Cinnamon Raisin Bread for the Bread Machine

By
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Expert baker and published author, Carroll Pellegrinelli shares her knowledge of bread baking and desserts.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/29/24
Tested by
Carrie Parente
Carrie Parente
Tested by Carrie Parente
Carrie is a freelance food stylist and culinary producer who loves having a table full of guests.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Cinnamon raisin loaf in a cut view showing the crumb

The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 20 mins
Total: 3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Yield: 1 (2-pound) loaf

Cinnamon raisin bread is a lightly sweet yeast bread scented with cinnamon and studded with plump dried fruit. This recipe is designed for the bread machine, which might be one of the best inventions of the 20th century. It makes fresh-baked bread effortless, automating the mixing, kneading, rising, and baking in one simple device.

The cinnamon raisin bread is especially delicious for breakfast when spread with butter or cream cheese. It's excellent served alongside brunch dishes like an egg casserole, and leftovers are good toasted or turned into cinnamon French toast. The bread freezes well, too.

What You'll Need to Make This Cinnamon Raisin Bread Recipe
A Good Set of Measuring Spoons
A Handy Dandy Bread Machine
A Nice Cooling Rack

“Raisins and cinnamon make a nice addition to this simple bread machine recipe. It’s great toasted with a slather of butter, and I bet it would make a great French toast too. Slice and freeze leftovers, if you have any.” —Carrie Parente

Bread Machine Cinnamon Raisin Bread Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups water

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 teaspoons sea salt

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

  • 4 1/4 cups bread flour

  • 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

  • 1 cup raisins

  • Unsalted butter, room temperature, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for bread machine cinnamon raisin bread recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Place the ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order listed: water, butter, salt, brown sugar, bread flour, nonfat dry milk, and ground cinnamon.

    Ingredients placed in bread machine with cinnamon at the top

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Make a small well in the ingredients with your finger. Add the active dry yeast to the well; this will ensure the proper timing of the yeast reaction.

    Dry yeast placed in a well in the center of the ingredients in the bread machine

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Process the bread in the bread machine at the sweet, rapid, or timed cycle, or according to manufacturer's directions. If the machine asks for the size of the loaf, select 2 pounds.

    Ingredients being processed in the bread machine

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. Add the raisins at the fruit and nut signal (about 30 to 40 minutes into the cycle, depending on the machine). If you add them in the beginning, the raisins will be pulverized.

    Raisins evenly distributed over the dough in the bread machine

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  6. Allow the bread machine to proceed through its cycle and bake the bread.

    Bread machine showing browned loaf in the viewing window

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  7. Remove the bread from the pan and place on a rack to cool completely before serving.

    Golden brown cinnamon raisin bread on a wire cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

  8. Serve with room temperature butter and enjoy.

    Slice of cinnamon raisin bread being spread with butter on a plate

    The Spruce Eats / Abbey Littlejohn

Tip

  • It's important to add ingredients to the bread machine in a certain order: liquids, dry ingredients, yeast. By adding the yeast last, you ensure that it remains separate from the liquids until the kneading cycle. Bread machines vary and some work best with ingredients in a different order; review your machine's directions just in case.
  • If you live at a high altitude, be sure to adjust bread machine recipes just like you would oven-baked goods.

Recipe Variations

  • Swap raisins for currants or dried cranberries if you like.
  • Add 1/2 cup of chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans along with the dried fruit.

How to Store and Freeze

If you will be using the bread over the next three days, you can store it at room temperature in foil, plastic wrap, or a plastic bag. Choose a cool, dry place to keep your bread loaf.


For longer storage, you can freeze the bread. Place the cooled loaf in a storage bag in the freezer and label the bag with the date, contents, and a "use by" date three months in the future. Allow it to thaw at room temperature for an hour.

Is it OK to Use Regular Flour in a Bread Machine?

Often thought of as "regular" flour, all-purpose flour is a good substitute for bread flour, even in a bread machine. The difference between the two is that bread flour includes more gluten, which gives bread more rise. For the most part, you won't notice the difference when making this bread with all-purpose flour.

Can Bread Be Left in the Bread Machine?

It is best to remove baked bread from the bread machine and pan as soon as possible. Many machines have a "keep warm" setting that lasts for about an hour. While it won't overbake the bread, the crust will get harder. The bigger concern is that the residual heat inside the machine can cause condensation and make the bread soggy. If you want fresh-baked bread ready for breakfast, utilize your bread machine's delayed start function. Set it to start early in the morning so you wake up to the lovely aroma of fresh-baked bread and a delicious meal.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
307 Calories
5g Fat
59g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 307
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 461mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 59g 21%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 37mg 3%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 204mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)