Swedish Gifflar (Mini Cinnamon Rolls)
I’ve been in Sweden for the past week, and when I saw how lovely the kitchen was at the cabin I stayed at in Harads I knew I should bake something special. It was -30C (-22F) outside, so I definitely wanted something with warm winter spices. I decided to bake some Swedish gifflar, which are mini cinnamon rolls baked on their sides like crescents.
If you’ve been in a Scandinavian supermarket you’ve probably seen bags of gifflar for sale, but oh let me tell you how much more delicious homemade gifflar are! And as a cinnamon roll lover, I especially appreciate how these are bite sized, so you can enjoy several at once, if you want.
This recipe makes about 50 gifflar, but you can easily divide the recipe in half if you don’t want to make this many.
Tips
I‘ve added a video at the bottom of the recipe showing exactly how I make these gifflar.
Be sure to read the label on the yeast you’re using for instructions. I use either instant dry or fresh yeast for these, so I simply dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. But you may need to proof your yeast if it isn’t instant.
You can mix the dough in an electric mixer, but I always prefer to make it by hand. I knead the dough for about ten minutes – until it’s nice and elastic. It might sound like a long time, but I usually put on some music and quite enjoy the kneading!
You can use ground cardamom for this recipe, but if you have a mortar and pestal I highly recommend grinding cardamom seeds instead, as freshly ground seeds are much more flavorful. I wouldn’t bother unless it really made a difference, but it really does.
For these gifflar you’ll actually roll out the dough before it rises. After kneading it you can let it rest for a few minutes while you make the cinnamon filling, but then you’ll go straight into rolling it out into long rectangles.
Divide the dough into four sections and roll out each section into a long rectangle, about 8×21 in (20×55 cm) and spread 1/4 of the filling in a thin layer across each rectangle. I live about an inch free of filling at the bottom (long side) of the rectangle.
Roll the rectangle from top to bottom (long side) into a long, tight roll (about 21 in, or 55 cm long) and cut into 1.5 inch (4 cm) pieces. Let the gifflar rise for about an hour, until the dough fully bounces back when you press it lightly with your finger.
I bake these in two batches. You can arrange the gifflar fairly tightly together on your baking sheet (I spread each row out a bit, but the gifflar in the row are close together). If they spread together while rising and baking you can simply cut them apart once they’re baked.
I bake mine for 15 minutes, but exact baking times will vary a bit depending on your oven. Bake them until the tops are golden brown, but you definitely don’t want to over bake these. I like the dough to still be a tiny bit soft in the very center.
Finally, once they’re baked you’ll brush each mini cinnamon roll with a generous amount of sugar syrup. This gives the gifflar a nice shiny finish and locks in the moisture. It’s not totally necessary, but I really recommend adding this finally step!
You can freeze any extra gifflar you won’t be eating in the next couple of days, and then simply pop them in the oven for a few minutes and they’ll taste freshly baked again.
You can switch the recipe from US measurements to metric by clicking from “US Customary” to “Metric” under Ingredients.
Swedish Gifflar (Mini Cinnamon Rolls)
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- pastry brush
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 c milk (room temperature )
- 4 tsp instant yeast (or 50 g fresh yeast)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 c granulated sugar
- 7 c flour (approx)
- 14 tbsp butter (softened)
Filling
- 11 tbsp butter softened
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or flour
Decoration
- 1 egg, splash of water, pinch of salt
- 3/4 c water
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
Instructions
Dough
- Add the milk and yeast to a large mixing bowl and stir until the yeast dissolves.
- Add the cinnamon, cardamom, sugar, and half the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon (or in an electric mixer) until smooth. Add the softened butter and stir until smooth again.
- Slowly add the rest of the flour until you can knead the dough by hand (or in a mixer). You may need a bit more or less flour, depending on how sticky the dough is. Add just enough flour so the dough isn't too sticky to knead, but don't add too much. Knead the dough by hand or in a mixer for about 10 minutes, until it is nice and elastic.
- Let the dough rest for a few minutes (NOT a full rise) while you make the filling.
Filling
- Mix all the filling ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. If the butter is too hard you can microwave it for a few seconds until softened.
- Divide the dough into four parts. Roll out each section into a long rectangle, about 8×21 in (20×55 cm) and spread 1/4 of the filling in a thin layer across each rectangle. Roll the rectangle into a long, tight roll (about 21 in long) and cut into 1.5 inch (4 cm) pieces.
- Arrange the gifflar pieces onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. You can space them tightly together, as we'll separate them after they've baked (see photos).
- Let the gifflar rise of about an hour, until the dough springs back when pressed with a finger.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) top and bottom heat.
- Whisk together the egg, water and salt and brush the gifflar with the egg wash before putting them in the oven.
- Bake for about 15 – 18 minutes, until the tops are golden. Do not over bake.
- While the gifflar are baking, stir the sugar into the water in a medium bowl until dissolved. As soon as the gifflar come out of the oven, brush them generously with this syrup.
- Enjoy!