What makes a cinnamon roll 'Scandinavian style'?

Three things: cardamom in the dough or filling (or both), a less-sweet overall profile, and pearl sugar on top rather than cream cheese frosting. The dough is enriched with butter and milk, similar to brioche, but rolled and shaped into a knot (Sweden) or tight spiral (Denmark). The result is more fragrant and less cloying than an American-style roll, close to the best quality you can get at a fika break in Stockholm.

Where can I find the best Scandinavian cinnamon rolls outside Scandinavia?

New York City has several excellent options: Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery and Bien Cuit both do a Scandinavian-influenced roll. In London, Bageriet in Covent Garden is the most authentic Swedish bakery in the city. Chicago's Lost Larson (Andersonville) and Austin's Swedish Hill Bakery both trained in Scandinavia. Minneapolis's FIKA at the American Swedish Institute is the top choice in the Midwest.

Fika is the Swedish tradition of taking a break (usually mid-morning or mid-afternoon) with coffee and something sweet, most commonly a kanelbullar (cinnamon bun). It's a deeply ingrained social ritual: not just a coffee break, but a cultural expectation. Most Swedish workplaces have formal fika times, and most Swedish bakeries are built around the format. Kanelbullens Dag (Cinnamon Roll Day) on October 4th is the annual celebration.

Best Scandinavian Cinnamon Rolls

Kanelbullar, kanelsnegl, skillingsboller: different names, same obsession. Scandinavian-style cinnamon rolls are lighter, less sweet, and more fragrant than their American counterparts: enriched yeasted dough, cardamom-forward filling, and finished with pearl sugar instead of frosting. Here are the best examples from around the world.

Flour Shop

⭐ 4.8

Sydney · Bakery📍 16 Princes Street, Turramurra NSW 2074

Understated North Shore bakery with a Scandinavian-influenced cardamom-cinnamon sticky bun. Rated 4.8 with 561+ reviews. Also does a Biscoff variant and babka scroll.

Roll Style

Scandinavian

Featured by

BroadsheetNot Quite NigellaSBS Food

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Nielsen's Pastries

⭐ 4.9

Seattle · Bakery📍 520 2nd Ave W, Seattle

Seattle's premier Danish bakery, founded 1965. The signature snitter is a Danish-American invention: cinnamon roll dough rolled flat with custard and almond paste. Mon-Sat 8am-2pm only.

Roll Style

Scandinavian

Featured by

Seattle TimesAtlas Obscura

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Valhallabageriet

⭐ 4.6

Stockholm · Bakery📍 Valhallavägen 174, 115 27 Stockholm

Considered by many locals to be Stockholm's most authentic bakery. Bakers visible rolling dough in the back, flour-dusted atmosphere. Kanelbullar described as tall but packed with cinnamon flavour, not air.

Roll Style

Scandinavian

Featured by

Svenska DagbladetScandinavia StandardTasteAtlas

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Patisserie 46

⭐ 4.7

Minneapolis · Bakery📍 4552 Grand Avenue South, Minneapolis

Founded by World Cup Bronze Medal-winning pastry chef John Kraus. The Pecan Cinnamon Pull Apart uses croissant pieces rolled with cinnamon, cardamom, pecans, and caramelized sugar. Featured by Food Network.

Roll Style

Scandinavian

Featured by

Food NetworkMSP Magazine

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Green Rabbit

⭐ 4.5

Stockholm · Bakery📍 Tegnérgatan 17, 111 40 Stockholm

Founded by Michelin-starred chefs Mathias Dahlgren and Martin Berg, deliberately casual despite the pedigree. Kanelbullar juicy with a crunchy top. Winner of the La Liste Pastry Ethical & Sustainability Award 2025.

Roll Style

Scandinavian

Featured by

La Liste Pastry Awards 2025Scandinavia StandardVisit Stockholm

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