Can’t decide if you want cinnamon buns or waffles? Good news: Now you don’t have to make a choice, you can have both!

This ingenious invention most likely started here in the U.S. but has been all the rave back home in Norway over the last year.

Inspired by Kanelbollens Dag (Cinnamon Bun Day) earlier this week, I wanted to try it out to see what the fuss is all about. One can’t have enough versions of cinnamon buns after all!

So how does it work?

Make your cinnamon buns as you normally would, but instead of letting them rise for a second time and baking them in the oven, you just cook them in your waffle iron after you’ve rolled up the dough after the first rising.

Pretty incredible that the buns can cook in the waffle iron after only about 3 minutes, but they do! The sugar and butter in the filling will melt making the waffles nice and crispy.

I used a Belgian waffle iron for this, but if you prefer using the classic Norwegian heart-shaped waffle iron, that will work well too, and I might just do that next time!

Warning: your waffle iron will get quite messy from the sugar/butter, so make sure you clean it properly afterward, and preferably while it’s still hot so it doesn’t stick or harden to the surface. A trick is to save a piece of dough without the filling and cook a plain waffle in the iron at the end, that way the sugar-butter will stick to the dough, making it easier to clean.

The waffles are best enjoyed when freshly made straight from the iron. If you don’t want to make all the buns in one go, you can freeze some and just pull them out of the oven whenever you want a cinnamon bun waffle! 🙂

Vel bekomme!

Norvegan Kanelbollevafler

For the buns:
6 cups (750 grams) all-purpose flour
⅔ cups (150 grams) sugar
1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoon) dry active yeast
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 cups (5 dl) unsweetened, non-dairy milk
6 tablespoons Just Eggs or 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds mixed with ½ cup (1.25 dl) water
113 grams (1 stick) vegan butter, cold and diced

For the filling:
1 stick + 3 tablespoons (150 grams/5 oz) vegan butter
¾ cup (150 grams) brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

To make the buns:

If using flax seeds, mix the flax seeds and the water in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside to swell for about 5 minutes.

Combine all the ingredients except the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and knead on low-medium speed for 7-8 minutes. Add the butter and knead for another 8-10 minutes until you have a smooth, fairly firm dough.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour until double in size.

Make the filling while the dough is rising. Combine the butter, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix together with a fork until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll the dough into a rectangle about 15 x 23 inches (40 x 60 cm).

Spread the filling all across the surface and roll the dough up tightly starting from the shortest side.

Divide into 20 equal pieces and place on parchment-lined sheet trays.

When ready to make the kanelbollevafler, preheat your waffle iron to medium-high.

Brush the surface with butter or vegetable oil and place a bun in the center, then firmly press down. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove and place on a sheet tray lined with a rack and keep warm in the oven until you finish the rest of the buns.

Enjoy the same day – if you want to get extra decadent, serve with whipped cream and berries!

Norvegan Kanelbollevafler

This genius invention is a combination of cinnamon buns and waffles- for those times when you can't decide! Nice and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, these only take about 3 minutes in your waffle iron and you'll be rewarded with the most amazing treat!

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Servings: 20 waffles

Author: Sunny Gandara | Arctic Grub

Ingredients

For the buns:

• 6 cups (750 grams) all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cups 150 grams sugar
• 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoon) dry active yeast
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 2 cups (5 dl) unsweetened, non-dairy milk
• 6 tablespoons Just Eggs or 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds mixed with ½ cup (1.25 dl) water
• 113 grams (1 stick) vegan butter, cold and diced

For the filling:

• 1 stick + 3 tablespoons (150 grams/5 oz) vegan butter
• ¾ cup (150 grams) brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

To make the buns:

• If using flax seeds, mix the flax seeds and the water in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside to swell for about 5 minutes.
• Combine all the ingredients except the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and knead on low-medium speed for 7-8 minutes. Add the butter and knead for another 8-10 minutes until you have a smooth, fairly firm dough.
• Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour until double in size.
• Make the filling while the dough is rising. Combine the butter, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix together with a fork until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll the dough into a rectangle about 15 x 23 inches (40 x 60 cm). Spread the filling all across the surface and roll the dough up tightly starting from the shortest side. Divide into 20 equal pieces and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
• When ready to make the kanelbollevafler, preheat your waffle iron to medium-high. Brush the surface with butter or vegetable oil and place a bun in the center, then firmly press down. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove and place on a sheet tray lined with a rack and keep warm in the oven until you finish the rest of the buns.
• Enjoy the same day – if you want to get extra decadent, serve with whipped cream and berries!