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Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)

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This traditional Swedish kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) recipe is made with a perfectly soft and chewy cardamom dough, a buttery cinnamon-sugar filling, and twisted into cute little knots.

Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)

A few years ago when Barclay and I visited Stockholm together for the very first time, we were introduced to one of Sweden’s most delicious national treasures that I have been craving ever since…

…Sweden’s famous cinnamon buns. ♡♡♡

Somehow, Barclay and I had lived our entire lives up until that trip without ever having tried kanelbullar (Swedish cinnamon buns) or kardemummabullar (Swedish cardamom buns). But our friend in Stockholm said that these sweet treats were an absolute must. So the very first morning that we arrived, we ordered one of each to go with our coffee. And oh my word, you guys, it was head-over-heels cinnamon bun love at first bite.

I can’t even tell you how much I love these cinnamon buns! By contrast to their American cinnamon roll cousins, Swedish cinnamon buns are typically twisted and tied into these cute little knots, as you can see above. And instead of spreading a thick layer of icing on top, these buns are sprinkled with crunchy pearl sugar. The dough in Swedish cinnamon buns is also kneaded with a hint of cardamom, which adds an irresistibly warm depth of flavor to the cinnamon in the filling. And best of all, these rolls are baked just long enough so that they stay perfectly soft and chewy, which I strongly believe is the optimum texture for any type of cinnamon roll or bun.

Anyway, Barclay and I literally could not get enough of these sweet treats during our time in Stockholm and have been craving them ever since. So when one of my good friends offered to teach us how to make them a few weeks ago (via Zoom, of course, while we’re all still staying home), we wholeheartedly said YES. Turns out — they’re easier to make than I was expecting! The twisting technique definitely takes a bit of practice at first, but it’s quick and easy once you get the hang of it. And otherwise, the process for making the dough and filling are pretty standard. They do require a few hours of prep time overall, thanks to a few long rise times, so set aside a good long morning to make a batch. But trust me, it will be one million times worth it.

Alright, I’ve been looking forward to sharing this kanelbullar recipe with you for weeks now. So let’s get to it!

swedish cinnamon buns recipe | 1-minute video

Swedish Cinnamon Buns Ingredients:

To make this Swedish cinnamon buns recipe (kanelbullar), you will need the following ingredients:

  • Milk: I used cow’s milk for this recipe, but plain non-dairy milk (such as almond milk or oat milk) would work too.
  • Butter: Part of which we will add to the rolls, and part of which we will use for the filling. Please note that it’s essential that the butter be room temperature for this recipe.
  • Flour: I just used standard all-purpose flour.
  • Yeast: I used instant yeast, because it can easily be mixed in with the dry ingredients. See variation notes below if you would like to sub in active dry yeast instead.
  • Granulated and brown sugar: We will use granulated (white) sugar in the dough and the brown sugar in the filling.
  • Ground cinnamon and cardamom: The cardamom here is one of the essential flavors that differentiates the taste of Swedish cinnamon buns from traditional American cinnamon rolls. And trust me — it is delicious. I just used store-bought ground cardamom this recipe. But if you would like to go the extra mile, you can make your own cardamom by emptying out the green pods and finely-grinding the seeds. (The flavor will be more potent and you will also have the classic black flecks of seeds in your buns.)
  • Vanilla extract: To add a bit of cozy vanilla flavor to the filling.
  • Fine sea salt: To bring out all of these delicious flavors.
  • Egg wash: An egg plus a tablespoon of water whisked together, which will help the pearled sugar to stick to the tops of the rolls.
  • Pearl sugar: I topped my cinnamon buns with traditional Swedish pearl sugar, which is chunky and crunchy and adds some fun decor to these buns. But feel free to sprinkle on some turbinado sugar or, really, any type of sugar that you have on hand.

