How long does this bread need to rise?

Cinnamon raisin bread should rise for approximately 1 hour before baking.

What temperature should bread be baked at?

The recipe calls for backing this bread should be baked at 350°F.

How long does bread bake?

This bread bakes for approximately 25 minutes.

How Do You Make Cinnamon Raisin Bread With Honey?

Published March 6, 2025 | Updated June 10, 2026 | By Lappe's Bee Supply

Homemade cinnamon raisin bread made with honey, oats, cinnamon, and raisins — Homemade bread sweetened with honey and filled with oats, cinnamon, and raisins.

To make cinnamon raisin bread with honey, combine butter, oats, honey, and salt with boiling water, cool the mixture to lukewarm, then add eggs, yeast, cinnamon, and flour. Knead in raisins, place the dough in greased loaf pans, brush the tops with egg wash, sprinkle with oats, let the dough rise for 1 hour, and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.

Homemade cinnamon raisin bread is a soft yeast bread made with warm cinnamon, sweet raisins, hearty oats, and honey. It is the kind of loaf that works for breakfast toast, after-school snacks, homemade gifts, and thick slices of French toast. This version uses honey as the main sweetener, which gives the bread a gentle sweetness and a softer, more rounded flavor than plain sugar alone.

This guide walks through the recipe clearly, explains what each ingredient does, and includes practical baking notes so the dough is easier to handle. The goal is simple: two soft loaves with a tender crumb, even raisin distribution, and a golden oat-topped crust.

What Is the Quick Answer for Making Recipe?

This Recipe is made by softening oats, butter, honey, and salt with boiling water, cooling the mixture, adding yeast, eggs, cinnamon, and flour, kneading in raisins, rising the dough in loaf pans, and baking the loaves at 350°F for 25 minutes.

The most important step is cooling the hot oat mixture before adding yeast. Yeast performs best in warm dough, not hot dough. If the mixture is too hot, the yeast can weaken and the bread may not rise properly. Once the dough is mixed, the raisins are kneaded in so they spread through the loaf instead of clumping in one area.

What Are the Key Facts About This Honey Cinnamon Raisin Bread Recipe?

Recipe Detail	Value
Recipe Type	Homemade yeast bread
Main Sweetener	Honey
Yield	2 loaves
Rise Time	About 1 hour
Bake Temperature	350°F
Bake Time	25 minutes
Main Flavors	Cinnamon, honey, oats, and raisins
Best Uses	Breakfast toast, snacks, French toast, gifting, and lunchbox slices

Recipe snapshot: This recipe makes two loaves of bread. The dough rises once in the loaf pans for about 1 hour and bakes at 350°F for 25 minutes.

What Ingredients Do You Need for Cinnamon Raisin Bread With Honey?

This bread recipe uses butter, honey, boiling water, active dry yeast, flour, quick-cooking oats, salt, eggs, cinnamon, raisins, and an optional egg wash with oats for the topping.

Main Dough Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
2 cups boiling water
2 packages active dry yeast
6 to 7 cups flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups raisins

Optional Oat Topping

1 egg
1 teaspoon water
Extra quick-cooking oats

The flour amount is given as a range because bread dough changes slightly based on humidity, flour type, and how the oats absorb liquid. Start with the lower amount and add more only as needed. A soft dough is better than a dry, stiff dough for this style of bread.

What Does Each Ingredient Do?

Ingredient	Purpose in the Bread
Honey	Sweetens the dough, adds flavor, and contributes moisture to the crumb.
Butter	Adds richness and helps create a softer bread texture.
Quick-Cooking Oats	Add body, mild grain flavor, and a hearty texture.
Active Dry Yeast	Leavens the dough and helps the loaves rise.
Flour	Builds the structure of the bread.
Eggs	Add richness, structure, and tenderness.
Cinnamon	Provides the warm spice flavor associated with raisin bread.
Raisins	Add chewy texture and natural fruit sweetness.
Salt	Balances sweetness and strengthens overall bread flavor.
Egg Wash and Oats	Create a finished top crust with a bakery-style oat garnish.

