3-Ingredient Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Cranberry Lemon Glaze – You’d never guess that this fabulous loaf is made with just 3 simple ingredients, including canned cinnamon rolls. Our easy Christmas Bread Recipe is sure to add some happy to your holidays!
A Christmas Breakfast Anyone Can Make
The season of joy sure does come through like a whirlwind, doesn’t it?
After wrapping presents, hanging decorations, and baking cookies for Santa, it’s easy to forget about Christmas morning breakfast. But everyone knows a yummy, hearty meal is a must-have for optimum festive energy.
This simple semi-homemade 3 ingredient Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe is ridiculously easy and quick to make, and you won’t believe how fabulous it is!
The Best (Easiest!) Christmas Bread
The secret ingredient in this 3-ingredient cinnamon swirl bread recipe is surprising and, well, not really that surprising… It uses canned cinnamon rolls for a nearly foolproof loaf that’s ready in just 45 minutes!
Readymade cinnamon rolls stay softer and more like homemade bread when baked together as a loaf. We then coat the bread with a sweet, tangy cranberry lemon glaze that gets into every crevice between the slices. The glaze is made with the packaged roll icing combined with lemon zest and dried cranberries, so it’s effortless to whip up and perfectly festive to serve for Christmas.
No one would ever know you used a can of pop-and-bake cinnamon rolls!
What 3 Ingredients You Need
- Canned cinnamon rolls – “Grands” style large rolls are best
- Dried cranberries – chopped
- Lemon – zested
How to Make Cinnamon Swirl Bread
First, preheat the oven to 350° F and set out a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line it with a 9-inch strip of parchment paper that goes across the bottom and over the long edges.
Pop open the can of cinnamon rolls. Remove the glaze and set it aside for later use.
Carefully pull the entire roll out of the can in one piece, like in the photo below. Place it in the loaf pan, seam side down.
Gently pull it apart at the perforated edges to fill out the length of the pan… But don’t completely separate the rolls.
Place the loaf pan on the center rack and bake for 40 minutes. If it starts getting too dark on top, loosely cover with a piece of foil.
Meanwhile, add the cinnamon roll glaze, chopped dried cranberries, and lemons zest to a small mixing bowl.
Stir to combine and set aside.
Once the bread comes out of the oven, lift it out of the pan by the edges of the paper, and set it on a baking rack.
Get the Complete (Printable) 3-Ingredient Christmas Bread Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Drizzle or spoon the cranberry lemon glaze over the top of the loaf.
Be sure to get the cranberry lemon glaze into each section, and coat the entire cinnamon roll bread evenly.
How beautiful is that?
Once the glaze cools (and sets) you can cut and serve the loaf.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are not a fan of cranberries feel free to omit them (and the lemon zest) or swap with other goodies you prefer. Toffee chips, mini chocolate chips, dried cherries, or raisins are also great options!
Sure! If you’ve got the time I highly suggest using my classic Better Than Cinnamon Cinnamon Rolls recipe as the base for this loaf.
The loaf will keep well for up to 2 days at room temperature, or for up to a week in the refrigerator. Either way, wrap the bread or individual slices with plastic wrap before storing.
Note: If you plan to save leftovers, I recommend you do not coat the entire loaf with the glaze. The icing mixture will keep well for at least a week stored in a sealed container in the fridge.
Absolutely! Wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap, then place the loaf in an airtight zipper bag. Keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let the bread thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for a few hours. Then wrap loosely in a layer of aluminum foil and heat in a 250 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes. Check the Christmas bread to see that it’s warmed throughout, and continue to bake in the foil for another few minutes if needed.
Looking for More Easy Breakfast and Brunch Recipes?
- Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- 4-Ingredient Cinnamon Toast Buns
- Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding Muffins
- Apple Spice Coffee Cake
3-Ingredient Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ingredients
- 17.5 ounce can “Grands” style cinnamon rolls
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Set out a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line it with a 9-inch strip of parchment paper that goes across the bottom and over the long edges.
- Pop open the can of cinnamon rolls. Remove the glaze for later use. Carefully pull the entire roll out of the can in one piece. Place it in the loaf pan, seam side down, and gently pull it apart at the perforated edges to fill out the length of the pan.
- Place the loaf pan on the center rack and bake for 40 minutes. If it starts getting too dark on top, loosely cover with a piece of foil.
- Meanwhile, mix the cinnamon roll glaze with the chopped dried cranberries and lemons zest.
- Once the bread comes out of the oven, lift it out of the pan by the edges of the paper, and set on a baking rack. Drizzle or spoon the cranberry lemon glaze over the top of the loaf.
- Once the glaze cools (and sets) you can cut and serve the loaf.
If that don’t send a warm breeze a blowing up your britches!! Dang, learn something not just new but excitin’. I haven’t made this yet but Lord if I don’t already know I just love it. So much so that my brain done went to workin. So…this… 2 cans of those cinnamon rolls, and place them in a Bundt pan, and it could be heart shaped or regular, then maybe a ‘licious strawberry topping with a light lemon glaze, or any kind of combo really, or you could do the orange rolls with blackberries, and punch up the orange a bit, yeah boy!! So what do ya think?
The tangy cranberry lemon glaze makes this recipe! I want to put that glaze on everything!
This is such a great recipe! So easy and absolutely delicious!!!
My mind is kinda blown right now. Never would I ever have thought to do this, but I can now verify that I will never make pre-packaged cinnamon rolls any other way!
This cinnamon bread is the best thing ever, and I will make this annually for every Christmas! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!