Here’s how to make the best cinnamon toast ever.
A few months ago, I saw a restaurant photo on Instagram of a slice of cinnamon toast with the most gorgeous caramelized layer of cinnamon sugar over the top, and I immediately set about trying and recreate it at home.
After a bit of trial and error, friend, I’d like to introduce you to the best cinnamon toast I’ve ever eaten.
It’s *so* good, and I’m so excited for you to give it a try.
Why is this toast so good?
The classic cinnamon sugar toast a lot of us grew up with is toasted bread, topped with butter, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and done. And it’s completely delicious.
But *this* cinnamon toast, this toast takes the whole cinnamon toast experience up about seven notches.
Instead of adding cinnamon sugar to the bread after cooking, this method uses a paste of butter and cinnamon sugar over uncooked bread which is then baked in the oven and broiled.
Cooking the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the toast creates a fantastic caramelized crust over the bread while the butter seeps down into it so you get this absolutely irresistible crispy, sweet, and buttery combo when you take a bite.
I found variations of this recipe around the internet, but I believe the cooking method was popularized by the Pioneer Woman. Her recipe uses two sticks of butter and an entire loaf of bread though, so today I’m sharing a scaled-down cinnamon sugar toast recipe with you.
Ingredient Notes
- Salted room temperature butter: You’ll need to use well-softened butter in this recipe, otherwise mixing it with the cinnamon and sugar will be a challenge and it won’t spread nicely on the bread without tearing it. I call for salted butter here, but if you typically use unsalted butter, not a problem, just add 1/8 teaspoon table salt along with the sugar.
- Granulated sugar: This recipe calls for granulated sugar, but if you want to mix things up, you can use a 50/50 mix of white granulated sugar and brown sugar for a bit of added molasses flavor.
- Bread: Most sliced sandwich breads will work just fine here. I used a thick-sliced brioche loaf for the toast in the photos, but plain old white bread will do. Hearty wheat bread is also quite good as a base for cinnamon sugar toast and is what I always used as a kid.
How to Make Cinnamon Toast
This is a quick overview of how to make cinnamon toast in the oven with extra tips and tricks. For the full printable recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below.
1. Combine together softened butter, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Use a fork to stir until the mixture forms a paste that is uniform in color.
2. Divide the cinnamon butter mixture evenly between the pieces of bread and spread it over the slices from edge to edge. Place the slices on an ungreased, unlined baking sheet. (Don’t use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat because they can’t be used under the broiler.)
3. Place the baking sheet on the top or center rack of your oven (you want it in the top half of your oven, but at least 5 inches from the broiler so your bread doesn’t burn).
4. Bake for 10 minutes and then switch your broiler on high and toast for 1 to 2 minutes, until top is bubbly and toast is fully crispy. DO NOT walk away from your toast under the broiler, as it can start to burn in seconds.
5. Allow the toast to cool slightly, slice, and enjoy!
Variations
- Spice Things Up: For a more complex flavor experience, try mixing a generous pinch of nutmeg or a little orange zest (about 1 very loosely packed teaspoon) into the cinnamon and butter mixture.
- Crispier Toast: If you like your toast quite crispy all the way through, crank up the heat and bake it at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes (depending on how thick your bread is).
FAQ
How can I soften my butter more quickly?
If you’re in a hurry, you can quickly soften your butter by cutting it into quarters and microwaving it in 4 to 5-second intervals until it softens slightly but does not become melty. Once it’s soft enough to smash with a fork, it’s good to go.
Can I make this without using my broiler?
If you can’t/don’t want to use your broiler, you can skip the final broiling step, the sugar just won’t be quite as caramelized.
Simply make the recipe according to the instructions and bake the bread an additional minute or two until it reaches your desired level of crispiness (since you can’t judge by color, squeeze the slices to check to see how toasted they are getting).
Can I make cinnamon toast without using the oven?
Yes and no. If you don’t have access to an oven, you can make fantastic classic cinnamon toast without one, but you can’t make *this* cinnamon toast.
To make classic cinnamon toast, use the same ingredient amounts but toast your bread in a toaster and generously butter each piece of bread. Mix sugar and cinnamon together to make cinnamon sugar and sprinkle it over the top of your buttered toast.
Can I freeze cinnamon toast?
I don’t recommend baking the toast ahead of time and freezing it, but you can freeze the toast before baking so it’s ready to go right into the oven on busy mornings.
To prep the toast for freezing, make the recipe as instructed and once the bread is spread with the cinnamon butter mixture, place it on a plate or baking sheet that will fit in your freezer and freeze about 20 minutes, until the top is mostly frozen (if the top is frozen, it won’t stick to other things when stacked for freezing).
Place slices of parchment paper between the slices and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to cook your toast, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake frozen toast on a baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted. Broil for an additional 1 to 2 minutes and enjoy!
