Cinnamon Walnut Loaf
If you’re looking for a moist, hearty cinnamon loaf cake, you’ll love this cinnamon walnut bread recipe. It’s an easy quick bread with a tender crumb and sturdy texture. Not overly sweet, this walnut bread has just the right balance of cinnamon and ground walnuts for a delicious coffeecake for breakfast or brunch, a welcome afternoon snack or simple dessert. The Cinnamon Walnut Loaf is a treat anytime.
This cinnamon walnut loaf is one of my favorites. Not because it’s over-the-top with luxe ingredients or embellishments, but rather because it’s so simple and homey. The secret to this walnut bread recipe is the toasted ground walnuts. They give the quick bread a sturdy structure and warm, toasty flavor.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s spiced, not sugary. Cinnamon and walnut lead, and the glaze adds sweetness on top instead of in every bite.
- Sour cream keeps the crumb tender. It’s a cake you can slice cleanly without it falling apart.
- The topping has crunch. A pourable sugar glaze runs down the sides, and chopped toasted walnuts go on while it’s still wet.
- It works any time of day: breakfast with coffee, brunch, an afternoon snack with tea, or a no-fuss dessert.
- Extra batter becomes mini muffins. If your pan is on the small side, the leftover cup bakes into bite-size muffins in about 12 minutes.
- It freezes well. Freeze the loaf before you glaze it, thaw it on the day you serve it, then glaze.
Ingredients For Cinnamon Walnut Loaf
- Walnuts
- Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt
- Cinnamon
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Vanilla
- Butter
- Eggs
How to make toasted ground walnuts
- Spread the walnuts onto a sheet pan and toast in a hot oven until fragrant and golden.
- Transfer the nuts to a food processor with half of the sugar.
- Pulse until the walnuts are ground and resemble wet sand.
Assembling the cinnamon walnut bread recipe
- Preheat the oven and spray a large loaf pan liberally with vegetable spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper the size of the pan’s bottom and press it into the loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and remaining sugar with a mixer and add the eggs one at a time, beating well before adding the next.
- Whisk together the milk and sour cream.
- In two additions, alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture to the creamed butter, mixing just until blended (don’t overmix).
- Stir in the toasted ground walnuts to evenly distribute throughout the batter.
Pro-Tips:
- To avoid the mess of measuring sour cream separately, add half a cup of milk to a glass measuring cup, then add sour cream in small spoonfuls until the milk reaches the 1-cup mark.
- Pro tip: Check your loaf pan before you pour. A 9 x 5 x 3-inch pan holds all the batter. If yours is the smaller 8½ x 4½ x 2½-inch size (mine is), fill it no more than two-thirds full. Any higher and the batter climbs over the side and burns on the floor of your oven. Ask me how I know. Bake the extra cup of batter as a few muffins or a mini loaf.
- If you want the “why” to stand out more, here’s a version that leads with the mess:
- Pro tip: Overfilled loaf pans end in smoke. Mine, anyway. A 9 x 5 x 3-inch pan holds all the batter, but the smaller 8½ x 4½ x 2½-inch size (the one I have) should only go two-thirds full. Bake the extra cup of batter as a few muffins or a mini loaf.
Baking the walnut bread recipe
Your loaf pan size matters. If you have a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ loaf pan, you can simply transfer the batter to the prepared pan. However, if you have the 8½” x 4½” x 2½” (like I do), you’ll need to reserve about a cup of the batter from the pan.
The reason for the warning
If the pan is filled too high, it can overflow the side and (you guessed it…) land on the bottom of the oven and make a big mess or even burn (ask me how I know). To avoid this, don’t fill the loaf pan higher than ⅔ full with the walnut cinnamon loaf cake batter. Use the remaining batter to make a few muffins or a mini cinnamon walnut loaf.
Check the walnut cinnamon loaf cake with a cake tester to verify it’s done, and let it cool completely before decorating the sweet spiced walnut bread.
For the sugar glaze
- Mix together the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl and whisk until it’s smooth and creamy. The consistency should be thick but pourable.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly over the top so it runs down the sides.
- While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle the chopped toasted walnuts over the loaf cake.
- Let the glaze set before slicing.
Perfect for brunching and tea
This simple walnut quick bread recipe is a perfect brunch dessert or tasty nosh with a cup of afternoon or evening tea. Our tasters liked the warm, nutty aroma and the sweet glaze, which adds that little extra flair. The crunchy crown of walnut bits showcases what this easy nut and cinnamon loaf cake is all about.
Mini cinnamon walnut muffins
Between you and me, I could eat all of these little muffin bites myself and not share a one. Since my husband was home when I made them, I was good and let him have a few. Of course, if you’d prefer muffins over a loaf, that’s an option too. Just adjust your cooking time for the muffins.
Approximate cooking times for muffins
- Mini muffins will take about 12 minutes.
- Medium-size muffins take about 15 minutes.
- Standard-size muffins will take anywhere from 18-20.
Make ahead:
- Toast the walnuts up to 2 days ahead.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Storage:
- It’s best the first day, but will last for 2-3 days, though it can get firm on the 2nd and 3rd days. To fix that, cut a slice of the loaf cake and warm it slightly in the microwave to soften it just a smidge.
