Kanelsnegle
Buttery, cinnamon-swirled pastries rolled and sliced into spirals, baked until golden and finished with a simple icing.
- prep
- 40 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total
- 1 h
- serves
- 8
- level
- medium
Kanelsnegle - cinnamon snails - are the pastry at the centre of every Danish bakery counter: a buttery yeasted dough rolled around a cinnamon-sugar filling, sliced into spirals, and baked until golden.
The dough itself is simple; what makes or breaks the result is giving it a proper second prove after shaping, which is what keeps the baked pastry light rather than dense.
Part of our 20 best Danish recipes list.
method
Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl, then work in the milk, egg and softened butter to a smooth dough.
Knead 8-10 minutes until elastic, then cover and prove in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
Roll the dough out into a large rectangle about 5mm thick.
Beat the 150g of butter with the brown sugar and cinnamon into a spreadable paste, and spread it evenly over the dough right to the edges.
Roll the dough up tightly into a long log from the long edge, then slice into rounds about 3cm thick.
Lay the rounds on a lined baking tray, spaced apart, cover, and let them prove again for 30-40 minutes until puffy.
Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.
Mix the icing sugar with water or milk to a thick, pourable consistency and drizzle over the warm pastries.
chef's tips
- Spread the cinnamon butter right to the edges of the dough, not just the middle - any bare patch means a gap with no swirl once it's rolled and sliced.
- Let the second prove go the full 30-40 minutes; a rushed second rise is the most common reason kanelsnegle come out dense instead of airy.