This easy and fast cinnamon twist loaf is a delicious and quick treat to make! Perfect for a busy day when you don’t have the time to bake a traditional cinnamon roll recipe. My family devours it every time I make one (or two, haha)!

*UPDATE So many of you have successfully made this recipe! It makes me SO thrilled to hear you are loving it. Thank you! If you’d like to try my apple cinnamon version, check it out here!

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One of our family’s favorite desserts is granny’s cinnamon rolls, but I don’t always have time to make them! I really wanted to create a recipe that would give us our cinnamon roll fix without all the rise time. Don’t get me wrong, it is SO worth letting cinnamon rolls rise to create that tender, fluffy bite. But this recipe is quick and pretty darn dynamite, if I do say so.

Ingredient List:

  • Sugar
  • Yeast (I recommend SAF instant)
  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Butter
  • Brown Sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Heavy Cream
  • Cream cheese (if desired for frosting)

This post contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure here.

I am so excited to share this easy and fast cinnamon twist loaf recipe with you. It makes a huge, gorgeous sheet pan’s length twisted loaf! You can also cut it in half and bake them in two bread loaf pans. Keep the baking temp and length of time the same.

Either way, this dessert is pretty darn fast to whip up. It usually takes me just over and hour and it is so delicious right out of the oven! You could even drizzle a little caramel sauce on top to make it extra indulgent.

I really hope you love this recipe like my family does. If you happen to make it, please let me know! You can tag me over on Instagram @Handmade.farmhouse. It brings me so much joy to see.

Supplies for baking:

Having a kitchenmaid mixer is not a necessity for this recipe, but it does make it easier to make. Here is a great size on sale!

4.20 from 5 votes

Easy and Fast Cinnamon Twist Loaf

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups Warm water
  • 1 Tablespoon Dry active yeast I prefer SAF yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
  • 3 1/2 Cups All purpose flour
  • 1 Teaspoon salt

Filling

  • 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter Melted
  • 1/2 Cup Packed brown sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

Buttery glaze

  • 1 Cup Powdered sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons Room temperature butter
  • 3-4 Tablespoons Heavy cream

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 Ounces Cream Cheese Softened
  • 4 Tablespoons Salted butter Room temp
  • 2/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla extract

Warm Vanilla Frosting

  • 2 Cups Powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Salted butter Room Temp
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract
  • 2-4 Tablespoons Milk or Heavy Cream

Instructions

  • Prepare dough in a mixer. Combine warm water with yeast and sugar. Mix and allow to proof (activate and bloom) for about 5 minutes or until foamy.
    Add 1 teaspoon salt and 3 1/2 cups flour. Let mix on medium speed until well combined. Dough should be smooth and elastic. Turn dough onto a floured counter. Allow to rise covered with a tea towel for about 10 minutes.
    Sprinkle flour on top if the dough is sticky. Roll dough into a rectangle about 10×12. Brush rectangle with melted butter. Sprinkle and spread cinnamon and sugar mixture to cover the dough.
    Roll dough lengthwise like you’re making cinnamon rolls.
    *Add roll to a baking sheet with parchment for easy clean up.
    With a pastry knife or sharp knife make a slice down the center of the roll leaving about a 1/2 inch attached at one end. Cut side up, twist dough ropes and tuck ends under.
    Allow to rise (covered with a tea towel) for 20 minutes. This will really help it form into a beautiful shape. I like to preheat my oven while the twist rises.
    Bake at 375° for 23-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool slightly before adding buttery glaze.
  • Buttery Glaze or warm vanilla topping: Mix ingredients together and add to twist after it has cooled 10-15 minutes. The glaze will melt onto the twist and create a sweet and delicious topping to compliment the filling!

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • If you'd like to add a thicker cream cheese frosting, here is what I make!
    2 Ounces Cream cheese softened 4 Tablespoons (2 oz) Salted butter softened 2/3 Cup Powdered sugar 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
    Mix room temperature butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and whip until you have a smooth, creamy frosting! Add to the twist once it is warm, not hot.