How To Make Swedish Cinnamon Bun Dough

Swedish Cinnamon Bun Filling

How To Fold Swedish Cinnamon Bun Dough

How To Twist and Roll Swedish Cinnamon Buns

Sprinkling Pearl Sugar on Kanelbullar

How To Make Cinnamon Buns:

As I mentioned above, these rolls require a few long rises before they are baked. So be sure to plan ahead, and I promise they will be worth the extra time and effort! Full instructions are included in the recipe below, but here is a brief overview of what’s ahead:

  1. Heat the milk and butter. Heat the milk and butter together (either in the microwave or in a saucepan) until they reach 110°F, which is the optimum temperature to help your yeast activate.
  2. Mix the dough. In a separate large mixing bowl, briefly whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, yeast, ground cardamom and salt), add the mixture, stir until combined, then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 7-10 minutes.
  3. First dough rise. Form the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour (or until doubled in size).
  4. Mix the filling. Meanwhile, stir together the filling ingredients in a separate mixing bowl until evenly combined.
  5. Roll out the dough. Next, the fun part! Turn the dough out onto a large floured work surface and roll it into a 22 x 15-inch (55 x 38-cm) rectangle. Spread the filling mixture evenly across the dough. (I find it’s easier to dot little spoonfuls evenly across the dough, as pictured above, then spread it out evenly.)  Fold the left third of the dough in towards the center, and fold the right third of the dough over that towards the center, like you’re folding a business letter. Then gently run the rolling pin over the dough to press out any big bubbles, and roll the dough out a bit more so that it forms a 15 x 8-inch (38 x 20-cm) rectangle.
  6. Form the buns. Using a pizza cutter, pastry cutter or a knife, slice the dough into even 2 x 20-cm long strips. Take one strip and twist it several times, gently stretching it as you do so until it nearly doubles in length. Grab one end of the twisted strip and loosely wrap the dough around two fingers twice, like a bandage. Then loop the rest of the dough perpendicularly around the dough so that it forms a knot, and tuck the loose end in at the bottom. Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough strips. (Here is a great visual for twisting the dough, or you can watch my step-by-step tutorial on Instagram stories.)
  7. Second dough rise. Loosely cover the dough buns with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for 45-60 minutes.
  8. Brush and sprinkle. Heat the oven to 375°F. Brush each bun with the egg wash, then sprinkle with a pinch of pearled sugar.
  9. Bake. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the rolls reach your desired level of golden brown. Transfer to a wire baking sheet and let cool for 5 minutes. Then serve warm and enjoy!! These rolls are best enjoyed the day that they are baked, but see tips below for storage instructions if you have leftovers.

The Best Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Rolls)

Possible Variations:

Here are a few recipe variations that you are welcome to try too:

  • Make them vegan: Use a plain plant-based milk (such as almond milk or oat milk) or water, in place of the cow’s milk. Then use vegan butter in the dough and filling, and brush the rolls with melted vegan butter instead of an egg wash.
  • Make them ahead of time: If you would like to prep the rolls the night before, just follow the recipe until the dough is twisted into knots. Place the knots in a baking sheet or in a baking dish, cover and refrigerate overnight. Then let them rest on the counter until they reach room temperature (about 60-90 minutes), then bake as directed.
  • Roll the buns like round cinnamon rolls: If you would like to skip the twisting, you are welcome to roll out and slice the rolls like I do in this recipe.
  • Use active dry yeast: If you do not have instant yeast on hand, you will just need to take some extra time to activate the yeast. Heat the milk (on its own!) to 110°F, sprinkle the yeast on top, and give it a quick whisk. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. Then add in your remaining dough ingredients, including either room temperature or melted butter. You will also need to increase each rise time by about 15-20 minutes, if using active dry yeast. But you can use the exact same amount of active dry yeast as instant yeast — 7 grams.

Swedish Cinnamon Roll Recipe (with Pearl Sugar)

More Cinnamon Roll Recipes:

Looking for more yummy cinnamon roll recipes? Here are a few of my faves:

Kanelbullar Recipe

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Kanelbullar Recipe

Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 56 reviews
  • Author: Ali
  • Prep Time: 2 hours 45 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 12-14 buns 1x

Description

This traditional Swedish kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) recipe is made with a perfectly soft and chewy cardamom dough, a buttery cinnamon-sugar filling, and twisted into cute little knots.


Ingredients

Scale

Dough Ingredients:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter
  • 3 1/4 cups (405 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) white granulated sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) instant-rise yeast
  • 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Filling Ingredients:

Topping Ingredients:


