Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Buns)

About This Recipe

Kanelbullar is a real, traditional Swedish dish, known as Swedish Cinnamon Buns. Soft cardamom-scented yeasted buns rolled with cinnamon-sugar butter, twisted, and baked golden for fika.\n\nKanelbullar became widespread in Swedish home baking after sugar and cinnamon grew more affordable in the early 20th century, and October 4th is now celebrated nationally as Kanelbullens Dag (Cinnamon Bun Day) in Sweden.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Swedish home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 16

• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 75 gsugar
• 10 ginstant yeast
• 1 tspground cardamom
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt
• 250 mlwhole milk(lukewarm)
• 75 gbutter(melted, plus more for the filling)
• 1egg
• 100 gbutter(softened, for filling)
• 80 gbrown sugar(for filling)
• 2 tbspground cinnamon(for filling)
• 1egg(beaten, for egg wash)
• 3 tbsppearl sugar(for topping)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom and salt, then add warm milk, melted butter and egg. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.

2. 2

   First rise

   Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled.

3. 3

   Roll and fill

   Roll the dough into a large rectangle. Spread the softened butter over it, then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon.

4. 4

   Fold and cut

   Fold the rectangle into thirds like a letter, then cut into strips and twist each strip into a knot.

5. 5

   Second rise

   Place buns on a lined tray, cover, and let rise for 30 minutes until puffy.

6. 6

   Bake

   Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with pearl sugar, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown.

Variations

• •

  Kardemummabullar swap the cinnamon filling for extra cardamom for a different fika classic.

• •

  A saffron version, lussebullar, is made specifically for Swedish Christmas.

• •

  Freeze shaped, unbaked buns and bake from frozen with an extra 5 minutes for fresh buns anytime.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions