Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

This Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread is filled with delicious buttery ribbons of cinnamon, honey and raisins. We use it for breakfasts, snacks and so much more! The California Raisins give it a sweetness that's both healthy and delicious.

Is there anything better than warm, yeasty bread baking in the oven? Fill it with California Raisins, cinnamon, and honey and it takes it to an entirely new level of awesomeness. Check out the recipe, along with some of our other raisin-filled snacks below.

This amazing raisin-packed bread is so versatile. From after-school snacking to breakfast...it is perfection. It makes fantastic French toast, too. Or just add a dab of butter and have it on its own. The possibilities are endless. This recipe makes three large loaves, too. Stick a couple in the freezer and you'll be able to enjoy it for quite some time.

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread (makes 3 loaves)

Ingredients:
Dough:

1 cup warm water (between 110-115 degrees)
2 packages dry yeast
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, melted
1 1/2 cups California Raisins

1 1/2 cups warm milk (about 120 degrees)
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups whole-wheat flour

Filling:

1 stick salted butter, softened (divided)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins
Buttery Glaze:
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:
Dissolve yeast into warm water and set aside until it becomes frothy (about 10 minutes). After ten minutes, add eggs, sugar, honey, salt, and butter. Combine and then add in raisins. Add flours in gradually, alternating all-purpose and wheat, until dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead about five minutes, until smooth. Grease a large bowl and place dough in it. Cover and let rise about an hour and a half, until doubled in size.

Punch dough down and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Roll into a large rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick (my kids love to help with this).

Use 3/4 stick of the softened butter for the filling and spread across the dough. Mix together sugars and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of dough. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup raisins. Tightly roll up dough (the long way) into a long log. Cut dough into three sections. Pinch the ends and tuck them under each loaf. Place each loaf into a buttered loaf pan. Rub the remaining butter on the tops of the loaves. Place in a warm spot to rise for an hour.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until lightly golden brown on tops. Place fresh baked loaves (in pans) onto a rack to allow them to cool. After twenty minutes, brush with melted butter. Remove from pans to cool completely...unless you're like me and just want a slice of warm Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread (seriously, who can resist that?). Store in airtight containers for up to three days or freeze loaves to enjoy later.

It's bread perfection, y'all. And the possibilities with it are endless (remember that French toast I mentioned?)...so much yumminess!

As an after school snack (or even dinner), my youngest loves to make apple and cheddar sandwiches with the cinnamon raisin bread. It can be melted on the stove or even in a sandwich press.

California Raisins come by their sweetness naturally. With California Raisins, the nutrition label tells a great story: Zero fat, no cholesterol and no added sugar. Plus, raisins offer 9% of your daily fiber and potassium, and 6% of your daily iron. (per quarter cup serving)

Besides the bread, California Raisins have so many snacking possibilities...especially for lunches and after school. Convenient and portable, California Raisins are a great choice for wholesome, healthy, on-the-go snacking. They are a great value, too! According to the USDA, raisins are the most economical dried fruit.
Check out our ideas below>>>

Mixing raisins with white or chocolate chips is super yummy (and easy); spreading an apple slice with cookie butter (or a nut butter) and raisins is delicious; ants on a log (raisins in peanut butter on celery) are such a classic treat that never gets old; and our sandwich with the Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread in all its cheesy-appley goodness is amazing! California Raisins are an all-natural, dried-by-the-sun fruit you can feel good about sending with your kids as they head back to school or offering as an after-school snack. The ingredient list says it all: Raisins.

Visit www.loveyourraisins.com for more information about California Raisins and find us on Facebook at http://clvr.li/1tmy3j2 where you can sign up to receive a California Raisins prize pack! Limited supply; while quantities last.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.