Add family, good food, tradition, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and you get the perfect recipe for an Easter well-spent. But let’s take a moment to focus on the cinnamon…It just feels wrong to celebrate without it. So, we’ve gone all in with this special spice and have scoured the web (and our own recipes) for the best 10 inspired cinnamon recipes. Feast your eyes on these gems - in no particular order.

Recipe 1: Cinnamon Bun Raisin Oatmeal

Image and recipe courtesy of the Bennett Read Superchef 10+ Recipe Guide

Start the morning satiating your cinnamon cravings with a healthy bowl of oatmeal.

INGREDIENTS: • 1 tbsp unsalted butter • 1 cup steel-cut oats 31/2 cups water • 1/4 tsp salt • 3/4 cup raisins • 1/4 cup light brown sugar • 1 tsp cinnamon • 60 g cream cheese • 2 tbsp powdered sugar • 2 tsp milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Press the Sauté button on your cooker and wait for the pot to get hot. Add the butter and stir until completely melted.
2. Add the oats and stir continuously until oats absorb the butter.
3. Add the water to the pot, lock the lid, turn the regulator knob to pressure, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
4. Release the pressure, open the lid, stir in the raisins, press warm/cancel and lock the lid. Leave the cooker to sit while you make the cinnamon topping
5. In a small cup, mix the cinnamon and light brown sugar. Sift well using a fork.
6. In a small mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and 2 tsp of milk. Whisk until creamy. Use a pastry pipng bag and fill with frosting.
7. Serve the oatmeal with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and swirl of frosting.

Recipe 2: Cinnamon and Raisin Rusks

Image: https://drizzleanddip.com/

This recipe is so easy it almost feels like cheating! All you have to do is buy hot cross buns and air fry them at a low temperature for 20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS: • Any shop-bought hot cross buns of your preference.

DIRECTIONS: 1.Don’t break apart the buns. Cut thin slices, around 3cm thick, across two already joined buns so you end up with long rusks that are easy to dip in your coffee or tea. 2. Place the slices into an air fryer, being careful not to break them at the joints. 3. Bake for 20 minutes at 60 degrees Celsius. Leave them to cool off completely. 4. They should feel hard and have no bounce when you squeeze them. If they are still slightly chewy, you can put them back into the air fryer for 10 minutes at a time (at 80 degrees) and leave them to cool until you reach your desired crunchiness.

Recipe 3: Banana Cinnamon French Toast

Image and recipe courtesy of the Bennett Read Superchef 10+ Recipe Guide

Another recipe to spice up your Easter morning. Cinnamon for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – yes please!

INGREDIENTS: • 5 slices of French bread • (cut into large squares) • 3 eggs • 4 bananas, sliced • 1/2 cup milk • 2 tbsp brown sugar • 1 tbsp white sugar • 1/4 cup cream cheese • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1/2 tsp cinnamon • 2 tbsp chilled butter • Syrup

DIRECTIONS:

1. Oil a baking pan.
2. Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt cream cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Do not over-heat.
3. Add a layer of bread (cut up in large squares) to the pan, then layer banana slices and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of brown sugar. Next, add a layer of cream cheese. Top with the remaining bread, then another layer of banana slices and sprinkle with a final tbsp of brown sugar.
4. In a bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Stir in white sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
5. Add 3/4 cup of water into the cooker pot. Insert steam rack into cooker. Place the baking pan onto the rack. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Release the pressure and remove the baking pan from the pressure cooker.
6. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle with syrup (optional). Tip: Add chocolate spread to treat yourself.

Recipe 4: Cinnamon Hot Cocoa

Image and recipe courtesy of the Bennett Read Superchef 10+ Recipe Guide

As the chill in the air starts to get crisper, it just feels right to cosy up with some hot cocoa flavoured with all-natural cinnamon while you enjoy your Easter holiday.

INGREDIENTS: • 1/2 cup unsweetened • cocoa mix • 1 pinch of salt • 3/4 cup hot water • 2 cinnamon sticks • 1 cup heavy cream • 1 bag of small marshmallows • 6 cups almond milk • whipped cream • 1/2 cup Stevia • (sweetener) • 1 can condensed milk • 2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Using a glass mixing bowl, dissolve cocoa in hot water. Pour into the cooker pot.
2. Add cream, almond milk, condensed milk, vanilla, Stevia (sweetener), cinnamon sticks and pinch of salt. Stir together.
3. Lock the lid and cook on low pressure for 6 minutes.
4. Serve and top with marshmallows and whipped cream (optional).

Recipe 5: Bunny Cinnamon Rolls

Image and Recipe courtesy of Julie Blanner.

