Gluten Free Maple Cinnamon Bread is a small batch and refined sugar free recipe made with an almond flour blend and maple syrup. The mini loaf is incredibly moist and highlighted with a cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle and a maple cinnamon glaze on top!
Gluten Free Maple Cinnamon Bread
This is another installment of my gluten free and small batch recipes that are also refined sugar free. My mission with these recipes is to create something that taste like traditional gluten and refined sugar baked goods. And I must say, I think I have gotten pretty darn close.
- Does the gluten free cinnamon bread taste gluten free? I don’t think so. In fact, I think you may be hard pressed to tell it is gluten free.
- Is the bread as sweet as a traditional cinnamon swirl bread? No. And I say that because I often find traditional refined sugar baked goods to be cloyingly sweet. Conversely, this bread is delicately sweet. Plus you have a layer of cinnamon sugar in the middle and a maple glaze to balance out the sweet factor.
Ingredients
- Blanched Almond Flour – I love using almond flour in gluten free baking because it contributes to the flavor and texture.
- Sweet White Rice Flour – The sweet rice flour adds to the denser texture of the bread, while making it moist. I also used sweet rice flour in the Chocolate Chip Mini Loaf and Lemon Mini Loaf.
- Tapioca Flour – Tapioca flour is also referred to as tapioca starch. It acts as a binder and makes the bread soft.
- Coconut Flour – Coconut flour is very absorbent and a great addition because this gluten free recipe has more moisture than a traditional recipe.
- Baking Powder & Salt – For leavening, flavor, and texture.
- Ground Cinnamon – Flavor!
- Coconut Sugar – For the cinnamon sugar swirl. You can swap in another granulated sugar, but keep in mind the bread may no longer be refined sugar-free.
- Pure Maple Syrup – I like it for the buttery, caramel flavor it adds.
- Sour Cream – Full-fat sour cream is best to make this bread perfectly dense and moist. You can swap in unsweetened/flavored yogurt.
- Unsalted Butter – Since we add salt, I like to use unsalted butter.
- Egg – 1 egg is all we need!
- Vanilla Extract
Helpful Tips
- Whisk the flours together first – It may be tempting to just add the flours one by one instead of mixing together in a bowl. However, I like to make sure the flours are fully combined to get adequate distribution in the batter.
- Let the batter rest for a few minutes – Gluten free batters need a little time to hydrate, especially with the sweet rice flour.
- Try with the recommended amount of cinnamon – It may seem like a lot of cinnamon, but in testing, I found I needed this much to make the cinnamon flavor pronounced.
- Also, try with the recommended amount of cinnamon swirl – It will seem like a lot of cinnamon sugar. But we want a noticeable swirl in the middle of the bread!
- Cool the bread completely – I find that gluten free baked goods taste better when they are completely cool. In addition, gluten free bakes tend to fall apart/crumble when they aren’t cooled completely.
Recipe FAQ
Will a 1:1 gluten free flour work instead of the flour blend?
In my experience, the 1:1 flours are a little more dry and may require wet ingredient adjustments.
Can I swap honey (or another sweetener) for the maple syrup in the bread?
Honey will likely not work. It requires ingredient adjustments and baking temperatures. Same with other granulated sugars.
Can I make the bread in a muffin pan or any other baking pan?
The recipe will yield about 3 to 4 muffins. Or, you can use a square cavity brownie pan to make individual mini loaves.
How do I store the bread?
Cover and store the bread at room temperature for 5 to 5 days.
Can I freeze the bread?
Unglaze bread wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in a freezer bag can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and then glaze.
Looking for more recipes to get you ready for fall
While this gluten free cinnamon loaf is a good teaser of fall bakes to come, I do have a full catalog of fall recipes to capture the true essence of the season.
