Looking for the best recipe for Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)? Look no further. These buns are billowy soft on the inside, warmly spiced with cardamom and swirled with buttery cinnamon sugar. They are everything a Swedish Cinnamon Bun should be and more.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)
- ⏰ Prep Time: 45 minutes + 2 hours and 45 minutes rising time
- 🔥 Bake Time: 12 minutes
- 👥 Yield: 12 buns
- 👩🍳 Expert tip: Grind your own cardamom for the best flavor
- ⭐️ What makes it special: Made with the tangzhong method which produces extra soft, fluffy buns that stay fresh for longer than traditional methods
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- ♥️ These buns are unbelievably soft and fluffy thanks to the tangzhong method - a little extra step in the recipe that makes a big difference.
- ♥️ Authentic flavor - freshly ground cardamom and a swirl of buttery cinnamon and sugar throughout.
- ♥️ They look fancy and impressive but the shaping is actually really easy.
Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar) are a beloved pastry in Sweden, known for their warm, comforting flavor and distinctive spiral shape. Kanelbullar are often associated with the Swedish 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!
Want to try a Norwegian version of cinnamon buns next? Give my Skillingsboller (Norwegian Cinnamon Buns) a try. For everything you need to know about Scandinavian sweet buns and links to all of my bun recipes, check out The Ultimate Guide to Scandinavian Sweet Buns here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have tried multiple versions of Swedish cinnamon buns, and my family has declared this to be their favorite version. I had heard of the tangzhong method but had never tried it before using this recipe; it truly makes a dramatic difference! - Patrick
Ingredients
- Cardamom seeds flavor the dough. You can use pre-ground cardamom but the flavor is improved if you grind the seeds yourself.
- Instant yeast acts as the leavener in this recipe.
- 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 for about 10 minutes prior to adding it to the dough.
- Crushed sugar cubes can stand in for the pearl sugar in a pinch.
Equipment Needed
- Spice grinder or mortar and pestle (to grind the cardamom seeds)
- Stand mixer to mix and knead the dough (you can also do this by hand if you prefer)
- Rolling pin
- Small offset spatula (not necessary but nice to have for spreading the filling)
- Pizza wheel (a sharp knife will also work)
- 2 rimmed baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush for brushing on the egg wash
How to Make Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)
- Combine the ingredients for the tangzhong in a saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until a paste forms. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- 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.
- 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.
- Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter along the longer side (the 20 inch side).
- Cut the dough into 12 strips.
- 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.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes.
- Cool and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use the tangzhong method as outlined in the recipe. 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.
- Start with whole cardamom seeds and grind them yourself. I can't stress what a difference this makes. Your buns will have amazing cardamom flavor and be that much more authentic to what you would find in a Swedish bakery.
- Roll the dough out on an unfloured work surface 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 FAQs
My overwhelming preference is to use decorticated cardamom seeds which are simply cardamom seeds that have been removed from their pods. These seeds are then ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle before using them in the recipe. This gives the very best flavor and prevents you from having to take the seeds out of the pods yourself (which is a bit of pain). Pre-ground cardamom can be substituted but it will not result in as good of a final product.
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 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. Check out this blog post for more information about the tangzhong method and how to use it in recipes.
Yes! You have a couple of different options. Either let the dough rise at room temperature until about double in size and then transfer the dough to a 9x13 baking dish and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to shape the buns and proceed with the recipe (up to 24 hours). OR, shape the buns as directed the night before baking and wrap with plastic wrap. Transfer to the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them the following morning. Be sure to give them 45 minutes or so to warm at room temperature before popping them into the oven.
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.
Cinnamon Bun Day (Kanelbullens Dag) is celebrated each year on October 4, and it's a beloved tradition in Sweden. Bakeries are filled with freshly baked buns and it's a perfect opportunity to bake some at home and join in the celebration!
What to Serve with Swedish Cinnamon Buns
A good cup of coffee is about the best and most traditional accompaniment with Swedish Cinnamon Buns, but tea, Swedish Glögg (for something a little boozy) or even this Cardamom Hot Chocolate would be delicious as well!
If you are hosting a fika gathering, brew a pot of coffee and serve these cinnamon buns as the star of the show alongside:
- Swedish Crispbread (knäckebröd) (storebought or homemade) and an assortment of cheeses
- A Swedish cookie or two (pepparkakor and/or chokladsnittar would be nice)
- Fresh berries or other seasonal fruit
More Iconic Swedish Baked Goods to Try at Home
Looking for more iconic Swedish baked goods to try? I've got these delicious options for you:
If you tried this Swedish Cinnamon Buns (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)
Equipment
- Spice grinder or mortar and pestle (to grind the cardamom seeds)
- Stand mixer to mix and knead the dough (you can also do this by hand if you prefer)
- Rolling Pin
- Small offset spatula (not necessary but nice to have for spreading the filling)
- Pizza wheel (a sharp knife will also work)
- 2 rimmed baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush for brushing the buns with egg wash
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong:
- 5 tablespoons water
- 5 tablespoons whole milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the Dough:
- 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter cooled
- ½ cup whole milk slightly warm
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, freshly ground (or 1 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 400 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 along the long side (the 20 inch side): 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 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.
Alison says
Hi kristi,
Love your recipe, made it today and love the result. Thank you for sharing.
