Soft, buttery cardamom-spiced dough rolled with cinnamon sugar and twisted into knots — Sweden's national cinnamon bun, kanelbullar.
Kanelbullar are Sweden's beloved cinnamon buns, distinguished from other countries' versions by a generous amount of ground cardamom folded into the enriched yeasted dough itself, not just the filling — a defining characteristic that gives every bite a warm, slightly floral note alongside the classic cinnamon-sugar filling. The dough is soft and buttery, rolled out, spread with a cinnamon-butter paste, and traditionally twisted into a knot shape rather than the tight spiral more common in American cinnamon rolls. The technique that separates good kanelbullar from mediocre ones is proper proofing time — the dough needs a full first rise until doubled, and again after shaping, since rushing either stage results in dense, tight buns rather than the soft, pillowy texture that defines the real thing. A brush of egg wash and a scatter of pearl sugar before baking gives the finished buns their characteristic glossy top and satisfying crunch. Kanelbullar are so central to Swedish culture that the country celebrates Kanelbullens Dag (Cinnamon Bun Day) every October 4th, and fika — the Swedish tradition of taking a coffee break with a sweet pastry — is almost unimaginable without them.
Serves 12
Whisk warm milk, yeast and a pinch of the sugar together, let sit 10 minutes until foamy.
Mix in remaining sugar, egg, softened butter, cardamom and salt. Gradually add flour, kneading until a soft, elastic dough forms, about 8-10 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours until doubled.
Don't rush this rise — a proper first proof is what gives kanelbullar their soft, pillowy texture.
Roll the dough into a large rectangle. Spread with softened butter, then scatter brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface. Roll up tightly, cut into strips, and twist each into a knot.
Place shaped buns on lined trays, cover, and let rise 30-40 minutes until puffy.
Brush with egg wash and scatter with pearl sugar. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Use freshly ground cardamom if possible — it makes a noticeable difference in aroma compared to pre-ground, older jars.
Don't skip either rise — a dense, tight bun almost always means one of the proofing stages was cut short.
Pearl sugar doesn't melt in the oven the way regular sugar does, giving the classic crunchy topping — regular sugar is not a good substitute.
Shape the dough into the classic tight spiral instead of a knot if you prefer that presentation.
Add orange zest to the dough for a brighter, more festive version around the holidays.
Make a batch of saffron buns (lussekatter) using the same dough base plus saffron for Saint Lucia's Day.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze baked buns for up to 2 months, reheating briefly in the oven before serving.
Cinnamon buns became widespread in Sweden in the 1920s as sugar and spices grew more affordable and available following the country's industrialization, quickly becoming a fixture of fika, the Swedish daily ritual of pausing for coffee and a pastry. Kanelbullens Dag, Sweden's national Cinnamon Bun Day, was established in 1999 by the Swedish Home Baking Council and is now celebrated every October 4th across the country.
This is a defining characteristic of authentic Swedish kanelbullar — the cardamom in the dough itself gives a subtle background warmth to every bite, distinguishing it from cinnamon rolls in other countries that only season the filling.
Pearl sugar is a coarse, hard sugar that holds its shape and crunch when baked rather than melting — coarse sanding sugar is the closest substitute, though regular granulated sugar will simply dissolve and won't give the same texture.
This almost always comes from insufficient proofing time — make sure the dough truly doubles during the first rise and the shaped buns look visibly puffy before baking, even if that takes longer than the recipe estimates in a cooler kitchen.
Per serving (90g / 3.2 oz) · 12 servings total
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