If you subscribe to the school of thought that says, ‘The more decadent the better!’ than we’re 100% with you. This melt-in-your mouth doughy goodness is sure to be a winner amongst your cinnamon recipes! You’ll want to make as many of these cinnamon rolls as possible, so ensure you bake them in a large oven.

INGREDIENTS: • ¾ cup milk • ? cup butter salted or unsalted • 3¼ cups all-purpose flour • ¼ cup white granulated sugar • ½ teaspoon salt • 1 package active quick rise yeast • 4 tablespoons butter melted • ¾ cup light brown sugar packed • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon • 1 egg • ¼ cups heavy cream For the Icing • 4 ounces cream cheese softened • ½ cup unsalted butter softened • 2 cups powdered sugar • 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Get bunny cinnamon roll instructions from Julie Blanner.

Recipe 6: Cinnamon Biscuits

Image and recipe courtesy of www.schwartz.co.uk

If you’re as outraged by the price of chocolate these days as we are, then we recommend switching to a different type of Easter treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. Cookies cut into bunnies, eggs, crosses, or chicks are fun to make and eat.

Ingredients: • 100 grams (4 ounces) caster sugar • 100 grams (4 ounces) butter • 1 egg, separated • 225 grams (8 ounces) plain flour • ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger • ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon • 50 grams (2 ounces) currants • 25 grams (1 ounce) candied peel • 3 tablespoons milk • 450 grams (1 pound) royal icing sugar (optional)

Get cinnamon biscuits instructions from Schwartz.

Recipe 7: Hot-Cross Bunny Chow Dessert

Image courtesy of deepai.org and recipe courtesy of Bennett Read.

Looking for something a little extra that pays tribute to both Easter tradition and South African heritage? Try out these hot cross bunny chows and let us know what you think (tag us on Facebook @BennettReadZA and share an image of your end result).

Ingredients: • X 6 cinnamon buns • X1 can whipped cream • X1 slab dark cooking chocolate • ¼ cup full cream milk • X2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Break off a single bun and use a knife to cut a pocket into the side.
2. Make chocolate sauce by breaking up the chocolate and adding all of it to a glass jar. Then add the milk. Now melt the chocolate and milk in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, until it is fully melted (keep an eye on this to ensure it doesn’t boil over). Mix this together to form a homogenous sauce. Add your cocoa and then thoroughly mix this in. Wait for it to cool – now your sauce is ready!
3. Fill the pocket, in your bun, with whipped cream and your chocolate sauce – to your liking.
4. Repeat with the rest of the hot cross buns.

Recipe 8: Cinnamon Sugar Easter Bunny Twists

Image and recipe courtesy of www.itsalwaysautumn.com

Easy to make and tasteful, these twists are sure to go down well. Whether you air fry them or bake them in an oven they’ll be golden brown and deliciously flaky all the same.

Ingredients: • 1 package frozen puff pastry sheets (17.3 oz, 2 sheets in package) • 2 tablespoons butter, melted • 1 tablespoon cinnamon • 2 tablespoons sugar • white frosting (see frosting note below)

Get the instructions to make these cinnamon sugar easter bunny twists from It’s Always Autumn.

Recipe 9: Chocolate Cinnamon Easter Bunny Milkshakes

Image and recipe courtesy of www.thekatetin.com

The Kate Tin is a master at putting a sophisticated spin on all things traditional. Try this indulgent drink that you’ll wish you had more excuses to make.

INGREDIENTS: • 375ml (1½ cups) milk • 15ml (1 tbsp) brown sugar • 2,5ml (½ tsp) cinnamon • 125ml (½ cup) Kahlúa or cold espresso (for a non-alcoholic version) • 4 x hollow chocolate Easter bunnies

Get this chocolate Easter cinna-bunny milkshake recipe from The Kate Tin.

Recipe 10: Easter Cinnamon Wreath

Image and recipe courtesy of www.bbcgoodfood.com

Whether it’s a table-scaping centrepiece or is hung up as décor, you’ll want to show off this classy ode to Easter.

INGREDIENTS: • 50g unsalted butter • 40g golden syrup • 85g light brown soft sugar • 1 egg, beaten • 2 tsp cinnamon • 170g plain flour • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda • 8 Maltesers Mini Bunnies (white and milk) • 25g Maltesers, roughly chopped • Coloured icing, to decorate

Get instructions for this Easter cinnamon wreath from Good Food

Have any cinnamon recipes you’d love to share? We’re all ears. So, hop on to Facebook and tag us in your favourite cinnamon spin.