The Cinnamon Roll's Journey To America Started In The 17th Century
The cinnamon roll shares some of its key components with a variety of other sweets — coffee cake, cinnamon muffins, and sticky buns, to name a few (via Serious Eats). However, the cinnamon roll is a pretty distinct treat. A layer of cinnamon sugar is spread out onto flattened dough before being rolled up, sliced, and baked. The resulting product is a swirl of sweet filling that is slightly warm with spice and often topped with icing.
Taste Atlas reports that the cinnamon roll — or kanelbulle, as it is called in Sweden — is the 12th most popular breakfast pastry in the world. The Swedish even have a holiday dedicated to the sweet treat, celebrated every October 4th. Though the original recipe might look a little different from the cinnamon rolls we are most familiar with, Serious Eats reports that they may not have strayed too far from the original recipe. In fact, the origins of the American-style cinnamon roll go way back to the 1600s.
Americans can thank immigrants for this sweet treat
The cinnamon rolls we know today were first created in the 17th century, according to Serious Eats, but similar sweets existed before then. Cinnamon became more accessible throughout Europe by the 1600s, and bakers began using it in their recipes. One popular variation of this dessert is the English Chelsea bun, which Christina's Cucina explains is similar to a cinnamon roll but has raisins and currants added in as well. These sweets became popular across the continent, and when immigrants from Germany and Sweden arrived in the United States, they brought their recipes with them.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a hotspot for German settlers, and they were inspired by the local Shoofly Pie, which generally includes brown sugar and molasses in its filling (via Taste of Home). They wanted something especially sweet to enjoy in the mornings, so they added brown sugar, honey, and sometimes raisins to what we now know as the old-fashioned cinnamon roll. The recipe remained mostly the same over the years, and cinnamon rolls are a beloved treat to this day — not just for breakfast but also as a sweet snack.
They are easily accessible to enjoy
Even though they've been around for hundreds of years, cinnamon rolls were propelled into popularity with the opening of the first Cinnabon location in 1985. The Cinnabon Bakery opened its premiere location in Seattle, Washington (via Cinnabon). It has since expanded to an international chain, with locations in over 50 countries. Mallgoers can grab a variety of sweet, cinnamon-flavored treats from the chain, including, the classic cinnamon roll.
If you prefer to make something easy at home, you can count on Pillsbury's canned cinnamon rolls. According to Serious Eats, the company began manufacturing ready-to-bake breakfast rolls in 1956, allowing for an easy, sweet breakfast with minimal effort required. Shoppers can grab them from the grocery store, pop open the can, place the rolls on a greased baking dish, and have a deliciously fresh-baked sweet ready in under 20 minutes.
Of course, nothing beats homemade sweets, and a from-scratch cinnamon roll is one worth fighting over. Maybe if you're feeling adventurous, you may choose to create your own variation on this popular treat.