10+ Sweet Bread Recipes to Try for Delicious Homemade Treats

Sweet bread recipes are a lovely way to sneak a little sweetness into your day. Whether you want something for breakfast or just a snack that feels a bit special, sweet breads are a solid choice.

There are so many kinds out there, each with its own unique flavor and texture.

Sweet bread recipes usually use simple ingredients to make soft, tasty bread you can whip up at home. Baking sweet bread is honestly a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Sharing it with friends or family? Even better. Just a few basics and you’ve got fresh bread that smells amazing and tastes even better.

1) Grandma’s Portuguese Sweet Bread

Grandma’s Portuguese Sweet Bread is one of those recipes you’ll want to make again and again. It’s soft, gently sweet, and honestly perfect for breakfast or a quick snack.

The golden crust looks gorgeous, and the inside stays tender and fluffy.

Start by activating yeast in warm water. Then, mix the yeast with milk, sugar, butter, and flour to form your dough.

Let the dough rise until it doubles. Shape it, let it rise again, and then bake.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) until the top turns golden brown. The smell alone will make you want to sneak a slice before it cools.

Ingredients

• 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ¼ cup warm water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup hot scalded milk
• ¼ cup butter
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cooking Instructions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let it get bubbly.
2. Mix milk, sugar, and butter together.
3. Add yeast mixture and flour to the milk mix. Knead until smooth.
4. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
5. Shape into a loaf, place in a greased pan.
6. Let rise again, 30-45 minutes.
7. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30-35 minutes.
8. Cool before slicing.

For details, see Grandma’s Portuguese Sweet Bread Recipe Made from Scratch.

2) Banana Nut Quick Bread

Banana nut quick bread is a classic. It’s moist, packed with ripe bananas, and the nuts give it a nice crunch.

You can eat it for breakfast or just grab a slice as an afternoon snack.

Start by creaming butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla for flavor.

Mix the dry ingredients, and then alternate adding them with mashed bananas and milk. Fold in the nuts at the end.

Bake it up and your kitchen will smell like heaven. It’s especially good warm, maybe with a little butter.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Cream butter and sugar.
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
4. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
5. Add dry ingredients, bananas, and milk to the butter mixture, alternating as you go.
6. Stir in nuts.
7. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
8. Bake 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool before slicing.

More tips and details can be found in a banana nut bread recipe from Allrecipes.

3) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Pumpkin chocolate chip bread is one of those treats that just feels like fall, but honestly, it’s good any time. The flavor of pumpkin and chocolate chips works surprisingly well together.

Cinnamon and nutmeg bring a cozy spice, and the bread stays soft and moist. The chocolate chips don’t overpower the pumpkin—they just add a little extra sweetness.

This bread is easy to make in a loaf pan. It works for breakfast, snacks, or even dessert.

Ingredients

• 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a big bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla.
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients together, then fold in chocolate chips.
5. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
6. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let it cool before slicing.

Find more tips for this recipe at pumpkin chocolate chip bread ideas.

4) Caramel-Pecan Monkey Bread

Caramel-Pecan Monkey Bread is a sweet, gooey treat that’s great for sharing. You coat biscuit dough pieces in cinnamon sugar, then layer them with caramel sauce and crunchy pecans.

The caramel melts as it bakes, making everything sticky and delicious.

Grab some store-bought biscuit dough if you want to save time. This one’s a hit for breakfast or dessert—everyone loves pulling apart the sticky pieces.

The toasted pecans and warm caramel make it hard to stop at just one piece. You can bake it in about 30 minutes at 350°F (175°C).

Ingredients

• 2 cans of refrigerated biscuit dough
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup caramel sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Cut biscuit dough into pieces and coat with the sugar mix.
4. Layer dough, caramel sauce, and pecans in a bundt pan.
5. Melt butter and pour over the top.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn out and serve.

5) Orange Rolls Sweet Bread

Orange rolls are soft, sweet, and bursting with citrus flavor. The dough is buttery and tender, and you get that fresh orange taste from juice and zest.

You roll up the dough with cinnamon and orange sugar inside. After baking, drizzle over a sweet orange glaze.

They’re a fun change from regular cinnamon rolls. Soft, fluffy, and that citrus twist is just so good.

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup warm milk
• ¼ cup orange juice
• Zest of one orange
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Cooking Instructions

1. Mix yeast with warm milk and orange juice. Let it sit 5 minutes.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and orange zest.
3. Add eggs, butter, and yeast mix. Knead until soft.
4. Let dough rise for about 1 hour.
5. Roll dough into a rectangle, spread with brown sugar and cinnamon.
6. Roll up tightly, slice into rolls, and place in a greased pan.
7. Let rise 30 minutes.
8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes.
9. Drizzle with orange glaze once cooled.

