Cinnamon Danish Pastry Recipe (kanelsnegl) : Easy Danish Recipe

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Cinnamon Danish Pastry (Kanelsnegle) or cinnamon snails, are a staple of Danish pastry.

This Danish pastry has wonderful flaky, buttery, thin crust on outside and they are so soft, fluffy and moist inside.

As they are made with yeast leavened dough they are so light and airy.

To get the Cinnamon pastry rolls with flaky crust and fluffy crumb, it is important to bake them at the right temperature and duration.

This Cinnamon Raisin Danish Rolls are one of the best breakfast pastries!

I have worked well in this recipe to make it simple and easy and so that you can make the best Cinnamon Danish pastry in the most simplest, easiest and fastest way!

I have adapted and improvised this recipe from, one of the readers most favorite recipe on the blog “Easy Croissants Recipe“

What you will love about this Cinnamon Danish Pastry Recipe

• Traditionally, Danish pastry dough is layered with butter, then rolled and folded several times in succession and then again rolled into a sheet.But in this easy Danish pastry recipe, we are going to make these wonderful cinnamon danish rolls in a different method which is more easy, which takes very little time and effort than the traditional method.
• In this easy Danish pastry recipe, we do single proofing and so we can save a lot of our time.
• We don’t need any special equipment to make this easy Danish Pastry.
• Ingredients are simple and easily available.
• This Danish pastry sheets freezes well.
• We use comparatively less butter than regular pastry dough and so its’s Calorie Count is lower than usual.
• Cinnamon Danish rolls made with this recipe, have flaky, buttery outer crust and delicious soft ,fluffy crumb inside.

Cinnamon Danish Rolls Ingredients

For Danish pastry dough

• Flour : 390 g or 3 cups (loosely packed)
• Water : 251 ml or 1 cup + 1 tbsp
• Yeast : 3 g or 1 tsp
• Salt : 1.7 g or 1/4 tsp
• Sugar : 50 g or 4 tbsp
• Soft Butter :113 g or 1 stick or 1/2 cup

For Cinnamon Danish Pastry Filling

• Soft Brown Sugar : 90-100 g or around 1/2 cup
• Cinnamon Powder : 2.8 g or 1 tsp ( or more according to preference)
• Butter : 30 g or 2 tbsp
• Raisins :80 g or 1/2 cup (optional)

For egg wash

• Lightly beat one egg

For additional glaze (optional)

Mix 1 tsp of warm water with 2 tbsp Apricot jam

How to make Danish Cinnamon Rolls

• Prepare the Pastry Sheet
• Shape and Proof the Cinnamon Danish Pastry
• Bake the Danish Pastry Rolls

Prepare the Danish Pastry Sheet

To prepare the Danish pastry sheet, we need to

• Prepare the dough
• Divide, shape into circles and layer them with butter
• Roll out the pastry sheet

Prepare the dough

Into a bowl, add in the water.

We don’t need to use cold or warm water in this danish pastry recipe.We can use room temperature water.

Add sugar, salt, yeast and stir to dissolve the ingredients in water.

Then add the flour.

Combine everything together to form a shaggy mass of dough.

I used the rear end of a wooden spoon to combine them all together.Then used my hands to mix the dough.

In the beginning, the dough may seem dry but then it will all come together.

At the end, the dough will turn to be a sticky mass of dough.No problem, a sticky dough at this stage is a good sign.

Transfer the dough on to a clean work surface and knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes or until we get a soft and smooth dough.

You can also use a stand mixer to prepare the dough.

Divide, shape into circles and layer them with butter

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces.

Shape them into round balls.

Let them sit and rest for 10-15 minutes.

I pressed the balls on top to flatten them.

Then cover them with a damp cloth so that they won’t get dry.

This resting time will give some time for the gluten strands to relax. This will prevent its tendency to rebound back while we roll them out.

After 10 minutes, roll out each of the portion to a circle of approximately 16-18 cm in diameter.

Then smear butter( about 3/4 tbsp) on each layer.

Place it on a plastic film.

Repeat the same with rest of the dough balls.

Stack them one over the other until we are done with all of them.

The butter layers are now ready.

But as the butter is very soft at this point, we will not be able to work with the dough right now.

Keep it in freezer /refrigerator until the butter is stiff

So keep the stack of layers covered in the freezer for 30-35 minutes.

We can also keep it overnight in the refrigerator.

After 35 minutes in freezer, the butter is now more stiff and pliable.

Place it on to a well floured work surface and roll out into a rectangle of approximately 34 cm x 54 cm.

Dust the work surface with enough flour so that you can work smoothly.

Spread the Cinnamon Danish pastry dough with filling

Smear the pastry sheet with a thin layer of butter(2 tbsp).

Then with cinnamon sugar (a mix of sugar and cinnamon powder).

Add some raisins on top (optional).

Fold and roll the sheet starting from the widest side to form a cylinder.

Divide the cylinder into 15-16 equal parts.

I divided it into 15 equal parts (3.6 cm thick).

To cut them smoothly, it is better to use a thread than a knife.

Place each of those pieces on to a parchment lined baking sheet.

Press and flatten each of them.

Proof the Danish pastry

Cover and let them proof for 90-120 minutes.

In a warm environment, they will rise faster and in a colder environment they will rise slowly.

Before taking them into the oven for baking, give an egg wash.

For egg wash, lightly beat one egg.

Egg wash will give a nice shine and golden brown color to our pastry crust when baked.

Bake the Cinnamon Danish Rolls

Bake the Cinnamon Danish Rolls at 400 F or 200 C for 22-25 minutes.

Can I add Egg in this Cinnamon Danish Pastry dough

Yes you can add egg in the cinnamon Danish pastry dough.

If you want to add 1 egg in this Danish pastry recipe; then add 1 egg and reduce 45-50 ml water (equal volume of 1 egg), while preparing the dough.

Can I add milk instead of water in this Danish Pastry dough

Yes you can add milk, instead of water in this Danish pastry recipe.

Use same amount of milk as of water and don’t need to change any of the measurements.

Can I use white sugar instead of brown sugar in this Cinnamon Danish Pastry Recipe

Yes, you can use white sugar instead of brown sugar in this cinnamon snail rolls recipe.

What I noticed is that brown sugar has a slight note of saltiness to it as it contain molasses in it; which is nice.

When I used white sugar instead of brown sugar, there was a slight imbalance of sweetness .I made a note in my mind to add a pinch of fine salt to white sugar, next time when I use white sugar in this cinnamon danish snail buns.

How long will this Cinnamon Danish Pastry rolls stay good at room temperature

These Cinnamon Danish Pastry rolls stay good for 3-4 days when kept covered at room temperature.

Keep the cinnamon danish rolls in an airtight container so that moisture doesn’t escape from the rolls.

As this cinnamon snail rolls contain butter in it, when we rewarm the rolls they will turn super soft instantly.

So it’s better to reheat them before serving ,if you want soft and delicious cinnamon raisin pastry.

How to reheat Cinnamon Danish Pastry swirls

We can reheat with in oven or microwave oven.

How to reheat Cinnamon Danish pastry in Oven

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Place the danish pastry on a baking tray.
• Spray the top of rolls with some water.
• Bake for 5 minutes.If we bake longer they may get dry.
• Carefully remove from the tray.
• Serve warm.

How to reheat Cinnamon Danish pastry in Microwave Oven

• Place your cinnamon pastry on a microwave-safe dish.
• Cover the cinnamon danish pastry with a damp paper towel (optional).
• Put the pastry in the microwave and heat it for 10-15 seconds or until hot.
• Serve warm.

Step by Step Video :How to make flaky Cinnamon Danish Pastry