Uncover 28 of the most productive cinnamon buns on the planet. This tasty listing comprises Scandinavian cinnamon buns and conventional American cinnamon buns plus some surprises.

Rising up in the United States, we idea that cinnamon buns had been an American factor. Most likely that’s as a result of we hadn’t but noticed the arena or perhaps we had been influenced via ads that includes the Pillsbury Doughboy. Sure, we grew up consuming Pillsbury cinnamon buns similar to we grew up consuming Kellogg’s Pop Tarts – each had been breakfast favorites again then.
As children, we hardly resisted consuming a candy, buttery cinnamon pastry whether or not it was once known as a cinnamon bun, a cinnamon roll, a honey bun or perhaps a danish. Alternatively, we had been most often happiest when the pastry was once raisin-free and crowned with a beneficiant quantity of icing.


A lightbulb went of in our heads once we traveled to Stockholm and bit into our first (however now not ultimate) kanelbulle. That’s once we learned that modern-day cinnamon buns if truth be told have Scandinavian roots. And so they don’t all glance alike. Some are formed in braids whiles others are twisted into crowns of interspersed pastry. We additionally learned that cinnamon buns and low are a culinary dream workforce.
Amusing Reality
Cinnamon is an historical spice that’s most often extracted from bushes grown in Asian nations. There are two sorts of cinnamon – commonplace cinnamon known as cassia present in China, Indonesia and Vietnam and ceylon cinnamon, a extremely wanted luxurious product present in Sri Lanka.


After experiencing that aha second in Stockholm, we’ve since eaten quite a lot of cinnamon buns all over the world. A few of our favorites had been at espresso stores whilst others had been at bakeries and cafes. There’s one thing comforting about consuming cinnamon buns in international nations. The tasty pastries remind us of house (in spite of their Eu foundation) they usually style nice too. (It must come as no marvel that France, a rustic with a prodigious pastry pedigree, produces one of the vital perfect cinnamon rolls we’ve ever tasted.)
Professional Tip
Head on your native Ikea and order a cinnamon bun on the cafe for those who don’t have any Eu journeys for your close to long term. The Ikea cinnamon bun is basically a Swedish kanelbulle. You’ll be able to purchase a package deal of the megastore’s frozen cinnamon buns to bake at house in case your yearning is excessive.


Our cinnamon bun adventure began in The us and persevered within the Scandinavian nations of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Rapid ahead to the current and we now benefit from consuming cinnamon buns anywhere we discover them together with nations the place it’s now not the norm so as to add cinnamon to buttery pastries.
Our Favourite Scandinavian Cinnamon Buns


Each and every Scandinavian nation has its personal cinnamon bun model, with maximum eschewing icing as the most well liked topping. Cinnamon bun lovers will wish to devour kanelbollar in Norway, kanelbullar in Sweden, kanelsnegle in Denmark, korvapuusti in Finland, franzbrötchen in Germany and snúður in Iceland. That’s a given. However cinnamon bun lovers will wish to devour those pastries in different nations too.
Those are our favorites to this point:
1. Kardemommesnurrer (Lille Bakery in Copenhagen)


Danes drink a large number of espresso, surpassed via handiest Finland, Norway and Iceland. Alternatively, in line with our private observations, the Danish cinnamon bun intake charge is similarly auspicious.
We joined the fray via consuming a couple of cinnamon buns in Copenhagen together with flaky kardemommesnurrer at each Juno the Bakery and Lille Bakery. Each cardamom buns evoked reminiscences of kanelbullar we’d eaten in Stockholm. Alternatively, Copenhagen’s pastries had been just a bit bit higher than their Swedish cousins.
Uncover extra notable Copenhagen bakeries.
2. Kanelbulle (Fabrique Stenungsbageri in Stockholm)


Swedes had been keen about cinnamon buns for over a century. The standard Swede eats greater than 300 kanelbullar every 12 months each at house and whilst operating – continuously throughout fika espresso breaks. The rustic even has an annual vacation, Kanelbullens Dag, that celebrates the rustic’s iconic pastry.
Enticed via the aromas of cinnamon and cardamom wafting in the course of the air, we ate our first kanelbulle upon our arrival at Stockhom’s Central Railway Station. Keep in mind that, the ones first buns had been some distance from our ultimate. We proceeded to experience day-to-day fika classes all through the town with our favourite being at Fabrique Stenungsbageri in fashionable Södermalm.
Uncover how you can fika in Stockholm like a professional.
3. Cinnamon Bun (Loste Café in Milan)