6) Praline Pull-Apart Bread

Praline Pull-Apart Bread is sticky, sweet, and honestly just fun to eat. You coat soft dough pieces in cinnamon sugar and butter, then pile them up with pecans.

Bake it and you get gooey bread with a crunchy, caramelized top.

This bread is perfect for sharing at brunch or breakfast. Just pull off the soft pieces and enjoy.

You’ll use simple ingredients like frozen bread dough, cinnamon, butter, sugar, and pecans. Bake it in a bundt pan for that classic pull-apart look.

Ingredients

• 1 (2-lb.) package frozen bread roll dough
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mix sugar and cinnamon.
3. Cut dough into pieces, dip in melted butter.
4. Roll in cinnamon sugar.
5. Layer dough and pecans in a bundt pan.
6. Pour leftover butter and sugar mix over the top.
7. Bake 35-40 minutes, until golden and sticky.
8. Let cool 10 minutes, then pull apart to serve.

Find more details at Southern Living Praline Pull-Apart Bread.

7) Hummingbird Bundt Cake

This sweet bread brings together banana, pineapple, and toasted pecans for a flavor-packed bite. The cake turns out super moist and tender, which is always a win.

It’s topped with a cinnamon-spiced cream cheese icing that’s not too sweet. Serve it up for breakfast or dessert, honestly—it works both ways.

You’ll get a kitchen full of warm, comforting smells as it bakes. The mix of fruit and spices makes every bite interesting.

Ingredients

• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 oz cream cheese (for icing)
• 4 tablespoons butter (for icing)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (for icing)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (for icing)

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.

3. In a big bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

4. Beat eggs in another bowl, then add oil and vanilla.

5. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ones.

6. Gently fold in bananas, pineapple, and pecans.

7. Pour the batter into your Bundt pan.

8. Bake for 55-65 minutes.

9. Check with a toothpick—it should come out clean.

10. Let the cake cool before you ice it.

11. For the icing, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.

12. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon, then beat again until creamy.

13. Spread icing over the cooled cake.

You can find variations of this recipe at Sally’s Baking Addiction.

8) Simple Vanilla Sweet Bread

This sweet bread is honestly a breeze to make and has a gentle vanilla flavor. It bakes up in just over an hour, so it’s perfect when you want something homemade but don’t have all day.

I love how it goes with butter, jam, or even fresh fruit. The texture is soft, and the sweetness isn’t overpowering.

Most of the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen. The vanilla comes through nicely, but doesn’t take over.

Baking it yourself means you can tweak the sweetness or freshness to your liking. That’s always a win.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (201 grams) white granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (12 grams) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ sticks (170 grams) butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

3. In another bowl, beat eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla until it’s smooth.

4. Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients—don’t overmix.

5. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.

6. Bake for 55-65 minutes.

7. Let it cool before you slice and serve.

For more details, see this simple vanilla sweet bread recipe.

9) Classic Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cinnamon swirl bread really is a treat—soft, tender, and packed with sweet cinnamon ribbons in every slice. I think it’s perfect for breakfast, or just as a snack.

You probably have all the ingredients on hand already. Toast a slice and add butter, or just eat it plain.

When you bake this bread, your kitchen will smell amazing. Sure, you have to let the dough rise, but the steps are simple enough.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm milk (110°F/43°C)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (for swirl)

Cooking Instructions

1. Mix warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

2. Add flour, melted butter, salt, and egg. Knead until the dough is smooth.

3. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles, about 1 hour.

4. Roll the dough into a rectangle and brush with melted butter.

5. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle that over the dough.

6. Roll the dough tightly into a loaf and place it in a greased pan.

7. Let it rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

8. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Cool before slicing.

10) Party Coffee Cake

Party Coffee Cake is always a hit at gatherings. It’s soft, moist, and has a lovely cinnamon swirl inside.

The crumb topping gives it a nice crunch. You don’t need any fancy gadgets to make this.

It pairs perfectly with a hot drink, whether it’s brunch or just a coffee break. If you want to dress it up, add a simple glaze on top.

It’s easy to slice and share—everyone can grab a piece.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Grab a bowl and mix the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

3. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, melted butter, sour cream, and vanilla.

4. Now, pour the wet ingredients into the dry.

5. Stir until just combined—don’t overthink it.

6. For the swirl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

7. Pour half the batter into a greased pan.

8. Sprinkle on half the cinnamon sugar and some nuts if you like them.

9. Spoon the rest of the batter over that layer.

10. Top with the remaining cinnamon sugar and nuts.

11. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

12. Check with a toothpick; if it comes out clean, you’re good to go.