This Finnish Cinnamon Bun Recipe is so important to Finnish Culture, and is a tasty treat you MUST try! Luckily, these beautiful bakes are easy to make at home if you follow the instructions below. Get ready for a taste of Finland!
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Recipe Origins
While cooking Finland, I got to experiment with a lot of really fun and unique recipes. Rutabaga Casserole was a culinary experiment in my house, Creamy Vegetable Soup was a comfort recipe, and Blueberry Custard Pie (Mustikkapiirakka) was a delight.
But my favorite recipe from Finland was this recipe for Korvapuusti, also known as Cinnamon Buns! Korvapuusti, translated, means “a slap in the ear”, maybe because of their fun and unique shape.
Finnish cinnamon buns are the BEST cinnamon buns, because they feature the best parts of American cinnamon rolls while also having a beautiful shape/pattern and Swedish pearl sugar. You can top them with traditional Cinnamon Roll Icing if you’d like, or you can eat them as the recipe calls.
Korvapuusti Origin and Celebrations in Finland
As one site says, any “self respecting” Finnish bakery will sell Korvapuusti.
Korvapuusti are a BIG deal in Finland, with “Korvapuusti Day” even being celebrated annually since 1999 (I know where I’ll be next October 4th!).
The Finnish have a recipe for Pulla, a cardamom-flavored bread popular in the country. Korvapuusti, or Finnish Cinnamon Buns, are made with Pulla Dough filled with cinnamon sugar and topped with Swedish pearl sugar.
You’re going to love this recipe and the taste of Finland it provides.
Why Make this Recipe
- “Travel” to Finland: If you’ve ever wanted to travel to Finland, you’re going to want to try this Cinnamon Bun Recipe! This recipe gives you a taste of Finland from your kitchen even if you can’t go specifically to the country.
- The Shape: At this point, everyone has seen a beautiful, but typical American Cinnamon Roll shape. This recipe has all of the flavor of those traditional recipes, but the shape is even MORE beautiful! I mean, look at those swirls.
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe
Ingredients
- Milk: I always use whole milk when baking bread/dough
- Sugar: I used white granulated sugar for the dough and brown sugar for the filling. You can use white granulated sugar for the filling if you’d prefer.
- Swedish Pearl Sugar: I love working with Pearl Sugar because it adds such a different texture than what I’m normally used to (like in these Belgian Liege Waffles!) I buy my Swedish Pearl Sugar on Amazon.
- Home/Pantry Staples: Eggs, All purpose Flour, Unsalted Butter, Active Dry Yeast
- Spices: Cardamom, salt, cinnamon
Tools
- Mixing Bowls
- Stand Mixer (Optional): Making bread is so much easier when you don’t need to knead the dough. I prefer to use my KitchenAid stand mixer with the dough hook, but if you don’t have a KitchenAid, kneading with your hands will work just fine.
- Rolling Pin: I didn’t have a rolling pin when I made this recipe (still packed from moving) so I used a bottle of wine, which worked wonderfully. A rolling pin is preferable, though, and this Granite Rolling Pine is the one I normally use.
- Pastry Brush: I didn’t have a pastry brush when I made this recipe so I just used a spoon. Since then, I have bought this pastry brush and love it.
- Baking Sheet
- Dish Towels: I use these to cover my dough when it’s supposed to be rising. You can use any (clean) dish towel you have on hand. I like these ones.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Make the Dough
In a small bowl, heat the milk until lukewarm. Then, add the yeast into the milk along with 1 tsp sugar. Allow to rise for about 10 minutes or until bubbly.
Once risen, in the bowl of a stand mixer combine the milk/yeast mixture, the rest of the sugar, and the melted butter.
Use a whisk to stir in salt, cardamom, and one egg.
Lock your bowl into the standmixer and attach the dough attachment. Add the flour into the bowl and turn to medium speed. Allow the mixture to combine, then continue kneading on medium speed until it is smooth, shiny, and has lost most of its stickiness (about 4-5 minutes). You can also knead by hand if you’d prefer.
Step 2: Let the Dough Rise
Spray a bowl with nonstick spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm, dark place for about an hour or until the dough doubles in size.
Step 3: Make the Filling/Fill the Buns
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix to combine.
When the dough has finished rising, punch it down, then divide it into equal halves.
Use a rolling pin to roll each half into an 8×14 inch rectangle.
Melt the butter in the microwave, then use a pastry brush to brush the butter over each half. Then, use your hands to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on each square until a full layer covers it.
