Cinnamon Snack Toast is a crispy, crunchy treat you can make at home. This easy cinnamon toast recipe is an alternative to trenary toast and zweiback!
Cinnamon snack toast is like toasting a piece of bread and sprinkling it with cinnamon sugar. But instead of the toast being soft on the inside, snack toast is crispy all of the way through. Plus you can make it ahead of time!
Table of contents
Recipe History
Have you ever heard of cinnamon snack toast? It is a crunchy, crispy cinnamon toast that has a small, but intensely dedicated following. Unfortunately, the company that made cinnamon snack toast decided to stop making it and the cinnamon toast lovers are having to let their cravings go unfulfilled. My dad is one of those people.
Then, of course, he turned to me, the daughter with the food blog, wondering if I could make him some. I felt sorry for the poor guy and told him that I would have a couple different kinds for him to try by Father’s Day. And of course, he was delighted and said you promise?
So, I started researching and talking to people about how to make cinnamon snack toast. I tried a recipe for cinnamon rusks which was delicious but the texture was more cake-like and they reminded me of biscotti. I found a recipe for homemade zweiback which looked appealing but with how much my dad loves cinnamon toast, I knew I couldn’t commit to making homemade bread for him every week.
How To Make Cinnamon Snack Toast
Step One: Cut Your Bread and Dampen It
You can use whatever kind of bread you want to make this cinnamon toast. I made it with Texas Toast Bread and store-bought cinnamon bread.
The Texas Toast Bread is much thicker, but the cinnamon bread is a sweet bread. Whichever bread you choose, start by cutting several slices in half.
Fill a small, misting spray bottle with water and lightly spritz a slice of bread on both sides.
Step Two: Coat the Bread and Bake It
Coat both sides of the bread with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
Lay the slices on a large baking sheet. I used my jelly roll pan. If you are doing more than one kind of bread, use different pans for different thicknesses because the thinner bread will take less time to bake.
Bake at 220˚F for 45 minutes and then flip the cinnamon toasts over. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 45-75 minutes, until the bread does not give when you press on it. You want it to be dry, hard, and crunchy.
Step Three: Allow to Cool and Serve
Allow the cinnamon snack toast to cool completely before moving it to a storage container.
And the verdict from my dad, was a robust “OHHH, LAH” Which is his way of saying it was awesome. My mom immediately asked if I had put the recipe on my blog yet because she knows that my dad is going to be wanting more in the very near future.
Cinnamon Snack Toast FAQs
If you like thicker slices use thicker bread or if you want more cinnamon flavor, use a cinnamon bread.
My dad has bought it from Trenary Toast and family friends have gotten it for us from a store in the upper peninsula of Michigan.
Yes, a toaster oven would work especially great for a small batch.
Choose a lighter bread and a sugar substitute.
Here are a couple more cinnamon recipes to try:
- These Bloomin’ Cinnamon Rolls are full of ooey, gooey caramel goodness. Make this blooming cinnamon roll monkey bread-like recipe for breakfast or dessert.
- Copycat Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Stix are easy to make with frozen bread dough. This recipe is for Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Sticks and maple frosting dip.
- Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is the perfect breakfast for fall weekends, overnight guests, or holiday brunch. It can be prepared the night before!
- There’s nothing better than enjoying a cup of hot coffee with a slice of something like this fantastic Cinnamon Coffee Cake.
Cinnamon Snack Toast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 slices bread
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Cut the slices of bread in half.
- Mix together the cinnamon and sugar.
- Mist the slices of bread, one at a time, and coat them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Lay coated bread on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 220˚Ffor 45 minutes and then flip the cinnamon toasts over.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 45-75 minutes, depending on the thickness of your bread, until the bread does not give when you press on it. You want it to be dry and crunchy.
- Store in an airtight container.
Coral Walker says
Thank you so much for this great recipe!! I grew up eating these dunked in tea. (Minnesota Swede) I was always able to buy these at most any grocery store, up until about 12 or more years ago. Sure have missed them, my favorite snack. I’ve made them many times since finding your recipe, and am making some now! So I am wondering if these can be froze? Sure would like to make enough for a month at a time. Thank you!!
Tonia Larson says
Hi Coral,
I grew up snacking on them as well and still love them too! Yes, you can freeze them for 2-3 months.
Enjoy,
Tonia
Coral Walker says
Oh that’s wonderful! Thank you!
Lori says
Can’t wait to try this. Had Trenary toast from Trenary, MI, for the first time, and I’m hooked. But WAY too pricey to order online. We’ll see how this goes. Thanks for posting!
Suzanne Martin says
Still selling Trenary toast in Michigan Upper peninsula
Kristin says
You had me at “rusks”. I knew I had the right recipe and the right gal the moment I saw that word. My whole family are devote rusk lovers and we were beyond heart broke when they just up and discontinued them! Thank you for this!!! X 1,000,000!!!
Bonita D Drake says
I’ve always loved this toast. There is a bakery in Lake Havasu, AZ that sells is but I live back in Wisconsin. Thanks for the recipe.
Vicki says
OMG! This was how i started drinking coffee as a kid. A little coffee, a lot of milk and cinnamon toast to dip it in. Comfort food and memories. So glad I found this recipe!!
Donna Lee Sams says
It’s also good with butter & smooth peanutbutter…dipped in your morning coffee!!
Barb says
I’ve searched the World over for a recipe like yours!! My family is thrilled I found & so am I 😀
I’ve been using Pepperidge Farm with Xtra cinnamon.
*I have found lighlty toasting before coating with cinnamon & baking makes the toast less chewy, after dunking in coffee 😀
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing!
Barb says
I’ve searched the World over for a recipe like yours!! My family is thrilled I found & so am I 😀
I’ve been using Pepperidge Farm with Xtra cinnamon.
