I’ve been taking the time lately to bake my little heart out. Baking has always been my weakest point, so I figured there was no time like the present to start working on that. One of the biggest steps I made in this was getting my hands on a new bread machine. I’ve found that access to a machine to do most of the hands on parts of making bread dough has eased my fears.

This Cinnamon Raisin Bread is perfect as part of a wholesome breakfast. With allowing the machine to do most of the work and only a few minutes of actual hands-on time, this bread is a great guilt-free way to feel like you’re indulging a bit.

Bread gets such a bad reputation these days, but when it comes down to it, in moderation (just as anything) your body needs a lot of what bread has in it. I made this bread a bit better-for-you by swapping out some of the sugars for natural sweetener blends. I also used a whole wheat white flour instead of a general all-purpose flour. Though either would work in a pinch!

I used the same basic method for making the swirl in this bread that I do for my cinnamon rolls. The best part is that it’s way less messy since you’re not having to cut the cinnamon rolls out. Instead you roll it all up and toss it into a loaf pan. Easy peasy!

Step-by-Step Photos:

Nutritional Claims: Low Potassium • Kidney Friendly • Vegetarian •Pescatarian • Peanut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • Kosher