5 Healthiest Cinnamon Raisin Breads—and 2 To Avoid

Eating a toasted slice of cinnamon raisin bread can feel like dessert for breakfast with the mouthwatering combination of warm cinnamon and sweet, juicy raisins—and with some cinnamon raisin bread at the grocery store, you might as well be! While many brands of cinnamon raisin bread include unnecessary added sugars, several brands leverage the already sweet taste of the ingredients for healthy, nutrient-rich bread.

If you're like me and prefer a sweet breakfast over a savory one, grab a loaf of one of the healthiest cinnamon raisin breads at the grocery store. These breads combine nutrient-dense, whole-food ingredients so you can feel your best while enjoying the cinnamon raisin flavor you love.

How We Chose the Healthiest Cinnamon Raisin Breads

• Made with whole grains. Eating bread made with whole grains can help you get more fiber and essential vitamins and minerals into your diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends making at least half of your grains throughout the day whole grains.
• Low in added sugar. Sweetbreads, including cinnamon raisin bread, are often loaded with added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to six percent or less of your total daily calories. While cinnamon raisin bread almost always has added sweeteners, look for natural low or no-calorie sweeteners like allulose or monk fruit that add flavor without the extra sugar or bread that relies on the sweetness of raisins and cinnamon.
• Low sodium. Bread and bread products are notoriously high in sodium. This may seem sneaky since bread doesn't taste salty, but salt is often used in baking and as a preservative in bread. Look for bread that has less than 10% of the daily value of sodium in each serving.

Read on to learn about five of the healthiest cinnamon raisin breads you can buy and two brands you may want to avoid. Then, check out 10 Healthiest Store-Bought Breads Recommended by Dietitians.

5 Healthiest Cinnamon Raisin Breads To Buy

Best: Base Culture Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This certified gluten-free and grain-free Cinnamon Raisin Bread is made with eggs, flaxseed meal, almond flour, arrowroot flour, and nut butter to create bread texture without using any wheat. It's sweetened with applesauce and features raisins and cinnamon for a sweet flavor with only 2 grams of natural sugars and no added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Just one slice should satisfy your sweet tooth while helping you meet your fiber goals, thanks to 3 grams of fiber.

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Best: Food for Life 7 Sprouted Grains Cinnamon Raisin Bread

7 Sprouted Grains Cinnamon Raisin Bread features sprouted grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and oats, in addition to cinnamon and raisins, which add a subtle sweet flavor. Sprouting grains helps increase the digestibility and absorption of nutrients, including protein, carbohydrates, lipids, and certain vitamins and minerals. Each slice of bread has two grams of fiber, no added sugars, and only two percent of the DV of sodium.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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Best: Carbonaut Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This low-calorie, Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread features only 45 calories and an impressive 14 grams of fiber in each slice. With resistant starch, psyllium, and inulin, this bread is high in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, decrease the risk of heart disease, and promote a healthy gut microbiome. Each slice provides 50% of the recommended daily value of fiber and has no added sugars, as it's naturally sweetened with raisins and cinnamon.

Best: Simple Kneads Swirly Cinnamon Bread

For bread that's baked and shipped fresh to your door the same day (it can also be found at a variety of health food stores and Whole Foods), Simple Knead Swirly Cinnamon Bread is a top pick. This sourdough loaf is made with organic whole grains like millet, teff, quinoa, and sorghum and sweetened with cinnamon and raisins. Each slice has 3 grams of fiber and no added sugars. Plus, it's certified gluten-free, vegan, organic,  and free from the top nine major allergens.

Best: Dave's Killer Bread Raisin' the Roof!

Dave's Killer Bread created a perfectly chewy and sweet breakfast bread with its Raisin' the Roof! cinnamon and raisin bread. Each slice has 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, and 3 grams of added sugars. Using whole grain ingredients like whole wheat flour and rolled oats, each serving has 8 grams of whole grains. Flax seeds also add 80 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids; each slice is USDA-certified organic.

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The Worst Cinnamon Raisin Bread To Buy

Worst: Pepperidge Farm Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread from Pepperidge Farm is sweet and loaded with raisin and cinnamon flavors, but it comes with 5 grams of added sugars, no whole grains, and only 1 gram of fiber.

Worst: Russo's Bakery Cinnamon Raisin Bread

The iced cinnamon raisin bread from Russo's Bakery is more of a dessert than a breakfast bread. Each slice has 12 grams of added sugars, or almost 25% of the recommended daily limit. On top of the added sugars, each slice also has 10% of the recommended sodium limit, making this a bread to be enjoyed occasionally as dessert, not as a regular breakfast or snack.