Step 4: Roll the Cinnamon Buns
Roll the pastry up from the small side until a snake is formed (make sure that this is still long enough to get 7, 2-inch triangles from. If not, you can roll up from the long side).
Once rolled, use a knife to cut the dough into 7 different 2-inch triangles per roll (14 total).
Grease a cookie sheet lightly and place the cinnamon rolls on the sheet, seam side up. Use your finger to press into the center of the roll so that the sides bulge out.
Cover them with a towel and allow them to rise for another 1 hour, until doubled again.
Step 5: Bake the Buns
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
One risen, whisk an egg in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to brush each roll with egg. Then, sprinkle some swedish pearl sugar on each roll.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve plain or with cinnamon roll icing. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- If you don’t have Swedish Pearl Sugar and don’t want to buy it, you can use crushed up sugar cubes or just omit them altogether.
- If you omit the sugar, you can also add a cinnamon roll icing recipe to the top of your Cinnamon Buns. It’s delicious!
- For best results activating your yeast, rise it in a warm place. For example, in the oven with the oven light on is a great option.
- You can rise the dough in the Instant Pot for a faster rise time! Grease the liner, and put the dough in the liner. Turn the pot to Yogurt and top it with a glass lid. Rising in the Instant Pot typically takes about half the time as rising on the counter
Tips for Activating Your Yeast
- Make sure not to make your milk too warm. Milk any warmer than about 108 degrees could kill the yeast. Make sure it’s warmer than room temperature but not scorching.
- Adding a bit of sugar for the yeast to eat will allow it to rise faster.
- Adding salt to the milk will kill the yeast, so make sure that you’re not adding any salt to the milk at the beginning of the recipe
- Just as yeast won’t activate if the milk is too warm, it also won’t rise if the room is too cold. You can leave it in the oven with the light on for the perfect temperature to allow for rising.
- After about 10-20 minutes you should see your yeast starting to rise in your milk, which means it’s time to add it to the dough.
Recipe FAQs
What is the Difference Between Cinnamon Buns and Cinnamon Rolls?
Cinnamon Buns and Cinnamon Rolls are similar in many ways (hellllooo cinnamon sugar filling!) but they’re also different in a few ways.
For one, cinnamon buns are baked as separate entities on baking sheets. Cinnamon rolls are usually smushed together in a baking dish and baked together.
Cinnamon Rolls are coated in Cinnamon Roll Icing, whereas Cinnamon Buns (usually) aren’t. Though I’m not judging if you want to add some icing to these bad boys!
Lastly, cinnamon rolls tend to be a little more ooey gooey, whereas cinnamon buns are slightly breadier. Either way, you won’t regret making this recipe. Those cinnamon swirls speak for themselves.
Can I Allow my Dough to Rise Overnight?
Allowing for rising periods can take a lot of time, and if you want cinnamon buns early in the morning you may want to consider making your dough ahead of time.
If you make the cinnamon rolls ahead of time, you can leave them rising, covered, in the fridge overnight. Before baking, make sure to remove them from the fridge and allow them to rise for a bit on the counter until they reach room temperature and pass the “Ripe Test”.
What is the “Ripe Test” When Rising Dough?
The “ripe test” determines if yeasted dough has risen enough to start being worked.
To perform the “ripe test” stick your finger in the dough up to your second knuckle. When you remove your finger, if the indentation remains, then the dough is ripe and ready to punch down and work with.
Did you like this recipe for Finnish Cinnamon Buns (Korvapuusti) from Finland? If so, make sure to leave a comment below letting me know what you thought! And don’t forget to check out these other recipes that I picked out just for you:
- Finnish Rutabaga Casserole
- Finnish Blueberry Custard Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust
- Cinnamon Tea Recipe from Armenia
- Dulce de Leche Roll Cake (Brazo de Reina) from Chile
Cinnamon Bun Recipe (Korvapuusti from Finland)
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Stand Mixer (Optional)
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheet
- Pastry Brush
- Dish Towels
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 package/2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cardamom, freshly ground
- 2 eggs
- 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ Swedish pearl sugar
Filling Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Cinnamon
- ¾ cup light brown Sugar
- ¼ cup melted butter
Instructions
- In a small bowl, heat the milk until lukewarm. Then, add the yeast into the milk along with 1 tsp sugar. Allow to rise for about 10 minutes or until bubbly.
- Once risen, in the bowl of a stand mixer combine the milk/yeast mixture, the rest of the sugar, and the melted butter.
- Use a whisk to stir in salt, cardamom, and one egg.
- Lock your bowl into the standmixer and attach the dough attachment. Add the flour into the bowl and turn to medium speed. Allow the mixture to combine, then continue kneading on medium speed until it is smooth, shiny, and has lost most of its stickiness (about 4-5 minutes). You can also knead by hand if you’d prefer.
- Spray a bowl with nonstick spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm, dark place for about an hour or until the dough doubles in size. See notes below for instructions on how to rise the buns in the Instant Pot.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix to combine.
- When the dough has finished rising, punch it down, then divide it into equal halves.
- Use a rolling pin to roll each half into an 8×14 inch rectangle.
- Melt the butter in the microwave, then use a pastry brush to brush the butter over each half. Then, use your hands to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on each square until a full layer covers it
- Roll the pastry up from the small side until a snake is formed (make sure that this is still long enough to get 7 2-inch triangles from. If not, you can roll up from the long side).
- Once rolled, use a knife to cut the dough into 7 different 2-inch triangles per roll (14 total).
- Grease a cookie sheet lightly and place the cinnamon rolls on the sheet, seam side down. Use your finger to press into the center of the roll so that the sides bulge out.
- Cover them with a towel and allow them to rise for another 1 hour, until doubled again.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- One risen, whisk an egg in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to brush each roll with egg. Then, sprinkle some swedish pearl sugar on each roll.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve plain or with cinnamon roll icing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Milk: I always use whole milk when baking bread/dough
- Sugar: I used white granulated sugar for the dough and brown sugar for the filling. You can use white granulated sugar for the filling if you’d prefer.
- Swedish Pearl Sugar: I love working with Pearl Sugar because it adds such a different texture than what I’m normally used to (like in these Belgian Liege Waffles!) I buy my Swedish Pearl Sugar on Amazon.
- Home/Pantry Staples: Eggs, All purpose Flour, Unsalted Butter, Active Dry Yeast
- Spices: Cardamom, salt, cinnamon
- Stand Mixer (Optional): Making bread is so much easier when you don’t need to knead the dough. I prefer to use my KitchenAid stand mixer with the dough hook, but if you don’t have a KitchenAid, kneading with your hands will work just fine.
- Rolling Pin: I didn’t have a rolling pin when I made this recipe (still packed from moving) so I used a bottle of wine, which worked wonderfully. A rolling pin is preferable, though, and this Granite Rolling Pine is the one I normally use.
- Pastry Brush: I didn’t have a pastry brush when I made this recipe so I just used a spoon. Since then, I have bought this pastry brush and love it.
- Baking Sheet
- Dish Towels: I use these to cover my dough when it’s supposed to be rising. You can use any (clean) dish towel you have on hand. I like these ones.
Expert Tips
-
- If you don’t have Swedish Pearl Sugar and don’t want to buy it, you can use crushed up sugar cubes or just omit them altogether.
- If you omit the sugar, you can also add a cinnamon roll icing recipe to the top of your Cinnamon Buns. It’s delicious!
- For best results activating your yeast, rise it in a warm place. For example, in the oven with the oven light on is a great option.
- You can rise the dough in the Instant Pot for a faster rise time! Grease the liner, and put the dough in the liner. Turn the pot to Yogurt and top it with a glass lid. Rising in the Instant Pot typically takes about half the time as rising on the counter
-
- Make sure not to make your milk too warm. Milk any warmer than about 108 degrees could kill the yeast. Make sure it’s warmer than room temperature but not scorching.
- Adding a bit of sugar for the yeast to eat will allow it to rise faster.
- Adding salt to the milk will kill the yeast, so make sure that you’re not adding any salt to the milk at the beginning of the recipe
- Just as yeast won’t activate if the milk is too warm, it also won’t rise if the room is too cold. You can leave it in the oven with the light on for the perfect temperature to allow for rising.
- After about 10-20 minutes you should see your yeast starting to rise in your milk, which means it’s time to add it to the dough.
Jessica says
Hi! I tried these today, as I just got back from Finland a few days ago and was jonesin’ for my cinnamon bun fix 🙂 The buns are delicious and I was able to form them okay and they looked beautiful before baking…but then absolutely exploded and fell apart in the oven rather than holding that beautiful shape! Have you had this happen, and do you have any idea how to get them to hold their shape in the oven? Thank you!
Anneli says
Just saw your korvapuusti recipe. Haven’t made these ones yet but I must compliment you one how uniform and beautiful they look. I have been making them for years and mine are always different sizes. 😊
The Foreign Fork says
Thanks for such a kind comment Anneli! They are such a fun recipe to make and I’m glad you approve of the appearance! If you do make this recipe, I hope you love it 🙂