Instructions

  1. Heat the milk and butter. Combine the milk and 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan*.  Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to melt the butter, until the mixture reaches 110°F. (I recommend measuring the temperature with a cooking thermometer, but if you don’t have one, the mixture should be warm but not hot to the touch. If the mixture gets too hot, just wait a few minutes for it to cool.)
  2. Mix the dough. (See optional stand mixer instructions below.) In a separate large mixing bowl, briefly whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, ground cardamom and salt until combined.  Add the warm milk mixture and stir until the dough begins to form. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 7-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and soft.
  3. First dough rise. Form the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise in a warm space for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
  4. Mix the filling. Meanwhile, stir together the filling ingredients in a separate mixing bowl until evenly combined.
  5. Roll out the dough. Once the dough is ready to go, turn it out onto a large floured work surface.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 22 x 15-inch (55 x 38-cm) rectangle.  Carefully and evenly spread the filling mixture across the entire surface of the dough.  Then (as pictured above) fold the left third of the dough in towards the center, and fold the right third of the dough over that towards the center, like you’re folding a business letter.  Gently run the rolling pin over the dough to press out any big bubbles.  Then roll the dough out a bit more so that it forms a 15 x 8-inch (38 x 20-cm) rectangle.
  6. Form the buns. Using a pizza cutter, pastry cutter or a knife, slice the dough into even 2 x 20-cm long strips. Take one strip and twist it several times, gently stretching it as you do so until it nearly doubles in length. Grab one end of the twisted strip and loosely wrap the dough around two fingers twice, like a bandage.  Then loop the rest of the dough perpendicularly around the dough so that it forms a knot, and tuck the loose end in at the bottom.  Transfer the dough to a large parchment-covered baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough strips.  (Here is a great visual for twisting the dough, or you can watch my step-by-step Instagram tutorial here.)
  7. Second dough rise. Loosely cover the dough buns with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for 45-60 minutes.
  8. Brush and sprinkle. Heat the oven to 375°F.  Brush each bun with the egg wash, then sprinkle with a pinch of pearled sugar.
  9. Bake. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the rolls reach your desired level of golden brown.  (I like mine just very lightly golden, so that they stay super soft.)  Transfer to a wire baking sheet and let cool for 5 minutes.  Then serve warm and enjoy!!  These rolls are best enjoyed the day that they are baked, but see tips below for storage instructions if you have leftovers.


Notes

Microwave option: Alternately, you can combine the milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup.  Then microwave the mixture for 1 minute, pausing to give it a good stir to help melt the butter, and then continue heating in 15-second intervals, until the mixture reaches 110°F.

Stand mixer option: If you own a stand mixer, you can mix the dough using the dough attachment on low speed for 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and soft.  If you find that the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, just sprinkle in a bit of extra flour.

Make-ahead option: If you would like to prep the rolls the night before, just follow the recipe until the dough is twisted into knots.  Place the knots in a baking sheet or in a baking dish, cover and refrigerate overnight. Then let them rest on the counter for until they reach room temperature (about 60-90 minutes), then bake as directed.

Storage instructions: These rolls are best enjoyed the same day that they are baked.  But any leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Source: Adapted from Pretty Simple Sweet.

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101 comments on “Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)”

  1. My mom used to make something very similar to this, but she would braid long strips of the dough that had been rolled in the cinnamon/cardamon mix, tuck the ends and let it rise again. We just always just called this Swedish Coffeecake. She always made this and Swedish rye bread on the same day. That was made with molasses and was my all-time favorite.

  2. Absolutely phenomenal. Don’t be intimidated by the twisting and knitting, these are so fun to make! I topped some of mine with turbinado sugar mixed with a little cardamom, and the others I made a simple brown sugar glaze. I ended up with 15 buns and no one is complaining. Lol.

    PS – You have the best recipes sweet or savory! Congrats on the little bundle of joy. Sending much love from NY. <3






  3. I am planning to make these and wanted to know about the second rise. Is it done in a warm environment like the first rise. For first rise I what the oven to 150F and pop the oven door open during first rise for the first 30 mins and then close the door.
    Also what should the dough look like after the second rise? Does it increase in size?

  4. Could these be made and held for 2 nights in the refrigerator before baking, as long as a long rise time was provided ?

    • This recipe worked so perfectly, I like to think I’ve made delicious food in the past but wow this blew everything away!! Thank you so much for sharing this






  5. Okay, what went wrong with mine… I could not stretch them out without tearing the dough. In the oven, the filling melted and spread all over the bottom of the pan. Seemed like way too much filling, or maybe just too much butter in the filling.

    • Good tasting! but like you – I could only twist 1-2 turns and then the strips it tore. Unless there is a magic mix of GF flour – the only time the buns wind up as pictured it is done using regular flour. The elasticity in gluten allows the twisting and shaping shown – with GF its really hard to shape baking much or get sufficient rise. Noones complaining about the taste however!

