Also known as cinnamon buns, cinnamon rolls are sweet doughy breads that pull apart. Sticky buns are a common variant, featuring nuts and a sticky, caramel or sugar glaze. Their signature sweet cinnamon accents make cinnamon rolls a popular treat in America and Europe.

Facts
A cinnamon roll is a sweet spiral bun that is popular in North America and Europe. The exact origin of the confection is not known, but food historians believe they came from Northern Europe, having German, Danish and Swedish influences. In North America, cinnamon rolls are commonly enjoyed for breakfast. Swedes enjoy these kanelbullar as part of their coffee break, called the fika.

History
Cinnamon originated in Sri Lanka, and was known to the Greeks and Romans. In ancient times, cinnamon was used to flavor wine and for incense. According to Donald Wirtz of the American Institute of Baking, cinnamon rolls can be traced from the ancient Greeks through the Middle Ages and on to present day America. Wirtz attributes the spice trade to the origins of roll; he points to the English Chelsea bun as the possible prototype of the modern cinnamon roll. The Chelsea bun is described as being sticky, sweet and "coiled like a Swiss roll." It appears to be influenced by the German Schnecken, a coiled sweet bread. Schnecken became popular in the 18th century with the German immigrant population in Germantown, a suburb of Philadelphia. This became known as the famous Philadelphia cinnamon roll, containing, honey, cinnamon and raisins.

Ingredients
The main ingredients in cinnamon rolls are flour, cinnamon, yeast, water, milk, sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla. Different variations include raisins, confectioner's sugar used to create an icing or glaze, nuts (pecans, walnuts and almonds are favored), and currants.

Nutritional Information
One 2.1 oz. cinnamon roll contains 223 calories, 9.8 g of fat and 1.8 g of saturated fat, or 9 percent of the recommended percent daily value. One roll has 19 g of sugar and 30.5 g of carbohydrates. There are 66.6 mg of potassium and 230 mg of sodium. A larger cinnamon roll (about 5 to 6 oz.) can contain more than 730 calories.

Variations
Over time, the cinnamon roll has evolved, and today there are hundreds of variations. The sticky bun is probably the simplest variation. Unlike the traditional roll, these are covered with a baked layer of caramel and nuts. Substituting or adding maple syrup, chopped apples, flax and fruit preserves are popular variations on the classic cinnamon roll as well.