Crunchy caramelized sugar surrounds every bite of these cinnamon and cardamom laden sweet rolls. These Swedish Cinnamon rolls are soft yet crackly; spiced but sweet; gooey and so sticky you’ll be licking your fingers for every drop of candied glaze.
This recipe for Swedish cinnamon rolls begins with a cardamom scented brioche like dough filled with buttery cinnamon spread. Then the buns are twisted, knotted, and baked to caramelized perfection. It doesn’t end there. Because fresh from the oven, these buns are then brushed with a sweet and lightly spiced vanilla glaze. And that glaze drips and soaks into every single nook and cranny. These are everything you have ever thought you wanted in a cinnamon roll, but better. These are cinnamon rolls with a twist. Literally!
It is officially Fall, my favorite season of the year! The holidays get me excited! But most of all, I’m pumped for the baked goods and cozy cocktails that are on the horizon. It’s still 85 degrees in St. Louis. But I’m dreaming of Christmas music, my cozy knee socks, favorite Uggs, and sipping red wine by the roaring fireplace. And of course I am already planning Thanksgiving breakfast. Traditionally I go the route of Coconut Milk Cinnamon Rolls or Chai Buns for holiday breakfasts. But this year I am upping my baking game with these Swedish Cinnamon Rolls.
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Swedish Cinnamon Rolls (Kanelbullar)
Swedish Cinnamon Rolls, or Kanelbullar, were one of the first European treats I ever had on a childhood vacation. I’m a sucker for any kind of cinnamon roll, but these are not your ordinary buns. They are elegant while still being funky. And they are definitely making waves on the food trend circuit these days.
In Sweden, Kanelullar are found in any bakery you go to. But these spiced sweet breads are popular worldwide. In fact, European bakeries like Circus in France and Fabrique in London, are famous for their Cardamom and Swedish style cinnamon buns. These buns have a unique appearance due to the way they are cut, hand shaped, and knotted in the middle. A dusting of Pearl Sugar finishes them off in true European bakery fashion.
They are just so good and I am excited to share this flavorful and stciky Swedish Cinnamon Roll Recipe with you!
Sweet Dough
The dough for these Swedish Cinnamon Rolls is sweet, soft, and fragrant with cardamom and vanilla. There is a lengthy two step kneading process for the Kanelbuller dough. Therefore, it is necessary to use your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. The long kneading allows the gluten to develop. The end result is a glossy and elastic type of dough.
Some common and traditional recipes use a sourdough type of dough. Alternatively, you will find recipes that allow this dough to rest overnight in order to develop the flavor of the dough. But I have made Swedish Cinnamon Rolls several different ways. I found the flavor to shine through and be to my liking without using the overnight process. So the following recipe is for a quick Kanelbuller that can be made fresh on a holiday morning. But, a nice aspect of this recipe is that you can also leave the dough overnight, sleep in, and then cut steps the following morning! It is a win win!
Make The Dough
Begin by activating the yeast. And remember to use full fat ingredients for this Swedish Cinnamon Roll Recipe!
Warm milk and allow it to cool it to 105-110 degrees.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add warm milk. Sprinkle on the active yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Give it a gentle stir. Leave it to proof for 15 minutes. It should be foamy and present at the top of the milk. Check out my Coconut Milk Cinnamon Rolls to see some active yeast, if you need an idea.
Once it is active, add all of the dough ingredients, except for the soft butter. Then turn the dough hook to medium speed and mix it for 10 minutes. Note that this is a very wet dough. Resist the urge to add extra flour!
The next step is to add the softened butter. Have the butter diced up. Add the chunks one at a time, giving it time in between additions to incorporate. Then allow the dough to knead for an additional 15 minutes. The dough will be glossy and elastic and sticky to the touch.
Meanwhile, butter up a large bowl. Set the sticky dough inside. Use a dough scraper if necessary to get it all into the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for about 90-110 minutes at room temperature.
Swedish Cinnamon Rolls Filling
The filling for these Swedish Cinnamon Rolls is abundant. It is packed with brown sugar and tons of cinnamon. While baking, it will seep out around the bun. That filling will caramelize and encase each bun with a crackly, crunchy, and insanely delicious crust. Then imagine how it plays against the sticky vanilla spiced glaze that gets brushed on while warm. It’s out of this world and you will be pulling off bits of that caramelized filling and eating it alone!
When I was a little girl, one of my favorite and easy breakfasts was broiled Cinnamon Toast. When we didn’t have fresh Bread Rolls or Quick Bread in the house, My Mom always bought super thin sliced bread. This bread would then be lathered in butter and heavily topped with a layer of cinnamon and brown sugar. Then they would be stuck under the broiler until bubbling, toasted on top, and crackling with sugary topping. OMG, just thinking of these simple yet addictive toasts is getting me really happy! So I created the grown up version with these Swedish Cinnamon Rolls! The filling emulates my childhood dream breakfast, only this adult and elevated version is so much better! And if you want more cinnamon toast type bakes, check out my Cinnamon Toast Crunch Streusel Cake!
