I recently bought a bread machine and have been experimenting with different recipes. I am still playing around to find the perfect whole-wheat sandwich loaf, but in the meantime, I hit the jackpot with this raisin cinnamon bread for bread machines.
Whole Wheat Raisin Cinnamon Bread for Bread Machines
The first time I made this bread the entire loaf (pictured) was gone in just under 24 hours. And no, we did not have any house guests…it was just my family of four chowing down like it was our jobs. At one point I had to cut the children off mainly because I wanted my loaf to last us longer than a day!
I finally made more though and have been using it to make sandwiches – with organic cream cheese in the middle – for my daughters’ snacks at school. They even love this bread enough for it to serve as a “dessert” after dinner.
What’s the Best Bread Machine for Whole Wheat Bread?
If you don’t have a bread machine I think it’s worth the investment since it’s nearly impossible to find decent whole-wheat bread at a typical grocery store. I bought a Panasonic (this one is similar)machine that was recommended by several friends, but I’ve also heard from readers who found a machine they love from their local Goodwill store.
The only complaint I have about my machine is that I wish I didn’t have to wait an hour or two for it to beep before adding the raisins (since you don’t put them in with the rest of the ingredients). Other than that though I’ve been very happy with it! Here’s a quick tip: make sure to select the whole wheat setting on your bread machine for the best results!
If you have a machine that you love please tell us about it in the comments below.
Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread (for Bread Machine)
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water (warmed (I heat it in glass measuring cup in microwave for 1 minute))
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Follow your bread machine’s directions for making a whole-wheat raisin loaf.
I like to take my bread out 10 minutes before the standard end time for a lighter crust.
I tried this exact recipe in my Sunbeam model 5891 bread maker tonight. It is delicious but didn’t rise much, so very dense. My bread machine doesn’t have a raisin bread setting, so I used the whole wheat bread option and added the raisins at the beginning. They were completely macerated. Any suggestions?
Hi there. Do you have a setting that instructs you to add the fruit/extras later?
No I don’t. Thats what I was confused about. I had just added all the ingredients at the beginning.
This will help: http://www.breadmakermachines.com/mastering-complex-bread-recipes-with-fruits-and-nuts/.
My whole grain setting doesn’t beep for the raisins? Should I use the sweet dough cycle instead ? Tks
Hello Lisa. Every machine is different and you would need to refer to the instructions specific to your machine.
How to you make this in to the Whole-wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bagels shown in your School Lunch Ideas?
Hi Mollie. That is not a recipe that Lisa has perfected just yet. ;)
I’ve been looking for a good whole-wheat cinnamon bread recipe, so I’m about to prepare this in my bread machine! But s note about the raisins first . . . the book that came with my machine (and it’s nothing fancy–a relatively cheap West Bend one) recommended that if you couldn’t be there to add raisins or other add-ins, you could create a kind of well for the yeast and place the raisins carefully around that to the edges. As I understand it, the important part is keeping those add-ins away from the liquid and yeast until the proper time. I’ve made raisin bread plenty of times in my machine using that method and all has come out well.
Can you substitute maple syrup for the honey in this recipe?
Hi Jill. You can. :)
I am looking to start a healthy lifestyle and to loose weight. This recipe sounds really good though I do not have bread maker. Can this be made in in a regular electric oven? P.s. I love your site and refer to it a lot for helping me start to eat healthy.
Hi Sara. Other readers have cooked this loaf in the oven.
I just made this recipe with King Arthur’s unbleached flour (I normally use white wheat) in my Oster bread machine and it turned out so light, fluffy, and delicious. My family loves this Cinnamon Raisin Bread and said today it was out of this world delicious LOL :-)
I have baked bread for over 30 years. For 3 years I have a standing argument with a friend that traditional baking is the only way to go. She finally convinced me to use her bread maker. I didn’t like it. But I didn’t hate it either. I found it interesting enough to do some research and bought a Panasonic. It was a nice unit and I liked that there were no holes in the bread. But something just didn’t work well enough for me for over a hundred dollars. I returned it. I received a coupon and decided to purchase the Mac daddy. A zojirushi. What a difference!! . I use my zo at least three times a week. Sometimes multiple times a day. It not only makes beautiful bread with ease, it kneads pasta for me so I use my kitchenaid several times a week as well (I have a pasta attachment). It’s not about being a fake. It’s about having some convenience in making our own food from scratch. Delicious, unprocessed food. Since purchasing this product, which I think was in January, I have not bought a single loaf of bread, rolls, pita, naan , or pasta. It also encourages you to branch out. I have the best orange fennel rye buns for turkey burgers this summer. We also go gluten free once a week with bread sliced and frozen in two slice parcels. I have my bread maker ready for this recipe in the morning!!
