Whole Wheat Swedish Cinnamon Rolls | Fresh Milled Kanelbullar

Name: The Best Fresh Milled Swedish Cinnamon Rolls (Whole Wheat Kanelbullar)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 210 min
Ingredients: 75 g freshly milled soft wheat flour* ((milled from ¼ cup + 2 tbsp whole soft wheat berries)); 75 g water ((5 tbsp)); 100 ml milk ((7 tbsp)); 75 ml milk, cold ((5 tbsp)); 425 g freshly milled soft wheat flour* ((milled from 2 cups + 2 tbsp whole soft wheat berries)); 10 g salt ((1¾ tsp)); 55 g raw cane sugar ((¼ cup)); 1 tsp cardamom; 1 egg; 7 g instant yeast (add after resting) ((1 sachet)); 120 g butter, cold and cubed (add after resting) ((~½ cup or 1 stick)); 85 g softened butter ((6 tbsp, or ~⅓ cup)); 150 g light brown sugar ((¾ cup)); 2 tbsp ground cinnamon ((6 tsp)); pearl sugar (for decorating)

Tender whole wheat Swedish cinnamon rolls made with fresh-milled soft wheat flour, Tangzhong & cardamom — the best whole grain kanelbullar!

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I’m generally cautious of recipes that start with “The Best…” — but to me, these fresh-milled Swedish cinnamon rolls really are just that. The best.

Let me explain.

Large, fluffy whole wheat Swedish cinnamon rolls topped with pearl sugar, sitting on a lined baking sheet. — The kind of soft, golden Kanelbullar I grew up with — remade with fresh-milled flour and tied into knotty buns.

I grew up in Europe with a part-Swedish aunt, so I was raised on Swedish cinnamon rolls — kanelbullar— not the American kind. They were my sister’s signature bake: soft and swirled, full of buttery cinnamon sugar, and sprinkled with crunchy pearl sugar. There was never any icing, or a baking dish full of sticky buns. Just light, airy spirals baked free-standing in little paper cases.

Fast forward to today, I’m a fresh-flour-enthusiastic sourdough home baker, trying to recreate that childhood flavor — in a whole wheat bun! I love nothing more than passing on my love for baking to my daughter, but in a more nourishing, sustainable way.

So I tested sourdough rolls, fresh-milled rolls, even fresh-milled sourdough rolls. None of them gave me the delicate softness of a classic soft-wheat kanelbullar made with fresh yeast and white flour.

It took me over a year of experimenting to finally perfect it: my own whole-grain, fresh-milled version that’s truly tender, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, mildly yeasty, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon and cardamom.
I consider it time well spent.

Now that I’ve finally nailed them, I can’t wait to share them with you, too!

Why You’ll Love This Cozy Fresh-Milled Flour Recipe

Soft & Chewy Whole Wheat Buns — Tangzhong and a bit of cold butter make these rolls soft, chewy, and tender. Even with 100% whole grain flour!
Warm, Cozy Flavor — Leavened with fresh yeast for that mild, sweet, nostalgic kanelbullar flavor
Nutritious Comfort Food — Freshly milled whole grains add flavor depth and turn these rolls into satisfying comfort food (not just another sugar rush).
Ancient Grain Option — Swap in spelt for a nutty, wholesome twist and a boost of ancient grain nutrition.
Sourdough Discard Option — If you love the subtle tang of sourdough, add a bit of discard for extra depth.

What Makes Swedish Cinnamon Rolls Different

a.k.a. The Anatomy of a Great Kanelbullar

I’ve baked (and eaten) my way through plenty of whole wheat cinnamon rolls, so I consider myself well-versed in the theater of fresh-milled kanelbullar now.

