There was another post in the hopper for today but, just for kicks, I put the question out on Instagram (the question being which  would you rather see first: this bread or the post I originally had planned for this week), and you guys were adamant: grain free cinnamon raisin swirl bread takes precedence over literally anything else.

The funny thing is that the funny-angled bad iPhone picture that I posted as a teaser doesn’t even begin to do this bread – or the succulent river of cinnamon-sugar that cuts through the center of each slice – justice. This bread is reason enough to get out of bed in the morning, or as a bedtime snack, the best way to end your day on a high note. Take it from me; I’ve done both.

But, I guess, given the responses to my Instagram post, you need little,  if any, coaxing to try this bread. Instead, let me share a few things that are really helpful to know when making this recipe:

1. • This is adapted from my yeast free sandwich bread recipe and, like the original, there are a couple of components to the recipe that are vital to making sure the bread rises properly in the absence of the yeast, so please don’t skip them! The first and second are baking soda and baking powder. Both are leavening agents that, through chemical reactions, produce air that makes the bread rise. You do need both, but many commercial baking powders contain cornstarch or other starches that you might be sensitive to, so you can make your own if that’s a safer option for you. Again, please do not skip either of these ingredients. The bread will not rise properly.
   • The other factor that ensures proper rising is the eggs. Not just the eggs themselves, though, but the amount of air that you should be beating in to them – which is a lot. The volume of eggs should about double, and they should look airy and frothy, before you add any additional ingredients. Speaking of, when you do add the other ingredients (oil, water, etc), the best way to do it without losing too much of the volume in the eggs, is to tip the mixing bowl very slightly and, using the side of the bowl  as a water slide, slowly pour the liquid ingredients in around the perimeter of the eggs. The alternative – just dumping them in to the center of the bowl – will crush the aerated eggs and put the beautiful rise of  your loaf at risk.
   • I have tested this recipe with coconut oil, avocado oil, canola oil and olive oil, but I highly recommend avocado oil (I use this one) because the flavors of the other two compete with the flavor of the bread. If you are using coconut oil, make sure it is melted, but cooled enough that you can submerge your fingertip in it for several seconds. If it is too hot to the touch, it will cook the eggs.
   • If you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, you can use white vinegar instead.

1. • If you want, you can brush the top of the batter with some oil or an egg wash (one beaten egg + 1 Tablespoon water or milk) before baking to encourage a little bit of extra crustiness. I have tried it both ways and I find that, even without anything added to the top of the bread, it has a nice crust right out of the oven.
   • This recipe calls for two different kinds of sweetener – granulated stevia and coconut sugar. You can feel free  to use all one or the other but this is the combination that I’ve found works best so if possible, stick to the recipe.
   • The amount of cinnamon-sugar that you’ll use for the filling seems like a lot when you’re pouring it into the pan, but it’s just right once the loaf is out of the oven.
   • Speaking of the cinnamon-sugar, try to keep it away from the sides of the pan (i.e. leave about a 1/4″ of space between where the filling ends and the sides of the pan) so that it doesn’t caramelize onto the sides of the pan and make the loaf more difficult to remove.

• This bread is best eaten within a few hours of baking. It needs to be stored in an airtight container, but doing so allows the moisture in the bread to redistribute, which causes the crust to go soft. You can re-establish the crust by putting the whole loaf under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes before serving, but it’s never quite as good as it is when it’s freshly baked. Just like conventional bread!
• If you’re storing this bread for more than a couple days, it is best to keep it in the fridge. If you want to store this for more than a week or two, I highly recommend keeping it in the freezer. You can even pre-slice it, freeze it, and then defrost individual slices as needed.

Yikes. That was a lot.

All of this information is nice to have, but please don’t mistake this for a difficult recipe. It basically boils down to:  beat eggs; pour in other liquid, fold in dry ingredients, then raisins; pour batter (alternating with cinnamon sugar mixture) into prepared pan; bake; cool; slice and eat. Easy as pie bread!

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Grain Free Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Gluten free and grain free cinnamon raisin swirl bread brings a childhood favorite back into your home if you have food allergies or are on a low carb diet!

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Ingredients

Ingredients for the batter

• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup neutral oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/3 cup tapioca flour (starch)
• 3 Tablespoons granulated monk fruit sweetener , or granulated stevia
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup raisins

Ingredients for the swirl

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray or lightly grease an 8 1/2” loaf pan and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs until risen and frothy. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can complete this step using a hand mixer (fitted with the whisk beaters) and a large, sturdy bowl.
3. Add the oil, water and apple cider vinegar and mix on low speed until just combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, sweetener, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
5. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture as carefully as possible without deflating the wet. The easiest way to do this is to detach the bowl from the mixer, tilt it slightly and use the side of the bowl to gently slide the dry mixture into the wet.
6. Mix on low-medium speed until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated and mix again for a moment until the batter is uniform and no clumps remain.
7. Fold in the raisins. Again, be gentle to avoid deflating the batter.
8. In a small bowl, prepare the cinnamon sugar swirl by whisking together the remaining cinnamon and the coconut sugar.
9. Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan and use a spatula to gently spread into one even layer. Do not tap the pan on the counter to level it. 
10. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar blend evenly over the layer of batter, being careful to leave about a 1/4" border between the edge of the cinnamon-sugar layer and the sides of the pan. 
11. Top with the remaining batter, and gently spread it out into an even layer, completely covering the cinnamon sugar.
12. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is firm and very slightly golden. Then, tent with a piece of foil, and bake another 10-15 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
13. Cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool for at least 10 more minutes before serving.

Notes

• I have tested this recipe with coconut oil, avocado oil, canola oil and olive oil, but I highly recommend avocado oil because the flavors of the others compete with the flavor of the bread.
• If you are using coconut oil, make sure it is melted, but cooled enough that you can submerge your fingertip in it for several seconds. If it is too hot to the touch, it will cook the eggs.
• If you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, you can use white vinegar instead.
• If you want, you can brush the top of the batter with some oil or an egg wash (one beaten egg + 1 Tablespoon water or milk) before baking to encourage a little bit of extra crustiness. I have tried it both ways and I find that, even without anything added to the top of the bread, it has a nice crust right out of the oven.
• This bread is best eaten within a few hours of baking. It needs to be stored in an airtight container, but doing so allows the moisture in the bread to redistribute, which causes the crust to go soft. You can re-establish the crust by putting the whole loaf under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes before serving, but it’s never quite as good as it is when it’s freshly baked. Just like conventional bread!
• If you’re storing this bread for more than a couple days, it is best to keep it in the fridge. If you want to store this for more than a week or two, I highly recommend keeping it in the freezer. You can even pre-slice it, freeze it, and then defrost individual slices as needed.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 281mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 7g

1 slice = 1/12th of the loaf

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave me a comment and rating, or tag me on Instagram using @nora_acleanbake or #acleanbake!