Cinnamon Babka

Buttery and soft bread loaf with swirls of sweet cinnamon in this Cinnamon Babka make it impossible to have just one slice! Just look at those beautiful swirls!

Cinnamon Babka

Cinnamon babka features a buttery, soft bread with swirls of sweet, gooey cinnamon swirled throughout. It's as delicious to eat as it is beautiful to look at.

I won't lie to you, cinnamon babka, or babka of any kind really, is a little time consuming to make. The steps are simple but the rise times are slightly longer than typical bread. All of that being said, this cinnamon babka is absolutely worth the wait!

Whenever I hear "cinnamon babka," my brain automatically goes to the episode of Seinfeld where they're going to a party and trying to get a babka to bring from the bakery. Elaine thinks cinnamon is the "lesser babka." But I agree with Jerry. Cinnamon takes a backseat to no babka!

And let the baking begin. 🙈😆

What is Babka?

Babka is a sweet braided bread that originated in Jewish communities. It is considered a bread and not a cake because it uses a dough with yeast that rises instead of a typical cake batter.

The dough is then rolled out covered in a filling flavor, such as cinnamon and brown sugar in this recipe. Then the dough is rolled up and braided into a loaf.

There are many different flavors and variations of babka including chocolate or fruits such as apple or blueberry.

What is the Difference Between Brioche and Babka?

The Components of Cinnamon Babka

There are three main parts of cinnamon babka: The dough, the filling, and the syrup. And they each play their part to make this one of most delicious breads you will ever taste.

The Dough

The dough is a bread dough that rises with yeast. It takes a little longer to rise than your typical dough because it is rich with fat, and it is also a little stickier than your average dough. So flour your work surface well!

The Filling

After making this the first time, I bumped the amount of filling up just a bit to give it even more gooey, sweet cinnamon flavor. The filling for cinnamon babka is a lot like cinnamon roll filling, and it's made with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and an egg white to hold it all together.

The Syrup

When the babka is done baking, you will brush a simple syrup, made from sugar and water, all over it. This will soak into the bread itself, as well as crystallize on the tops for a little sugary crisp around the edges.

Rolling and Shaping Cinnamon Babka

After applying the filling to rolled out dough, you will roll up the dough like a cinnamon roll. You will want to hold the short edge to roll it up so that you get the most gooey cinnamon layers.

Once your dough is rolled up, you will notice that it is not long enough to braid. So we're going to use our preschool-playdoh technique of using our hands to roll it on the counter making a looong snake!

Once your dough snake is about twice the length of your loaf pan, you can twist it into a braid, as shown below in the video. Pinch together the ends, and transfer it to the loaf pan for the final rise!

How to Serve Cinnamon Babka

Cinnamon Babka has the flavor and sweetness of a cake, so by itself, preferably warm is an amazing way to eat it.

Since it's actually a bread, you can also put spreads like butter (like this cinnamon honey butter), peanut butter, or Nutella or even a little drizzle of honey.

More Cinnamon Recipes You'll Love

• Cinnamon Swirl Bread - a yeast bread with swirls of cinnamon. It's a little less sweet than this babka, and I love using it for French toast.
• Cinnamon Honey Butter - the perfect spread for breads and rolls when you want to add a hint of sweet and cinnamon spice.
• Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake Loaf - No yeast in this one! Get the same sweet cinnamon flavors in a fraction of the time.
• Snickerdoodles - soft, chewy cookies with cinnamon sugar around the outside.
• Spiced Sugar Cookies - classic sugar cookies with a spicy cinnamon twist. These cinnamon-y cookies are to-die-for topped with frosting.

Cinnamon Babka Video