Here’s what’s really essential to creating the nostalgic Swedish cinnamon rolls I remember from my childhood:

Individual Rolls (or Knots)
Unlike American cinnamon rolls that get baked, sides touching, in a baking dish, traditional Scandinavian cinnamon rolls get baked on a baking sheet, sometimes placed in individual paper cases. Since the rolls don’t touch, there’ll be more crust forming, which means a little more texture.
Made with Soft Wheat
In Sweden (and the rest of Europe) all wheat flour is milled from soft wheat. We use it in everything from bread to cake to cookies. Compared to American cinnamon rolls, which are made from a mix of hard and soft wheat, our rolls aren’t quite as squishy-soft and spongy — but they have an irresistible chew and cake-y tenderness that can absolutely hold its own.
Cardamom
Where cinnamon is the main event in American cinnamon rolls, Scandinavia leans heavily into cardamom as well. Depending on which Northern country you find yourself in, cardamom might even outweigh cinnamon. I love to add cardamom to the dough itself, but it can also be added to the filling.
No Icing
That’s right, Swedish cinnamon rolls aren’t iced after baking. You’ll sometimes find a light sugar syrup glaze on bakery buns, but it’s by no means essential.
Pearl Sugar
Instead of a glaze, Swedish cinnamon rolls are topped with pearl sugar for a sweet crunch. It’s the best part, ask any kid!
Commercial Yeast
I love sourdough sweet rolls as much as the next girl.
(I even have two sourdough sweet roll recipes on the blog, one for Whole Grain Lemon Raspberry Sourdough Sweet Rolls, and one for Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Sweet Rolls.)
And honestly? I really tried to love sourdough cinnamon rolls. But to me, a tangy dough and sweet cinnamon just don’t go together. So I just gave in and used commercial yeast — and finally, they tasted like my childhood buns again!
(It’s okay, really. Fresh-milled flour brings a lot of nutrients to the table on its own, even without the added benefits of sourdough fermentation.)
👉 If you love sourdough and cinnamon, there’s an option to add sourdough discard for a tangy flavor.

Three Game-Changing Techniques for Super Soft, Chewy Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

I tried a lot of different things to make my cinnamon buns soft, chewy, and not the least bit bready. These are the three techniques that made all the difference for irresistibly soft cinnamon rolls, even with 100% fresh-milled whole wheat flour:

Tangzhong (Water Roux or Mehlkochstück)
Cooking a quick roux from fresh flour, milk and water gelatinizes a portion of the starches, locking moisture in the crumb. It’s the number one secret to making whole grain recipes super soft and tender.

Baking with Steam
Steam keeps the dough’s surface moist, so the buns can finish baking without the crust setting prematurely and drying out. A couple of ice cubes added to a preheated pan is all it takes to create steam in any oven.

Enrich with Cold Butter
A technique borrowed from making brioche: the dough gets kneaded for a couple of minutes first, to start gluten development. Cold butter is then kneaded in, bit by bit, and gets “pushed” into the forming gluten network. That way, the cold butter will not melt and absorb into the flour. When the buns hit the oven, the butter evaporates its water as steam, aerating the crumb and creating a super soft whole grain roll.

Closeup of a large, swirled, fluffy whole wheat Swedish cinnamon roll, topped with pearl sugar, sitting on a lined baking sheet.

Tools You May Need

Grain Mill Optional, but highly recommended.

Stand Mixer (Optional) Kneading in cold butter by hand takes dedication and may warm up the butter. But it can be done!

Rolling Pin For rolling out the dough.

Paper Cases If you want to bake individual rolls on a baking sheet.

Sharp Knife For cutting even strips of dough.

Unwaxed Dental Floss (Optional) Highly recommended if you want to make classic rolled up buns instead of knots.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Fresh Milled Flour I mill soft-wheat or spelt berries on the finest setting of my grain mill. If you don’t mill your own flour at home (yet), you can swap in store-bought whole grain spelt flour. In Europe (and much of the rest of the world), use regular store-bought whole wheat flour. In North America, you can try using white whole wheat flour, though the results might be a little different.

Milk Use whole dairy milk for best results, or a whole milk-style plant milk (soy performs well in enriched doughs).

Eggs One egg is enough to add structure and keeping whole grain doughs from forming a dense crumb.

Butter It needs to be cold and cut into cubes to form a tender crumb. For dairy-free rolls, choose a high quality vegan block butter replacement with a fat content of around 80%.

Instant Yeast The kind that doesn’t need to be bloomed and activated beforehand.

Cardamom Absolutely essential to authentic Scandinavian cinnamon rolls. If you’ve never had it before, you may want to start with a little less to get used to the intense flavor.