You need to checkout Breadbeckers.com, good recipes for wheat bread, and she mills her own wheat
I have NEVER made bread before until last night. Me and yeast have a complicated relationship lol. I recently bought a bread maker because my 4 year old daughter was recently diagnosed with food allergies to wheat, dairy, eggs, and peanuts. I saw this recipe you posted and decided to try to make it gluten free, as the bread maker has a gluten free setting. I swapped out the whole wheat flour and used Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour. This flour is a blend of garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour, and fava bean flour. I do NOT add xanthan gum as this makes GF foods gummy and gross. Plus my daughter seems to be allergic to that too. But I successfully replaced the whole wheat flour 1:1 with this flour, used the gluten free setting on the bread maker and to my complete shock and surprise it came out fantastic! It’s actually edible! Thank you Lisa!
Can you use maple syrup instead of honey?!! Thank you!
Hi there. Yep, you can.
I use the recipe from Lisa’s book for this bread! It is delish and requires no bread maker.
Has anyone tried replacing ww flour with almond flour ? Also, could you please recommend a food processor and an ice cream maker? Thank you so much!
Hi Ashley. You typically cannot replace whole wheat flour with almond flour 1:1. It would take some experimentation. Here is where you can find Lisa’s choice for those small appliances: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/?sShop=&shopcats%5B%5D=467.
Thank you!
Having now made this bread, I wanted to return and rate. Wonderful recipe! We are not involved in the challenge but are trying to reduce our intake of processed foods. My old reliable breadmaker turned out this loaf beautifully, and I made only minor changes to the recipe. I used unsalted butter as the oil, and added 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup chopped pecans after putting in the dry ingredients. My husband has a definite sweet tooth, so I plan to add a little brown sugar next time, and I will use the total one cup quantity of added fruit from the original recipe, probably subbing 1/2 cup dried cranberries for the raisins and adding 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. Thanks for sharing this!
My bread maker is a 19 year old West Bend, still going strong! The Raisin Bread recipe that came with this machine is a very good one that I have been wanting to convert to whole wheat. Yours seems like a close match. You mentioned the time waiting to add the raisins, so I wanted to share a tip. Raisins (and chopped pecans, which I add to my raisin bread) can be added at the beginning if you are careful to place them around the edges and not near the yeast or liquids. This allows you to make raisin bread overnight for a delicious breakfast treat!
I loved this but my son said it was gross. Makes great toast.
Hi there,
I just made this bread and it turned out great!! It tastes awesome! Great bread.
I do not have a bread machine. Do you have instructions for baking this bread in the oven?
Hi Vettie. Here is one that is similar from another blogger: http://www.backtothebooknutrition.com/whole-wheat-cinnamon-raisin-bread/.
I am thinking of investing in a bread machine, as bread is one thing that I am still purchasing from the store. I would like to make my own bread, so it is more real minus all the additives. I wanted to know how the Panasonic bread machine has been holding up for you? How many times do you use it in a week and would you advice purchasing it?
I am especially concerned as I have been reading reviews of different machines and lot of machines have complaints about teflon coating on the bread pan getting scraped and mixed with the dough during the kneading process. I would really appreciate your input.
One other question I have is- which is better to invest in, a stand mixer or a bread maker?
Hi there. Lisa doesn’t use the bread machine all that often these days. You can find ceramic coated machines now but I do not know much about the life or safety of the coating. While a bread machine is be handy, I personally, would find a stand mixer more versatile if I needed to choose. :)
By all means get a stand mixer. Bread machines are for phonies. If you really want good bread, do it right. The kneading of dough is the amazing thing of making real bread.
Milk instead of water?
Yes, I believe but we’ve not tried. You could also use a nut milk.
I just bought a bread machine and tried this recipe. It was my first time using a bread machine. Mine asks if I’m making a 1lb, 1.5lb or 2lb loaf. Does it matter which one I choose? If so, which one would be best and would I use the same for the other bread machine recipes? I also just bought the book so would it also be the same for the recipes in there? Thanks in advance!
Hi Claudia. Be sure to follow your machines instructions since they are all a little different. I would choose the 1.5 pound setting for this one but the honey whole wheat makes a bigger 2lb loaf.
Amy!
I have found great whole wheat bread. My family all loves it and asks for me to make more. We have 5 adults and one loaf lasts us about 2 days. Its crust is a bit crust so do the same and take it out a bit early but its yummy! http://mummydeals.org/whole-wheat-bread-recipe-for-breadmaker/ Just omit the 1TBS butter for 1TBS coconut oil! I promise its worth trying!
Can’t wait to try this recipe to. Breakfast will be so yummy!
Do you need to heat the coconut oil first to make it liquid? Wasn’t sure if the 1/2 cup is solid at room temperature or as a heated liquid.
Hi Melissa. Yes. Here is more info: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/.
I have the same bread machine & followed this recipe yesterday. However, I ended up with a charred loaf and burned raisins all over the base of my bread machine! Do you need to put the raisins in a certain order. I put them in with the flour…
I want to try this recipe again but need some help.
