National Cinnamon Bun Day

The story

A cinnamon bun is a soft, sweet roll made from yeast dough rolled out, spread with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, then rolled up into a spiral, sliced, and baked. In the United States the buns are often topped with cream cheese frosting or a simple glaze, while Scandinavian versions are less sweet, scented with cardamom, and finished with pearl sugar.

Cinnamon itself is one of the oldest spices in the world, prized in ancient Egypt and traded across the Indian Ocean for thousands of years. The modern cinnamon bun is closely tied to Sweden, where the kanelbulle became popular after World War I, once sugar, butter, and flour were no longer rationed. In 1999, the Swedish Home Baking Council created Kanelbullens Dag on October 4 to celebrate it, and the date has since been adopted by fans in the United States and beyond.

Cinnamon rolls also have a long history in America, brought by German and Scandinavian immigrants, and chains like Cinnabon, founded in Seattle in 1985, turned the giant frosted roll into a mall and airport classic. Variations add raisins, pecans, caramel, apples, or orange zest.

On National Cinnamon Bun Day, bake a batch at home, share warm buns over coffee, or visit your favorite bakery.