Sourdough Discard (Optional) If you’re into sourdough cinnamon rolls, you can add discard from your fridge-stash to the dough. (More on that below.)

Pearl Sugar The signature finish to Scandinavian cinnamon rolls! It’s an optional finish, but very highly recommended.

How to Make Whole Wheat Kanelbullar (Step-by-Step)

Make The DOugh

Cook the Tangzhong

Thick cooked tangzhong roux holding the trail of a whisk in a small stainless steel pot on a wooden coaster.

In a small saucepan, combine flour, water and milk. Heat over medium heat until it thickens to a pudding-like texture that can hold the trail of your whisk.

Tangzhong roux with added milk in a small stainless steel pot on a wooden coaster.

Remove from the heat and whisk in additional cold milk to cool the mix down quickly.

Mill Fresh Flour

A stainless steel stand mixer bowl sitting underneath the chute of a wooden home grain bowl, catching fresh milled flour.

Measure out whole soft-wheat (or spelt) berries and mill them on the finest setting of your grain mill.

Mix and Rest the Dough

Shaggy whole wheat Swedish cinnamon roll dough, mixed with a paddle attachment in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Meanwhile, combine salt, sugar, cardamom, and egg in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the fresh-milled flour and tangzhong roux, and use the paddle attachment to combine everything into a shaggy dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30–60 minutes.
Cut the butter into cubes and keep it in the fridge while the dough rests.

Add Yeast and Butter

Sprinkle instand yeast over the dough and switch to the dough hook. Knead for 3 minutes before adding the butter, one piece at a time. It may take another 7–10 minutes to come together.

A small bowl of filled with cold and cubed butter sitting on a wooden kitchen counter next to a stand mixer kneading whole wheat Swedish cinnamon roll dough.

Sticky whole wheat Swedish cinnamon roll dough with blotches of butter being kneaded in in the stainless steel bowl of a black stand mixer.

Whole wheat Swedish cinnamon roll dough being kneaded in a stand mixer, turning smooth.

First Rise

Gather the dough into a firm but pliable ball with your hands. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 60 minutes.

Make the filling

Warm butter in a small saucepan (or in a bowl in the microwave) until soft and mostly melted. Add light brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until very well combined.
If the mix is too wet and soupy, chill it in the fridge for 5 minutes. It should be thick but spreadable.

Melted butter, brown sugar and a large amount of cinnamon in a white bowl with a blue rim, ready to be stirred together.

Dark glossy cinnamon roll filling in a white bowl with a blue rim, being stirred with a golden spoon.

Thick but spreadable brown sugar cinnamon filling in a white bowl with a blue rim, being stirred with a golden spoon.

Assemble Rolls

Roll Out the Dough

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Turn out the dough and roll out to about a ¼ inch thickness.

Puffy and floured dough in a stand mixer bowl, sitting on a floured work top.

Firm but puffy whole wheat cinnamon roll dough on a floured wooden work surface.

Spread the Filling

Rolled out whole wheat cinnamon roll dough rolled out and two-thirds spread with cinnamon sugar filling.

Spread the cinnamon sugar filling over two thirds of the dough.

Rolled out cinnamon roll dough filled with a buttery cinnamon sugar filling, folded over in thirds.

Fold the blank third over the filling, then fold the other third over as well.

Roll Out Again and Cut Into Strips

Filled and folded whole wheat cinnamon roll dough on a wooden work top.

Use your rolling pin to gently roll out the dough a little again, so the filling is pressed firmly between the layers of dough.

Filled whole wheat cinnamon roll dough cut into 12 strips.

Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 equal strips.

Shape into Knots

A filled strip of cinnamon roll dough wrapped around the index and middle finger, shaping a bun.

Take a strip of dough and wrap it around your index and middle finger.

A strip of filled whole wheat cinnamon roll dough being wrapped around two fingers to shape a knotted bun.

Gently pull the strip out a little and start wrapping it around your fingers.

Two hands holding a shaped cinnamon bun, ready to go on the baking sheet.

Wrap the end of the strip around the bun and gently tuck it under to seal. Place on the lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 11 strips of dough.

Second Rise

Shaped whole wheat Swedish cinnamon rolls on a lined baking sheet.