The Italians aren’t any slouches in the case of baking pastries – high examples are cannoli in Sicily, sfogliatella in Naples and maritozzi in Rome. Alternatively, one of the most perfect pastries we ate in Milan was once a cinnamon bun at Loste Café.
Stefano Ferraro, Loste Café’s co-owner and head baker, honed his abilities whilst operating as the pinnacle pastry chef at Copenhagen’s Noma. Now in Milan, Ferraro glazes freshly baked cinnamon buns with a candy syrup made with butter, cream and Demerara sugar. Sprinkling orange zest supplies a crowning glory that’s colourful and a tad bit highly spiced.
Uncover extra Milan meals favorites.
4. Kanelbolle (Renaa Xpress in Stavanger)


It might be comprehensible to confuse Norway’s kanelbolle with Sweden’s kanelbulle in line with the names on my own. However don’t do it. Now not handiest are Norwegian cinnamon buns their very own factor however in addition they move via two further names – kanelsnurr and skillingsboller.
Whilst vintage kanelboller get their taste from cinnamon, some bakers upload spices like cardamon in addition to chocolate and raisins. The only we ate at Renaa Xpress supplied a candy begin to our Stavanger morning.
Uncover extra Norway meals favorites.
5. Kohrvapuusti (Fleuriste in Helsinki)


We’re now not pulling your ear once we say that we like Finland’s buttery, cushy Korvapuusti. We’re additionally now not poking your ear even supposing korvapuusti actually interprets to ear poke.
Even if the korvapuusti has a name for being better than different cinnamon buns, the most productive ones we ate in Helsinki had been simply the proper measurement. Loaded with cardamom, the ones candy Finnish cinnamon buns smelled as nice as they tasted.
Uncover extra nice meals in Helsinki.
6. Kanelbulle (Scandinavian Embassy in Amsterdam)


It’s simple to seek out nice pastries in addition to nice uniqueness espresso in Amsterdam. With this in thoughts, we had been glad to devour a kanelbulle at Scandinavian Embassy throughout our most up-to-date discuss with to the Dutch town.
Baked on-site with in the neighborhood milled flour and crowned with pearl sugar, Scandinavian Embassy’s kanelbulle didn’t disappoint those two cinnamon bun fanatics. As an advantage, our iced latte was once so excellent that we ordered a 2nd.
Uncover extra nice Amsterdam espresso stores.
7. Kohrvapuusti (Center Espresso in Portland OR)


The theory of consuming a korvapuusti in Portland would possibly appear atypical because the Oregon town is 5,000 miles from the pastry’s place of origin. However that’s what we did once we popped into Center Espresso Roasters throughout our cross-country American street travel.
On the time, we didn’t understand that the espresso store’s proprietor, Wille Yli-Luoma, is Finnish and that we had been pairing our cappuccinos with a vintage Finnish cinnamon bun. We simply knew that the korvapuusti’s mixture of cinnamon, cardamom and pearl sugar was once a winner. And the espresso was once nice too.
Uncover extra Portland meals favorites.
8. Kanelbulle (Nord Coast Espresso Roastery in Hamburg)


Whilst consuming pressed duck in Rouen was once a concern, pairing superb flat whites with similarly superb kanelbullar was once an surprising deal with. In spite of everything, the Normandy town is extra noted for its epic cathedral and Jean d’Arc museum than it’s for its meals.
We imagine ourselves fortunate on this regard for 2 causes. First, the town’s perfect espresso store was once positioned mere steps from our Rouen resort. And, 2nd, Prélude Cafe‘s pastry variety adjustments day-to-day.
Uncover French pastries extra most often baked in Normandy.
9. Kardemummabullar (Kingston Bread and Bar within the Catskills.)