How Do You Make Step by Step?

Make the dough by first hydrating the oats with boiling water, butter, honey, and salt. After the mixture cools, add yeast, eggs, cinnamon, and flour, then knead in the raisins before the dough rises in loaf pans.

Combine the base ingredients. Place the butter, oats, honey, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add boiling water. Pour the boiling water over the mixture and stir until the butter melts and the honey dissolves.
Cool to lukewarm. Let the mixture cool before adding yeast. The bowl should feel warm, not hot.
Add the dough starters. Add the eggs, active dry yeast, cinnamon, and 3 cups of flour.
Beat until smooth. Mix until the dough base looks even and the flour is fully incorporated.
Add more flour gradually. Add enough additional flour to form a soft, workable dough.
Knead in the raisins. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead the raisins evenly through the dough.
Prepare the pans. Grease two loaf pans well so the baked loaves release cleanly.
Shape the loaves. Divide the dough between the prepared pans.
Add the topping. Whisk 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water, brush over the tops, and sprinkle with extra oats.
Let the dough rise. Allow the loaves to rise for about 1 hour, or until visibly puffy.
Bake. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Cool before slicing. Let the bread cool so the crumb sets and slices cleanly.

Baker's tip: Add flour slowly near the end of mixing. A dough that is slightly tacky is usually better than one that has been made dry with too much flour.

Why Use Honey in Cinnamon Raisin Bread?

Honey works well in cinnamon raisin bread because it sweetens the dough, blends smoothly into the warm oat mixture, adds moisture, and gives the finished loaf a warm flavor that pairs naturally with cinnamon and raisins.

Honey is more than a sweetener in this bread. It helps create the overall eating quality of the loaf. When honey is stirred into the hot oat mixture, it dissolves before the flour is added. That early blending step helps spread sweetness throughout the dough instead of leaving pockets of concentrated sweetener.

The flavor also matters. Cinnamon and raisins are both bold ingredients. Plain white sugar can sweeten the dough, but honey adds a deeper flavor that feels more rounded in a breakfast bread. The result is a loaf that tastes sweet, warm, and homemade without feeling like dessert cake.

Because this recipe includes oats and raisins, the dough has more texture than a plain sandwich loaf. Honey helps bring those ingredients together by adding moisture and smoothness to the dough base.

How Is Honey Different From Sugar in Homemade Bread?

Characteristic	Honey	Granulated Sugar
Flavor	Warm, floral, and more complex	Clean, sweet, and neutral
Moisture	Adds moisture to the dough	Adds sweetness without the same liquid contribution
Dough Feel	Can make dough feel slightly softer or tackier	Usually keeps dough feel more predictable
Best Pairings	Cinnamon, oats, raisins, whole grains, and breakfast breads	Simple sandwich bread, rolls, and neutral baked goods
Use in This Recipe	Main sweetener	Not needed as the primary sweetener

Textbook-style takeaway: Honey changes both flavor and texture in bread. In this cinnamon raisin loaf, honey is used as the primary sweetener because it complements the cinnamon, raisins, and oats while helping the bread taste soft and rich.

What Is Lappe's Kitchen Note for This Honey Bread Recipe?

Lappe's kitchen note: Dissolving honey into the warm oat-and-butter mixture before adding flour helps create an even dough base, distributes sweetness more consistently, and supports a soft finished crumb.

For this recipe, honey is added before the flour. That small order-of-operations detail makes the dough easier to mix because the honey is already loosened and blended into the liquid base. Once flour is added, it is harder to correct unevenly mixed sweetener without overworking the dough.

This is especially helpful in a raisin bread because the dough already contains several add-ins. Oats absorb liquid, raisins add chewiness, cinnamon darkens the dough, and honey adds sweetness. Blending the honey early helps keep the dough consistent before the raisins are kneaded in.

What Can Go Wrong When Making Cinnamon Raisin Bread?

