Servings: 16
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 3 hours
Amish Friendship Cinnamon Loaf: A Sweet Tradition
Friendship bread has long carried the warmth of sharing, passing from kitchen to kitchen with a promise of comfort. Our take on Amish Friendship Cinnamon Loaf celebrates that tradition with a sweet, crunchy exterior and a soft, tender crumb. Each slice feels like a little invitation to connect—whether you’re enjoying it over coffee, tea, or a midnight glass of milk.
Tradition with a Twist
Classic Amish Friendship Bread calls for a sourdough starter and pudding mix. But through testing, we discovered those steps weren’t needed to deliver rich flavor. Instead, we boosted vanilla and sweetness while ensuring the bread stayed moist—not gummy—by balancing the vegetable oil. A dusting of cinnamon-sugar inside and out creates a signature crackly crust that makes this loaf irresistible.
Chef ETL’s Notes
The reason this is called “friendship bread” is simple: everyone who tries it becomes a friend. The crunch from the cinnamon-sugar coating contrasts perfectly with the fluffy, even-textured loaf inside. Sweet but never cloying, it’s the kind of bread you’ll find yourself sneaking from the cupboard long after bedtime. A loaf meant for sharing—but equally suited for keeping to yourself.
Baking Tips for Best Results
We recommend using an 8½ x 4½-inch metal loaf pan for the most consistent results. If you’re using glass, extend baking time slightly; if you’re using a larger 9 x 5-inch pan, check for doneness a few minutes early. Only have one pan? No problem—refrigerate half the batter and coating, bake one loaf at a time, and remember to clean and re-oil the pan before the second round. This recipe yields two loaves, making it perfect to enjoy one and gift one.
Ingredients:
CINNAMON-SUGAR COATING:
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (for coating pan)
DRY INGREDIENTS:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (18 3/4 ounces)
3 cups sugar (21 ounces)
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
WET INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups milk
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions:
Oven Temperature: 325°F
FOR THE CINNAMON-SUGAR COATING (10 minutes):
Combine sugar and cinnamon in bowl.
Brush 2 loaf pans evenly with oil (1 teaspoon per pan – NO PAM SPRAY).
Add 2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar coating to each prepared pan and shake and tilt pans until bottoms and sides are evenly coated.
Set aside remaining 1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar coating.
FOR THE BREAD (1 hour 30 minutes + 1 hour to cool):
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325°.
Whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.
Whisk milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in second bowl.
Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined (batter might be lumpy).
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans (about 3¾ cups or 2¼ pounds batter per pan).
Sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar coating evenly over top of batter (2 tablespoons per pan).
Bake until paring knife inserted in centers of loaves comes out clean, 1 hour, 5 minutes to 1 hour, 12 minutes.
Let bread cool in pans on wire rack for 1 hour.
Run paring knife around edges of pans to thoroughly loosen loaves. Working with 1 loaf at a time, tilt pan and gently remove bread.
Serving Ideas: Serve warm or at room temperature. Cooled bread can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 473 Calories; 21g Fat (38.8% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 68g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 38mg Cholesterol; 227mg Sodium; 45g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 79mg Calcium; 2mg Iron; 84mg Potassium; 116mg Phosphorus. Exchanges: .
CHEF ETL’S COMMENTS: The reason why this is called a “friendship bread” is because there is no question that everyone will love it and become a friend. The exterior is crunchy from the cinnamon-sugar coating. The cake is perfectly cooked and consistent in texture. The loaf is sweet, but not too sweet. It goes well with a cup of coffee, tea or a glass of milk. Great steal from the cupboard at midnight!
TIP: We developed this recipe using an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. If you use a glass loaf pan, increase the baking time in step 3 to 1 1/4 hours to 1 hour 20 minutes; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes early. If you own only one loaf pan, refrigerate half the batter and set aside half the coating so you can bake a second loaf after turning out the first onto a wire rack to cool. Be sure to clean the loaf pan and brush it with oil before baking the second loaf.