We did a double take whilst perusing the pastries at Kingston Bread and Bar in The Catskills when our eyes hit the signal for cardamom buns. After all, we had to shop for one.
Regardless of the signal, we had surely that those cardamom buns were given their inspiration from Sweden’s kardemummabullar. We later discovered that one of the most bakery’s homeowners has a Swedish sweetheart’s mother.
Uncover extra foodie unearths in Kingston.
10. Franzbrötchen (Die Kleine Konditorei in Hamburg)


Don’t hassle in search of a franzbrötchen in Berlin, Frankfurt or Munich. It’s now not that Germany’s model of the cinnamon bun isn’t excellent. Fairly, the problem is that the franzbrötchen is restricted to Hamburg, a German town that’s positioned simply 200 miles from Copenhagen.
We fell for the franzrötchen throughout our first travel to Hamburg and fell for it once more throughout our 2nd and 3rd visits. Impressed via France, therefore the title, the candy German pastry makes a really perfect little breakfast or afternoon deal with. It’s particularly tasty when paired with espresso.
Uncover extra impossible to resist German candy treats.
11. Kanelsnegle (Copenhagen Espresso Lab in Lisbon)


Bearing in mind that the kanelsnegle is Denmark’s vintage cinnamon bun, it sort of feels ironic that we ate our first kanelsnegle in Lisbon. Alternatively, any attainable irony is negated via the truth that we ate it at Copenhagen Espresso Lab, a Lisbon espresso store that has Danish roots.
With a reputation that actually interprets to cinnamon snail, the kanelsnegle is flatter and wider that different cinnamon buns. Conventional toppings come with powdered sugar, sugar glaze or even chocolate. The model we most often devour at our community Copenhagen Espresso Lab is crowned with sugar glaze.
Uncover Portuguese pastries extra most often baked in Lisbon.
Our Favourite American-Taste Cinnamon Buns


Even if American citizens had been consuming cinnamon buns since Germans and Swedish immigrants arrived within the seventeenth century, American cinnamon buns didn’t succeed in top reputation till Cinnabon entered the scene in 1985. The mall chain’s cinnamon buns become straight away iconic each for his or her monstrous measurement and pervasive aroma.
Whilst we liked staring at Jimmy/Saul/Gene operating at Cinnabon on Higher Name Saul, we choose splurging our calorie wad on American-style cinnamon buns at native bakeries and cafes whether or not the place in the US or every other nation.
1. Malted Cinnamon Bun (Hani’s in NYC)


Most effective open since 2024, Hani’s become insta-famous for candy treats that come with PB&J cake and triple chocolate chew cookies. After listening to raves for the NYC bakery’s malted cinnamon buns, we headed to Astor Position to take a look at Chef Miro Uskokovic’s signature pastry. Uskovic has large time Gramercy Tavern chops. We questioned if his cinnamon bun would reside as much as the hype.
The large, dense, cakey cinnamon bun we ate had a streusel-like base. It was once additionally generously crowned with a malted milk cream cheese icing that was once concurrently candy and tangy. And sure – the malty wonder greater than lived as much as the hype.
Uncover extra NYC bakeries.
2. Vintage Cinnamon Bun (Robert’s Eating place in Tucson)


In The us, cinnamon buns are decadent truffles that double as breakfast. Including an aspect of butter and spoonable icing sounds completely superfluous. Or is it?
We nonetheless dream in regards to the freshly baked cinnamon bun that we ate throughout our brunch at Robert’s Eating place in Tucson. Its aspect of sugary glaze took the toasted deal with to a galactic degree, surroundings the bar for all long term American-style cinnamon buns we devour.
Uncover extra spots to devour brunch in Tucson.
3. Cinnamon Bun with Sprinkles (Los angeles Boulangerie in New Orleans)


New Orleans is a town noted for truffles like bananas foster and beignets. Alternatively, it could be short-sighted to rule out different candy treats like donuts and, in fact, cinnamon buns.
We had his revelation at Los angeles Boulangerie, a tony bakery on Mag Boulevard within the Lawn District. Positive, we can have ordered a croissant, turnover, muffin or cookie however the bakery’s cinnamon bun smothered with vanilla glaze and colourful sprinkles was once merely unattainable to withstand.
Uncover extra impossible to resist truffles in New Orleans.
4. Truck Forestall Cinnamon Bun (Johnson’s Nook Eating place & Bakery in Colorado)


Even if we don’t typically devour at truck stops, preventing at Johnson’s Nook Eating place & Bakery, positioned in Colorado, was once a should. The truck prevent, positioned on I-25 between Denver and Fortress Collins, is so noted for its cinnamon buns that it bakes 15,000 of them every month.
The truck prevent has been baking cinnamon buns and topping them with cream cheese frosting because the Fifties. Adventurous diners can upload further toppings like caramel apple, key lime and chocolate cherry. Alternatively, there’s not anything incorrect with preserving issues easy via ordering a simple cinnamon bun.
Uncover extra American meals favorites.
5. Unexpected Cinnamon Bun (Melaleuca in Florence)