Problem	Likely Cause	How to Fix It Next Time
Bread did not rise well	The oat mixture may have been too hot when yeast was added, or the yeast may have been old.	Cool the mixture to lukewarm and use fresh active dry yeast.
Bread feels dry	Too much flour may have been added.	Add flour gradually and stop when the dough is soft and workable.
Raisins clumped together	Raisins were not kneaded evenly into the dough.	Spread raisins over the dough surface and knead until evenly distributed.
Loaves stuck to the pans	Pans were not greased thoroughly.	Grease the corners and sides of each loaf pan before adding dough.
Slices tear when cut	The bread was sliced while too hot.	Cool the loaf before slicing so the crumb can set.

Important yeast note: Do not add yeast directly to the boiling water mixture. Let the mixture cool first so the yeast can activate properly.

How Should Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread Be Stored?

Store cinnamon raisin bread at room temperature in an airtight container or bread bag after it has cooled completely. For longer storage, slice the loaf and freeze the slices in a freezer-safe bag.

Let the bread cool before storing it. Warm bread releases steam, and trapped steam can make the crust damp inside a sealed bag. Once the loaves are fully cool, wrap them or place them in a bread bag to help prevent drying.

For freezing, slicing first is the most convenient method. Place cooled slices in a freezer-safe bag and remove as much air as practical before sealing. Frozen slices can be toasted directly from the freezer, which makes the bread useful for quick breakfasts.

What Is Cinnamon Raisin Bread Best Used For?

Breakfast Toast

Toast thick slices and serve with butter, honey, cream cheese, or nut butter.

French Toast

The cinnamon, raisins, oats, and honey make this bread a strong choice for flavorful French toast.

Homemade Gifts

Because the recipe makes two loaves, one can be served at home and the second can be wrapped as a homemade gift.

Snacks

A slice works well as a simple afternoon snack with tea, coffee, milk, or apple cider.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should this rise?

The bread should rise for about 1 hour in the loaf pans. The dough should look visibly puffy before baking, although the exact rise time can vary depending on room temperature and yeast freshness.

What temperature should raisin bread be baked at?

This bread should be baked at 350°F. That temperature allows the loaves to bake through while developing a golden crust.

How long does this take to bake?

This recipe bakes for approximately 25 minutes. The bread should be allowed to cool before slicing so the interior crumb can set.

Can honey replace sugar in this recipe?

Yes. This recipe uses honey as the primary sweetener. Honey sweetens the dough while also adding moisture and a warm flavor that pairs well with cinnamon, oats, and raisins.

Can this bread be frozen?

Yes. Cool the bread completely, slice it if desired, and place it in a freezer-safe bag. Sliced bread is easier to use because individual pieces can be toasted directly from frozen.

Why should the oat mixture cool before adding yeast?

The oat mixture should cool because yeast can be weakened by excessive heat. A lukewarm dough base gives the yeast a better environment for rising.

Why add raisins during kneading?

Raisins are added during kneading so they distribute evenly throughout the dough. This prevents large clusters of raisins in one part of the loaf.

What is this bread best used for?

This sweet bread is best used for breakfast toast, French toast, snacks, and homemade gifting. Its honey, cinnamon, oat, and raisin flavor also makes it enjoyable plain or lightly buttered.

What is Lappe's kitchen note for this bread recipe?

Lappe's kitchen note is to dissolve the honey into the warm oat-and-butter mixture before adding flour. This helps distribute sweetness evenly and supports a soft finished crumb.

Sources and References

The recipe ingredients, proportions, preparation method, rise time, bake temperature, and bake time are based on the original Lappe's Bee Supply cinnamon raisin bread recipe. The following references are included for general baking, honey, and food storage context:

King Arthur Baking Company — General yeast bread baking techniques and ingredient guidance.
United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service — Honey and agricultural ingredient information.
National Honey Board — Honey usage, baking applications, and ingredient information.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Resources — General food safety and storage guidance.

Beekeepers Blog About Beekeeping

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

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How Do You Make Cinnamon Raisin Bread With Honey?

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