What started as a simple dough experiment turned into a cinnamon roll identity crisis—but somehow, it worked.

I accidentally tiptoed into Swedish pastry culture this morning when I decided to freeball my cinnamon roll dough. No tutorial. No carefully measured cuts. Just me, dough, and a vague idea that I wanted something braided and pretty.

And I get it—it kinda looks like Kanellbullar, but there’s no cardamom, which is a crucial part of a Swedish cinnamon roll. And then someone else was like, “No, that’s Challah.” At this point, I was just collecting pastry identities like Pokémon cards.

I wasn’t just making cinnamon rolls—I was accidentally crossing cultures in dough form.

So, what’s the difference between a Swedish cinnamon roll and an American one?

American cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey, and drenched in frosting (not that I’m complaining). But Swedish cinnamon buns? They’re twisted and tied into intricate knots, kissed with crunchy pearl sugar, and subtly spiced with cardamom. They’re baked just long enough to be soft but structured—because, unlike their American cousins, they’re not drowning in cream cheese icing.

Oh, and did I mention Sweden has a whole holiday dedicated to these? Kanellbullens Dag—Cinnamon Roll Day—on October 4th. I might need to move there immediately.