    • Did you use spreadable margarin or any other butte-/margarine product where the milk fat is mixed with something? That could be the reason why your filling melted.

  6. These were incredible!!!!! Made them during our 6th lockdown in Melbourne, Australia and they definitely brought some comfort to me and my family. Will definitely be making them again!!






    • Hi Allegra,
      I’m in Malborne as well. Going to make these as a final hurrah to lockdown. Plus we’ve binged a lot on Swedish & scandi noir. Thought only fitting as a farewell. hope you all made it safely through.

  7. Ali, I’ve made these so many times since the lockdown hit us here in Sydney, Australia and everyone, including me, LOVES them. They bring back so many memories (being from Denmark myself).
    This recipe is easy to follow and so accurate – please don’t let yourself get intimidated by the loop/twisting part, after your first few you’ll find it easy! The only modification I make is the oven temperature: a little lower as my oven tends to get a bit hotter.

    PS. Anyone in Sydney who knows where I can get my hands on some pearl sugar?
    Five stars from me!
    Karoline x






    • You can buy some at The Essential ingredient(they have an online store too) or you can make your own out of sugar cubes xx

  8. Have made these twice exactly as written. Perfection!






  9. Can i let the dough rise overnight in the fridge?

  10. This is my third time making these, this time I just rolled them like cinnamon buns and Baked them on parchment paper, they came out perfect, saved me the time from twisting and tying them. They taste as good as my grandmother used to make.

  11. This is my third time making these, this time I just rolled them like cinnamon buns and Baked them on parchment paper, they came out perfect, saved me the time from twisting and tying them. They taste as good as my grandmother used to make.

  12. The info about the difference in using the The active yeast versus the instant yeast should be printed with the recipe notes instead of at the end of the description of the article. I did not wait the5 minutes for the yeast to proof and the dough did not rise . I have to throw out the dough and start over 😩

  13. Every year I have attempted to make kanelbullar for my Swedish husband during the Christmas season… I came across your web site and decided to try your kanelbullar recipe. They were AMAZING!! Everyone loved them…. and with hot coffee….. oh soooo goood!! Thank you!!!






  14. Struggled to twist because the filling oozed out like crazy! Wondering around what texture/consistency it should have been at; mine was room temp.






    • Same issue here. Looking back at the image and video these don’t appear to be 2cm wide strips. They’re cutting a 38cm rectangle into 12 strips which is like a 3.2cm strip. Might make a difference. I’m going to try that next time.

  15. We recently ate buns like these from a Swedish bakery. We loved them so much and I was looking for a recipe. Congrats on your recipe. The buns taste amazing. Can’t wait to make them again using a little more cinnamon for the filling. Greetings from Berlin 😊






  16. These were excellent! My only complaint would be it only makes 12! I could have eaten the entire pan myself! I am pretty skilled at baking and I found stretching the dough to be a challenge. I ended up with several shapes and all tasted perfect. Make these! Enjoy!






  17. I’ve made these several times now and they get rave reviews. The only change I’ve had to made it to increase the liquid a bit. I usually need about 1 1/8c- 1 1/4c milk for the listen amount of flour for the dough to be optimal. If you’re having trouble with the stretching/twisting step, try using a bit extra milk.






  18. Your recipe is the bomb! Have made them several times now and always double recipe. This is even better than my Swedish BFF recipe given to me years ago. I roll dough out over my Silpat sheet then use it to fold the dough. (So much easier than rolling into log and cutting) I also use cupcake paper holders to place them in so the filling doesn’t run out while baking. It does make them a bit smaller. That is what my Swedish bff used, since she froze them and they were handy to carry when we had Fika (coffee) break out hiking or traveling. Yes the Swedes are coffee addicts ! Lol. These freeze very well too!

  19. These are amazing!! I had some problems with the filling leaking out around the buns during baking though…Any advice on this? Thanks!






  20. Can you freeze the dough once it’s been twisted into knots?

  21. I stumbled on your recipe when I was researching this new ingredient I’d never heard called “pearled sugar”. I was so intrigued reading the recipe that I had to try this twisting of dough strips. Also, cardamom was NOT in my, what I thought extensive, spice cabinet. Cardamom now has has premium spot in my cabinet! OK . . I folded it the wrong way – yikes – but plowed ahead . . I didn’t have the pearled sugar, but did have turbinado sugar. I baked them on parchment until golden, then counted the seconds for them to cool enough to taste. I understand you can roll these like traditional cinnamon rolls, but then you would lose that wonderfully textured crust. Just heavenly. Perfection. What a diamond I found. I am a cinnamon roll fanatic, but you converted me with this one recipe. I can’t wait to take these to the next family gathering – the cardamom is the bomb – LOVE it!