Specifically more small batch bread recipes with apple and pumpkin – like the mini caramel apple banana bread, and the gluten free small batch pumpkin bread. And have no fear, more fall recipes are being tested as we speak … 🙂
Gluten Free Maple Cinnamon Bread
Gluten Free Maple Cinnamon Bread is a small batch and refined sugar free recipe made with an almond flour blend and maple syrup. The mini loaf is incredibly moist and highlighted with a cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle and a maple cinnamon glaze on top!
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
Gluten Free Maple Cinnamon Bread
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons sweet white rice flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons full fat sour cream, room temperature (or greek yogurt)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Swirl Filling
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or any granulated sugar)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Maple Cinnamon Glaze
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon milk, any kind
INSTRUCTIONS
Gluten Free Maple Cinnamon Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Grease a mini loaf pan (3 x 5.5 inch) and line with a strip of parchment paper long enough to hang over the sides of the pan.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt.1/2 cup blanched almond flour, 2 tablespoons sweet white rice flour, 2 tablespoons tapioca flour, 1 tablespoon coconut flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter and maple syrup. Using a hand held mixer and medium high speed, beat until the mixture is combined. It may look a little curdled and that's ok. Add the egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Tip – You can also use a tilt-head stand mixer with a smaller 3-quart mixing bowl to make the batter.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 1 large egg, room temperature, 2 tablespoons full fat sour cream, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until no dry streaks remain. Tip – If using a stand mixer, sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet and mix on medium-low speed until no dry streaks remain.
- Let the batter rest in the mixing bowl while you make the cinnamon swirl filling.
Cinnamon Swirl Filling
- In a small prep/mixing bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. It will seem like a lot of cinnamon sugar, but we want a noticeable swirl inside the bread.2 tablespoons coconut sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top and spread out evenly with a spatula if necessary. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter and gentle swirl into the batter with a knife or toothpick.
- Bake the bread for 33 to 35 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown, the sides of the bread are pulling away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
- Cool the bread in the loaf pan set on a wire cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Gently lift the bread out of the loaf pan using the parchment overhang and cool on the cooling rack completely. Tip – I find gluten free bakes taste much better when they have cooled completely.
Maple Cinnamon Glaze
- When the bread has cooled and you are ready to serve, make the glaze. In a small mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Stir until the powdered sugar is moistened. Depending on how thick you prefer your glaze, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of milk (or water if you prefer). If you want an even looser glaze, add another 1/4 teaspoon of milk. A little milk goes a long way to loosen the glaze!1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon milk, any kind
- Pour the glaze over the top of the bread, and allow it to sit for about 5 to 10 minutes for the glaze to set. You can even place the glazed bread in the refrigerator to speed up the process. Slice and Enjoy!
I’d love to hear from you!If you try the recipe, please let me know! Leaving a comment + star encourages others to try it, and the support helps me continue to provide FREE recipes. Thank you!
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This recipe makes 1 3 x 5.5-inch mini loaf. You could also try using a cupcake/muffin pan – fill 2/3 full – and may yield 3 to 4 muffins. Or a square cavity brownie pan for cute super mini loafs – fill 1/2 full – and may yield 3 to 4 mini loafs.
- Stand Mixer vs. Hand Held Mixer – A hand held mixer works great. But, if you have a tilt-head stand mixer, you can also use a smaller 3-quart mixing bowl on the mixer. It works perfectly to make small batch batters, and it works with the standard attachments!
- Cinnamon – It may seem like a lot of cinnamon in the filling and glaze. This is by design so the cinnamon flavor comes through. You can certainly adjust to your preference.
- Glaze – A little liquid goes a long way to make the glaze. Adjust the amount of powdered sugar and/or milk to suit your preference on how thick you like the glaze.
NUTRITION ESTIMATES
Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 247IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.
about the author ...
With years of experience baking for two in my own small household, I know about the love for desserts without the leftovers! I’ve tested, written, and photographed the hundreds of small batch dessert recipes on my website. From traditional to gluten free desserts for two, I have the recipe for you!