These Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar) are simply divine. Billowy soft on the inside and flavored with a touch of cardamom and a decadent swirl of cinnamon and sugar, they are everything a Swedish Cinnamon Bun should be and more.
Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar) are a beloved pastry in Sweden, known for their warm, comforting flavor and distinctive spiral shape. The history of kanelbullar is intertwined with Sweden's cultural evolution, particularly the tradition of "fika," which is a social coffee break that often involves baked goods like these cinnamon buns.
Scandinavia is home to some of the most delicious yeasted buns in the world, including bakery favorites such as Traditional Swedish Cardamom Buns (Kardemummabullar), St. Lucia Buns (Lussakatter) and Norwegian School Buns (Skolleboller or Skollebrød). Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kannelbullar) are on that same level and just as easy to make at home!
When I was developing this recipe, I really wanted these buns to be tender and billowy, something that was lacking in many of the recipes I tried. Fortunately I stumbled on a technique in my research that was easily incorporated into my basic bun recipe and resulted in the most perfectly soft, golden brown Swedish Cinnamon Buns I had every tasted. Keep reading for everything you need to know about this special technique and how to make these buns!
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The Tangzhong Method
The secret to the tender and soft texture of these buns is a technique called the tangzhong method. The tangzhong method is a bread-making technique used in making Japanese milk bread which results in exceptionally soft breads and buns that STAY soft for a couple of days. Basically, a small amount of the flour and liquid (water, milk or a combination of the two) is cooked on the stove for a very short period of time creating a roux-like mixture. This mixture, once it has cooled, is added to the dough during the mixing process.
This process gelatinizes the starches in the flour allowing them to absorb more liquid and results in a higher rise (hello billowy buns!) and a more tender, moist bun that stays that way for a longer period of time.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour forms the the base of this recipe.
- Granulated sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness.
- Whole milk serves as the liquid.
- Cardamom flavors the dough. You can use pre-ground cardamom or grind the seeds yourself!
- Instant yeast acts as the leavener in this recipe.
- Unsalted butter brings richness and flavor.
- An egg strenthens and binds the dough and provides some moisture. A second egg is used as a way to help the pearl sugar adhere to the baked buns.
- Brown sugar adds caramel notes and sweetness to the filling.
- Cinnamon is the primary flavoring of the filling and the star of these buns.
- Pearl sugar tops these buns with a final bit of crunch and sweetness.
See the recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
Substitutions
- You can substitute a plant based milk for the regular whole milk.
- While this recipe calls for instant yeast, you can certainly swap active dry yeast for the instant yeast by proofing it in the warm milk prior to adding it to the dough.
How to Make Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)
- Step 1: Combine the ingredients for the tangzhong in a saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until a paste forms. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Step 2: Combine the dough ingredients in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Mix and knead as directed. Cover the dough and let it rise until 1 ½ - 2 times its size.
- Step 3: While the dough is rising, mix the filling ingredients together. Once the dough has risen, roll into a 16 x 20 inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the entire surface of the dough.
- Step 4: Fold the dough into thirds the long way like a business letter.
- Step 5: Cut the dough into 12 strips.
- Step 6: Twist the dough strip and wrap it around your fingers to create a bun shape, tucking the end through the center (see the video included in this post for more help). Repeat with remaining dough strips and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let rise for 45 minutes. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
- Step 7: Bake at 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes.
- Step 8: Cool and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Making Swedish Cinnamon Buns is a relatively simple process, but I have a few tips and tricks for ensuring that your buns are perfect every time:
- Use the Tangzhong Method. As I mentioned above, the simple process of creating a roux with water, milk and flour and adding it to the dough makes a HUGE difference in the final product. The dough itself is silky and smooth, and the buns emerge from the oven soft and tender with a golden brown crust. It's 5 minutes well spent.
- Roll the dough out on an unfloured countertop and use a dough scraper to help coax it off of the surface if necessary. It's nice if the dough sticks to the countertop just enough so that it keeps it in place as you are rolling. If you've floured the surface, this won't happen. A dough scraper is an inexpensive and excellent tool to have in your kitchen and will easily help the dough release from countertop.
