One of my favorite things in life is a slice of bread, hot from the oven, slathered with butter. A close second is the smell of fresh baked bread.

You too? I don't know many people who don't love fresh baked bread. I know quite a few that can't have “regular” bread any longer, like me. Yes, fulfilling that desire becomes a bit of a challenge when you don't eat grains and starches, but thank goodness I've learned how to work with coconut flour [affiliate link] because I can enjoy homemade bread again. This delicious lightly sweetened loaf hits the spot with just the perfect amount of cinnamon [affiliate link].

This bread is wonderful slathered with butter, nut better and fruit preserves, or best yet a mixture of butter, honey [affiliate link] and cinnamon.

Matthew loves bread of any kind. As far as he is concerned, bread is bread is bread and he used four slices as hamburger buns. 🙂

Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Coconut Flour/Grain-Free/Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free)

• 7 large whole eggs [affiliate link]
• 1/3 cup honey + 2 tablespoons honey – divided use
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt [affiliate link]
• 2 teaspoons vanilla [affiliate link]
• 1 – 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon – divided use
• 1/2 cup coconut flour, packed
• 1/2 cup applesauce (or make your own using one apple)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil [affiliate link]
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda [affiliate link]
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 325°F. Be sure oven is preheated to the correct temperature before placing the loaf in the oven.

Grease a loaf pan* and line with parchment paper for complete ease in removal of loaf when done.

If you are making your own applesauce, peel and core one apple, I used a Red Delicious. Dice into small pieces and place in a small saucepan with 1 tablespoon coconut oil and 1/4 cup water.

Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit covered for ten minutes. The apples should be very soft. Mash with a fork or potato masher. Measure out 1/2 cup for the recipe.

Measure out 2 tablespoons honey and place in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well. Set aside.

Place eggs, honey, sea salt, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and applesauce into a mixing bowl. If you didn't make your own applesauce, add in one tablespoon melted coconut oil. With an electric mixer, mix at low speed until all ingredients are fully incorporated.

To measure the coconut flour, pack firmly into the cup measurement and use the back of a straight knife to level the flour even with the top edge of the measuring cup.

To ensure there are no lumps, sift flour.

Begin by adding half of the coconut flour into the ingredients. Blend until well mixed and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Add remaining coconut flour to achieve a thick batter. It's better to add flour in small amounts until you find the correct texture than to compensate by adding more liquids and fats.

The batter for this loaf will be soft and fluffy in texture.

Remove 1/2 cup of batter from the bowl and mix in with the honey and cinnamon mixture. Set aside.

To the remaining batter, add baking soda and mix quickly and completely.

Add apple cider vinegar and mix together quickly.

Place one cup of batter into the loaf pan and spread out evenly using a spoon or spatula spreader. Spoon half of the cinnamon/honey mixture over the batter.

Pour the remaining batter over the top of the cinnamon mixture and spread evenly to the sides. Pour the remainder of the cinnamon mixture on top and swirl with a knife.

Place immediately into a preheated oven. Bake 45 minutes. Loaf will look nicely brown on top, firm on the sides but may be still slightly squishy at the center. If so, lightly cover with a tent of aluminum foil and bake 10 more minutes.

At this point if the top still feels slightly squishy, turn off the oven and leave the loaf for 5 or 10 more minutes. This will usually allow the loaf to finish baking fully.

*The loaf pan I used was metal and measured 8.5″ x 4.5″ x 2.5. This is one available from Amazon that is the size I used: 8.5 Inch Loaf Pan

This post was included at Gluten Free Easily's Wednesday Hop on May 21, 2014.

Are you new to baking with coconut flour? Discover how to use this super food with my bestselling e-book Baking with Coconut Flour!