Norwegian-Style Cinnamon Rolls Are Different From The American Version In One Major Way

When it comes to American cinnamon rolls, a few rules generally hold true. Bigger is better — witness a popular Texas bakery that makes massive, 10-pound cinnamon rolls — the swirl is paramount, and frosting is king. That last part is especially salient when it comes to Yanks determining the worth of any given pastry. A cinnamon roll can get away with being slightly lackluster (maybe it's a bit dry or squished), but if it's slathered in a thick coat of gooey cream cheese frosting or a shiny powdered sugar glaze, it's "aight" in most books. We even indulge in a TikTok hack that aims to make canned cinnamon rolls gooier by pouring heavy cream into the baking pan. 

Norway, however, delivers cinnamon rolls with a key difference. Although the country likes a wide range of these baked goods, most don't come with frosting or glaze of any sort. A Norwegian cinnamon roll is more of a bun, with a well-formed shape and definition to its swirls that often get lost in American rolls beneath a weighty sugary topping. Like their North American brethren, these cinnamon rolls take on the form of a classic swirl cut from a log-like roll of pastry encasing a spiced filling. 

In many ways, the baking instructions are close to identical, too. The big difference is the icing ... or lack thereof. This makes a Norwegian cinnamon roll markedly less cloying than an American one and a better fit for nibbling at breakfast without suffering a blood sugar spike. On the other hand, without careful preparation, the Norwegian rolls can taste dry, so it takes a skilled hand to make them perfect.

While Norway's cinnamon rolls sans frosting are distinctive from their American counterparts, they actually share a few things in common with the buns of nearby Scandinavian nations. Swedish cinnamon rolls, for instance, are also devoid of icing. Unlike the Norwegian treats, which are rolled and sliced like American specimens, Swedes traditionally hand-twist their rolls into delicate rounds that look like a cruller donut. Swedish and Norwegian cinnamon rolls share something else that's quite special: their spice mixtures generally include cardamom. A sprinkle of ground cardamom pods gives cinnamon rolls a distinctly Scandinavian flair with its characteristically minty, slightly astringent taste. You'll also see cardamom in Danish cinnamon rolls, which are called "cinnamon snails" due to their — you guessed it! — spiral shape. Danes, unlike Norwegians and Swedes, occasionally dabble in frosting cinnamon rolls, although that's not ubiquitous.

Wherever you are, a cinnamon roll is a delicious snack, the enjoyment of which transcends cultural boundaries. When you have delicate pastry enrobing a sweet cinnamon middle, it doesn't matter what you call it; people know that it's a glorious nibble. We covered some common mistakes that tend to happen when baking homemade cinnamon rolls, and branching out from the same old recipes may be one that we didn't mention — and yet, we'd argue that it's a serious error! The big difference in American and Norwegian cinnamon rolls is the frosting element, but we urge you to try them anyway. In fact, Scandi cinnamon rolls have some commonalities that make them a special treat for visitors and well worth sampling if you find yourself in Northern Europe.