More Sweet Breakfast Ideas
The Best Cinnamon Toast
Ingredients
- 4 slices sandwich bread
- 1/4 cup (56g) salted butter softened*
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place your bread on a broiler-safe ungreased, unlined baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Use a fork to stir until the mixture forms a paste that is uniform in color.
- Divide the cinnamon butter mixture evenly between the pieces of bread and spread it over the slices from edge to edge, completely covering each piece.
- Place baking sheet on the top or center rack of your oven (you want it in the top half of your oven, but at least 5 inches from the broiler so your bread doesn’t burn). Bake for 10 minutes or until bread is lightly crispy.
- Turn the broiler on high and broil toast until cinnamon sugar is bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. If at any time the edges of your toast begin to burn, pull them out of the oven. DO NOT walk away from your toast under the broiler and watch it closely.
- Allow the toast to cool slightly, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Adapted From The Pioneer Woman
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Ruth lamb says
I made it right after reading used my air fryer on toast then on broil fast easy and very good
Lois says
I use brown sugar in my cinnamon toast!
Angel says
Thank you for this recipe! It’s amazing and my husband loves it too. I made mine in the air fryer and it turned out perfect!
Irene says
My dad used to make cinnamon toast this way. He called it “Candy Toast.” We kids loved it. But he added a bit of light corn syrup to the butter/cinnamon/sugar mixture, which gave it a harder top, I think. Great memories of being blessed with a wonderful father!
Valerie R Reynolds says
Can I use a toaster oven?
Phil Bremer says
This is how I made cinnamon toast when I was a kid in the 60s. Never used a recipe, just winged it. Sometimes I’d mix up a big glass of Tang to have with it.
Donna says
I love cinnamon toast, toasted bread, butter sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Anxious to try this. Seemed to be a lot of work and not as much flavor. I even did it the “crispy” way. Bottom of bread was not crispy. Will continue the regular way
Reatha Schrick says
I make mine like this except I use brown sugar. r you could use 1/2 white sugar, 1/2 brown sugar.
Kathie says
I’m diabetic – can I use a sugar that is diabetics friendly?
Leah says
My grandmother, mother, and now my daughter, along with myself have made this for morning snack for our children. My son ate his with peanut butter!
Ben B. says
I grew up having broiled cinnamon toast in the 1970s. I have since made it for many kids, both my own and their friends, to their delight. This is the first time I’ve seen it as a pre-mix paste of butter & cinn-sugar, which is certainly worthwhile if doing a whole loaf.
Mom used cold slices of butter on store bread, then sprinkled cinn-sug on top & broiled, I spread a thick-ish layer of room temp butter from a butter-bell on top of “pre-toasted & cooled” slices of homemade sourdough, and medium heavy cinn-sugar on top. Broil to perfection, or just a bit past but NEVER under broil.
** I like to sneak in a little cloves and nutmeg with the cinnamon.
Unbroiled cinn-sugar toast seems like a weak consolation prize, to me. But broiled is as fine of a sweet treat for breakfast as I’ve ever had.
Cathy M. says
This is similar to my family’s recipe, but ours is a little simpler. It’s the first thing my mother taught me to cook, and her grandmother, my great-grandmother, used to make it for her generation of cousins.
Take bread of choice — I grew up with basic wheat sandwich bread, but lately I’ve been using the apple fritter breakfast bread from Target. Butter a couple of slices — not too thick, but don’t be stingy, either — and sprinkle thoroughly with cinnamon sugar. Broil with the oven door cracked until topping is bubbly. Remove, plate, eat.
No need to mix the cinnamon sugar into the butter, and it’s just broiled, not need to switch the oven temp around. I grew up using the big oven for this, but these days, I usually just use my toaster oven. The result is probably not identical to this method, but it sure is tasty!
Tom says
Great day starter for my 2 kiddos and me here in Texas! The recipie makes me a hero once a week…perfection and everyone on the Island enjoys your recipies!
Tracy says
Thanks, Tom! That makes me so happy to hear!!
Anthony Allen says
My kids love these and honestly they are easy to make. Everyone’s oven is different so keep an eye out when broiling. They are great for breakfast or brunch
Tracy says
Agreed. Definitely keep an eye on anything under the broiler, things can burn so quickly!!
KayZee says
This is the best way to have cinnamon toast, without a doubt, but it’s definitely not a new idea! My mother made it this way for our family in the late 1950’s! Yummy. Brings back great memories. Thanks for posting.
Ann Dawson says
We grew up in the 50s eating cinnamon toast his way also.one difference was that we broiled one side of the toast first, then turned it over and spread the cinnamon mixture over he other side and broiled.
Michelle says
I’m a big fan of Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Toast but had been struggling with getting my small batch ratios down (both in terms of amount of ingredients and amount per slice). I’ve taped this recipe to the inside of my spice cabinet for easy reference and can attest that the ingredient and ratio butter to bread are ideal. Thanks for this!
Tracy says
So thrilled to hear it, Michelle!!!