Cover the buns with plastic wrap and rise again for another 60 minutes.
Put a shallow pan on the bottom rack and preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) 10 minutes before the end of the second rise.
(A shallow metal bowl or baking pan works well—anything that can handle the thermal shock of the ice cubes).

Top with Pearl Sugar

Shaped whole wheat Swedish cinnamon rolls, topped with pearl sugar, on a lined baking sheet, ready to go into the oven.

Sprinkle each bun with a little pearl sugar. You can gently press it into the buns a little if it won’t stick.

Bake with Steam

Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven on the middle rack.
Grab a couple of ice cubes. Add them carefully to the preheated pan on the bottom rack and quickly close the oven door.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cinnamon sugar filling is bubbly and the buns turn golden brown.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.
Let the buns cool down but don’t forget to eat the first one while still warm from the oven.
It’s kanelbullar law.

Baked golden brown whole wheat Swedish cinnamon rolls on a lined baking sheet have risen beautifully in the oven.

One baked whole wheat Swedish cinnamon roll split open to reveal the strands of tender swirled dough and filling in the middle.

Tips

There’s no need to cook the tangzhong until steaming and bubbling. The longer you cook the roux, the more water evaporates, leading to a dryer dough. Pull it off the heat as soon as it starts thickening.
If the dough should flatten out in the stand mixer bowl or have trouble mixing, stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and release the dough from the bowl. Wipe down the dough hook with clean hands or a paper towel. It should be able to “grab” the dough just fine afterwards.
When kneading by hand without a stand mixer, cut the cold butter into extra small cubes, so it gets incorporated quicker and is less at risk of melting into the dough.
Don’t panic if the dough doesn’t appear to rise much. The yeast and butter are quietly doing their thing behind the scenes. It’s enough if the dough feels puffy to the touch after the first and second rise. Just trust the process and enjoy watching those little buns quietly explode in the oven.
Make sure the cinnamon sugar filling is not wet and soupy before you spread it across the dough. Melted butter will seep into the dough, resulting in a dry filling and flat swirls. Chill the filling in the fridge for 5 minutes if necessary before you proceed.
Whole grain crumbs tend to grow stiff over time. Easy fix: 30-60 seconds on a low setting in the microwave will return the buns to fresh-from-the-oven peak softness. (If your toaster has a warming rack, that works almost as well.)

Variations (Sourdough Discard & Ancient Grain Options)

Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

For fresh-milled sourdough discard rolls, reduce the amount of flour in the dough by 75g and skip the water when cooking the tangzhong. Add 150g sourdough discard to the dough along with the rest of the ingredients before the 30-minute rest.

Other Variations to Try:

Modern or Ancient Grains
I have successfully made these cinnamon rolls with fresh-milled soft wheat, heritage soft wheat, and spelt—or any mix of them!
Smaller Rolls
There’s something quietly luxurious about a big, bouncy cinnamon roll. However, there are times when smaller rolls are just more practical, like serving kids, packing a lunch box, or on a brunch table where you want to enjoy a little of everything. You can easily divide the dough to make 16 smaller cinnamon rolls.
Rolls vs. Buns
Instead of folding the dough over in thirds, spread the filling out over the entire dough. Roll up into a log, like classic cinnamon rolls, and use a sharp knife (or unwaxed dental floss) to cut the log into 12-16 rolls (check out my Lemon Raspberry Sourdough Sweet Rolls recipe for step-by-step images). Place the cut rolls into paper cases and bake on a baking sheet as written in the recipe.
American Cinnamon Rolls
If you want to make classic American-style cinnamon rolls, roll the filled dough up into a log, cut into individual rolls, and place them side by side in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Let them rise in the dish for 60 minutes and bake for an additional 5 minutes, if necessary.

One curled whole wheat Swedish cinnamon roll topped with white pearl sugar on a pale blue plate, next to an embroidered linen napkin.

How to Serve Whole Wheat Swedish Cinnamon Rolls

Enjoy with a Cup of Extra Milky Coffee for breakfast, as a mid morning snack, or during fika — a Swedish afternoon ritual dedicated entirely to coffee and pastries.

Tuck into Lunchboxes for very lucky kids.

