Cinnamon Babka

Made with soft, buttery dough twisted in cinnamon sugar and glossed with light homemade sugar syrup, this cozy cinnamon babka is undoubtedly a crowd-pleaser! It is perfectly sweet and warmly spiced, making it an ideal treat for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or after dinner.

Best Cinnamon Babka Recipe

This delicious recipe for cinnamon babka puts a tasty twist on my traditional French brioche bread. It takes a fluffy, buttery dough and twists in an irresistible sweet cinnamon filling, then finishes it with homemade sugar syrup. Using high-quality ingredients with ideal ratios, it has just the right balance of sweetness and moist texture that lasts days after baking.

Recipes using yeast can seem intimidating, especially for beginners. However, this recipe is simple to follow, uses easy-to-find ingredients and equipment, and is packed with details and information to help you get the best results. You will wonder what took you so long to make it!

Katalin's Key Take on Why To Use Bread Flour (high protein flour) to make babka

For the fluffiest, most tender babka, you need flour that will produce a light, airy texture. The texture depends on gluten, which varies depending on the flour's protein content: lower-protein flours, like those used in cakes, create less gluten, resulting in a softer structure, while high-protein flours build a strong gluten network ideal for babka.

This cinnamon swirl babka uses a brioche bread dough, so high-protein bread flour is required. You can substitute with all purpose flour if needed, but it won't achieve the same texture. See my flour guide for more information.

Make the dough

Before starting the dough, ensure your milk, eggs, and unsalted butter are at room temperature to blend easily and smoothly. Check out my guide for tips on softening butter quickly without melting. To quickly warm your eggs, place them in a bowl of hot water for five minutes.

Make sure your kitchen is warm (above 68F / 20C). Then, mix half of the granulated sugar with the lukewarm milk and sprinkle fresh yeast over the top. Wait about 10 minutes until the yeast foams.

Transfer the yeast mixture into your stand mixer bowl, add the room-temperature egg and egg yolk, and mix with the dough hook attached. 

Next, add the bread flour, remaining sugar, and salt, and knead for a minute or two until combined. Don't skip the salt—it balances the bread's sweetness.

Gradually add softened butter to the dough one chunk at a time. Once the butter is fully incorporated, knead for 10 minutes at medium-high speed until the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.

When kneading dough, the goal is for it to pass the "windowpane test." If it breaks when you slowly stretch a small piece of dough between your fingers, it needs to be kneaded more. It is good to go if it stretches to the point where it allows light to pass through like a window!

Move the dough to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for 12 hours (preferably overnight) to rise and chill. Although not recommended, if you are short on time, you can let it rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours in a warm spot (not in direct heat).

Make the cinnamon sugar filling

Make sure your unsalted butter is at room temperature. Do not use melted butter; it can make the filling too hot and melt the dough. Likewise, the filling should not be too cold, or it will not spread properly.

Cream the butter and sugar with cinnamon for a few minutes until fluffy. Depending on your taste, you can use all granulated sugar, all brown sugar (either dark or light brown sugar), or a mix. After creaming, add a pinch of salt, then set the mixture aside.

Assemble & Bake

It is crucial to move quickly so the dough stays chilled. Make sure to have everything ready: a rolling pin, measuring tape, room-temperature cinnamon sugar filling, and a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

Once the dough has risen, remove it from the fridge, punch the air out, and place it on a lightly floured surface or a silicone mat. Then, roll it into a 12x16-inch (30x42cm) rectangle. 

Using your offset spatula, evenly spread the cinnamon sugar filling over the dough. Then, starting from the shorter side, roll the dough up tightly (just tight enough to avoid air bubbles) and seal by pressing the end into the roll.

Cut the cold roll in half lengthwise, then place the logs over each other with the filling face up. With your hands on both sides, twist the logs together.

Gently squeeze the ends of the logs together to seal them, then carefully place the roll into your lined loaf pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it proof a second time at room temperature for 1-2 hours until they double in size. Do not skip this step!

