A cinnamon roll consists of a rolled sheet of yeast-leavened dough onto which a cinnamon and sugar mixture (and raisins or other ingredients in some cases) is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual portions and baked. The deep fried version is cinnamon roll or cinnamon bun doughnut. Its main ingredients are flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, which provide a robust and sweet flavor.
Roman spice traders introduced the Sri Lankan cinnamon spice to Europe. The spice later began to be used in swedish pastries, with the modern kanelbulle being created after the first world war. Since 1999, October 4 has been promoted as Cinnamon Roll Day (Kanelbullens dag), a national holiday, acknowledged by a significant portion of the swedish population. Swedish kanelbulle dough typically also contains cardamom (powder or buds), giving it a distinctive flavour.
In 1985, the cinnamon bun world was revolutionized with the opening of the first-ever Cinnabon just outside of Seattle. Almost 30 years later, there are over 750 stores operating in over 30 counties, including Libya, where Cinnabon had the distinct designation of being the first franchise to open after the fall of Gaddafi in 2011.
Haga, a district in Gothenburg, Sweden, is well known for its very large cinnamon rolls. These cinnamon rolls are called hagabullar or 'Queen of the kitchen'. Hagabullar are usually 30 centimeters (12 in) or more in diameter and are, despite their size, not considered a communal roll. Each person usually orders one each.
The Swedish Butterkaka and Finnish bostonkakku ("Boston cake") is a cake made by baking cinnamon rolls in a round cake pan instead of baking them separately, so that they stick together to form a large, round cake.
A German variety, which closely follows the form of the Scandinavian pastry, originating in Hamburg and its surroundings is the Franzbrötchen, a cinnamon pastry inspired by the non-cinnamon French croissant.
American cinnamon rolls are frequently large, baked in a pan and topped with icing (usually confectioners' sugar-based) and are sometimes fried, finished with glaze, and served as a variation of a raised donut. There are also regional combinations: in the American Midwest, especially Nebraska and Kansas, cinnamon rolls are commonly eaten with chili.