In a bowl, use a spatula to mix the softened butter until smooth. Then add in the dark brown sugar and heaps of ground cinnamon. Mix that all together and breathe in the scent of food victory. Yep, you are on to something magical! Set this filling aside while you get back to your dough.
Filling and Rolling Kanelbuller
As you can see, the shape of these cardamom Kanelbuller look like cinnamon roll knots. The method for filling, rolling, and cutting Swedish Cinnamon Rolls is different than traditional Cinnamon Rolls.
First, uncover your risen dough. Gently punch it down. Then gather the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle that is 12 x 20. Then slide the parchment onto a baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill this for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, line two fresh baking sheet with parchment paper.
Then once the dough has firmed up and chilled, spread filling over the top 2/3 of the rectangle. Then bring up the naked bottom of the dough to cover half and meet in the middle. Bring the top of the dough over that. Use the rolling pin to flatten and secure the seam gently.
Next, roll this out to 1/2 inch thickness. Then use a pastry wheel and cut out 12 strips from the short side. Take each strip, hold both ends, and twist the strip. Then hold the end of a strip in one hand ( I use my left). Make a fist and begin wrapping the dough around that fist twice. The third time, loop the strip through the top middle and tuck it under.
Put each Swedish bun into a baking sheet, having 6 per sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise an additional 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then bake the buns for about18-20 minutes, until golden brown, and baked through. Set aside while you make the glaze.
Vanilla Spiced Glaze For Kanelbuller
The final flavor punch for these Swedish Cinnamon Roll is the vanilla spiced glaze. Set a small saucepan over medium heat. Add water and sugar and give it a stir. Once the sugar has dissolved add the vanilla extract and touch of spices. Let this simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Then remove from the heat. Use a pastry brush to brush glaze over the warm rolls. Repeat. Sprinkle on some Pearl Sugar, if desired. Allow the rolls to cool a bit on cooling racks. Then serve the rolls slightly warm or at room temperature with a steaming cup of coffee or tea.
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Swedish Cinnamon Rolls
Crunchy caramelized sugar surrounds every bite of these cinnamon and cardamom laden sweet rolls. These Swedish Cinnamon rolls are soft yet crackly; spiced but sweet; gooey and so sticky you'll be licking your fingers for every drop of candied glaze.
Ingredients
Sweet Dough
- 1 cup whole milk warmed 105-110 degrees F
- 1 tablespoon active yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 3 2/3 cup AP flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons butter softened and diced
- 1 vanilla pod scraped and halved (or use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
Filling
- 7 tablespoons butter softened
- 1.5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon water
Glaze
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pearl Sugar for topping, optional
Instructions
-
Begin by activating the yeast. And remember to use full fat ingredients for this Swedish Cinnamon Roll Recipe!
Warm milk to 105-110 degrees.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add warm milk that is 105-110 degrees F. Sprinkle on the active yeast, along with 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and give it a gentle stir.
Once it is active, add all of the dough ingredients, except for the soft butter. Then turn the dough hook to medium speed and mix it for 10 minutes. Note that this is a very wet dough. Resist the urge to add extra flour!
The next step is to add the softened butter. Have the butter diced up. Add the chunks one at a time, giving it time in between additions to incorporate. Then allow the dough to knead for an additional 15 minutes. The dough will be glossy and elastic and sticky to the touch.
Meanwhile, butter up a large bowl. Set the sticky dough inside. Use a dough scraper if necessary to get it all into the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for about two hours at room temperature.
Filling:
In a bowl, use a spatula to mix the softened butter until smooth. Then add in the dark brown sugar and heaps of ground cinnamon. Mix that all together and breathe in the scent of food victory. Yep, you are on to something magical! Set this filling aside while you get back to your dough.
Rolling:
First, uncover your risen dough. Gently punch it down. Then gather the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle that is 12 x 20. Then slide the parchment onto a baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill this for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, line two fresh baking sheet with parchment paper.
Then once the dough has firmed up and chilled, spread filling over the top 2/3 of the rectangle. Then bring up the naked bottom of the dough to cover half and meet in the middle. Bring the top of the dough over that. Use the rolling pin to flatten and secure the seam gently.
Next, roll this out to 1/2 inch thickness. Then use a pastry wheel and cut out 12 strips from the short side. Take each strip, hold both ends, and twist the strip. Then hold the end of a strip in one hand ( I use my left). Make a fist and begin wrapping the dough around that fist twice. The third time, loop the strip through the top middle and tuck it under.
Put each Swedish bun into a baking sheet, having 6 per sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise an additional 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then make egg wash by mixing egg as water together. Brush each bun with egg wash.
Then bake the buns for 20-23 minutes, until golden brown, and baked through. Set aside while you make the glaze.
VANILLA SPICED GLAZE FOR KANELBULLER
The final flavor punch for these Swedish Cinnamon Roll is the vanilla spiced glaze. Set a small saucepan over medium heat. Add water and sugar and give it a stir. Once the sugar has dissolved add the vanilla extract and touch of spices. Let this simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Then remove from the heat. Use a pastry brush to brush glaze over the warm rolls. Repeat. Sprinkle on some Pearl Sugar, if desired. Allow the rolls to cool a bit on cooling racks.
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