The general public don’t hunt down cinnamon buns in Florence, as an alternative focusing their time on consuming pasta, pizza and conventional Italian truffles. Unfortunately, they’re lacking out at the maximum unique American-style cinnamon bun we’ve eaten at the Eu continent.
You can too devour this vintage American cinnamon bun at Florence’s Melaleuca. One of the crucial cafe’s homeowners grew up in Gainesville, Florida and is the reason the site of this tasty pastry.
Uncover extra Florence meals favorites.
6. Cinnamon Bun with Espresso Icing (Keys Espresso Area in Normandy)


We didn’t plan to devour a cinnamon bun at Keys Espresso House in Caen throughout our multi-day excursion of Normandy – our precise function was once to drink uniqueness espresso on the cafe positioned not up to an hour from the D-Day seashores. Alternatively, skipping the cinnamon bun merely wasn’t an choice after we noticed the superbly baked pastry within the Normandy cafe’s pastry case.
It was once a smart move. Now not handiest was once the cinnamon bun flaky and light-weight, nevertheless it was once additionally crowned with wealthy espresso icing. Even if the cafe’s kiwi proprietor was once upset that we didn’t order a signature donut too, we greater than happy with the bun.
Uncover our favourite donuts all over the world.
7. Sourdough Cinnamon Bun (Colourful Espresso Roasters and Bakery in Philadelphia)


We had been happy to seek out freshly baked sourdough pastries at Colourful Espresso Roasters & Bakery close to Rittenhouse Sq. in Philadelphia. Since the preferred cafe’s cinnamon buns are crowned with buttery cream cheese frosting, that’s what we ordered to head with our espresso.
Now not handiest was once the sourdough cinnamon bun sufficiently big to percentage, nevertheless it additionally paired smartly with our cappuccinos. Successful!
Uncover extra espresso stores in Philadelphia.
8. Cinnamon Bun with Creamy Icing (Cafe Letka in Prague)


Prague has a world meals popularity that comes to meat, meat and extra meat. However carnivores aren’t the one ones who can and must devour smartly within the hip Czech capital. The town has various choices for vegetarians, espresso drinkers and dessert lovers too.
Since we are compatible into the latter two classes, we couldn’t withstand pairing a vintage American-style cinnamon bun with a milky latte once we stopped at Café Letka in Prague’s Praha 7 community. The pair labored. It didn’t harm that the espresso was once crafted with beans sourced from Amsterdam’s 5 Elephant Roastery. The similar will also be stated for the cinnamon bun’s creamy icing.
Uncover extra espresso stores in Prague.
9. Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Bun (Sunday in Soho in Paris)


Cinnamon buns become a factor in Paris when Circus Bakery opened in 2018. Unfortunately, that groundbreaking espresso store by-product closed in 2021. Alternatively, cinnamon bun lovers produce other choices within the town of sunshine. Sure, Parisian bakeries and brunch spots now serve cinnamon buns along with croissants and crêpes. And to that we are saying Ooh Los angeles Los angeles!
Uncover extra Paris brunch spots.
10. Flavored Cinnamon Bun (Candela Canela in Barcelona)


Every so often we get tired of vintage American-style cinnamon buns. It doesn’t occur continuously nevertheless it does happen each blue moon. That’s when it’s time to combine issues up and devour a flavored cinnamon bun.
Since we had been tempted via the flavored cinnamon buns at Candela Canela, a devoted cinnamon bun store in Barcelona‘s Gràcia community, we’d love to inform you that we ordered a taste like apple, dulce de leche, kinder, lemon or raspberry throughout our discuss with. Alternatively, in reality that we ordered a simple cinnamon bun to head with our filtered espresso. It appears, the moon wasn’t blue that day.
Uncover extra Barcelona meals favorites.
Extra Cinnamon Buns


However wait there’s extra!
A few of our favourite cinnamon buns don’t are compatible into the normal American and Scandinavian classes. The next cinnamon buns are distinctive however and engaging too.
1. Cardamom Croissant (Hart Bageri in Copenhagen)


