Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
Made with frozen bread dough, then covered with a buttery, sweet cinnamon mixture, this soft Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread is a big family favorite! While the bread is still warm and gooey from the oven, it’s finished with a generous drizzle of powdered sugar icing.
Looking for other cinnamon roll treats? Try my Frozen Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream or my Hawaiian Roll Cinnamon Rolls.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Pull Apart Cinnamon Bread
- ⏲️ Hot and Ready In: Just over an hour, raising time included!
- 👨👨👦👦 Makes: 6 fat slices
- 🍽️ Calories: 357 kcal
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Frozen bread dough, butter, light corn syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, powdered sugar
- 💯 Why You’ll Love It: When fresh-baked, this cinnamon bread is cozy, fluffy, and tender. It delivers that melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon roll eating experience in a quick and easy way!
I’ve never had the opportunity to visit Dollywood, but I’m told they serve a delicious version of this Cinnamon Bread. Based on how crazy my own family and friends have gone over this ooey-gooey cinnamon bread, it has to be a nostalgic theme park favorite!
I love how using frozen bread dough to recreate this favorite works. It thaws quickly and is ready in no time. I like keeping a big bag of it on hand in my freezer for when I need to make a quick breakfast that everybody will be excited about.
I learned quickly that one loaf of this cinnamon bread is never enough for my family of 5. The first loaf is always devoured almost instantly, and if there’s not a second loaf available, I definitely hear about it! Everybody wants seconds….sometimes even thirds!
This bread is also a yummy warm treat to have ready when your kids get home from school, similar to my Canned Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream. The house will smell wonderful, and that intoxicating aroma will make a special memory for them!
Ingredients and Substitutions
For a complete list of ingredients, see the detailed recipe card below.
- Frozen bread dough: I always buy a 5-pound bag of Rhodes’ frozen white bread dough. I’ve used this brand for many years and have always had great luck with it raising perfectly. Each loaf weighs one pound and fits perfectly into a 9×5-inch bread pan.
- Melted butter and light corn syrup: This combination of ingredients is what makes the cinnamon and sugar mixture adhere perfectly to the bread dough!
- Brown sugar: I use dark brown sugar but you can substitute light brown sugar or even granulated sugar, if needed. If you like your bread super sweet, you can add a bit more brown sugar.
- Cinnamon: I sometimes increase the amount of cinnamon from 1 1/2 teaspoons to 2 teaspoons.
- For the icing: Powdered sugar, vanilla extract, kosher salt, melted butter, milk. Double these ingredients if you want extra icing for dipping the bread into when serving it. My boys love it when there’s extra cinnamon roll icing!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Place the loaf of bread dough into a greased 9×13-inch pan or onto a greased baking sheet with edges. Using a serrated knife, slice 5 slits into the loaf, making sure not to slice all the way through the bottom.
Step 2: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and corn syrup together. Pour the warm corn syrup mixture over the loaf of bread dough, using your fingers or a silicone basting brush to press it down into the slits, turning the loaf to coat it on all sides.
Step 3: In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar with the cinnamon. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the loaf, pressing it into the dough then rolling the loaf once more to coat it in the sugar mixture on all sides.
Step 4: Place a piece of parchment paper into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan, allowing the parchment to hang over the sides of the pan like handles. Spray the parchment with a bit of nonstick spray.
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Step 5: Place the loaf of bread dough into the prepared loaf pan, adding any remaining brown sugar mixture that’s leftover in the 9×13 pan where you worked.
Step 6: Let the bread dough rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, 30-45 minutes.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the bread for 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown. Cool the bread in the pan for 5-10 minutes before using the parchment paper to lift the loaf to a cooling rack.
Step 8: While the bread cools, prepare the frosting by combining the powdered sugar, vanilla, melted butter and milk until smooth.
Drizzle the prepared frosting over the warm loaf of cinnamon roll bread so it seeps directly down into all the nooks and crannies. Serve at once!
My Recipe Tips
- I have found that a sheet of parchment paper that is cut to 7-inches by 9-inches works great for the 9×5-inch bread pan. This fits right down into the pan very easily an has enough length that the sides fold over the long edges of the pan.