Thanks!
Hi Katie. Each machine is a bit different as to when you add the raisins. You need to check the instructions for your machine.
I added the raisins during the second mix cycle! This is amazing! I’m trying it today with olive oil since I’m almost out of coconut oil!
I really want to try this recipe but I am not a big coconut fan, does the coconut oil favor come through? Thanks!!
Hi Christie. I never notice the taste of coconut oil in baked goods.
Hi Christie!
I made some whole wheat bread with coconut oil instead of butter and you don’t taste the oil at all its like butter it just helps with cooking. If you don’t want to use coconut oil just use butter, the same amount.
THANKS, AMY FOR THE REPLY. DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER RECEIPT THAT HAS SEEDS AND MORE
STUFF ADDED???
Hi Liz. We don’t. Sorry.
Hey! I’am going to try this bread. And, would like to add seeds to it. How much do I add?
Thanks, Liz
Hi Liz. We’ve not added seeds to this one. I’d start with a half cup and see how that goes.
Hi! I’m new to using coconut oil. Do I melt it and then measure? Or do I put it in solid form into my bread machine? Thanks!
Hi Kellie. This will help: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. :)
I just opened a brand new Breadman machine and hit up Google for a cinnamon raisin bread recipe for a bread machine that didn’t require bread flour. All. I had was trader joes whole wheat! It’s working now… Thanks!
Love this bread. Used a breadmaker, medium crust. Added chocolate bits and a couple of orange segments. It is absolutely delicious and it looks amazing too. Thank you for this fantastic recipe…that does not require bread flour.
Hey, I was wondering, can you use a regular oven for recipes like these? Because I really want to try this, but I haven’t got a bread maker.
Hi Callie. This might help: http://breaddaily.tripod.com/recipeconversion.htm.
I’m a bread lover and cinnamon is definitely one of my weakness. I’ve recently received a Breadman bread maker during my housewarming event. This was the first recipe I tried. While I’m sure I could still improve on the finishing, it certainly tastes not too bad (considering it was my first bread). Thanks for your recipe!
Hi there. I want to try this in my new bread machine, but it doesn’t say what size loaf this makes. The choices on my machine are 1.5, 2, and 2.5 lb. loaves. Which one would work best for this recipe? Thanks!!
This is the first recipe I tried in my machine and it turned out great!
@Krista I used the 2.0lb, Whole wheat, light crust settings.
I have been using the pre-packaged mixes that have worked well. But having this turn out so well gives me the confidence to try more. :)
Thanks for answering, Toni. ;)
I just took this out of the oven but the top middle of the loaf is a bit moist after additional time. Do you bake using convection oven or just regular oven? Thanks for any input!
Hi Sarah. Lisa’s oven has a convection setting but she does not bake with it. Every oven is a little different. You might just need to give yours a bit more time. ~Amy
Should I soak the raisins to plump them up or coat them in flour or both to prevent them from sinking and ensuring that I do not change the hydration in the bread recipe :)
Hello there, I am looking for new recipes and came across this. Could I leave out the Raisins? Just to make a cinnamon bread? Thanks
Hi Brittney. You can leave out the raisins. ;)
What would happen if I reduced the oil? Just by a quarter.
Hi Rachelle. We’ve not tried. It my effect the moistness and texture somewhat. ~Amy
This is the best raisin bread recipe I’ve ever made – I make it about once a week. I do find that it’s a little wet so I sometimes add a bit more flour.
The way I make all of my whole wheat breads is that I start with a “sponge” – 1st I mix the honey, water, yeast & then 2/3 of the flour & let it sit for 30 minutes. Then I add the rest of the ingredients to the bread machine & the sponge when it’s ready. I’ve found that the sponge method really helps soften the gluten in whole wheat bread recipes so that the dough is smoother & the bread rises higher. Also, when you use a sponge, you can decrease the yeast by 1/2.
This bread is really good! I made it using Brenda’s sponge method, and it’s very light and airy.
If anyone else tries it this way, listen to what she says about decreasing the yeast – I only decreased it about 10% and my bread collapsed in the middle. It tastes great, but the slices look like Maleficent’s hat! :)
I have never made bread before but would like to try this recipe. How would you make it without a bread machine?
Hi Shawna. Here is a similar recipe that is baked: http://www.backtothebooknutrition.com/whole-wheat-cinnamon-raisin-bread/. :)
Thanks for the shout out to my whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread, Amy! :)
You are welcome! My bread maker and I do not get along! :)
I am curious to know how you managed to find a yeast that is not loaded with chemicals and commercially processed. Is this an exception to the unprocessed foods rule?
Thanks for all you do!
Hi there. Yes, we use regular commercially available yeast. ~Amy
Thanks for your response Amy. I don’t see anything on that site discussing dark loaves and troubleshooting so I was wondering if it was specific to this recipe! I will keep looking.