- You can store the loaf cake, wrapped in plastic, at room temperature for 1-2 days.
- After that, store in the refrigerator and let it come to temperature before enjoying; cold dampens flavors.
Freezing:
- Freeze the cake BEFORE glazing it. On the day you’re serving, defrost the cake to room temperature and then glaze the loaf cake.
More Easy Loaf Cakes & Muffins:
- Meyer Lemon Blackberry Swirl Loaf
- Ultra Moist Zucchini Bread
- Hatch Green Chile Bread
- Cranberry Nut Pumpkin Loaves
- Maple Walnut Breakfast Muffins
- Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Strawberry Muffins
- Jiffy Lemon Blueberry Corn Muffins
Lop off a slice and enjoy the soft, warm cinnamon spice, toasty ground walnuts and sweet sugar glaze in every delicious bite of this simple walnut cinnamon loaf cake. It’s so good!
Cinnamon Walnut Loaf
INGREDIENTS:
- ¾ cup walnuts divided
- 1 cup sugar divided
- 1⅔ cup flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
FOR GLAZE:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4-5 teaspoons milk
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Spray a loaf pan (9" x 5" x 3") liberally with non-stick vegetable spray. Lay the parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and spray again. Set aside.
- Place ¾ cup walnuts on a baking pan and toast for 10-15 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned.
- In a food processor add ½ cup of the toasted walnuts and ½ cup sugar. Pulse until the walnuts are finely ground, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1⅔ cup flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Combine ½ cup milk, ½ cup sour cream and ¾ teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, add 1 stick unsalted butter and the remaining half cup of sugar. Beat the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 4-6 minutes, scraping the sides of a bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally.
- Add 2 large eggs one at a time and beat into the butter mixture until fully incorporated before adding the second egg. Beat until blended and the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and sour cream mixture, beating into the butter mixture until just combined. After the dry and wet ingredients have been blended, stir in the ground walnuts to combine evenly. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the loaf rest in the pan for about 20-30 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
FOR THE GLAZE AND DECORATION:
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar and 4-5 teaspoons milkone teaspoon at a time, until a thick, pourable glaze forms. Typically, it's 4 teaspoons for me, but it could be more or less for you, depending on where you live and the climate.
- Finely chop the remaining walnuts.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled loaf cake and sprinkle on the chopped walnuts. Let the glaze set before cutting into slices.
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate only and is provided as a courtesy. Values are calculated automatically based on the ingredients and quantities in each recipe and may vary depending on specific brands, exact measurements, and substitutions made. For precise nutritional guidance, especially if you have a medical condition or dietary restriction, please consult a registered dietitian or run the ingredients through your own nutrition calculator.Pin “Cinnamon Walnut Loaf” For Later!
Labor intensive but so worth it! Beautiful, sweet loaf.
Make it even easier! Whisk all the dry ingredients together. Beat all the wet ones together, add together, than fold in the walnuts. I used 1/2 c sugar, b/c who needs all that sugar? Once I made it with maple sugar and it was great!
Hi ..I tried the cake . Just amazing. Tasted perfect . Thank you .
Your photos are making me drool. Gotta try this loaf for sure!
This loaf looks so delicious and easy to make! My family would love it, I need to make it ASAP!
This recipe uses ingredients that I always have in my pantry and frig. Easy to make anytime!
What an amazing flavour combo for a loaf cake. I can’t wait to try it.
Is there a next best baking size! I cant seem to find one with those dimensions. Thanks!
You can use other loaf pan sizes — if you go up a size, it should take a little less time to cook and if you make mini loaf pans I would cut the cooking time by about 40% and then start checking every 5 minutes or so with a cake tester or toothpick. Stick the toothpick into the center of the bread and if it comes out clean the bread is ready.
I don’t get it… where was the cinnamon?
Emmeline – I’ve got a bit of egg on my face, don’t I? I can’t believe I left the cinnamon off — but I’ve fixed it now. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention!
This loaf looks and sounds like the perfect accompaniment to my morning coffee! Definitely want to give this a try – thanks for sharing.
Absolutely, Tara! Let me know how you like it!
This Cinnamon Walnut Loaf looks amazing. I am drooling over that sugary crust. YUM!
Loving the sound of this sweet bread. I could eat this for breakfast. Simple and delicious…..and I can just imagine the aroma as it bakes!!
You are so right, Gloria! The aroma is fantastic!
I love the idea of the hit of demerara sugar on top – must caramelize quite nicely!
It adds a little crunch – which I really like!
Beautifully photographed and chronicled, as usual. Thanks for the new recipe!
Thank you! You’re very kind!
Oh LORD I want a slice of that right here, right now! That crunchy sugar crust looks a-mazing.
It’s too bad you live so far away, Sue!
Cake bread cake bread…. I always struggle with that question when it comes to banana…. loaf! Love your solution! I bet the crunchy sugar on top makes for a lovely surface!
Ha ha – I know, it’s a conundrum, right?
I love the flavour of cinnamon , I am sure this bread is delicious.
Thanks Nayna! It’s a simple, rustic snack that our family loves!
Gotta try this one as I love walnuts. Thanks for sharing
Glad you like! Enjoy!
Mmmmm! This looks fantastic! I love a good loaf, and cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors! 🙂 I will definitely be giving this one a try!