- Followers have asked if they HAVE to use parchment when baking this cinnamon bread. No, it’s not imperative, just very helpful since you can easily remove the entire loaf from the pan just by grabbing the parchment “handles” and lifting it out.
- Don’t let your bread dough raise too high before baking it. Once the brough dough has raised so the loaf is just about the same height as the top of the pan, it’s time to bake. Letting the loaf raise too high can cause it to fall once the bread has baked – such a disappointment!
- I like to use my oven for creating a nice warm environment for the bread to raise. Turn your oven on for 3 minutes (it will not be fully preheated at this point), then turn it off. The oven will be the perfect warm temperature to help the bread dough raise more quickly.
- If the icing is thick upon preparation, make it easy to drizzle right from the bowl over the bread by popping it into the microwave for 5-10 seconds to warm it first.
Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread FAQs
Once the bread is fully baked and cooled, you can freeze it for later, if desired. Keep in mind that it will never be as good as when it is served straight from the oven.
Reheat individual slices of Cinnamon Bread for a 8-10 seconds in the microwave. This makes it almost as good as freshly baked!
More Cinnamon Roll Themed Recipes
We pride ourselves on only the best cinnamon roll themed recipes around here. A few of our most popular are our Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling or our our Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls. Or really spice things up with this Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake!
If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others when they can read your personal feedback. And, if you snap any photos, please share them on Instagram so we can repost them to our Stories!
Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
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Ingredients
Bread
- 1 pound loaf frozen bread dough thawed
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Icing
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1-2 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Prepare the Bread
- Place the loaf of bread dough into a greased 9×13-inch pan or onto a greased baking sheet with edges.1 pound loaf frozen bread dough
- Using a serrated knife, slice 5 slits into the loaf, making sure not to slice all the way through the bottom.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and corn syrup together.2 tablespoons light corn syrup, 3 tablespoons melted butter
- Pour the warm corn syrup mixture over the loaf of bread dough, using your fingers or a silicone basting brush to press it down into the slits, turning the loaf to coat it on all sides.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar with the cinnamon.1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the loaf, pressing it into the dough then rolling the loaf once more to coat it in the sugar mixture on all sides.
- Place a piece of parchment paper into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan, allowing the parchment to hang over the sides of the pan like handles. Spray the parchment with a bit of nonstick spray.
- Place the loaf of bread dough into the prepared loaf pan, adding any remaining brown sugar mixture that's leftover in the 9×13 pan where you worked.
- Let the bread dough rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the bread for 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Cool the bread in the pan for 5-10 minutes before using the parchment paper to lift the loaf to a cooling rack.
Make the Icing
- While the bread cools, prepare the frosting by combining the powdered sugar, vanilla, melted butter and milk until smooth.1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch of kosher salt, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1-2 teaspoons milk
- Drizzle the prepared frosting over the warm loaf of cinnamon roll bread so it seeps directly down into the pastry, getting into all the nooks and crannies.
Notes
- I have found that a sheet of parchment paper that is cut to 7-inches by 9-inches works great for the 9×5-inch bread pan. This fits right down into the pan very easily an has enough length that the sides fold over the long edges of the pan.
- Followers have asked if they HAVE to use parchment when baking this cinnamon bread. No, it’s not imperative, just very helpful since you can easily remove the entire loaf from the pan just by grabbing the parchment “handles” and lifting it out.
- Don’t let your bread dough raise too high before baking it. Once the brough dough has raised so the loaf is just about the same height as the top of the pan, it’s time to bake. Letting the loaf raise too high can cause it to fall once the bread has baked – such a disappointment!
- I like to use my oven for creating a nice warm environment for the bread to raise. Turn your oven on for 3 minutes (it will not be fully preheated at this point), then turn it off. The oven will be the perfect warm temperature to help the bread dough raise more quickly.
- If the icing is thick upon preparation, make it easy to drizzle right from the bowl over the bread by popping it into the microwave for 5-10 seconds to warm it first.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Chef Alli is not a dietitian or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate.