Cinnamon Raisin
Plump raisins swirled through cinnamon-scented sourdough. The sweet start to any morning — and the bagel that makes the whole house smell like a bakery.
What Goes Into the Sweet Start
A cinnamon raisin bagel is only as good as its cinnamon and its raisins. We source both with intention, because the difference between a great cinnamon raisin bagel and a mediocre one comes down to the quality and preparation of three simple ingredients.
Ceylon Cinnamon
We use Ceylon cinnamon, sometimes called "true cinnamon," rather than the more common cassia variety found in most bakeries. Ceylon cinnamon has a more delicate, complex flavor with floral notes and a subtle sweetness that does not overpower. It is swirled through the dough in careful proportion so every bite has warmth without the burn that cheap cinnamon can produce.
Plump Raisins
Our raisins are soaked before they go into the dough. This serves two purposes: it prevents them from stealing moisture from the dough during fermentation, and it plumps them up so they burst with juicy sweetness in every bite. Dry, hard raisins are the mark of a careless baker. Ours are tender, sweet, and evenly distributed throughout the bagel.
Sourdough Base
Even our sweet bagels start with our 48-hour cold-fermented sourdough. The tang of the sourdough creates a beautiful contrast with the cinnamon and raisins — sweetness tempered by sourness, warmth balanced by depth. This is what separates a cinnamon raisin bagel from a cinnamon raisin roll. The sourdough keeps it honest.
Toasted or Untoasted?
No bagel on our menu sparks more debate than the cinnamon raisin. Both sides make compelling arguments, and honestly, both sides are right. Here is the case for each.
Toasting a cinnamon raisin bagel transforms it. The heat caramelizes the natural sugars in the raisins, turning them into little pockets of warm, jammy sweetness. The cinnamon becomes more aromatic as it heats, filling the room with that unmistakable scent. The exterior develops extra crunch while the interior stays soft and chewy. And when you add cream cheese to a freshly toasted cinnamon raisin, the spread melts slightly into the warm crumb, creating a texture that is half spread, half sauce. Most of our staff are on Team Toasted.
There is a case to be made for eating it fresh, untoasted, straight from the bag. When the cinnamon raisin is still fresh from the morning bake, it has a softness and a moisture that toasting changes. The chew is more pronounced. The cinnamon flavor is gentler, more integrated into the dough rather than announced on the surface. The raisins are at their juiciest because they have not been hit with a second round of heat. If you are picking up bagels within an hour of baking, try one before you toast it. You might be surprised.
Our official position? Try it both ways and decide for yourself. There is no wrong answer when the bagel is this good.
Perfect Pairings
The cinnamon raisin bagel pairs best with cream cheeses that either complement its sweetness or contrast it with tang. Here are the combinations we reach for.
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Cream Cheese
This is the pairing that our regulars swear by for the sweetest start to any morning. Jen makes the Cinnamon Brown Sugar cream cheese with real brown sugar and a generous amount of Ceylon cinnamon. Spread it on a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel and you have something that tastes like a cinnamon roll crossed with a New York bagel — warm, sweet, tangy, and impossibly satisfying. It is the most popular combination among our younger customers, and it is the one most likely to convert someone who thinks they do not like bagels.
Strawberry Cream Cheese
Real strawberry cream cheese on a cinnamon raisin bagel creates a combination that tastes like a berry pastry in bagel form. The tartness of the strawberry plays against the warmth of the cinnamon, and the raisins add another layer of fruit sweetness. This is a pairing that works especially well in spring and summer when you want something bright and fresh to start your day.
Plain Cream Cheese
Sometimes the best way to enjoy a cinnamon raisin bagel is to let the bagel do most of the talking. Plain cream cheese adds a cool, tangy counterpoint to the warm spice without competing for attention. The tanginess of the cream cheese actually enhances the cinnamon flavor rather than masking it. This is the choice for people who want the sweetness to be gentle rather than overwhelming.
The Morning Ritual
The cinnamon raisin bagel is not just a menu item — it is a morning ritual for hundreds of our regulars. They walk in, the scent of cinnamon hits them, and they know exactly what they are ordering. It is the bagel that parents get for their kids and then end up eating half of themselves. It is the bagel that makes the car smell incredible on the drive to work. It is the one that turns a rushed Wednesday morning into something that feels a little more like a weekend.
We bake these fresh every morning, and the cinnamon-raisin aroma is usually the first thing you notice when you walk through the door. That smell is not an accident. It is the Ceylon cinnamon releasing its volatile oils as the bagels come out of the oven, and it is the raisins caramelizing into jammy sweetness inside the dough. If you have ever wondered why bakeries smell so good in the morning, it is because of bagels like this one.
Whether you are Team Toasted or Team Untoasted, whether you go with Cinnamon Brown Sugar cream cheese or keep it simple with plain, the cinnamon raisin bagel is one of the most comforting things we make. And in a world that can feel overwhelming before your first cup of coffee, a little comfort goes a long way.
“The sweet start to any morning.”
— What we call the cinnamon raisin around here