- If you are having a hard time twisting and shaping the buns because they seem too warm, pop them into the refrigerator briefly. Depending on the time of year and the temperature of my kitchen, sometimes the strips of filled dough become too soft and are difficult to work with. Simply cover them with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator until they firm up slightly and continue with the recipe.
Recipe FAQ
While these Swedish Cinnamon Buns are always best the day they are made, they keep well in an air-tight container at room temperature for a day or two.
Absolutely! They freeze really well. Simply cool them completely and pop them into a freezer safe container or bag. The will keep for a couple of months. Either thaw them on the counter top or pop them in a 300 degree oven until warmed through.
Related Recipes
Looking for more iconic Swedish baked goods to try? I've got these delicious options for you:
If you tried this Swedish Cinnamon Bun (Kanelbullar) recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong:
- 5 tablespoons water
- 5 tablespoons whole milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the Dough:
- 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter cooled
- ½ cup whole milk slightly warm
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- All of the tangzhong cooled
For the Filling:
- 5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the Egg Wash and Topping:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Pearl sugar for topping
Instructions
- Make the tangzhong: Combine water, milk and flour in a medium saucepan. Whisk until combined and no lumps remain. Place saucepan over medium heat and cook mixture, whisking constantly, until it thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Make the dough: While the tangzhong is cooling, begin preparing the rest of the ingredients for the dough. If you haven't already, melt the butter and warm the milk to give them a chance to cool slightly. Combine yeast, cardamom, salt, sugar and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk briefly by hand to combine.
- Attach the dough hook to the mixer. Add melted and cooled butter, slightly warm milk, egg and the cooled tangzhong (it can be slightly warm to the touch) to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium low until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Increase mixer speed to medium and knead mixture for 4 minutes or until dough is smooth and clears the side of the bowl. It’s okay if it’s sticking to the bottom of the bowl. You can also mix and knead the dough by hand but it will take longer, more like 8-10 minutes.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for an hour or until 1 ½ or 2 times its original size. The time will largely depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
- In the meantime, make the filling. Combine butter, flour, salt, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Using a fork, mix ingredients together until a smooth, spreadable paste forms.
- Once the dough has risen, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto a clean countertop. Roll out with a rolling pin until it is in the shape of a rectangle that is about 16 by 20 inches in size. The dough should be smooth enough that you do not need to add flour during the rolling process. If yours is sticking the rolling pin, however, sprinkle a little flour over the dough as necessary to prevent this from happening.
- Using an off-set spatula, spread filling in a thin layer over the entire surface of the dough.
- Fold the dough like a business letter going the long way: bring the top third of the dough down over the center third and bring the bottom third up over both the center and top third. You may need a metal dough scraper to help coax your dough from the counter top if it is sticking. Roll out folded dough just to flatten slightly.
- Using your dough scraper, sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut the folded dough into 12 equal size pieces.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, twist the strip of dough as you hold it between your thumbs and forefingers until it has a nice spiralized appearance.
- While you continue to hold the dough in the thumb and forefinger of one hand, use your free hand to wrap the twisted strip of dough around the three middle fingers of the hand that holds the dough strip, tucking the last bit of the dough strip up and through the center of the circle you have just created. Place shaped bun on a prepared baking sheet. Once you have six buns shaped and placed on one of the baking sheets, cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Continue with remaining buns, shaping and placing them on the second baking sheet before covering with plastic wrap. Let covered buns rise for an additional 30-45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the egg wash. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl. Once the buns have risen and are ready to go into the oven, remove plastic wrap and brush the surface of each bun with the egg wash Generously sprinkle pearl sugar over the top of each bun.
- Starting with the batch of buns you shaped first, bake one pan of buns at a time for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining pan. Move to a wire rack to cool slightly and serve.
Tanya
I knew that these buns were going to be perfect the moment I saw the pictures! I followed the recipe to a T, and they are absolutely delicious! Now this recipe is staying at the top of my favs! Thank you for your work!
