This is my family’s treasured recipe for Danish cinnamon rolls–small crispy and buttery cinnamon rolls with a delicious cinnamon filling. We’ve spent years perfecting this recipe until the cinnamon rolls turned out just right! Give them a try and let me know what you think in the comments.
Ever since I was little, my sister and I would join my mom baking in the kitchen. She would teach us all types of baking recipes, from traditional Danish pastries to American cupcakes and Italian sweets.
One of our family favorites was always Danish Cinnamon Rolls. These traditional Scandinavian cinnamon pastries are smaller and more crispy than gooey American cinnamon rolls, and typically topped with a simple icing rather than cream cheese frosting. Today I’m sharing our family recipe for Danish cinnamon rolls that I have been baking since I was a little girl, hoping to spread some of that cinnamon joy to your family’s home as well! Go ahead and make a double batch of these crispy cinnamon rolls, because they are sure to disappear in no time!
The difference between Danish and American cinnamon rolls
A key difference is the ratio of ingredients in the dough–and the baking method. Danish cinnamon rolls have a higher amount of butter to make them more crispy and they will rise less than the big, fluffy American cinnamon rolls. Danish cinnamon rolls are usually made in bite-size and baked individually on a baking tray rather than clustered together in a baking pan. They have a more crispy and buttery texture and taste than American cinnamon rolls, which are more bread-like. I love both types of cinnamon rolls but they are very different in look, taste and texture. So I actually consider them as two different types of cake!
Here are my best tips to baking perfect Danish cinnamon rolls:
Avoid dry dough: The secret to achieving perfect cinnamon rolls with my recipe is to ensure the dough doesn’t become too dry. When kneading the dough, add the flour gradually until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough. It might be tempting to add more flour to make the dough easier to roll out, but it’s better to flour the surface when rolling it out. This way, you avoid dry cinnamon rolls that crack during baking.
Rising: It’s also crucial to let the dough rise until it doubles in size. The rising time can vary depending on your ingredients and room temperature – it usually takes about 30 minutes, but it can take up to an hour.
Roll out the dough: Divide the dough in half and roll each portion into a large rectangle. Spread the filling on, leaving a small border around the edges. Then roll the dough into a long log and cut it into slices.
Second rise: Place the cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them rise again until they double in size. This will take another 30 minutes to an hour.
Brush generously with egg: Brush the rolls with an egg wash. This gives the rolls their beautiful golden color and helps keep the filling inside the rolls, preventing it from oozing out.
These tips will help you create the most delightful cinnamon rolls, perfect for sharing with family and friends. Happy baking!
Crispy, buttery, delicious bite-size cinnamon rolls – a classic Danish pastry recipe. These amazing cinnamon rolls are topped with classic icing, sure to make you extra popular.
In a large bowl, dissolve active dry yeast in lukewarm milk with the sugar. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
1½ tsp active dry yeast*, 100 ml milk, 1 tbsp sugar
Add salt, egg, and soft butter, then stir in some of the flour and start kneading by hand. Add the remaining flour gradually while kneading. Adjust as needed—the dough should come together and feel smooth and elastic but still slightly sticky.
½ tsp salt, 1 egg, 80 g butter, 300 g flour
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30–60 minutes, until doubled in size.
Filling:
Mash soft butter, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl using a fork until smooth.
100 g butter, 100 g dark brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Rolling and baking:
Divide the dough in two batches. Roll out the first batch into a square, about 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 inches). Spread half the filling on the dough using the back of a spoon or a dough scraper. Leave about 1 cm border around the edges free of filling.
Gently roll the dough into a log with the filling inside. Cut into about 12 rolls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced slightly apart. Repeat with the second half of the dough and filling.
Let the rolls rise again for 30–60 minutes, until puffy and nearly doubled in size. Beat the egg and brush over the tops of the cinnamon rolls—this helps keep the filling in and gives a nice golden color.
1 egg
Bake in the middle of a preheated oven at 220 °C (428 °F) for 8–10 minutes, until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Icing:
Mix the icing by stirring powdered sugar with a little water at a time until smooth and drizzly. Spoon over the cooled rolls and serve.
200 ml powdered sugar, 2-3 tsp water
Notes
*Active dry yeast can be substituted with:
Instant yeast: Use the same amount and mix directly into the dry ingredients. No need to proof first in milk.
Fresh yeast: Use 50 g for 1 batch of this recipe. Crumble it into the lukewarm milk and sugar and stir to dissolve before continuing.
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Hi, I’m Trine – home baker from Copenhagen, Denmark. “Bageglad” means happy to bake in Danish and I have been spreading this happiness on the blog since 2012. Today, it reaches more home bakers worldwide than I could ever have dreamed of! Thank you for visiting!
Hi, I’m Trine – home baker from Copenhagen, Denmark. “Bageglad” means happy to bake in Danish and I have been spreading this happiness on the blog since 2012. Today, it reaches more home bakers worldwide than I could ever have dreamed of! Thank you for visiting!
Time: 3 hours 
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 24 cinnamon rolls
