Kanelbullar are beautiful, soft buns with a hint of cardamom and a delicate buttery cinnamon filling.
There are 2 things that are characteristic for Swedish buns. The first is their uniquely beautiful shape, and the second is the use of cardamom in the dough and sometimes the filling, too. It’s a delicious spicy addition and its taste isn’t overwhelming. However, if you don’t like cardamom, you can use less of it—about ½ teaspoon will still give you a bit of spice—or omit it altogether.
The buns have a subtle butter-sugar-cinnamon flavor, making them a great light breakfast, unlike American cinnamon rolls that tend to be heavy on the icing (not that that’s a bad thing). Make sure to bring your butter to room temperature before making the filling so that it’s soft enough to mix and spread on the dough.
There seem to be several ways to shape the buns, but I followed this extremely helpful visual guide which creates some of the most beautiful buns ever. If it seems confusing, they suggest twisting the strips and shaping them into a snail-shell shape.
- 3 cups (400 g/14 oz) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 g/1.7 oz) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
- 2¼ teaspoons (7 g/0.25 oz) instant yeast
- 1 cup (240 ml) lukewarm milk
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick/56 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (2/3 stick/75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup (65 g) light brown/granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 beaten egg, for egg wash
- Pearl sugar, chopped almonds, or granulated sugar, to sprinkle on top, optional
- Place flour, sugar, cardamom, and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer and mix until combined. Attach dough hook to the mixer. Add milk and melted butter to the flour mixture and mix on low speed until dough comes together, 2-3 minutes. Add salt and continue mixing for another 8 minutes on low-medium speed until dough is soft and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Place dough in a large bowl brushed with oil, and toss to coat (the fat will keep the dough from drying out). Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place or on the counter for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. Keep in mind that rising will be slower in cold weather.
- To make the filling: In a small bowl, combine soft butter, sugar, and cinnamon until you have a smooth paste.
- Shaping the dough (I followed this visual guide): On a lightly floured surface or non-stick silicone baking mat, roll dough out into 35x35cm (14x14-inch) square. Spread butter-sugar mixture onto entire surface, making a very thin layer. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter, then roll again into a rough 35x20cm (14x8-inch) rectangle.
- Facing the long edge, cut dough into roughly 2cm wide and 20cm long strips. Twist each strip several times, slightly stretching it as you do so. Grab one end of the twisted strip and coil the dough around your hand twice, then over the top. Coil dough again and tuck the loose end in at the bottom.
- Arrange buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (if they’re too crowded, use 2 pans), keeping as much space between them as possible. Cover and let rest for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, set the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350F/180C.
- Brush buns with an egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Allow buns to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Buns are best the same day they are made, but can be frozen for up to 2 months and reheated in the oven before serving.
16 Comments
Hannah Hossack-Lodge (Domestic Gothess)
April 22, 2016 at 8:45 amThese look so lovely and perfectly baked, I’ve made cinnamon buns using this shaping technique before, it seems complicated but is actually really easy once you get the hang of it.
Shirley
August 7, 2017 at 6:38 pmThank you for sharing this recipe. I loved it! My knotting technique could use some work, but they still wowed my family and friends. Pic at https://www.instagram.com/p/BXgm41OhlAX/
Emmac
January 26, 2018 at 8:31 pmHi Shiran,
To be honest, I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to shape the cinnamon bun dough as fancy as you did ?. So do you think the cinnamon buns will turn out the same if I just did an alternative way of shaping the dough (like the other way of shaping the cinnamon bun dough, cutting it into circles). Sorry if this doesn’t make sense! Could you tell me ASAP because I am making them on Sunday.
Thanks
Shiran
January 27, 2018 at 9:13 amYes, this should work too 🙂 The baking time might be different though. I have another recipe for cinnamon rolls, if you prefer. They’re amazing!
Eunice Bae
June 4, 2018 at 11:12 amI’m not well-versed in yeast, but what was the cup of lukewarm water for? When you say place the yeast in the bowl w/ the other dry ingredients, do you mean after letting it sit in the cup of water to activate? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to give my Swedish friends a taste of home!
Shiran
June 5, 2018 at 3:40 amHi Eunice, there’s no water in the recipe, do you mean milk? I’m using instant yeast, not active dry yeast, so there’s no need to activate it first. You just need to mix all the ingredients together.
Michaela Mackie
September 23, 2018 at 2:41 amThank you for this beautiful recipe. I made some cinnamon buns today and they turned out really good! Delicious and pretty, thank you!
Rosalind
September 24, 2018 at 6:32 pmI have made these twice now after being inspired by a trip to Stockholm! They are amazing but disappear too quickly!
Sandra Amos
February 1, 2019 at 9:29 amJust wondering if it would be ok to use caster sugar as I don’t usually use granulated?
Shiran
February 6, 2019 at 5:17 amYes it’s ok 🙂
Rachael Sherrington
February 16, 2019 at 5:31 amHi there,
Thank you! I made these a couple of months ago and they were delicious!
I wondered if they would be ok if refrigerated overnight at the point when they have been filled and shaped for a slower 2nd prove? I’m hoping to make them this evening for tomorrow morning but wondering whether to just cook them and re-heat them tomorrow instead.
Thanks!
Shiran
February 21, 2019 at 5:30 amHi Rachael , you can always freeze them after they are fully baked. They will taste just as good even after a month.
Emma Rasmussen
May 11, 2019 at 7:04 amHi there. We’ve been making buns for a couple of years – low quantities. we are now producing 200 at weekends & struggling with consistency & getting the same results. They seem to be tearing after the bake. Any ideas?! Thanks
Isobel
June 2, 2019 at 11:10 amFor the second proof, what do i use to cover it with and should they be left at room temperature or put in the airing cupboard or?
Liat
October 1, 2019 at 12:19 pmThanks Shiran, excellent recipe! I just recently discovered your blog, I resonate with your writing and I already have some other recipes from you that I’d love to try.
The dough was really easy to work with, soft and pliable. I don’t have a mixer but yet it was not a hassle to process it by hand. The buns itself are delicious and not too sweet.
Shiran
October 4, 2019 at 9:17 amPerfect! Thank you so much!