Blueberry Cinnamon Bread
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This blueberry cinnamon bread is soft, buttery, and packed with juicy blueberries and ribbons of cinnamon sugar throughout. Finished with a simple vanilla glaze, it’s the perfect quick bread for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon coffee break. The bread mixes up in 15 minutes, and no mixer needed.
As much as I love my lemon blueberry bread, there is just something so cozy about pairing blueberries with cinnamon. What makes this blueberry cinnamon bread different from a classic blueberry loaf is the cinnamon sugar swirl layered throughout the batter. It adds a flavor that’s reminiscent of a cinnamon roll while still letting the blueberry flavor shine through.
The best part is the streusel and cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle is made from the same mixture. You will mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on half in the middle of the loaf when assembling. Then add melted butter and flour to remaining brown sugar and cinnamon to make the streusel. Then sprinkle the streusel on top before baking!
I found that fresh blueberries gave me the best texture and prevented the bread from turning purple throughout. If you do use frozen blueberries, do not thaw them first and toss them in gently. I also recommend stirring the blueberries first with a little flour which helps keep them from sinking to the bottom of your bread.
I also chose sour cream in this recipe because it creates a moist, tender crumb that stays soft for days. You can use melted butter or a neutral-tasting oil. Either way the result is a bakery-style loaf that’s simple to make but tastes like it came from your favorite coffee shop.
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Swirl
- Light brown sugar – If you run out of brown sugar you can make a homemade version by combining granulated sugar and molasses. Read more here on how to make homemade brown sugar.
- Ground cinnamon
For the Bread
- All-purpose flour: Be sure to spoon and level your flour. Scooping directly from the bag can add too much flour and create a dense loaf.
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs blend more easily into the batter. I place mine in a bowl for warm water for 10 minutes. Read more here on how to bring eggs to room temperature quickly.
- Butter (or oil): You can use melted butter or a neutral-tasting oil such as vegetable oil or canola oil. Oil will make for a moister bread. Butter will give more flavor but a denser bread. Read more here about oil vs butter in quick bread.
- Sour cream: This is the secret to a moist, tender loaf. Full-fat sour cream works best. Greek yogurt also works.
- Vanilla extract
- Blueberries: I recommend fresh blueberries for the best texture. Tossing them with flour helps prevent them from sinking. If you do use frozen blueberries, do not thaw first.
For the Glaze
- Powdered sugar – If you run out you can make your own by grinding down granulated sugar. Learn how to make powdered sugar here.
- Milk – Any milk works.
- Vanilla extract
How To Make Blueberry Cinnamon Bread
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (177°C) and preparing a 9×5-inch loaf pan. You can grease the pan or line it with parchment paper. I almost always choose parchment paper because it makes lifting the loaf out of the pan much easier.
Before making the batter, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon for the swirl. This simple mixture is what gives the bread those pockets of cinnamon-sugar flavor that remind me of a cinnamon roll.
Next, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, melted butter (or oil), and vanilla until smooth. The sour cream is one of my favorite ingredients in this recipe because it keeps the loaf soft and moist for days.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. This is one of those times where less mixing is better. Overmixing can create a tough, dense loaf, so stop as soon as you no longer see dry streaks of flour.
In a small bowl, stir together your blueberries with a Tablespoon of flour. The flour coats the blueberries and helps the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the bread.
Fold in the blueberries, leaving behind any extra flour. Tossing the berries with flour helps keep them from sinking, which means you’ll get blueberries throughout the loaf instead of a layer sitting at the bottom.
Spread half the batter into your prepared pan and sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top. This creates a sweet cinnamon ribbon running through the center of the bread.
For the topping, stir the remaining cinnamon sugar together with melted butter and flour until crumbly. It only takes a minute, but it adds a bakery-style streusel topping that makes this bread feel extra special.
Spread the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar layer and finish with the crumble topping.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Since this is a thick loaf packed with blueberries, it takes longer than many quick breads. Start checking near the end of the baking time with a toothpick inserted into the center. If it comes out with wet batter, keep baking. A few moist crumbs are perfectly fine.
Let the bread cool completely before adding the glaze. I know it’s tempting to rush this step, but warm bread will melt the glaze right off the top.
For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth, then drizzle it over the cooled loaf. Once the glaze sets, slice and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh blueberries when possible. Fresh berries hold their shape better and won’t discolor the batter the way frozen blueberries sometimes can. If using frozen berries, do not thaw them first.
- Toss the blueberries with flour. This simple step helps prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf while it bakes.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the dry ingredients disappear. Overmixing can lead to a dense, tough loaf instead of a soft, tender one. Lumps are ok!
- Cool completely before glazing. If the bread is still warm, the glaze will melt into the loaf instead of setting on top for that bakery-style finish.
Storage
Store the glazed bread tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate the bread for up to 1 week. Let slices come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
You can also freeze any leftovers. First, allow the bread to cool completely. Wrap the entire loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for several hours at room temperature before serving.
Bake directly from frozen at 350°F. Add approximately 15 to 25 minutes to the total baking time and check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf.
Recipe FAQs
This usually means the bread was underbaked. Be sure to check the bread with a toothpick about halfway down. You want to see moist crumbs but no wet batter.
I haven’t tried. But I would divide into muffin cups (adding a little streusel to each). Make sure to fill to the top. And bake at 425F for the first five minutes then 350F for 15-17 minutes.
More Recipes To Try
If you have extra blueberries to use up, I’ve got plenty of recipes to help. My lemon blueberry bread combines bright citrus flavor with fresh blueberries.
For breakfast or brunch, try my bakery-style blueberry breakfast cake or blueberry scones.
And if you’re looking for a summertime dessert, my mini blueberry pies is a crowd favorite!
Blueberry Cinnamon Bread
Ingredients
For the swirl
- ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the bread:
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour *spooned and leveled
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter melted melted (or neutral-tasting oil)
- ⅔ cup (151 g) sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups blueberries tossed in 1 tablespoon flour
For the streusel
- 2 Tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter melted
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
For the glaze
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5” loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter and flour, or line with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare topping. In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract. 2 large eggs ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter melted ⅔ cup (151 g) sour cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. 1 ½ cups blueberries
- Assemble bread. Pour ½ of the batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle on ½ the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Make streusel. With the remaining brown sugar cinnamon sugar mixture add the melted butter and flour. Stir until a crumbly mixture forms. 2 Tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- Assemble rest of the bread. Add the remaining batter and spread on top. Sprinkle on the crumble topping.
- Bake the bread. Bake for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan set on a wire cooling rack. Store the bread, and any leftovers, covered at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Make the glaze. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cooled bread. 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar 2-3 tablespoons milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store the glazed bread tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate the bread for up to 1 week. Let slices come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Freezing: You can also freeze any leftovers. First, allow the bread to cool completely. Wrap the entire loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for several hours at room temperature before serving.
- Butter (or oil): You can use melted butter or a neutral-tasting oil such as vegetable oil or canola oil. Oil will make for a moister bread. Butter will give more flavor but a denser bread. Use a neutral-tasting oil such as canola oil or vegetable oil.
- Sour cream: This is the secret to a moist, tender loaf. Full-fat sour cream works best. Greek yogurt also works.
- Blueberries: I recommend fresh blueberries for the best texture. Tossing them with flour helps prevent them from sinking. If you do use frozen blueberries, do not thaw first.
