It’s been too long since I conducted a taste test for the blog - a thinly veiled excuse for eating A LOT of something super tasty and not very healthy. Hey, I’m taking a bullet here for you, guys! Last time, I ate seven different flødeboller to find the best one in Copenhagen - and then didn’t eat any flødeboller for a couple of weeks.
This past Sunday was “kanelbullens dag” in Sweden - cinnamon bun day! So I let our lovely neighbors inspire me for my next taste test: kanelsnegle!
Criteria
For me, a great kanelsnegl must be made from buttery, flaky puff pastry, which strikes the balance between crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The ratio between pastry and cinnamon filling must be good so that neither takes overhand and you get a good mix of both with each bite (I don’t like having two large, super dry outer rings and a super heavy cinnamon-loaded center). I personally don’t have a preference towards the classic flat or the smaller, higher variety, and I like both the glaze and chocolate toppings.
I went on a hunt to put together a nice, diverse selection from some of the most popular places for kanelsnegle. Since the expert jury consisted of only two members (the boyfriend and me), we thought that five different test objects would have to suffice, lest we succumb to cinnamon poisoning or something. Here are the contestants:
So, after a truly mouthwatering picture-taking session, it was time to dig in!
WINNER: Holm’s Bager (17kr)
The jury’s clear favorite is the classic cinnamon bun from Holm’s Bager, with its strong cinnamon taste, buttery soft consistency, and a dollop of glaze on top. The texture really hits the spot - so buttery soft and flaky! The glaze is really nice too, not too sweet and overbearing. All in all, our first choice in the bunch - which surprised me a little bit, because when you ask people about the best kanelsnegl in Copenhagen, nobody really mentioned Holm’s Bager to me. By the way, it was also the cheapest one in the test (17kr) but as the price range was very small (17-20kr), we didn’t take it into account as a factor.
Emmery’s (20kr)
The jury was split on this one - for me, this high cinnamon bun was a clear runner-up, but the boyfriend wasn’t too fond of it. It’s lacking a bit in the cinnamoniness department - the taste was nice, but the cinnamon could have been stronger. One half of the jury (me) really liked the chocolate, while the other half (boyfriend) wasn’t convinced. The texture was spot-on, though, that much the jury agreed on.
Lagkagehuset (18kr)
Lagkagehus tends to be a fail-safe address to satisfy all your sweets and baked goods cravings, so obviously their kanelsnegl had to be in the selection! While there’s generally no such thing as a bad kanelsnegl (I think), this one disappointed a bit. It’s topped with a lot of glaze, which makes it way too sweet for my taste. The texture wasn’t a problem, but the mix of cinnamon and glaze tastes was not as balanced as the jury had hoped it would be. Don’t get me wrong, this is a delicious kanelsnegl - but if there’s both Lagkagehus and Holm’s Bager in walking distance, I’d probably go to the latter.
Meyer’s Bageri (20kr)
The smallest in diameter, Meyer’s cinnamon bun towers higher than all the other ones. It’s topped with a delicious dark chocolate that complements the cinnamon taste quite well. This snegl is decidedly more buttery than the other ones, almost like “brunsviger”, and it feels like the butter might just ooze out of the pastry when you take a bite. That makes the bun very dense and heavy, although the taste and texture were otherwise quite good.
7Eleven (18kr)
Probably one of the most-sold kanelsnegle in all of Denmark is 7Eleven’s “jumbosnegl” - a giant, flat cinnamon bun (just look at the pictures above, it practically dwarfs the other buns!). It was the only one we tested that wasn’t made with puff pastry, but a yeast dough - not an advantage for the texture. The taste is nice, but it wouldn’t be my first choice among the bunch. They’ll serve the purpose well on the road - but they are clearly not the best ones out there. I strongly recommend to opt for a puff pastry version! Also: be wary, because 7Eleven will try to sell you two for 20kr, and one half of the jury (not me) is rumored to once have taken up the offer… Try to resist!
So there you have it - the best kanelsnegle in Copenhagen… Or are they? What are your favorites? There are so many more places out there, but it was just impossible to try them all at once. So for the next round of tasting, what do you suggest? Let me know in the comments below!
Mie says
Try Holms bageri’s “bløddejssnegl” 25 kr.
Laura says
Hi Mie, thanks for the tip! I’m always up for trying new pastries :)
Mandy says
try Sct.Pederss Bageri!!! Love their cinnamon bun and blueberry muffin :P