Cinnamon raisin bread earns its keep at breakfast. This lightly sweetened loaf bakes up soft enough for sandwiches, sturdy enough for French toast, and just plain good toasted with butter when the morning starts earlier than your patience.
Bread Machine Note: The Bread machine that I used for the bread (displayed in the photo) is the West Bend High Rise (dual paddle) model.Although this recipe should work fine in any Bread Machine.
This bread machine mix keeps the dry ingredients ready to go, so all you have to add later are warm water, butter, and yeast. One 1-pound loaf gives you about 12 slices, and the batch cost is about $4.50 total, or roughly $0.37 per slice, using current Walmart pricing as an estimate.
Ingredients for Cinnamon Raisin Bread
For the dry bread machine mix, you’ll combine:
- 3 1/4 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup raisins
When you’re ready to bake the loaf, you’ll also need:
- 1 1/4 cups warm water, about 90°F
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
If you want to keep mixing your own bread machine staples, take a look at Homemade Bread Machine Mixes for more ready-to-bag loaf ideas.
How to Make the Mix
Dump the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and raisins into a large zip-top bag. Shake and turn the bag until everything is evenly combined. That’s it. No ceremony required.
Label the bag with the wet ingredients and bread machine directions so you don’t have to guess six weeks from now when you’re standing in the kitchen half awake.
- Combine the bread flour, sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and raisins in a large zip-top bag.
- Seal the bag and mix well until the raisins and cinnamon are distributed throughout the flour.
- Write the completion instructions on the bag: add 1 1/4 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons softened butter, and 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast.
- Store the sealed mix in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to bake.
Bread Machine Instructions
Use the sweet bread setting if your machine has one. If it doesn’t, use the setting your manufacturer recommends for sweet yeast breads. The goal is a fully baked, lightly sweet loaf, not a pale brick with raisins trapped inside it.
- Pour 1 1/4 cups warm water into the bread machine pan.
- Gently dump the contents of the bread machine mix on top of the water.
- Add 2 tablespoons softened butter to the corners of the bread pan on top of the flour mixture.
- Make a small well in the center of the dry mix and add 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast.
- Set the machine to the sweet bread cycle, or use the basic 1-pound loaf setting with your preferred crust color if that works better for your model.
- Let the machine complete the cycle, then remove the loaf promptly and cool it on a rack before slicing.
Don’t have a bread machine? You can use the method in How to prepare a bread machine mix without a bread machine to make this loaf by hand or with a stand mixer.
Helpful Tips for Better Loaves
Use bread flour if you can. It has more gluten than all-purpose flour, which helps the loaf rise higher and hold its shape better. If all-purpose flour is what you have, add 1 teaspoon vital wheat gluten per cup of flour to help make up the difference.
Keep the yeast separated from the water until the cycle starts. That small well in the center matters, especially if you’re using a delayed start.
Aim for truly warm, not hot, water. Around 90°F works well here and keeps the yeast moving without pushing it too far. Water that’s too hot can weaken or kill yeast, which is a ridiculous way to lose a loaf.
Cool the bread before slicing. Fresh bread smells like a trap, but cutting it too soon can make the crumb gummy instead of tender.
Easy Variations and Substitutions
You can swap the raisins for other dried fruit if you want a different spin. Dried cherries make a nice change, and Cherry Raisin Cinnamon Bread Machine Mix is worth a look if you like that flavor combination.
If you need to use all-purpose flour, add vital wheat gluten as noted above. For this recipe’s 3 1/4 cups flour, that means 3 1/4 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten.
Margarine can stand in for butter in the machine if that’s what you keep on hand. The loaf will still bake up fine, though butter gives the best flavor.
Storage and Shelf Life
The dry mix keeps best in an airtight bag or jar in a cool, dry cupboard for about 6 months as an estimate. That’s a practical pantry window based on the shortest-lived ingredients here, especially the raisins and ground cinnamon, which lose quality before the flour does.
Once baked, let the loaf cool completely, then wrap it tightly or store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the sliced or whole loaf for up to 3 months for best quality. The general leftover storage window lines up with guidance from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
If your kitchen runs humid, freeze half the loaf on day one. Cinnamon raisin bread rarely gets stale before it gets eaten, but mold is less charming than nostalgia.
Serving Ideas
This loaf is made for toast. Add butter, cream cheese, or a little peanut butter and call breakfast handled.