It’s controversial whether or not Denmark or France has higher pastries. (We’re on workforce France.) Alternatively, there’s no debate that the cardamom croissant is a pleasing mash-up of the 2 pastry powerhouse nations – particularly the only we ate at Hart Bageri.
That cardamom croissant was once price each calorie. In the beginning made with leftover croissant dough and a variety of butter and sugar, the hybrid advent is now the preferred bakery’s signature pastry.
Uncover extra Danish meals favorites.
2. Caramel Roll (Pieous in Austin)


We get the urge to completely devour Texas BBQ and Mexican meals in Austin – the town does each exceedingly smartly. However there are different meals price consuming like donuts, sushi and… you guessed it… cinnamon buns. However now not conventional cinnamon buns. We’re speaking about caramel rolls at Pieous.
Those decadent buns are baked with cinnamon, brown sugar and Texas pecans prior to they’re crowned with house-made caramel and extra pecans. We’re now not on my own with our appreciation for this caramel roll. It’s well-liked by Austin locals and has been featured in nationwide media shops.
Uncover extra Austin meals favorites.
3. Shokupan Cinnamon Bun at Patisserie Chouquette in Quebec Town


Since we like Quebecois meals, we didn’t plan to devour a cinnamon bun throughout our most up-to-date travel to Quebec Town. And we unquestionably didn’t plan to devour a cinnamon bun made with the particular Eastern milk bread known as shokupan. However that’s precisely what we did throughout our wet day wreck at Patisserie Chouquette.
With roots in Montreal and Paris respecively, Rachel Parenteau and Olivier Verdot bake quite a lot of French pastries, together with eclairs and chouquettes, with choux pastry. Baking their cinnamon buns with fluffy, candy shokupan isn’t simply distinctive. The outcome may be scrumptious.
Uncover extra Quebec meals favorites.
4. Laminated Cinnamon Roll (Mel the Bakery in New York)


Accept as true with a New York baker to bake a cinnamon bun that appears too beautiful to be a cinnamon bun. The baker on this state of affairs is Nora Allen and her cinnamon bun is a real good looks.
To be transparent, the cinnamon roll that we ate at Mel the Bakery wasn’t a standard cinnamon bun. Along with the anticipated cream cheese frosting, it was once crowned with an suitable for eating flower and candied fruit.
Uncover extra New York Town favorites and our choices for the perfect NYC eating places.
5. Cinnamon Kouign Amann (Cafe d’Avignon in NYC)


Brittany’s kouign amann could also be the best pastry on the planet. It’s layered. It’s buttery. And it has caramelized sugar.
As though that pastry perfection isn’t sufficient, the workforce at Cafe d’Avignon is going one step furthe via baking kouign amann with each cinnamon and honey. Positive, you’ll be able to in finding kouign amann pastries at different New York Town bakeries like Dominique Ansel, however consuming one with cinnamon and honey is extra a laugh.
6. Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (New Haven)


Why order simple pancakes when you’ll be able to order cinnamon roll pancakes as an alternative? That’s the rhetorical query we requested ourselves prior to ordering the pleasant pancake-cinnamon bun mashup at The Pantry in New Haven.
The fewer evident query concerned whether or not or now not we must order an aspect of natural maple syrup since our cinnamon roll pancake was once crowned with swirled cream cheese icing. After cautious attention of our choices and in gentle of Connecticut’s proximity to Vermont, our resolution was once a convincing sure.
Uncover the most productive pizza in New Haven.
7. Jerusalem Cinnamon Bun at Messiah in Lisbon


Omri Levi discovered how you can bake babka, Jeruselem-style bagels and challah in Israel the place he grew up. He bakes all of the ones issues at Messiah in Lisbon. He additionally bakes superb cinnamon buns crowned with tangy icing dotted with flecks of sumac.
Whilst the pastel de nata reigns superb in Lisbon, the Portuguese town has various bakeries that promote cinnamon buns. Messiah is our favourite since Levi bakes his cinnamon buns with a variety of love. As an advantage, his plump cinnamon buns are sufficiently big to percentage.
Often Requested Questions
Cinnamon buns are rolled pastries baked with a wholesome quantity of each butter and cinnamon.
The cinnamon bun is a pastry with many names. A few of these names come with cinnamon roll, cinnamon swirl, danish, franzbrötchen, honey bun, kanelbulle, kanelsnegl, kanelsnurr, korvopuusti and skillingsbolle.
The fashionable cinnamon bun has roots in Sweden.
Whilst other people devour cinnamon buns all over the place the arena, the pastry is hottest in Scandinavia and the US.
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