Cinnamon Dessert Recipes: Soft Cookies, Sweet Cakes, and More

There’s something about cinnamon that instantly feels like home. Maybe it’s the way the sweet scent curls through the kitchen. Or maybe it’s how every cinnamon dessert seems tied to a memory of rainy days and quiet weekends. If you’re just getting into baking, this spice is one of the easiest and most comforting flavors to start with.

At a Glance: Cinnamon Dessert Recipes

• Three cinnamon desserts for weekend baking: snickerdoodles with cinnamon-sugar coating, cinnamon roll bread pudding, and cinnamon swirl pound cake.
• Snickerdoodles bake in 9 to 10 minutes at 375°F after rolling dough balls in cinnamon-sugar coating for chewy centers and crisp edges.
• Bread pudding uses leftover cinnamon rolls soaked in egg custard for 10 minutes, then baked for 35 to 40 minutes until set.
• Pound cake swirl technique layers batter with brown sugar cinnamon mix, then drags a knife through in an S-pattern before baking for 55 to 60 minutes.

The Best Cinnamon Dessert Recipes

When you want your kitchen to smell amazing and your afternoon to feel a little sweeter, here are three cinnamon dessert recipes worth trying.

Cinnamon-Sugar Crusted Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are snacks that are chewy in the middle and coated in their signature cinnamon-sugar layer. They are the kind of cookies that pair well with a glass of milk.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon (for coating)

How to Make Them:

• Heat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar together until the mixture looks smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and stir well after each addition.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture until a soft, dough-like consistency forms.
• In a small bowl, mix the coating sugar and cinnamon. Roll spoonfuls of dough into small balls using your hands, then roll each ball on the cinnamon-sugar coating until fully covered.
• Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets but leave space between each cookie to prevent sticking.
• Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the edges look golden brown. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

Cinnamon roll bread pudding features a rich and custardy texture and a cinnamon filling inside. It’s the kind of dessert you want to eat as you curl up with a blanket and a book.

What You’ll Need:

• 4–5 cups chopped cinnamon rolls or cinnamon bread
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt

How to Make It:

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a small baking dish.
• Cut the cinnamon rolls or bread into bite-sized pieces and spread them evenly in the dish.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until the mixture turns smooth. Pour this custard mixture evenly over the bread pieces.
• Let the bread soak for about 10 minutes, then press down gently with the back of a spoon to help it absorb the liquid.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center looks set and no longer jiggles when lightly shaken.
• Serve the bread pudding warm. If you’d like something extra, add a drizzle of icing or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake

Cinnamon swirl pound cake is a dense, buttery crumb with a soft cinnamon-sugar swirl inside. You can see marbled lines in every slice that are almost too pretty to eat.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Swirl Mix:

• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

How to Make It:

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan and set it aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until the texture becomes fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time then stir in the sour cream and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
• In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon to create the swirl.
• Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan. Then sprinkle half of the swirl mixture evenly over the batter. Add the remainder of the batter, then top with the remaining cinnamon mixture.
• Use a butter knife to gently swirl the layers by dragging it through the batter in a loose S-pattern.
• Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to cool completely.

Your Cinnamon Go-To’s

Try one of these cinnamon dessert recipes the next time your kitchen needs something warm and familiar. They're simple enough for weekday baking but special enough to save for the holidays.

Keep the warm, spiced goodness coming all year long. Visit homemaderecipes.com for more cozy desserts.

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