Notes

*TIP the tighter you roll up your dough the more layers your twist will have once cut. I like to roll the dough tight so it creates a beautiful texture once I form the twist. 
This recipe makes one very large twist. It can be sliced into up to 12 slices to share. 
Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Keyword: Cinnamon, cinnamon roll bread, cinnamon twist loaf

Did You Love This Recipe?

Make sure to leave a comment below and rate it!

FAQ

How can I avoid a messy pan after baking?

A little filling might leak out onto the pan while baking. I recommend lining your pan with a parchment sheet for easy release and clean up! If you do not have parchment, you can spray a sheet of tin foil with non-stick spray.

Can I make this recipe ahead?

This recipe can be made ahead of time. If you need to make it before the day of serving, I would recommend baking, fully cooling and then cutting into 3rds and freezing in gallon ziplock bags. Thaw to room temperature the day of, and make glaze frosting.

How long will the cinnamon twist loaf stay good after baking?

The twist loaf will stay good for 48 hours after baking if kept in an airtight container.

What is the best way to store it?

The loaf is best stored at room temperature in an airtight container or ziplock bag.

Other Easy Dessert recipes you might enjoy:

The Best Ever Chocolate Brownies
Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies
No-Bake Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes

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Quick Apple Cinnamon Twist Loaf

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Hi! I’m Emily, homemaker at our handmade farmhouse. Here I write about my daily adventures experimenting in the kitchen, DIY home projects, gardening with my family, and intentional, affordable decorating. I believe HOME should be a safe-haven from life’s daily weight and always be the place you want to be most in the world.

4.20 from 5 votes

21 Comments

    1. No misprint. Did you double check the amount of water you added? Once in a while if someone reaches out it has either been they added the wrong amount or because they tried to convert the recipe to grams and didn’t follow a conversion chart. I would love to try and help figure out what went wrong for you so you can make and enjoy it! I’ve had so many people make it successfully so far. Thank you for commenting today!

    1. I have not tested the recipe with GF flours but I would love to experiment or hear how yours turns out if you make it GF!

    2. I’ve just made this using GF flour, DF butter. When I went to roll the rectangle, it started to break apart. And when I sliced down the center, it broke apart in many places. I think this will taste good, but it’s not pretty like the photos 🙁

      1. Hi Roxanne! Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, Gluten Free flour has a completely different texture than all purpose. It is a very thirsty floor and you would not be able to follow a recipe like this cup for cup. It would also need xantham gum or possibly even psyllium husk to help replace the gluten. I will work on a recipe that is a GF version as I have family members who have celiac and I know how important it is to make GF recipes tasty!

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  5. 4 stars
    I don’t know what happened but was to big to handle I had to cut som off end to fit in cookie sheet. I used instant yeast. Is it different than active?
    Wish I could send a photo

    1. Hi Carolyn! No worries at all. Sometimes the dough gets stretched out a little longer or maybe your rectangle may have been slightly larger than the 10×12 to start. You can cut the twist in half and bake in loaf pans or even cut and situate so both fit on the baking tray. Did you enjoy the taste?

    1. Hi Ana, I am working on re-writing the recipe with measurements in grams. Stay tuned, thank you!

  7. 2 stars
    Hello! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I genuinely enjoy reading your articles.

    Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same topics?
    Thanks a ton!

  8. For someone who has never made cinnamon rolls ever! I made this evening and recipe was very easy. Although, again not being familiar with making any kind of bread, I would have loved to have known what attachment to use with my kitchen aid and also approximately how long to mix. I was doubtful about the smooth part! And I ended up using my bread hook which seemed fine! Thanks!

    1. Thank you so much for your suggestion! I will happily add those details to the recipe. I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe and had success, especially with it being a new process. Thank you!

    1. Hi! I have tested doubling the recipe but found that the dough needed more flour. I will work on testing amounts this week!

  11. 5 stars
    I loved this recipe! Tastes just like cinnamon rolls without all the work of rolling and cutting them out. Yumm!

  12. 5 stars
    I love this recipe! We make it on a regular basis. I cut mine in half and make 2 loaves out of it since it seems to be too much for my little family of 4 (2 toddlers). Its a fan favorite at family events

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