Kristi
Thanks, Tanya! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Kristi
Serenity
My daughter and I just baked a batch and they are so delicious! I can see why they're paired with fikka as they are on the lighter end (vs American bun/roll). They were done baking after 10 minutes so I think I'll try baking them at 420 instead. Our only issue working with the dough is that it wouldn't roll out to 16×20. It was more like 12×19. At some point, we stopped, covered it for about 15 mins then came back to roll, hoping the gluten would loosen up a bit. It was a tad better, but still not as pliable as American rolls/buns. We also would love to find a way to make each piece even. Some were super tiny and some were large (my fave).
Nevertheless so delicious!
My daughter is now going to test out sticking the buns in the fridge (unbaked) overnight, then bringing to room temperature on the counter (which I assume will take over an hour) the next morning before baking. We're praying for make-ahead tips from you so that I don't have to be up at 1am for Kanelbullen dag! Lol
Thank you!
Kristi
So glad it went well, Serenity! See my response to your other comment for make ahead tips. Please keep in touch and let me know how it goes!
Kristi
Serenity
Hello! So happy I've come across your website when my daughter is obsessing all things Swedish.
She wants to bake "a TON" of these for October 4th Swedish Cinnamon Roll Day. She wants to serve them to neighbors, friends, "the whole world" early in that morning (7am). She's excited to use your recipe and we'd appreciate it if you could answer her questions:
1. How can she nake many kanelbullar in advance?
2. Is it possible to double or even triple the recipe?
3. Should she bake them all in advance, freeze, then warm them early October 4th morning?
4. Or should she bake as many as she possibly can the day before (October 3rd), place in plastic tubs, and slightly heat the morning of serving?
5. Or is it best to make all of the knots and place them (prior to baking) in the fridge the night before, then bake? (I'm afraid I won't have the fridge space for so many and we only have 4 sheet pans).
6. Can two sheet pans bake at once or does it have to be one at a time?
Thanks in advance!
Kristi
Hi Serenity,
Sorry for the late reply! I am in Norway this week eating lots of delicious things. 🙂 Yes you can definitely make these in advance! A few options: You can make the dough and let it rise the first time at room temperature and then transfer it in bulk to a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator overnight. Shape in the morning and bake. OR Shape the rolls the night before and cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator and bake in the morning (you need quite a bit of fridge space for this). My favorite way to make these in advance is to bake them and freeze them and rewarm in a 300 degree oven before serving. All of these methods work really well! You can also bake two sheet pans at once. I would rotate the pans half way through baking and keep an eye on them. You can double or triple the recipe but it still might be easiest for shaping purposes to only be working with one batch at a time. So excited for you to celebrate Cinnamon Bun Day, and I love your daughter's enthusiasm! Please let me know how it goes or if you have any other questions.
Happy Baking,
Kristi
Kristi
This recipe is cinnamon bun perfection! After much testing, I can assure you, this recipe is the best!
Dustin
I didn’t make these but my friend did and they turned out amazing. She left the leftovers at my places and I was quick to finish them all.
Willeke
Hi Kristi,
These buns are the best I’ve ever made. The taste is fantastic and remind me of the buns we ate in Kopenhagen. I have made quite a few of your savory recipes, they are also really good.
When baking your recipes my only concern is if I use the right amount of flour. But they turned out great, even though I used only 380 grams of T65 bread flour (I hadn’t noticed your reply on Perrins comment). Greetings from the Netherlands!
Sarah Carlsson
Taste of home without having to pull out my Swedish cookbooks and metric measuring tools. I’m going to try to make the dough the day before and refrigerate them once shaped.
Perrin Harkins
I would love it if you could supply the weight of the ingredients, or at least for the main portion of flour. That's the one I'm most concerned about getting a different amount on.
Kristi
Hi Perrin,
I will definitely do that! In the meantime, the weight of the main portion of flour is 435 grams. Hope this helps!
Kristi
Marina
Dear Kristi,
I would like to bake these fresh in the morning and take them to coworkers; is it possible to leave them pre-made resting in the fridge overnight and just bake them in the morning? Sorry if the question has been asked before och ack så mycket,
Marina
Kristi
Hi Marina,
Yes, I think if you shape the night before and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, you should be able to easily bake them in the morning. Just give them 45 minutes or so to warm up a bit before popping them in the oven. Hope this helps!
Kristi