Ultimate Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread – Sweet, Fluffy, and Irresistible!
There’s nothing quite like the smell of warm cinnamon and fresh-baked bread wafting through your kitchen. This Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread is the ultimate comfort food—a fluffy, sweet, and utterly irresistible treat that’s perfect for any occasion! It’s all the good things about cinnamon rolls with much less effort!
Whether you’re hosting a brunch, need a crowd-pleasing dessert, or just want to elevate your weekend baking game, this recipe is sure to be a hit. With its soft, pull-apart layers coated in cinnamon sugar and topped with a luscious glaze, it’s as fun to make as it is to eat.
Pair this decision recipe with a large glass of milk, your favorite coffee, a delicious and cozy Cinnamon Dolce Latte, or a homemade Chai Latte. Want a more traditional cinnamon roll recipe? Try this one!
Ready to dive into this decadent creation? Let’s get baking!
What Is Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread?
Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread is a delightful twist on the classic cinnamon roll, designed to be irresistibly shareable and fun to eat. Instead of rolling the dough into individual rolls, the dough is layered or stacked with cinnamon sugar and baked in a loaf or bundt pan.
The result is a soft, gooey bread that can be pulled apart piece by piece, making it perfect for sharing at breakfasts, brunches, or dessert tables. Each bite is filled with the warm, sweet flavors of cinnamon and sugar, often finished with a creamy glaze or frosting for extra indulgence. It’s a playful, crowd-pleasing treat that combines the best parts of cinnamon rolls and bread into one!
Why Make Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread?
Making Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread is a perfect way to elevate a classic treat while adding a fun, shareable twist. If the sweet cinnamon sugar and fluffy layers weren’t enough of a reason to make this recipe, here are a few others:
- Perfect for Sharing: The pull-apart design makes it ideal for gatherings–a cozy family breakfast, a holiday brunch, or a potluck dessert. Everyone can grab a piece without needing utensils!
- Gooey, Delicious Layers: Each layer is coated with a cinnamon-sugar mixture making every bite packed with warm, sweet flavors. The gooey texture is irresistibly satisfying, so it’s a great recipe to share.
- Easy and Fun to Make: While it looks impressive, the recipe is simple enough for beginner bakers. It’s also a great project to enjoy with kids or friends in the kitchen.
- Versatile and Customizable: You can get creative by adding extras like nuts, raisins, or even chocolate chips. Top it with cream cheese frosting, powdered sugar glaze, or leave it simple—it’s delicious no matter what!
- Irresistible Aroma: The smell of baking cinnamon and bread is pure comfort. It will fill your home with a cozy, inviting fragrance that is hard to resist!
Whether you’re looking to impress guests or just treat yourself, Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread is a guaranteed hit that’s as fun to make as it is to eat!
Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread Ingredients
You can easily make this delicious bread with pantry staple ingredients. No need to go searching for anything out of the ordinary!
- All purpose flour: You can make this recipe with an ancient grain like Kamut or Einkorn. You can also easily make it with unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Granulated sugar: You can use white sugar, coconut sugar, or sucanat.
- Rapid-rise yeast: Make sure to use a fast acting yeast to avoid a long rise time. See the notes below on baking with yeast.
- Salt
- Water and milk: We typically use whole milk, as that is what we have, but you can use any. You can also substitute almond or oat milk for a dairy-free option.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is best, but you can use what you have. If you have salted butter, decrease the salt in the dough to 1/2 teaspoon. You will use melted butter in the dough and softened butter in the filling.
- Cinnamon: Make sure to get ground cinnamon and not cinnamon sugar.
- Powdered sugar, vanilla extract, heavy cream or milk: These form the icing ingredients. If you don’t have any cream or milk, you can also thin out the icing with water. If you don’t have any powdered sugar, you can simply make it by grinding cane sugar in a food processor!
Baking With Yeast
We love sourdough in our house and have made this bread with active starter, but using commercial yeast makes this recipe so easy! Yeast acts as a leavening agent. It ferments the sugars in the dough to produce carbon dioxide, which helps it rise (and be so fluffy and delicious!).
Choosing rapid rise or fast-acting yeast can make a significant difference in your baking process. Unlike active dry yeast, which requires proofing in warm water to activate, rapid rise yeast works faster, shortening the rise time. This makes it ideal for recipes where convenience and speed are key, such as weeknight baking or last-minute treats. Because we don’t want to wait a long time for this bread to rise, I use rapid-rise yeast here.
However, for traditional recipes or those requiring complex flavors, active dry yeast is ideal for its slower fermentation and depth of taste. Use what you have on hand, just know that using active dry yeast will require a longer rise time!
Pull-Apart Bread Variations
Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread is incredibly versatile. You can easily customize it with different flavors and textures to suit your taste. Here are some delicious variations:
- Nutty Delight: Add chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds to the cinnamon sugar filling for a satisfying crunch and extra texture.
- Chocolate Lovers’ Twist: Sprinkle mini chocolate chips or drizzle melted chocolate between the layers for a rich, indulgent treat.
- Caramel Apple: Add finely diced apples and a drizzle of caramel sauce to the filling for a cozy fall-inspired flavor.
- Cream Cheese Swirl: Spread softened cream cheese or a cream cheese filling between the layers for a tangy, creamy addition.
- Pumpkin Spice: Mix pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice into the filling for a seasonal twist that’s perfect for autumn.
- Berry Bliss: Add a layer of fruit preserves or fresh berries like blueberries or raspberries for a fruity pop of flavor.
- Savory Option: Swap out the cinnamon sugar for garlic butter, shredded cheese, and herbs for a savory pull-apart bread variation.
These options allow you to create something unique every time, whether you’re sticking to classic flavors or experimenting with something new!
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread
This Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread is the ultimate comfort food—a fluffy, sweet, and utterly irresistible treat that’s perfect for any occasion! It's all the good things about cinnamon rolls with much less effort.
Ingredients
Bread Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2 & 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (1 packet)
- 2 Tablespoons cane sugar (or sugar of choice)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons butter
Filling Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 &1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Icing Ingredients
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- Tiny pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium heat, add the water, milk, and butter to simmer until about the temperature of bath water. Alternatively, you can microwave the combination for about a minute.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine 1 cup of flour with the yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix with the paddle attachement or whisk.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients, and mix until completely combined and there are no clumps of flower remaining.
- If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook, and add the remaining flour. The dough will start to thicken and become harder to mix.
- Knead the dough in the mixer or transfer it to a lightly floured surface to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes.
- Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until it is a long rectangle (about 16x18 in).
- Mix together softened butter, cinnamon, and sugar, then spread over the rolled out dough.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into five long rectangles, then cut those into squares.
- Stack the dough squares, and transfer to an oiled bread pan. Loosely stack the squares on their sides (standing up - to create the layers).
- Cover the bread pan with a towel or plastic wrap, and allow to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).
- Bake uncovered at 350˚F for 25-30 minutes until bread is golden in color. Allow bread to cool completely before applying glaze.
- Once the bread has doubled in size, preheat your oven to 375. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the dough is cooked through.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before mixing up the frosting and drizzling it all over the loaf.
- To make the icing, whisk together the powdered sugar (sifting will help get a really smooth icing!), milk or cream, and vanilla. Start with 2 Tbsp of milk/cream and add up to 1 Tbsp more to desired consistency. Once the icing is smooth, pour over cooled bread.
- Slice, serve, and pull-apart. Enjoy!
Notes
- I like to use my stand mixer for this recipe to make the kneading process easier, but you can definitely do it by hand.
- To make this recipe vegan, simply use a butter substitue and non-dairy milk.
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