Recipes › Simple bakes› Kanelbullar (Swedish cinnamon buns)
Simple bakes · Medium · Serves 24

Kanelbullar (Swedish cinnamon buns)

Cardamom-scented Swedish cinnamon buns, twisted into knots, brushed with egg, and finished with pearl sugar. The classic fika bake, less sweet and more fragrant than the American kind.

Anna Lind Harper
by Anna Lind Harper
Tested twice · Published 2026-06-15
A cooling rack on a white marble counter crowded with golden-brown twisted Swedish cinnamon buns, their knotted tops glossy from egg wash and scattered with white pearl sugar, the cinnamon-cardamom swirl visible in each bun. One bun is pulled slightly apart to show the soft layered crumb. A folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel and a stoneware mug of black coffee sit beside the rack. Soft morning light from the kitchen window.
Prep
40 min
Cook
12 min
Serves
24
Difficulty
medium

If there is one bake that says home to me, it is a tray of kanelbullar cooling on the counter while the coffee brews. These are the Swedish cinnamon buns I grew up smelling on Saturday mornings, scented heavily with freshly ground cardamom, filled with cinnamon butter, and finished with a crunch of pearl sugar. They are less sweet and less gooey than the American cinnamon roll, and all the better for it.

The twisted-knot shape looks like a project, and I will be honest that it takes a few buns to find your rhythm. But the dough is forgiving, the filling is a one-bowl job, and even the wonky early knots bake up beautifully. This is a slow-morning bake, the kind worth making when you have a couple of unhurried hours and someone to share the first warm one with.

“The bake that says home to me. Cardamom-scented, twisted into knots, cooling on the counter while the coffee brews.”
Why this one earns a weeknight

What you'll love about it

  • 01Cardamom forward and not too sweet, the way Swedish buns are meant to be.
  • 02The knotted shape looks impressive but is genuinely forgiving; even the messy ones are lovely.
  • 03They fill the whole house with the smell of a Saturday morning.
  • 04They freeze well, so you can bake a big batch and warm one whenever the craving hits.
Overhead view of a large rectangle of pale yeasted dough rolled out on a floured white marble counter, with a hand in a white linen button-down sleeve rolled to three-quarter forearm length spreading glossy brown cinnamon-cardamom butter filling over the dough with a small offset spatula, about two-thirds of the surface already covered in an even layer. A bowl of the filling and a dusting of flour sit at the edge of the frame.
Spread the cinnamon-cardamom butter all the way to the edges, then fold the dough in thirds before cutting. The folds are what give each knot its layers.
Ingredients

For the dough

  • 1 cupwhole milk, warmed to about 110°F
  • 2¼ tspactive dry yeast
  • ½ cupgranulated sugar
  • 1 tspground cardamom, freshly ground if you can, from about 10 pods
  • ½ tspsalt
  • 1egg
  • 5 Tbspunsalted butter, softened
  • 3½ to 4 cupsall-purpose flour

For the filling

  • 7 Tbspunsalted butter, very soft
  • ⅓ cupgranulated or light brown sugar
  • 2 Tbspground cinnamon
  • 1 tspground cardamom
  • a pinch of salt

To finish

  • 1egg, beaten, for egg wash
  • or coarse sugarSwedish pearl sugar
Method

How I make it

  1. 01
    Bloom the yeast.
    Warm the milk to about 110°F, just warmer than your finger. Stir in the yeast and a pinch of the sugar and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy on top. If nothing happens, the yeast is dead; start again with a fresh packet.
  2. 02
    Make the dough.
    In a large bowl, combine the milk mixture with the remaining sugar, the cardamom, salt, and egg. Add the flour a cup at a time, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Work in the softened butter, then knead on a floured counter (or with a dough hook) for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth, soft, and elastic. It should be slightly tacky but not sticky.
  3. 03
    First rise.
    Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 45 to 60 minutes, until doubled.
  4. 04
    Make the filling.
    Beat the very soft butter with the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until it is a smooth, spreadable paste.
  5. 05
    Roll and fill.
    Punch the dough down and roll it on a floured counter into a large rectangle about 16 by 20 inches and a quarter inch thick. Spread the filling evenly all the way to the edges. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter so you have a long, layered strip.
  6. 06
    Cut and twist the knots.
    Cut the strip into roughly 24 thin strips. Take one strip, stretch it gently, and wind it around two fingers a few times, tucking the end underneath to make a knot. Place each knot on a parchment-lined tray. Do not worry if the first few are wonky; they bake up beautifully, and the rhythm comes quickly.
    A pair of hands in white linen button-down sleeves rolled to three-quarter forearm length winding a long thin strip of filled cinnamon-bun dough around two fingers to shape a twisted knot, on a lightly floured white marble counter. A parchment-lined tray with several already-shaped raw knots sits beside the hands, ready for the second rise.
    Wind each strip around two fingers and tuck the end underneath. The first few will be wonky; by the fifth knot your hands will know what to do.
  7. 07
    Second rise.
    Cover the trays loosely and let the knots rise for 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy.
  8. 08
    Egg wash and bake.
    Heat the oven to 425°F. Brush each bun with beaten egg and sprinkle generously with pearl sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until deeply golden. Pull them just as they turn golden so they stay soft. Cool on a rack, ideally with coffee.
Macro close-up of a single baked Swedish cinnamon bun on a white marble counter, showing the spiraled cinnamon-cardamom swirl of the twisted knot, the glossy egg-washed golden surface, and white pearl sugar crystals catching the light. The soft, layered crumb is visible where the knot folds over itself.
A note from Anna

Grind the cardamom fresh if you possibly can. Cracking the green pods and grinding the little black seeds yourself makes a difference you will not believe until you do it; the pre-ground stuff is a faint shadow by comparison. And watch the oven closely at the end. These bake fast, and the line between golden and dry is about ninety seconds. Pull them the moment they turn deep gold to keep the crumb soft.

What to serve with it

Round out the table.

  • ·01
    Strong black coffee
    This is fika, and fika means coffee.
  • ·02
    A cold glass of milk
    For dunking, which is allowed and encouraged.
Storage & reheating

Keeping the leftovers good.

Fridge: Best the day they are baked. Keep extras in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Reheat: Warm in a 300°F oven for a few minutes, or 10 seconds in the microwave, to bring back the just-baked softness.

Make ahead: Shape the buns the night before and let them do their second rise slowly in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature while the oven heats, then egg-wash and bake.

Freezer: Freeze baked, cooled buns for up to 2 months. Thaw and warm in a low oven.

Recipe card

Kanelbullar (Swedish cinnamon buns)

Cardamom-scented Swedish cinnamon buns, twisted into knots, brushed with egg, and finished with pearl sugar. The classic fika bake, less sweet and more fragrant than the American kind.

Prep
40 min
Cook
12 min
Serves
24
Total
150 min
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
  • 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom, freshly ground if you can, from about 10 pods
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 3½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 7 Tbsp unsalted butter, very soft
  • ⅓ cup granulated or light brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
  • or coarse sugar Swedish pearl sugar
Method (short version)
  1. 01Bloom the yeast.
  2. 02Make the dough.
  3. 03First rise.
  4. 04Make the filling.
  5. 05Roll and fill.
  6. 06Cut and twist the knots.
  7. 07Second rise.
  8. 08Egg wash and bake.

Nutrition information is an estimate. See full nutrition disclaimer.

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