With a Mug of Hot Chocolate to warm your bones after a chilly autumn walk.

Turn Leftovers into French Toast, on the off-chance that you have too many cinnamon rolls left to go through in time.

How to Store and Freeze

At Room Temperature:
Cinnamon rolls keep for up to three to four days at room temperature, stored in a freezer bag or half opened tupperware container. You’ll want a small amount of airflow, so the pearl sugar doesn’t draw moisture from the buns and dissolve.

In the Freezer:
Leftover cinnamon buns freeze like a dream! Put cooled buns into a freezer bag and separate with pieces of parchment paper (if you baked them in paper cases you can usually skip the additional parchment). Press out as much air from the bag as possible, seal and store in the freezer for up to three months.
To thaw, remove the buns from the freezer bag and let them sit overnight at room temperature.

Recipe FAQs

No, of course not. You can use regular whole wheat flour (in Europe, or anywhere else where wheat is soft wheat per default), or try white whole wheat flour (in North America).

Pour boiling hot water into the preheated shallow pan and close the door quickly. It’s a little less effective but works in a pinch.

You can try egg washing the buns before topping with pearl sugar. It works well in making the buns a little softer on the outside. For me, the egg-y taste is too different from my childhood rolls, but if you like egg wash, go ahead and use it!

Yes, but not really. 😉 If it’s not part of your spice collection (or you just don’t like the taste), you can skip it of course. If you’re new to cardamom, start with 1/2 teaspoon, to get used to the taste.

Pearl sugar not only adds sweetness but also crunch. You can use shaved or finely chopped almonds instead.

If you make these whole wheat Swedish cinnamon Rolls…

I’d love to hear how they turned out! Do you prefer American or Scandinavian buns?

P.S. If you’re into swirls, you might love these recipes too:

happy baking!

Prep Time:30

Cook Time:30

Rise & Resting Times:2 30

Total Time:3 30

Equipment

Grain Mill
Stand Mixer - It's possible to knead by hand, but a lot easier with a stand mixer.
Rolling Pin
Sharp Knife
Shallow Metal Pan - To create steam for baking.

Ingredients

Tangzhong Ingredients

75 g freshly milled soft wheat flour* - (milled from ¼ cup + 2 tbsp whole soft wheat berries)
75 g water - (5 tbsp)
100 ml milk - (7 tbsp)
75 ml milk, cold - (5 tbsp)

Dough Ingredients

425 g freshly milled soft wheat flour* - (milled from 2 cups + 2 tbsp whole soft wheat berries)
10 g salt - (1¾ tsp)
55 g raw cane sugar - (¼ cup)
1 tsp cardamom
1 egg
7 g instant yeast (add after resting) - (1 sachet)
120 g butter, cold and cubed (add after resting) - (~½ cup or 1 stick)

Filling Ingredients

85 g softened butter - (6 tbsp, or ~⅓ cup)
150 g light brown sugar - (¾ cup)
2 tbsp ground cinnamon - (6 tsp)

Additional Ingredients

pearl sugar - for decorating

Instructions

Cook The Tangzhong (Roux)

In a small saucepan, combine flour, water and milk. Heat over medium heat until it thickens to a pudding-like texture that can hold the trail of your whisk.
75 g freshly milled soft wheat flour*, 75 g water, 100 ml milk
Remove from the heat and whisk in additional milk to cool the mix down quickly.
75 ml milk, cold

Mill Flour

Measure out whole soft wheat berries and mill them on the finest setting of your grain mill.
425 g freshly milled soft wheat flour*

Make The Dough

Meanwhile, combine salt, sugar, cardamom, and egg in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the fresh milled flour and tangzhong roux, and use the paddle attachment to combine everything into a shaggy dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30–60 minutes.
10 g salt, 55 g raw cane sugar, 1 tsp cardamom, 1 egg
Cut the butter into cubes and keep it in the fridge while the dough rests.
120 g butter, cold and cubed (add after resting)
Sprinkle instand yeast over the dough and switch to the dough hook. Knead for 3 minutes before adding the butter, one piece at a time. It may take another 7–10 minutes to come together.
7 g instant yeast (add after resting)
Gather the dough into a firm but pliable ball with your hands. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 60 minutes.