  22. Great recipe….the house smelled amazing! I made these to take to my brother in law that recently lost his Oma…..have to hide them from my husband.






  23. My go-to recipe for making these! I love that while they are sweet, they are not too sweet, which is usually my complaint about cinnamon rolls (yes, I am that person 😊). And I love the video showing how to make the knots.






  24. You did not mention adding a teaspoon with the Active Dry yeast alternative route. The sugar is needed to feed the yeast. Consequently I don’t think mine came to life. I’d edit the recipe to include that for other bakers!






  25. These were delicious! I had a get together where we all brought a treat that represents our heritage and everyone agreed these were full of flavor and very good! I had a bit of trouble making the butter and milk warm. I felt like I overheated it (I did use a thermometer), it just felt hot to the touch and it took more than 5 min to cool it. SO I went ahead and made that batch and then started another batch because I was worried the dough wouldn’t rise and again the butter and milk felt too hot. This time I let it cool down in the freezer. I think this 2nd batch was def on the cooler side and it didnt rise as well as the first. Anyway it took me a bit to figure out how to make the knots but the more I did it the better I got at it. They were beautiful even w my homemade sugar pearls. A word of caution though and the reason why it’s 4 stars and not 5 is because Cardamom is a common allergy trigger. My 14 year old broke out in hives the next day and I think it’s the cardamom because thats not a season we normally use. We did use it a few weeks ago in a swedish cream bun (semlor) but that recipe calls for 1 tsp and this one calls for 3 tsp. Maybe its just too much? IDK. Like I said it tasted great but if I try it again I will decrease the cardamom and see if she can take it. Also I’ll try it in muffin tins to see if they keep the ball shape because these just went flat, unlike the pic. Poor girl! She loves everything Swedish but hives are no fun!

  26. These have gone straight to the top of my list for tea-time treats! Those we didn’t eat had to go straight into the freezer or they would all have disappeared! The only thing I changed was that, not having any pearled sugar I did a simple milk-sugar glaze as I do for currant buns. Scrumptious, thank you!!

  27. Was following a recipe from a Swedish cookbook, but I came here to learn how to do the twists, and I made some adjustments to my filling based on this recipe (swapping out white sugar for brown sugar in the filling and adding vanilla). I’ll probably just come here directly the next time I want to make these. Thanks!






  28. My ancestors are swedish and I grew up on cardamom bread we made for the holidays every year, I discovered this recipe and it has become a new staple every Christmas, my family lives the new take on the old classic we had every year. Love this recipe!! Thank you!!!






  29. I made this and the dough didn’t rise… I’m guessing the yeast should be added to the warm milk and not with the dry ingredients?

  30. I was intimidated by the thought of making these (my Swedish friends make them often), but they were decently easy! I did, however, do a thin layer of Nutella spread instead of the cinnamon mixture. Tasty, but boy, what a mess. Stick with the recipe, people! :)






  31. I just made them and they are incredible all of my friends and family LOVE them. They take a while but, I promise it’s so worth it. Thank you so much for the recipe!😊






  32. I made these and accidentally messed up a little, but they were still absolutely fantastic. I ended up eating three in one sitting!

  33. An excellent recipe. A traditional optional addition to the recipe: when the buns come out of the oven and are still hot, brush individual buns with simple syrup (equal parts boiled granulated sugar and water).

  34. This recipe turned out absolutely perfect. I tried a few recipes over the years, but these were the best and most satisfying to eat straight out of the oven.

    I ground my own cardamom seeds and they were very fragrant, so I only used cardamom in the dough and used two teaspoons of cinnamon in the filling instead.
    I also used 14 g of fresh yeast (the bakers sticky block type) instead of 7 g of dry yeast, which I mixed with lukewarm milk and waited 15 mins to start bubbling.






  35. Third time. I’ve almost got the knot figured out, but they end up tiny (swollen golf balls). Whenever I try to twist and double the length the filling oozes out all over the place. By the time I’ve tied the knot there is filling covering everything and it’s a giant mess. This time I tried refrigeratoring the strips for 10 minutes, thinking that if I firmed up the filling it would be less likely to ooze everywhere. Didn’t really work. Any tips for preventing the ooze?