Alison
Kristi says
Hi Alison,
Thanks for the review! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Happy Baking!
Kristi
Carol says
These sound delicious, I would love to make them using my sourdough starter, would you happen to know how much starter I should use in place of the yeast for your recipe? I may have to just make them using commercial yeast to try them they look so delicious.
Thank you
Kristi says
Hi Carol,
Thanks for your question! I haven't used a sourdough starter in this recipe but I'm sure you could make it work. Here is a link to a good basic blog post about converting recipes to sourdough. Maybe a good place to start: https://truesourdough.com/want-to-convert-your-recipe-to-sourdough-heres-how/ The instant yeast version is also delicious if you want to give it a try as is!
Kristi
katarina parks says
keep coming back to this recipe, the roux makes all the difference. Only thing I adjust is to add more cardamom AND to not use powdered cardamom but to break some whole cardamom seeds, makes all the difference!! the cardamom flavor - and the robust visible seeds in the bun are a must!! yum yum
Kristi says
Hi Katarina,
So glad you are enjoying the buns! I agree...the roux makes a HUGE difference. Thanks so much for your comment!
Kristi
Patrick Perry says
OMG! I love to bake and have to buy flour in 50 lb. bags because I use so much. I like any product that includes cinnamon and/or cardamom. Everyone enjoys my cinnamon and cardamom buns, but I have never been satisfied with the end product- until NOW! This was the first time that I considered my cinnamon buns perfect in every way! I can’t believe the difference that one step makes. Everyone who ate my cinnamon buns noticed the improvement without me having to say anything. That tangzhong method is the way to go!!☘️
Kristi says
Hi Patrick,
Thanks for your feedback! I agree...the tangzhong method is magical! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Happy Baking,
Kristi
Ewa says
This dough is excellent and it does hold fresher than other yeast doughs I've tried. Buns with cinnamon were very good. I've made also rolls with blueberry stuffing with this dough, because I like them soft as well and it worked. Thank you very much for this recipe.
Kristi says
Hi Ewa,
So glad you enjoyed the buns! Thanks so much for your feedback. The blueberry version sounds amazing!
Kristi
Penny says
Truly delicious buns, perfect for fika!
I have baked various sweet rolls and buns over the years, and always wondered what I was doing wrong because the rolls or buns would become dense and sort of chewy so quickly.
As others have said, I hadn't used the tangzhong method before, this was the magic I needed for soft, pillowy buns!
Kristi says
Hi Penny,
So glad you enjoyed them. I agree....the tangzhong method is pure magic!
Kristi
Karolina says
Could you please break down the recipe into grams as well? I think I used way too much flour....
Kristi says
Hi Karolina,
I will put it on my to do list, for sure! Thanks for the feedback!
Kristi
Kristi says
Hi Amanda,
So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for the feedback!
Kristi
Amanda Christman says
These turned out fantastic! The offset spatula was a gamechanger for spreading the filling. Thanks for the recommendation! I love that these aren't slathered in icing, and the pearl sugar adds a nice, sweet crunch. Will definitely make these again!
Patrick Perry says
I have tried multiple versions of Swedish cinnamon buns, and my family has declared this to be their favorite version. I had heard of the tangzhong method but had never tried it before using this recipe; it truly makes a dramatic difference! My younger (43 year old) son is very picky about what he will eat. On his last visit he ate six! Thank you for your encouragement to try the recipe!☘️
Kristi says
Hi Patrick,
I'm SO glad you and your family enjoyed the cinnamon buns! That tangzhong method is pure magic, isn't it!? Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a review. It is much appreciated. Happy baking to you!
Kristi
Gladys says
I made it a few times and shared with friends and they loved and they said that they were delicious. I agree, I absolutely loved them!
Kristi says
Hi Gladys,
So glad you and your friends enjoyed the cinnamon buns. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a note!
Kristi
Talon Gay says
Mede these today!!! Whole house smells delicious!!! I had some trouble with the twisting though! Alot of the filling squeeze right out and I couldn't make them long enough. Uses error on my part! Any advice?
Kristi says
Hi!
Sorry that you had trouble with the twisting. Hopefully they are still delicious! My first thought is that maybe the temperature in the kitchen was warm? I've had trouble with twisting these when the dough and filling are too warm. Next time I would recommend popping them in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to let the buttery filling firm up a bit if you are having trouble with the twisting. Hope this helps!
Kristi
Nilce says
I made these buns yesterday. Perfect! Thank you very much!
Kristi says
Hi Nilce,
So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for the feedback!
Kristi
Erin says
During the pandemic I have tried several different online bullar recipes. This is my favorite to make (and my family enjoys eating it, too - even the kids’ Farmor gives her approval!) Thank you.
Kristi says
Hi Erin,
Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment! I'm so glad you enjoy making, eating and sharing these cinnamon buns! They are definitely a favorite around our house, too.
Happy baking to you!
Kristi
Emiliya says
I made these buns with the rests of cherry jam and marzipan and... oh my god, it was so delicious that we already ate them all in less than 24 hours 😀 😀 😀
The recipe is easy to follow and not at all hard, thank you very much for sharing!
Emiliya
Kristi says
Emiliya,
Thank you for your feedback! Cherry jam and marzipan sound AMAZING!
Kristi