When it comes to theme park food, a few select treats reign supreme: Disney's Dole Whip, Universal Studios' Harry Potter-inspired Butterbeer, and Dollywood's cinnamon bread. Dollywood is well-known for its Southern eats, with popular dishes like fried chicken and catfish at Aunt Granny's, barbecue pork sandwiches at Hickory House BBQ, and the 25-pound apple pie at Spotlight Bakery. Most popular, however, is the Grist Mill, home of Dollywood's iconic pull-apart cinnamon bread, served hot with apple butter or icing.
In the park, the bread is made right in front of (a usually long line of) guests. The bakers cut slits into each uncooked loaf, then dip it in butter and a cinnamon-sugar mixture before sending it into the oven. The result is a perfectly gooey, delicious snack that tastes like it was made with love (and, of course, lots of sugar and butter). And it's served by the loaf, so it's easily shareable between four people (if you're willing to give up some of the homemade goodness, that is).
You can also purchase Dollywood's cinnamon bread at other locations on property, but you can't beat a fresh, warm piece between rides, even in the Tennessee summer heat. It's also the perfect souvenir, and many guests grab an extra loaf to bring home and enjoy the next morning for breakfast (or during the ride home from the theme park, we won't judge).
We got Dollywood's cinnamon bread recipe straight from the source, so you can make this delicious theme park treat at home whenever you want.
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
3/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tbsp. plus a pinch of granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Cooking spray
For the Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
6 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsps. light corn syrup
For the Glaze:
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted
3 to 5 tbsps. milk
How to Make Dollywood’s Cinnamon Bread
Make the dough: Combine the warm water, yeast, and a pinch of granulated sugar in a small bowl and let sit until foamy, five to eight minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the bread flour, remaining one tablespoon of granulated sugar, and salt in a stand mixer.
Add the yeast mixture and melted butter to the flour mixture. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed until it is smooth and elastic, about eight minutes. Transfer to a bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one and a half hours.
Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Punch down the dough and transfer to a work surface; knead a few times. Cut in half and gently shape into two three-by-six-inch loaves (do not overwork the dough). Place the loaves three inches apart on the prepared pan. Lightly spray the loaves with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until puffy, 30 minutes to one hour.
Make the topping: Whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small baking dish. Whisk the melted butter and corn syrup in another small baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two nine-by-five-inch loaf pans with parchment paper, leaving a two-inch overhang on all sides. Cut four deep slashes across the top of each loaf (the loaves will look deflated). Dip each loaf in the butter-corn syrup mixture, turning to cover, then coat with the cinnamon sugar, making sure to get the sugar in the crevices. Place the loaves in the prepared pans. Drizzle with any remaining butter mixture and sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until light brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Lift the bread out of the loaf pans using the parchment overhang and transfer to a rack. Let cool in the paper, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, salt, melted butter, and three tablespoons of milk in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in up to two more tablespoons of milk as needed to loosen. Drizzle on the warm loaves or serve on the side for dipping.
And, as for places to eat, the Dollywood Grist Mill is an iconic option in the park, known for their "world-famous" cinnamon bread. Paired with buttercream icing or Dollywood's homemade apple butter, the fresh-baked cinnamon bread is loved by park-goers all year round and costs $10 for an order.
Dollywood's cinnamon bread is made fresh daily at the Grist Mill in the Craftsman's Valley section of the park. And if you've ever visited Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, then you definitely remember the heavenly smell of the cinnamon bread baking as you walk through the scenic paths.
Cinnamon and sourdough are flavors that go so well together ... however, cinnamon will actually inhibit the fermentation of your sourdough bread if you add it into the actual dough.
As of November 2023, Dollywood prices are $92 for a standard one day adult pass, $119 for two days, and $129 packages for three days. Dollywood discount tickets apply to seniors 62+ and children ages 4-9. Admission is free to children 3 and under.
Parton's 50% stake in the theme park is worth about $165 million, Forbes reported in 2021. Dollywood remains the top tourist attraction in Tennessee with around 3 million visitors each year, according to CBS affiliate WVLT. A one-day adult ticket costs $89.
Drizzle it with icing or dollop some hot apple butter, and you're in Southern heaven! Though originally an exclusive of the Grist Mill, it made its tasty self over to the Spotlight Bakery too. Now here's a sweet tidbit: Dollywood sells a whopping 210,000 loaves of this bread every year!
This Dollywood treat is an icon. It's no secret. Dollywood sells more than 220,000 loaves a year! The buttery goodness of cinnamon bread is amazing as a standalone, but you even get a small cup of icing with your cinnamon bread purchase!
At Dollywood, we use Beyond Meat products for those who prefer the vegetarian or vegan diet. You can get a burger or crumbles in a burrito bowl at Till & Harvest and we have several plant-based protein menu items at Front Porch Café.
Our products contain milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. Despite using best practices, we cannot guarantee products will be free from allergens through cross-contamination. If you have a food allergy, please notify the bakery directly.
The flour that's used is actually ground on-site in the Grist Mill, which is the first fully functioning grist mill in the state in more than a century. Unless you're gluten-intolerant, the Grist Mill's Cinnamon Bread is one of Dollywood's best-known treats and an absolute must-try.
Cinnamon is made from tree bark and contains cellulose, a substance that doesn't break down easily. While tolerable in very small amounts, in larger concentrated amounts cinnamon can cause kids to gag, cough, choke, and have a burning sensation in the mouth, nose, and throat.
That means it hasn't been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella. These harmful germs can contaminate grain while it's still in the field or flour while it's being made.
Pillsbury™ delivers a scratch-like appearance and homeade taste in a convenient freezer-to-oven format with no proofing required. Once out of the oven, Allow 10-15 minutes of cooling for the product to finish baking. Glazing should take place after cooling but while the product is still warm.
The prices are high but that's expected for these places. They do give you specials on food and drinks that are good for the entire season if you're going more than once. For perspective, we bought 3 personal pizzas and 4 drinks (with 4 pieces in each pizza). It was $43!
(There isn't an online ordering option, but you can call 800-DOLLYWOOD — or 800-365-5996 — and ask to speak to the park's culinary team.) A slice costs $19.99 and the whole pie, with the cast-iron skillet included, will run you $229, according to a Dollywood fact sheet provided to Simplemost.
Hobby: Shopping, Table tennis, Snowboarding, Rafting, Motor sports, Homebrewing, Taxidermy
Introduction: My name is Duncan Muller, I am a enchanting, good, gentle, modern, tasty, nice, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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