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Make Swedish cinnamon rolls

First suggested by Scouterna
Cook up some Kanelbullar with this simple recipe.

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You’ll need

  • Bowls or mugs
  • Spoons
  • Frying pans
  • Stoves and fuel
  • Ingredients (see below)

Before you begin

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Additional help to carry out your risk assessment, including examples can be found here. Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers.

Setting up this activity

  • You could ask the group to find out some information about other Swedish traditions or foods to share during your meeting too.
  • Check out the video at the bottom of this page for a quick kanelbullar cooking tutorial from Scouterna, the Guides and Scouts of Sweden.
  • Remember to check if anyone has any allergies or dietary requirements before the session and adjust the recipe accordingly.

Fika is an important part of Swedish culture and can happen at any time, morning or evening, at home, at work or in a cafe. It’s all about making time for friends, family or colleagues to share a cup of coffee or tea and a little something to eat.

The social aspect is just as important as the snacks. The sweet treats or pastries are called fikabröd. One of the most popular fika snacks are called kanelbullar, which are cinnamon buns.

The recipe below is a simple version that can be made anywhere and only uses four ingredients, so you can take fika with you wherever you go.

If you need another reason to make these simple rolls, Cinnamon Roll Day (Kanelbullens dag or Korvapuustipäivä) is an annual secular holiday in Sweden and Finland that happens on 4 October every year.

 

Cook some kanelbullar

Ingredients

  • Tortillas or flatbreads
  • 150g butter (plus extra for frying)
  • 80g sugar
  • One tablespoon of cinnamon

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

  1. Mix the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl or cup.
  2. Spread the bread with the cinnamon mixture and roll it up.
  3. Light your stove and put the frying pan on.
  4. Add some butter to the pan and let it melt.
  5. When the butter is bubbling a little, add the rolls to the pan. If they’re too big, you can cut them into smaller pieces.
  6. Let the rolls fry for a while until they’re golden brown. This will take a few minutes, depending on your stove.
  7. Turn the rolls over and let them fry on the other side.
  8. When they’re golden brown, take them out of the pan, cut them into bitesize pieces, and let them cool.
  9. Eat, enjoy and share some facts about Sweden and fika with each other.

To watch in full screen, double click the video

Reflection

This activity was about being an international citizen and learning about different foods, festivals and culture in another country. Ask everyone to think about the session and share some of the things they’ve learned. The activity was also about trying new things, had anyone tried a traditional cinnamon roll before? What did everyone think of the simple version they made?

In Sweden, fika is more about spending time together than it is about sharing a cup of coffee or tea. If you made your kanelbullar in an online meeting, challenge everyone to share them with their family or friends after the meeting’s ended. If you made them in a face-to-face meeting, why not make a few extra for everyone to take home. Ask the group to share their fika snacks with someone else and spend some quality time together. Maybe they could share some of the things they’ve found out about Sweden too.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Cooking

Teach young people how to use cooking equipment safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Make sure it’s safe to use and follow manufacturers’ guidelines for use.

Fires and stoves

Make sure anyone using fires and stoves is doing so safely. Check that the equipment and area are suitable and have plenty of ventilation. Follow the gas safety guidance. Have a safe way to extinguish the fire in an emergency.

Food

Remember to check for allergies, eating problems, fasting or dietary requirements and adjust the recipe as needed. Make sure you’ve suitable areas for storing and preparing food and avoid cross contamination of different foods. Take a look at our guidance on food safety and hygiene.

You can cook these cinnamon rolls on camp stoves, on a fire, or simply in a frying pan at home so everyone can join in wherever they are.

If you’re cooking on an open fire, you could check out this recipe for a Swedish twist on damper bread – a campfire classic.

Remember to check if anyone has any allergies or dietary requirements before the session and adjust the recipe accordingly.

For example, you could use gluten free flatbread or tortillas, and dairy free alternatives to butter.

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

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If the group has mastered this kanelbullar recipe, why not challenge them to prepare some krabbelursemlor too? They could do some research into another international food and culture and prepare a dining experience for their friends or families.