Cinnamon Buns recipe, my fav Scandinavian treat

Thanks to their yummy cinnamon buns recipe, let’s go to Sweden today! We can’t travel the world right now, but tasting and cooking international food does help…

Cinnamon buns are my favourite Scandinavian treat and are probably the most famous Swedish pastries. They have been so popular since 1999, when October 4th was the official Kanelbullar International Day!

Kanelbullar, once generally reserved only for wealthy families, became popular in Sweden in the 1920s. You can now have them at breakfast or fika time, in small cafes or at friends’ houses. I’d have them all day long!

It’s not a super healthy recipe because of the amount of butter, okay? But it’s oh so yummy and perfect for treating yourself to on a chilly winter day or whenever you need something a little indulgent.

Cinnamon buns recipe

I learned to make cinnamon buns during my last trip to Stockholm, right before last January’s lockdown, making it my last sweet travel memory!

The ingredients

For the dough (16 buns):

• 80 gr butter at room temperature
• 250 ml milk
• 25 gr fresh yeast
• 40 gr granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 500 gr white strong flour
• 1 egg

 Cinnamon filling:

• 80 gr butter at room temperature
• 80 gr granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Topping and brushing:

• 1 egg, beaten for brushing
• Pearl sugar or chopped almond

Making homemade cinnamon buns

Heat the milk to about 37°C and then add the fresh yeast, stirring until it’s fully dissolved. Add the sliced butter, the sugar, the ground cardamom, and the salt. Stir for a few minutes, and then add the flour.

Work the dough for about 5 minutes until it feels smooth and sticky. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for about 30 minutes (or until it has doubled in size).

Turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead through with your hand for a few seconds, and then roll it out to a rectangle.

Mix the filling ingredients in a bowl. Using a wooden spatula, spread the mixture over the rolled-out dough. Roll it lengthways, and, with a wooden knife, cut 16 strips.

How to roll cinnamon buns

Take one strip of filled dough and carefully twist it a few times, then curl it into a rose shape, ensuring both ends are tucked under. Place the buns on a baking sheet and let rise another 30 minutes under a kitchen cloth. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C.

Brush the buns with a beaten egg, sprinkle with pearl sugar or chopped almonds and bake for 10 to 12 minutes (until golden!).

If you don’t eat them immediately, store the airtight cinnamon buns, wrapping them individually in a freezer bag to keep them moist.

Freezing the cinnamon buns

If you make a lot of cinnamon buns, you can freeze them after baking once they cool down. When you feel like having one—or some—defrost at room temperature!

What’s the difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns?

Cinnamon buns are pretty famous in the US, but the Swedish original version includes cardamom in the dough and is topped with pärlsocker (i.e., pearl sugar).

Well, I’m pretty sure they both send a fantastic smell of cinnamon wafting through the kitchen, but US buns are mainly called cinnamon rolls and are placed directly into a baking dish and topped with a cream cheese glaze right after baking when still warm.

For the US frosting:

• softened cream cheese 
• softened salted butter 
• powdered sugar
• maple or vanilla extract 

I never tried this option, though, and I can’t provide the correct amounts…