As you reach the end of the proofing time, preheat the oven to 355F / 180C (do not use a fan). Once the dough size has doubled, bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean and the color is a nice golden brown. 

Cover the rolls with aluminum foil toward the end if browning happens too quickly.

Optional: Sugar syrup for the perfect shine

Although optional, the sugar syrup topping will add moisture, sweetness, and a beautiful shine.

To make it, bring the water, granulated sugar, and freshly squeezed lemon juice to a boil in a saucepan until it reaches a syrupy consistency.

Then, lightly apply the syrup over the hot babka using a pastry brush. Let it cool slightly before transferring it to a cooling rack, using the parchment paper to help lift it from the tin.

Storing and freezing

Cinnamon babka is best served fresh. However, if you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

You can also freeze it in an airtight container until you are ready to enjoy it. Thaw it at room temperature and reheat it in the oven for a few minutes.

Flavor variations

Different spices: To enhance the flavor of the filling, add other spices, such as cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice.

Different filling: Make a cinnamon apple filling as I do in my apple cinnamon babka, or use Nutella as I do in my nutella babka. You can also use my chocolate ganache to make a chocolate babka or my strawberry compote to make a fruity babka.

Flavored dough: Flavor the dough with cocoa powder, matcha, or grated orange or lemon zest.

Add-ins: You can also add chocolate chips, similar to my chocolate chip brioche bread recipe, or crushed nuts for added texture and a nutty flavor. My delicious walnut babka uses both walnuts and raisins!

Ingredient substitutions

Babka recipes using yeasted dough are pretty exact, so substituting ingredients can be tricky. However, there are a few options: 

You can substitute the butter with vegan butter to make this brioche dairy-free. Some egg substitutes might work to make a vegan cinnamon babka, though they could affect taste or texture.

As mentioned earlier, high-protein flour is ideal, but you can use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour. For gluten-free alternatives, check my flour guide.

Fresh yeast is preferred, but instant yeast or active dry yeast can also work—see my yeast guide for details on making these swaps. 

Unfortunately, I can't provide adjustments for every diet. However, my baking guides offer more tips on making substitutions in baking.

What Equipment To Use

Use a digital scale to measure ingredients precisely and a digital oven thermometer to check the accuracy of your oven. 

A stand mixer with a kneading attachment can save you time and energy when making the dough. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, and use a silicone baking mat to help prevent sticking. 

An offset spatula works great for evenly spreading the filling over the dough. Finally, you'll need a loaf pan for baking!

Expert tips to make Cinnamon babka

1. For the best flavor and texture, choose high-fat, quality ingredients. I recommend whole milk with at least 3% fat and European-style butter with 82% fat. Always use unsalted butter to control the salt levels in your recipe.
2. If the babka dough becomes too sticky to work with or tears when shaping, chill it briefly in the refrigerator or freezer. Lightly spraying your hands with non-stick cooking spray can also help prevent sticking.
3. If making a syrup topping, let it fully absorb and allow the babka to cool slightly before removing it from the tin. Move it to a cooling rack while lukewarm to prevent breaking.
4. To check if the dough has been proofed enough, gently press it with a finger. If an indent remains or partially bounces back, it's ready. If it springs back fully, it needs more time. If it deflates, it has over-proofed.
5. Never attempt to speed up the process by skipping the second proofing, which is essential to its fluffy texture. Also, do not attempt to speed up the rising process in the oven, as it would cause the dough to over-rise and the butter to melt everywhere.

Try some of my other sweet bread

If you liked this easy babka recipe, make sure to add these babka and sweet bread recipes to your list:

• Walnut Babka
• Nutella Babka
• Cinnamon Apple Babka
• Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread
• Star Bread

For even more easy sweet bread recipes that the whole family will love, check out my roundup of the Top 35 Best Sweet Bread Recipes.

Have you tried this recipe?

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