Sourdough Cinnamon Recipes
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There’s just something magical about cinnamon and sourdough together. The warmth of cinnamon paired with the tangy depth of sourdough creates bakes that are comforting, flavorful, and impossible to resist. Whether it’s a soft and swirly loaf, chewy cookies, or a batch of gooey rolls fresh from the oven, sourdough cinnamon recipes have a way of making your kitchen smell like home.
Sourdough Cinnamon Breads & Rolls
Adding cinnamon to sourdough bread doughs can bring phenomenal results, but in my experience, can also lead to some big disappointments! Cinnamon does inhibit fermentation, thus adding it to your dough will slow the rise down somewhat. So what can you do to ensure you are successful when combining sourdough and cinnamon?
- Add smaller amounts of cinnamon to bread dough after the dough has already has some rise time, allowing the yeast to multiply and strengthen before the cinnamon slows them down.
- Add the cinnamon at shaping instead. This means the dough has the ability to bulk ferment without cinnamon present (you'll see this is the process I use in many of my sourdough bread doughs, including this popular cinnamon swirl sourdough bread).
- Keep your dough warm when using cinnamon. Cinnamon plus cold temperatures generally equals dough that never rises! Peak inside The Pantry Mama test kitchen to see how I keep my dough warm when using cinnamon.
Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread
You'll love this crusty artisan loaf with cinnamon-brown sugar. The cinnamon sugar is added at shaping to keep fermentation strong. It’s gently sweet and ideal for toast or French toast. Add raisins for a classic twist, and use a cold ferment for extra flavor.
Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins
These sourdough cinnamon raisin English muffins are soft, chewy, and lightly sweet with a hint of warm spice. Cooked on a skillet for golden, crisp edges and full of nooks and crannies, they’re perfect toasted with butter and make-ahead friendly since they freeze beautifully.
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
These sourdough cinnamon rolls have soft, pillowy dough, rich cinnamon-sugar spirals, and optional cream cheese frosting. This recipe uses active starter for well-developed flavor, with a quick discard + yeast option if you’re short on time. The overnight schedule is flexible, and the baked rolls freeze and reheat well for make-ahead breakfasts or holidays.
Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Focaccia Bread
Sourdough cinnamon roll focaccia bread is a soft, pillowy mashup of focaccia and cinnamon rolls, dimpled with brown sugar–cinnamon butter and finished with a drizzle of vanilla cream cheese frosting. It’s mostly hands-off, bakes up golden and bubbly, and can be made with active starter or discard plus a pinch of yeast to fit your schedule.
Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bagels
Cinnamon raisin sourdough bagels are chewy, golden, and gently sweet with juicy raisins and a cinnamon-sugar finish. You’ll mix a sturdy dough with active starter or discard (add a pinch of yeast if needed), let it rise, then shape, honey-boil, and bake for a classic bagel crust. Lovely with pumpkin cream cheese or cultured butter, and easy to freeze for toaster-ready breakfasts.
Maple Pecan Sourdough Loaf
This delicious sourdough loaf is flavored with maple syrup and pecans and swirled with brown sugar and fragrant cinnamon to create a flavor combination that is truly special!
No Wait Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
No wait sourdough cinnamon rolls deliver all the gooey cinnamon-sugar swirls and tangy flavor you love without waiting. Using baking powder and soda (plus starter or discard for depth), they mix, roll, and bake in under an hour, finishing with a swoop of vanilla cream cheese frosting. Perfect for last-minute cravings, and best enjoyed warm the day they’re made.
Sourdough Cinnamon Filled Muffins & Pancakes
When making muffins and pancakes using sourdough discard, you don't need to worry about the cinnamon preventing fermentation because these recipes are generally mixed and baked in a short period of time with no waiting.
Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
These sheet pan sourdough cinnamon roll pancakes are the best easy, no-fuss breakfast that still feels extra special. Fluffy, golden pancakes are swirled with brown sugar and cinnamon, then finished with a drizzle of creamy vanilla icing. Perfect for weekends or holidays, they capture all the cozy flavor of cinnamon rolls without the wait.
Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins
Soft, warmly spiced sourdough cinnamon muffins come together in about 30 minutes using pantry staples and 200 g of starter for tenderness and a gentle tang. Keep them simple for coffee time or dress them up with chocolate chips, a cinnamon-sugar donut finish, pecans, or even mashed banana or grated carrot. Bake a dozen for easy snacks, split and butter while warm, and stash the rest in the freezer for lunch boxes.
Sourdough Banana Muffins
Sourdough Apple & Cinnamon Muffins
Sourdough Cookies & Cakes with Cinnamon
Again, with sourdough cookies and cakes, you don't have to ferment the dough, so you don't need to worry about the cinnamon inhibiting fermentation. I do however like to ferment my sourdough cookie doughs for at least 24 hours. Cookie dough doesn't rely on yeast, so the cinnamon doesn't cause any dramas here.
Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies
The ultimate sourdough cinnamon sugar cookie! These velvety smooth sourdough snickerdoodle cookies have slightly crispy edges and are rolled in cinnamon sugar for the ultimate holiday treat!
Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These are the kind of cookies that memories are made of! Filled with rolled oats, juicy raisins and of course some cinnamon to provide that warm, comforting flavor, these are an absolute must bake!
Sourdough Cinnamon Sugar Crackers
Sourdough Cinnamon Ripple Quick Bread
This cinnamon ripple sourdough quick bread is swirled with sweet cinnamon sugar and drizzled with a simple glaze. Made with sourdough discard, it’s soft, moist, and bakes up in just an hour. It's perfect for breakfast, brunch, or gifting.
Sourdough Coffee Cake
This simple sourdough coffee cake has a tender, tangy crumb with a cinnamon pecan streusel that crackles on top and melts into the middle. Enjoy it warm with coffee, or dress it up for dessert. You can even long-ferment the batter overnight for extra depth. Try easy twists like blueberries in the center, citrus zest in the batter, or swapping in walnuts or almonds to make it your own.
Recipe Tips for Baking with Sourdough & Cinnamon
I've brought together the very best sourdough recipes featuring cinnamon, perfect for cozy mornings, holiday gatherings, or anytime you’re craving a little extra sweetness. From breakfast favorites to indulgent desserts, you’re sure to find a new family favorite (or two!).
Make-ahead friendly: Many sourdough cinnamon recipes can be prepared the night before and baked in the morning for fresh, warm treats with minimal effort. Sourdough cinnamon rolls pulled from the fridge on Christmas morning and baked until soft and golden, yes please!
Use fresh cinnamon: Cinnamon loses its flavor over time, so for the best-tasting bakes, make sure your cinnamon is fresh and fragrant. I always buy a fresh tub of cinnamon at the beginning of the season to ensure the best flavor and fragrance.
Don’t overproof: Enriched doughs (like sourdough cinnamon rolls) can be a little sluggish, so keep an eye on proofing times. A dough that rises too long can lose its structure and bake up dense.
Try different cinnamons: Did you know there are different types of cinnamon? Saigon (or Vietnamese) cinnamon is bold and spicy, while Ceylon cinnamon is more delicate and sweet—experiment to find your favorite.
Try adding a teaspoon to your fave recipe: Sometimes all you need is a teaspoon of cinnamon for a fall twist on an old favorite. Try adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to these sourdough chocolate chip cookies.
From simple muffins to swirled loaves and everything in between, these recipes prove just how versatile and comforting this flavor pairing can be.
Whether you’re baking for a quiet morning at home, a holiday table, or just to satisfy a craving, each recipe brings its own kind of warmth and sweetness.