*I have found lighlty toasting before coating with cinnamon & baking makes the toast less chewy, after dunking in coffee 😀
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing!
Randi says
Just found your blog while searching for Jacobsen’s snack toast. I guess I’m not surprised to hear they are discontinued, as I haven’t been able to find them for years. When I was a child growing up in MN, I used to love a piece or two of broken up cinnamon toast in a bowl with hot milk. As said in an earlier post, we also called it milk toast. I wonder if it’s a MN thing? Or a Scandinavian thing? I’m looking forward to trying both your snack toast recipe and the blooming cinnamon roll.. looks delicious and I can almost smell the cinnamon.
Iris Okerlund says
Hi Randi, just read your comment. I am a Finn/ Swede originally from ThunderBay Ontario Canada.
One of my fondest childhood memories was eating Korpu with hot milk. This was very similar to what you describe as snack toast. I am sure every Finn in the country had this as a staple. Thy were also dunked into coffee. My Mummu made them all the time. You can google Korpu and get the gist. I live in Alberta now and just came back from ThunderBay, which used to be called Port Arthur and Fort William. I bought some over there, but the original owners sold the bakery that used to sell them for many years. The new owners try, but they are not the same. I just had a bowl of Korpu and hot milk Yummmy. I am seventy years old now and it seems like I was just five years old again, eating in my Mummu’s kitchen. I love my heritage.❤️❤️❤️
Just wanted to say
Charlie E Heinrich says
My first job was a delivery boy for a grocery store on Payne Ave on the Eastside of st. Paul mn. The people would order groceries and bakery goods. I would go to Jacobsen’s Bakery and pickup the order and deliver it They made the best cinnamon toast and it was always fresh because they sold so much of it. Sigrid was the owner name she was in her 70 or 80 in the late 60s. All these business’s have since disappeared.
Donna Lee Sams says
Haha!! I think it’s a MN thing, I am from Fla & have relatives in MN. I had my first taste of Snack Toast wile visiting. I was hooked!! I was so sad when Jacobsens quit making Snack Toast!
Jennifer Brehmer says
Oh my goodness your dads story could be mine! Thanks so much for posting this I can’t wait to try it!!
Mary Jo says
Delicious and easy, but if you’re feeling lazy (or nostalgic) Roers Family Bakery in Alexandria, MN sells a loaf of 12 slices for $2.60.
Judith Liebaert says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. My father also loved cinnamon toast snacks and got me hooked on it. Up until about a year ago, I could still purchase a large bag – made on site at the local supermarket. Now they carry the Michigan brand, but it’s too costly for my budget. Can’t wait to try this, and it will serve a dual purpose. With only my husband and I these days, I often end up with at least a 1/4 of a loaf of bred beginning to mold before we can eat it. Now, I’ll just turn half the loaf into cinnamon toast snack as soon as I open it!
Kristine Swanson says
Do they still sell it? Do you know if they will ship it?
Mary Weber says
I just ordered and received some from the Trenary Home Bakery in the upper peninsula of Michigan. They shipped it same day as ordered. Highly recommend.
LeRoy Montoya says
Thanks for the recipe. I got hooked on trenary toast when on a visit to the UP .my mom used to make us kids a crunchy suger and cinnamon version to eat with our oatmeal on cold winter days. It was my favorite with the oatmeal as a kid.
Tonia says
I’ve never had it with oatmeal but that doesn’t sound fabulous!
Kimberly Kobs says
Thank you for this recipe. My Grandma was Danish and she made things out of leftover hamburger and hotdog buns. She called them tweebokers. I don’t know if she made up that name or not, but this sounds just like what I need. Thank you.
Xara says
My husband and I buy this every time we go to the upper Peninsula. It’s so good. Thanks for the recipe!
Don Kutz says
It can also be obtained at Herman’s Bakery in Cambridge, MN. They have been making it for over 75 years. It is the best.
Cathy says
Thank you so much! I too have missed eating cinnamon rusks /toast and couldn’t find it anywhere! Today is my Mother’s 100th Birthday! She’s in heaven now, it’s been 3 years! But the caving to have a cup of coffee and cinnamon rusks, a little fika, she was Swedish is making my mouth water and my heart full of memories!
I will try your recipes!
So sad to learn that tge company discontinued such a tasty snack, our babies loved it!
Marsha says
I’ve been looking for this recipe for a long time! When I was very young (over 60 years ago), my Grandmother would butter the cinnamon snack toast and pour hot milk over it in a cereal bow!. She called it Milk Toast. Yum!
Kathy says
When we were little, we’d get these at a local bakery in lower Michigan❤️
Ann says
I wonder if you could do this with spray butter/oil and other spices like garlic, thyme, basil, etc?
David Couch says
I would suggest clarified butter for this. Thanks
Kayla says
Just wanted you to know that The Lindstrom Bakery in Lindstrom, Minnesota still makes and sells these cinnamon toasts. They do mail order on those and their traditional ginger snaps.
I believe I read somewhere that you were in Minnesota, so thought you might like to know this.
I haven’t tried your recipe, but the pictures look delicious. I love cinnamon.
I’ve used many of your recipes. I haven’t had a bad one yet! Thank you for your work on your site. It’s a favorite.
Tonia says
Thanks so much for the heads up. Yes, we live in Minnesota. Lindstrom is a bit of a drive but I can look into the mail order. And thanks so much for being a reader! ~Tonia
MARY says
FOUND IT IN CAMBRIDGE MINNN HERMANS BAKERY 763 689 1515 MAKE IT ONCE A WEEK I FINALLY FOUND IT 4.59 A BOX
Kristine Swanson says
Do you know if they still make it?
Kristine Swanson says
Do they still make it? Will they still mail it? I would love to have some.