Recipe: Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)

Few things say Swedish fika quite like a warm kanelbulle. Swedish cinnamon buns are softer and less heavily iced than the American-style cinnamon roll, with cardamom in the dough, a cinnamon-butter filling, and a generous shower of pearl sugar on top.

They are especially hard to avoid in Sweden on October 4. Kanelbullens Dag has been celebrated since 1999, when Sweden’s Home Baking Council introduced the day to celebrate its 40th anniversary and encourage home baking. You can read more about the tradition in our guide to why Sweden celebrates Cinnamon Bun Day.

This is a generous, classic-style recipe that makes enough for a proper fika crowd — or plenty to freeze for later.

Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)

Makes: about 36–40 buns
Prep: about 35 minutes, plus rising time
Rise: about 1 hour 45 minutes total
Bake: 8–10 minutes per tray
Oven: 425°F / 220°C

For the dough

• 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) whole milk
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom
• 2 packets active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons / 14 g)
• 8–9 cups (about 960–1,080 g) all-purpose or bread flour

For the filling

• 3/4 cup (170 g) butter, melted or very soft
• 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the topping

• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• Swedish pearl sugar (pärlsocker) and/or thinly sliced almonds

How to make Swedish cinnamon buns

1. Warm the milk. Heat the milk in a saucepan until steaming and small bubbles begin to appear around the edge. Do not let it boil vigorously.
2. Make the cardamom dough. Stir the melted butter, sugar, salt and cardamom into the warm milk. Let the mixture cool until pleasantly warm to the touch — about 105–110°F / 40–43°C — so it does not damage the yeast.
3. Add the yeast. Stir in the yeast and let it stand for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the flour gradually. Mix in the flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is soft, elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You may not need the full ninth cup. If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook after roughly 5 cups of flour and knead until smooth.
5. First rise. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Fill and shape the buns

6. Divide and roll. Punch down the dough and divide it into two equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rectangle about 12 by 18 inches.
7. Add the filling. Brush each rectangle with the softened or melted filling butter. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and scatter it evenly over both rectangles.
8. Shape them. For classic spirals, roll each rectangle up from a long edge and cut into 18–20 pieces. For Swedish-style knots, fold each rectangle in half over the filling, cut it into strips, twist each strip several times, then wrap it around your fingers and tuck the end underneath.

9. Second rise. Place the buns in paper baking cups or on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover and let rise until noticeably puffy, about 45 minutes.
10. Heat the oven. While the buns rise, preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C.
11. Brush and top. Whisk the egg with 2 tablespoons water. Gently brush the risen buns with egg wash and sprinkle generously with pearl sugar and, if you like, sliced almonds.
12. Bake. Bake in the center of the oven for about 8–10 minutes, until the buns are golden brown. Because ovens vary, start checking them at 7–8 minutes.

How to get really good kanelbullar

Use freshly ground cardamom if you can. It makes a much bigger difference than pre-ground cardamom and gives the dough the unmistakable Swedish bakery aroma.

Do not over-flour the dough. It should be soft and slightly tacky rather than stiff. Too much flour is one of the easiest ways to end up with dry buns.

Give the second rise enough time. The shaped buns should look visibly puffy before they go into the oven. A cool kitchen may simply take longer.

Pearl sugar is worth finding. Swedish pärlsocker does not melt into the buns in the oven, which gives kanelbullar their classic look and a little crunch.

Can you make Swedish cinnamon buns ahead?

Yes. Kanelbullar freeze beautifully. Let the baked buns cool completely, freeze them in an airtight bag or container, and warm them briefly in the oven or microwave when you are ready for fika. They are best the day they are baked, but freezing them is much better than letting them sit out for several days.

Prefer to buy your cinnamon buns?

If you are celebrating Kanelbullens Dag in the United States but do not feel like turning on the oven, our updated guide to Scandinavian bakeries in the U.S. includes places around the country where you can find Swedish cinnamon buns, cardamom buns, princess cake and other Scandinavian favorites.

Whether you bake them yourself or pick up a bag from a local bakery, the best way to eat a kanelbulle is still the simplest: warm, with coffee, and preferably in good company.

Originally published in 2017. Updated October 2026 with clearer measurements, refreshed instructions and additional baking tips.