It also makes excellent French toast because the cinnamon and raisins are already built in. You can even use slightly older slices for bread pudding, grilled sweet sandwiches, or a quick after-school snack toasted and cut into sticks.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bread flour |
$2.96 |
3 1/4 C. |
$0.51 |
|
White sugar |
$2.98 |
1/4 C. |
$0.08 |
|
Salt |
$0.62 |
1 1/2 t. |
$0.01 |
|
Ground cinnamon |
$1.27 |
2 t. |
$0.09 |
|
Raisins |
$2.98 |
3/4 C. |
$0.57 |
|
Warm water |
– |
1 1/4 C. |
$0.01 |
|
Butter |
$2.98 |
2 T. |
$0.19 |
|
Active dry yeast |
$5.24 |
2 1/4 t. |
$0.31 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$1.77 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$0.15 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- Bread Flour, 5 lb
- Granulated Sugar, 4 lb
- Iodized Salt, 26 oz
- Ground Cinnamon, 2.37 oz
- Sun-Dried Raisins, 20 oz
- Water, 1 gallon
- Salted Butter, 16 oz
- Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 oz 3 count
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cinnamon Raisin Bread
You can, but add 1 teaspoon vital wheat gluten per cup of flour so the loaf still has enough structure to rise well. For this batch, that works out to 3 1/4 teaspoons gluten with 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, which helps keep the crumb from turning squat and heavy.
No, not for this bread machine version. The raisins soften during the cycle, and adding them dry keeps extra moisture out of the dough so you don’t accidentally throw off the loaf texture.
The usual culprits are old yeast, too much flour, or water that’s too hot or too cool. Measure the flour carefully, keep the water around 90°F, and make sure the yeast goes into a dry well on top of the mix so it starts working at the right time.
It’s better to stick with active dry yeast here because that’s what the loaf was built for. If you swap in instant yeast, use a little less, about 1 3/4 to 2 teaspoons, since instant yeast tends to work faster and can over-rise in some bread machines.
Use the sweet bread cycle if your machine has one. If it doesn’t, the basic 1-pound loaf setting usually works, but choose a light or medium crust first if your machine tends to run hot because the sugar and raisins encourage faster browning.
Absolutely. Seal the dry mix tightly and keep it in a cool, dry cupboard for about 6 months for best quality. If your pantry gets warm or humid, use a jar or freezer bag with as little trapped air as possible so the raisins and cinnamon stay in better shape.
Wait until the loaf is fully cool, then use a serrated bread knife and a gentle sawing motion. Cutting it hot presses the crumb flat and makes the slices gummy, which is frustrating and completely avoidable.
Cream cheese, apple butter, peanut butter, and honey all work well here. You can also turn it into French toast or toasted breakfast sandwiches if you want the loaf to pull a little more weight at the table.
Yes, double the dry mix just fine, but bake it as two separate 1-pound loaves unless your machine is built for larger batches. Trying to cram too much dough into a smaller machine usually ends with a mushroom top or an underbaked center, and neither is a win.
Yes, and slicing it first makes life easier. Wrap the loaf or slices tightly, freeze for up to 3 months for best quality, and pull out only what you need so breakfast doesn’t become a thawing project.
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Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and tell us how your loaf turned out, or what you served with it. Practical kitchen notes are always welcome.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups bread flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup raisins
- 1 ¼ cups warm water about 90°F
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine the bread flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and raisins in a large zip-top bag and mix well.
- Pour the warm water into the bread machine pan.
- Gently dump the dry mix over the water.
- Add the softened butter to the corners of the bread pan on top of the flour mixture.
- Make a small well in the center of the dry mix and add the active dry yeast.
- Set the bread machine to the sweet bread cycle, or use the basic 1-pound loaf setting if recommended by your manufacturer.
- Remove the baked loaf promptly and cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Prep time is an estimate for mixing the dry blend and loading the machine.
Cook time is listed as 0 minutes here because the original method relies on the bread machine cycle and does not provide a separate active stovetop or oven cook time.
For best pantry storage, keep the dry mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months as an estimate.
Store the baked loaf tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months for best quality.
this is a very nice bread. it is a dense, but not too heavy, loaf and very tasty!
Anytime I make raisin bread in the machine the raisins are almost gone. I add the raisins after first or second knead.