesome Something Swanky readers! I’m Emily and I blog over on Layers of Happiness where I share lots of delicious eats and treats with my mom. I am super excited to share this Cinnamon Toast Pancake Bread with you today — it’s a buttery pancake dream baked right into a loaf pan, and honestly? It’s become my go-to company breakfast recipe. Every pancake lover in my life has absolutely lost their mind over it. 🎉

What Makes This Cinnamon Pancake Bread Recipe So Special

This bread seriously blew me away the first time I made it. It tastes just like the super pillow-y, thick, soft cinnamon pancakes you’ve always dreamed of — hints of maple syrup, brown sugar, and a crackly cinnamon sugar coating. Think of it like cinnamon toast crunch pancakes got cozy with a coffee cake and had the most ah-mazing baby. The original recipe uses simple pantry staples: ap flour (that’s all-purpose flour, friends!), kosher salt, melted butter, and a cup milk — no fancy equipment, no mixer. Just a large bowl, a small bowl, and your two beautiful hands. I’ve also seen a version inspired by trader joe’s pancake bread floating around, and let me tell you, this copycat recipe gives it a serious run for its money.

Make It Ahead — and Fast!

Because it’s a quick bread, it can easily be made ahead and eaten throughout the week on-the-go. Pancakes on a weekday morning — yes way! This bread comes together in about 10 minutes with no mixer required. Long live easy recipes!! When you mix your wet ingredients and dry ingredients, be careful not to overmix — too much stirring develops the amount of gluten and gives you a dense loaf instead of a more tender loaf. Let the batter rest for a couple of minutes before pouring into your large bread pan. Line the sides of the pan and bottom of the pan with a strip of parchment paper so nothing sticks. Then slide it onto the center oven rack and bake until golden brown and an inserted instant thermometer reads around 200°F. Total time is roughly an hour, including cooling on a wire rack.

Tips, Swaps, and Amazing Flavor Combos

Want a more tender loaf? Swap the cup milk for sour cream or greek yogurt — both add moisture without making it gummy. An extra egg also helps with richness! You can absolutely use a pancake mix instead of making your own pancake batter from scratch (hello, doctored-up pancake mix fans! 🙌). For the cups of sweeteners, I love combining brown sugar with just a splash of maple syrup in the crumb topping for amazing flavor combos. Some bakers swear by cup pecans in the cinnamon streusel for a little crunch — absolutely do it. If you’re feeling extra fancy, a drizzle of maple cinnamon butter on a warm slice is EVERYTHING. Recipe developer friends have also suggested karl’s orange infused sugar in the crumble topping for a citrusy twist that’s surprisingly dreamy.

Serving This Sweet Treat

I even love this on weekends alongside eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit — think of it as upscale toast! And if you’re feeling adventurous, use a slice as your french toast batter base: dip it like you would regular bread into an egg wash and fry on medium-high heat in a tablespoon of butter until golden. The width of the bread pan gives you gorgeous thick slices — perfect finished pancakes vibes every time. The last time I served this, I paired it with cream cheese and powdered sugar on top. Be still my heart. 😍 Also a fun breakfast note: this doubles beautifully as a holiday breakfast treat — guests will flip! For more cinnamon inspo, check out 17 recipes celebrating cinnamon.

A Few Final Notes

Store the cooled loaf loosely wrapped — wrapping it too tight creates a lot of condensation and makes the cinnamon streusel top soggy (the one real hazard of a bread this moist!). A paper towel tucked inside the bag helps absorb extra moisture. The bottom of loaf can sometimes over-brown, so always use that strip of parchment paper. This recipe has been featured on SideChef Inc. and shared across content creation platforms. If you ever need to submit a GDPR request regarding your data, check the site footer. Bottom line: whether you’re following the cooking instructions to the letter like wife Jan always does, or riffing with organic cinnamon and a cinnamon toast crunch cereal crumble topping on top — this breakfast bread is foolproof, spectacular, and one hundred percent worth making right now. 🥞💛

Recommended pins for the cinnamon lover:

Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites with Nutella Cream Cheese Dip

Butter Pecan Crumb Cake

Mini Cinnamon Gingerbread Bundt Cakes

Cinnamon Toast Pancake Bread

Yield: 10 slices

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

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Everything you love about a pancake in quick bread form - A moist, tender bread with lots of cinnamon-y goodness, hints of maple flavor, and a cinnamon sugar coating, - all topped off with a generous sprinkle powdered sugar

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Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 2 Tablespoons
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon butter extract (optional)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Lightly spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl mix together 2 Tablespoons white sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to make a nice mixture. Dust the pan lightly with the sugar mix. I usually dump some in of the pan with a spoon and then shake the pan until it is nicely dusted. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, sugars, egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and butter extract. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together until combined. Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Slowly fold in oil until evenly distributed and only a few flour pockets remain. Do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 60-65 minutes, loosely cover/tent the bread with aluminum foil after 30 minutes. This will prevent the top and sides from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf will come out clean when the bread is done. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan and dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.